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126
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XII.
period to which we have to assign Sundara-Chola. It is not unlikely that this expedition to Ceylon was the result of the Chola king's encounter with the Pandyas, and it might even be supposed that the Singhalese supported the cause of the Pāņdyas as they had been doing during the time of Rājasimha.
The materials for fixing the exact time of Sundara-Chola's rule, are very limited. If his records were at least numerons, we would be in a position to ascertain the length of his reign which is a very essential element in this direction. In the absence of this we can only work out a tentative date from the available facts. Sundara-Chola's invasion of Ceylon, if the Mahavamsa could be relied upon, appears to have happened immediately after Udaya's uocession. As the latter event is placed in A.D. 964, and as we have already seen that this was in the 9th year of Sundara Chola's reign, the date of the Chola king's accession to the throne would be about A.D. 955.
[If Parantaka died in A. D. 953 and Gapdarāditya and Ariñjaya ruled after him it appears very unlikely that Sundara-Chola Parantaka II., the son of the latter, conld have sucoseded to the throne in A. D. 955, 1.e., two years after the death of Parantaka I. But the dates of the Mahavarisa on which Mr. Subrahmanya Aisar relies have evidently to be corrected; and this has been done most conclusively by Professor Haltzech in his contributions to Singhalese Chronology (J. R. A. 8. for 1913, pp. 517-531). The error discovered is 23 years. Consequently the accession of Udaya III., is shifted back from 964 to A. D. 941. The conclusions of Mr. Aiyar will have therefore to be accepted, subject to the above correction.-H. K. S.].
TEXT 1 Svasti ri [ll] Pāņdiyagai suramm=irakkina Perumai
eri-Suntra soladēvarku yānda 7vadu Vada[ga]rai-Vėmbarrür. 2 Srikuţittittai-ndaiyarku i=Pperumāļļukku sēnāpatyam sögira Pirantakan
Siriyavēl&3 nn- [na*]* Tirukkarrali-Pichohannan ixtdēvarku tirumantra
põnagattukku nan sembop 156 kala4 ñjun-guduttu kondu iraiy-ili-sēdu kudutta nilam-Ivadu ietdēvar?
frikoyilakku vadakku-tirakku! 5 ttukku vadakku taliviļāgam-anrus pēr-kuvappatta nilam araiyum
- ietdēvapku tirumantra-põnaga6 ttukka chandradityavar selvad-āga iraiy ilichobi kudutton Pirantakan Siriyavēļānn-apalo Tirukkarrați-Pichohannon. 11
TRANSLATION Hail! Progperity! In the 7th year of the reign of the glorious PerumaỊ Sundara. Chöļadēva who drove the Pâpdya (king) into the forest, 1, Pirantakan Siriyavēlān alia. Tirakkarrali-Pichohan who perform the duties of a general to this king obtained the following land by paying 156 kalafiju of gold, made (it) rent-free and presented (it) to the god of Srikudittittai in Vadagarai-Věmbarrår for the sacred offering. This land measuring half (a vēli) is situated to the north of the sacred tank on the northern side of the temple of this god and is known by the name of talivilagam. I, Pirāntakan Siriyavolān alias Tirukkarraļi-Pichoban, gave it free of rent (to provide for the sacred offering of this god 80 long as the Sun and the Moon endure.
1 See op. 9 to 11 of the Udayandiram plates (South-IndInacre., Vol. II, p. 887). * No. 291 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1908, Read -Sundara.. • Read -lanzana.
. Read Pichchandy. • Raad i-ddā varkku. Read ddevar.
. Read er. • Road inddararkku.
16 Read- o n-and.
11 Read Pickchants.
