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No. 25.]
DATES OF PANDYA KINGS.
139
The date is regular. On Thursday, January 29th, A.D. 1237, the first day of the bright fortnight of Phålguna ended 5 h. 31 m. after mean sunrise. The solar day was the 6th Kumbha. By the equal space system the nakshatra Satabhishaj was current at mean sunrise and ended 9 h. 46 m. later. By the system of Garga Sata uhishaj had expired 2 h. 22 m. before sunrise; and by the Brahma-sidd bänta it had expired 1 h. 19 m. before sunrise. This seems to show that the equal space system of nakshatras was used at that time and place. The inscription does not affect Professor Kielhorn's limits (March 29th to September 4th) for the beginning of the reign of this king.
B-JATAVARMAN VIRA-PANDYA.
69.-In the Muchukundēsvara temple at Kodumbäļür.1 1 Kė=Chcbad (ai]ya[pagma] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ... .. .... ... sri-[Vira]-Päņdiyadēva[x]ku' ya[n]ļu [7]vada
Simha-na5 Cyar®][ra] pārvva-pakshattu (Viyāla ?]-kk[i]lamai yu]m daśam[i]yum po[rra]
Mülattu [n]ā!. "In the 1[7]th year of the reign) of king Jaţāvarman . . . . . . . . . . the glorious (Vira)-Pandyadēva, -on the day of Müla, which corresponded to the tenth tithi and to a [Thursday] of the first fortnight of the month of Simha."
This date is precisely correct for the Vira-Påndys, of whom two inscriptions, vis. in his 7th and 15th years, have been published by Professor Kielhorn (above, Vol. VII. pp. 10-11). His reign began, according to that authority, between 11th November 1252 and 13th July 1253. The 10th November 1267 was in his 15th year, and the present date is correct in all respects for 8th August 1269. It is incorrect for the years 1270 and 1271.
In 1269 the 10th tithi of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada ended 18 h. 55 m. after mean sunrise on the 11th day of solar Simha, which corresponded to Thursday, 8th August, A.D. 1269. On that day the nakshatra was, by the system of Garga, Mala for 13 h. 58 m. after mean sunrise, and by the Brahma-siddhanta, for 8 h. 39 m. By the equal space system it was Jyēshtha for 1 h. 50 m. after mean sunrise, and then Müla for the rest of the day.
The date confirms Professor Kielhorn's limits for the accession of this king. It also confirms the suggestion made by Mr. Venkayya in his Annual Report for 1907-8, para. 45, that the Vira-Pandya who immediately preceded Märavarman Kulasēkhara I. was the same as this Jaţăvarman Vira-Pandya. Henceforth we may give him his proper title.
Since his reign began in A.D. 1252-53 and lasted at least 17 years, Jaţăvarman ViraPandya was ruling for at least 8 years at the same time as Jatavarman Sandara-Pápdya I. whose reign began in 1251 and lasted till at least 1261 A.D. Moreover he is recognized in this inscription as sovereign in. A.D. 1269, while we have Märavarman Kulasēkhara I.'s accession in June 1268.
1 No. 131 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1907.
Read Kos.
+ [The king claims to have conquered Konganam, to have taken the river Kävēri and to have performed the snointment of heroes and the anointment of victors at Puliyur, i.e. Chidambaram, in the South Arcot District. The statement made in paragraph 45 of my Ansual Report for 1907-08 that this inscription does not mention the conquests of the king is due to a mistake.Ed.]
T 2
