________________
No. 10.]
SENDALAI PILLAR INSCRIPTIONS.
135
while that of the letter ku does not pass to the left of the vertical line representing k. The pulli or virāma is in most cases marked by a slightly curved top-stroke and, curiously enough, it is also marked on some vowels and combined consonants. Va has an indenture at the bottoms and the akshara ya has always a closed loop at the beginning. The central loops alone of na and na are fully developed and they are engraved on a lower level than the tops of the letters. da is represented by a more curve, concave at the right side, as in the Kiram grant and the Kāśākuļi plates. The i sign of vi and ļi in viļi (line 3 of the 1st pillar, south face) are very peculiar, inasmuch as they are written apart from the letters to which they belong and almost on the top of the following syllables. The symbol for u in lu, mu and tu is a mere horizontal line slightly indentured. Being written in Tamil poetry, the record is free from Sanskrit letters and words, except when it mentions the titles of the king. The only other instance where Grantha letters are used is foand in the word paramēsvara occurring in line 4 of A on the first pillar.
Of etymologicnl interest is the word Padari, which occurs in the first inscription (A) on the first pillar, (line 7). Padari is the feminine form of Padārar, which is the Tamil adaptation of the Sanskrit word Bhatāra. In several inscriptions we meot with the form Pidari with its honoritio Piduriyār which seems to be a variant of Padāri. The word, of which Padari or Pidāri is the Tamil equivalent, is Bhattaraki, Bhatāraki or Bhatari. At present, the term Pidāri invariably indicatos a village goddess, of probably Dravidian origin. It is worth while to ascertain if it had the same significanco in ancient times. In the modern temple of Selliyamman at Alambakkam, we have some early inscriptions of the 11th century. One of them states that the temple of Pidāri was constructed by a certain Irāyúr Alankārapriyan alias Tiru-Orriyfiran (No. 704 of 1909); while two others on the same temple register gifts made to the temple of Saptamātsikas (Nos. 705 and 706). It is not unlikely that they all refer to the same temple, i.e. that on which the inscriptions are found. Similarly also the Selliyamman temple at Velachcheri near Madras is referred to in one of its inscriptions, which belongs to the 11th century A.D., by the name Kāļā-Bhatāri (No. 317 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1911); while in another, it is called the temple of the Saptamātikas (No. 316 of the same collection). From these references it looks as if the Saptamātrikas were known by the term Pidāri or Kaļa-Bhatari. The Tanjore inscriptions of Rajarāja mention the three Pidāri temples Kāļa-Bhatāriyar, Tiruvāludaiyal and Kuduraivattamudaiyāļ. Though the first of these might refer to the Saptamatrikas, the latter two at least appear to denote village deities. Thus it is plain that in the 11th century A.D. Piļāri was indifferently used to denote Aryan gods and village deities. In course of time it seems to have lost the former application. And it is worthy of note that the term Padaran, Padārar or Pidāran has now degraded in its meaning. The original significance of this word. i.e. the lord or god,' is now entirely lost, as it means "a snake charter or snake catcher.' The change in this case can be easily accounted for by the original application of the word Padåran to Siva, who is the great snake charmer.
There is nothing in these records to show the time when the kings mentioned in them flourished or the duration of their reigns. As we have not got many Tamil inscriptions belonging to periods earlier than the 8th century A.D. to enable us to compare the characters employed in the subjoined records, palmography seems an unsafe guide to fix with any amount
1 The sign of ku Passos to the left of the vertical stroke in the Kursm grant.
The vowel . in enrenru (line 3 of A on the second pillar), the letter k in kondo (line 4 of F on the third pillar) and t in tol (line 3 of H on the same pillar) bear on them tbe pulli mark.
It may be noted that da has no curve at the bottom in the Kuram grant. • The shape of na differs very widely from that in either of the two grante.
