________________
No. 43] TWO TAMIL INSCRIPTIONS FROM PUNGANUR
267 20 श्रेष्ठ दानाच्छेयोन (नु)पालनं(नम्) ॥ बहुभिर्वसुधा भुक्ता राजभिः सगरा
दिभिः [1*] य21 स्य यस्य यदा भूमिस्तस्य तस्य तदा फलं (लम्) ॥ आस्फोटयन्ति पितरः
प्रवर्ग (ल्ग)22 न्ति पितामहाः [*] भूमिदाता कुले जातः सवस्त्रात (सर्वस्नात):
भविष्यति (ती)ति ॥ लिखितं 23 वक्क्रामात्यप्रणप्त्रा भोगिकनरदत्तनप्ता भोगिकरविदत्तपुत्त्रेण 24 महासान्धिविग्रहिकसूर्य्यदत्तेन [1*] दूतको नागसिंहः
Seals
श्रीहस्तिराज्ञः (जस्य)
No. 43–TWO TAMIL INSCRIPTIONS FROM PUNGANUR
(1 Plate)
V. VENKATASUBBA AIYAR, MADRAS The subjoined inscriptions A' and Be are found on both sides of two slabs found near the deserted Siva temple at Punganūr in the North Arcot District of the Madras State. Though the temple is now deserted without worship, its construction consisting of the central shrine with & mahamandapa is intact containing inscriptions of Rājarāja I' and Kulõttunga-Chöļa III indicating the patronage it received under the Chola monarchs. An inscription? of Nripatunga-Vikramavarman in the village indicates that the locality, prior to the Cholas, was under the rule of the Pallavas.
Both the inscriptions, A and B, are in a fair state of preservation, though the slab containing B is broken into two pieces.
The language of these records is Tamil prosè which does not call for any special remark. Minor peculiarities in the script and language are noticed in foot-notes under the texts.
These epigraphs are important because (1) they are dated in Saka years without mentioning any overlord of the region ; (2) they throw fresh light on the chronology of the rule of Pärthivēndravarman which has not yet been satisfactorily settled, and (3) one of them, i.e., inscription B, mentions a chief of the Lāda family which wielded considerable influence in the region roughly comprising the present North Arcot District in the 9th and 10th centuries A. C.
1[The reading is sa nas=trata(tā).-Ed.] * This is upside down.
No. 13 of the Madras Epigraphical Collection for 1940-41. 'No.14 " "
for 1940-41. 'Nos.8,9 and 11,
for 1940-41. .No.7
for 1940-41 No. 12
for 1940-41.