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No. 12.] TAKKOLAM INSCRIPTION OF RAJAKESARIVARMAN (ADITYA I). 81.
39 मिं च गच्छति ॥[ २० ॥ *] न विषं विषमित्याहु ( ) स्वं विषमुख (ते । विषमेकाकिनं ह[न्ति] व्व (ब्रह्मस्व (खं) पुत्रपौषि (व) कं ॥ [ २१ ॥ ] गव(ख) र सु
40 विरहण इंग्रभहस्तांबे (मं) चक(को) रनयनां (गो) लिखितं सुधाचिः । योहास (घ) ल: सकलसि (शि)ल्पनिधिः सुबु (बु) हि रुत्कीर्ण (पूर्ण) वा
41 का भु (च) मप (पं) चि चेदीस (घ)
सव (द) चरं च ॥ २२ ॥ चया यां[ष] | १९
No. 12. TAKKOLAM INSCRIPTION OF RAJAKESARIVARMAN (ADITYA I).
BY K. V. SUBRAHMANYA AYYAR, B. A., M.R.A.8., OOTACAMUND.
Takkolam, which is now a petty village in the North Arcot District and a flag station on the Arkonam-Chingleput line of the South Indian Railway, was an important place in ancient times. It occurs under the name Tiruvüral in the Devaram, and is stated to have been situated in Tondainadu. It is celebrated for its Siva temple, referred to in the hymns of the Tamil Saiva saint Tirujñānasambandar, who flourished in the middle of the seventh century A.D. Even at the present day, its Siva temple is an old structure of the Chōla times, referable to the 9th century A.D., to judge from the inscriptions engraved on the walls of the central shrine. Besides being a place of pilgrimage, it is historically important as one of the ancient battle-fields of South India. In the middle of the 10th century A.D., it witnessed a sanguinary encounters that took place between the Chōlas on the one side, and the Rashtrakutas allied with the Gangas on the other, the bone of contention being Tondai-mandalam,-the plum of the Pallava dominions,-which had been snatched away by the Chōlas from the Pallavas in the third quarter of the 9th century A.D. The Cholas were under the banner of the great Paräntaka I, the general being the valiant Chōla prince Räjäditys, while the contending Rashtrakuta was the famous Krishna III,7 allied with the Ganga Bütuga II.8 In the encounter, Bütuga managed to get into the howdah of the
1 Regarding the situation of Takkolam, see Ep. Ind., Vol. V, p. 167.
Tiruvural is included in the first Tirumurai and is stated to be a place in Tonḍai-nādu.
Of the eleven verses composed by this saint verses 6 and 7 are lost and the rest are preserved in the Devaram. The inscriptions of Takkolam are registered as Noe. I to 19 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1897 and Nos. 243 to 277 of the same collection for 1921. The kings represented in them are Rajakesarivarman (No. 5 of 1897 and Nos. 255 and 260 of 1921), Parantaka I (Nos. 8 to 12 of 1897 and Nos. 245, 246, 248, 249, 251 to 254 and 261 of 1921), Kapparadeva (No. 2 of 1897), Parakesarivarman (No. 6 of 1897 and No. 250 of 1921), Parthivendravarman (Nos. 4, 7, 13 and 14 of 1897), Rajaraja I (No. 3 of 1897 and Nos. 247, 257, 258 and 259 of 1921), Rajendra-Chōla I (No. 15 of 1897 and 256 of 1921), Vimaladitya (No. 1 of 1897), Rajakesarivarman Vijayarajöndradeva (No. 262 of 1921), Rajakesarivarman Viraräjöndra (No. 19 of 1897), Kulottunga I (No. 18 of 1897 and Nos. 243, 263 and 268 of 1921), Tribhuvanachakravartin Kulottunga (Nos. 16 and 17 of 1897), Tribhuvanachakravartin Rajaraja (Nos. 265 and 266 of 1921), Vijayagandagopala (Nos. 264 and 267 of 1921), Rajanäräyana. Sambuvaraya (No. 271 of 1921), Devaraya (No. 270 of 1921) and Sadasiva (Nos. 289 and 272 of 1921). One bears no king (No. 273 of 1921).
This battle is mentioned in the Atakur stone inscription (see Ep. Ind., Vol. VI, p. 55).
This fact was first surmised by Mr. Venkayya in editing the Tirukkalukkupram inscription of Rajakēsarivarman, dated in the 27th year of reign (Ep. Ind., Vol. III, p. 279), and subsequently proved to be correct by a statement in the Tiruvälangadu plates (S. I. I., Vol. III, p. 419, v. 49).
1 Krishna III is invariably referred to in Tamil Inscriptions by the appellation" Kachchiyum Tañjaiyumhonda Kannaradeva," (Kannaradeva, the capturor of Conjeeveram and Tanjore). The Doddasivaram inscription (No. 112 of 1899) refers to his having been encamped at Malpädi in the North Arcot district.
Ep. Ind., Vol. VI, pp. 55 and 57.
