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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[Vol. XXVIII
From the provenance of these records and from the fact that the king is not specifically called a l'erättadigal we may consider him to be a Chēra ruler. We know of six kings of this dynasty who flourished between the 9th and 11th centuries A. C. They are > (1) Sthāņu-Ravi," of the Kottayam and Tiruvalla plates, who was a contemporary of the
Chöļa king Aditya I (870-906 A. C.); (2) his successor Vijayarāghavadēva,' who was a contemporary of the Chola king Parāntaka,
in the first half of the 10th century, in 936 A. C.; (3) Indu-Kodaivarman of the Tirukkākkarai and Taļi inscriptions, who reigned from 955 to
978 A. C. ; (4) Bhaskara-Ravivarman, the contemporary of Vēņādudaiya Srivallabhan-Ködai of Kollam
149 and who ruled from 978 to 1036 A. C. :: (5) Ravi-Rāma? of the Tirukkaạittānam record, who was probably a successor of Bhāskara
Ravi (circa 1040), and (6) Rāman Tiruvadio Kulasēkhara-Köyiladhikäri of the Quilon epigraph dated in Kollam
278 (=1103 A. C.; date of accession 1090 A. C.). The reigns of Nos. 1 to 4 may be considered to have been continuous without any appreciable break; whereas between those of Nos. 5 and 6 there is an interval of nearly half a century. In this gap, Kodai-Ravi with & reign of 30 years can well be accommodated ; and palaeographical considerations do not militate against this assumption. But whether he was a predecessor of Kulabēkhara or his successor can be decided only when more data are available.
A few points of interest in the wording of the record may be noticed.
Viyālam niska (line 2). The Vyāļa-vattam or the Jupiter's cycle was a favourite method of astronomical reckoning in use in the West Coast. As Jupiter moves round the ecliptio once in twelve years at the rate of one răsi per year approximately, the citation of its position in a particular radi is chronologically useful. This system is used in some North Indian inscriptions, but is not in vogue in the records of South India.
Nityavichārèsvaram (line 2). The origin of this name of the temple has, on the analogy of the names like Rājarājēsvaram, etc., to be traced to the name or biruda 'Nityavichāra' of a Chēra ruler ; but which particular king bore this, is not ascertainable. This name was in vogue even in the time of Indu-Ködaivarman, and so it is possible that this king or some predecessor of his had the title.
Taliyar and Tali-adhikarar (lines 2-3). According to the Kēralotpatti, a Malayalam prose work of no great antiquity, the early Chēra rulers were helped in their administration by an advisory council consisting of the presidents of four assemblies representative of respective portions of their dominions. These assemblies met in halls called talis, and references to them are found in inscriptions. Taki is derived from the Sanskrit word sthali, and here it appears to mean simply the temple. Taliyar may mean the temple officials' and tali-adhikarar, 'the temple manager.'
Trav. Arch. Series, Vol. II, pp. 60 ff. and 8.1, I., Vol. III, p. 221 *TAS., Vol. IV, p. 144. • Ibid., Vol. III, p. 162. • Ibid., Vol. IV, p. 144.
Ibid., Vol. V, p. 187. • Ibid., p. 174. * Ibid., p. 172.
Imid.. pp. 40, 41. The date 2+14th year of this record, an read by Mr. K. V. Subrahmanya Ayyar (No. 84 of the Trav. Arch. Report for 1095 M. E.) is corrected as 2+11th year in the Trau. Arol. Berina, Vol. V, p. 44.
