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108 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[Vol. XXX brahmaděya in Teņkarai-nādu. For this lamp, pure gold (coins), 12 (twelve) kalañju in weight as weighed by the Parakësarikkal, and having the proper impress and weight, was given to the members of the assembly of the said Virasangada-chaturvēdimangalam. That, with the income arising from) this twelve kalafiju of gold the members of the assembly of this Virasangăda-chaturvēdimangalam may maintain this one sacred perpetual lamp, as long as the moon and the sun endure, I Anukkan Sēndan alias Eriyum Vitanka-Chetti provided for this sacred perpetual lamp. In this wise, the assembly having received the gold had it engraved on stone. The (assembly) of all Mähēkvaras shall protect this gift.
VI.-Piramiyam Inscription of the 41st year of Kalimarkka-Vikrama-Chola
The subjoined inscription' is engraved on the north wall of the central shrine of the Tiruvalañjulināthasvāmin temple of Piramiyam. It contains eight long lines of writing in the Vatteluttu alphabet. The language is Tamil. A few letters at the right end of each line are damaged but can be made out satisfactorily. The inscription is dated in the 41st year, expressed both in figures and letters, of the reign of king Kalimūrkka sri-Vikrama-Chöļadēva and contains a short introduction in the Tamil agaval metre, the object of which is to say that Vikrama-Chöla was one of the best of kings, possessed all kingly virtues, governed the country with justice and effected agricultural improvements. The prasasti writer describes in the words of the Kural that the king wielded his sceptre righteously, held up his silver-white parasol, made the lands of the country fertile, gave relief to the suffering inhabitants, received only his one-sixth share of the produce of land), removed sins (or punished the wicked) and, seated on the royal throne (or sitting in council), afforded protection to his subjects from external evils and was as tenderly attached to them as the mother to the child she had given birth.
The Kura! verges are cited below to enable the reader to compare the wording of the prasas with that of the Kura! which it follows:
Kodai-aļi senkol kudiy-ombal nāngum Udaiyānām Vēndark=koļi (ch. 39, v. 10); Kudi-purankālt=8mbi=kkurran-kadidal vaduv-anzu vēndan=roļil (ch. 55, v. 9); Aran-ilukkād-allavai nikki maran-iļu kkä
mānam-udaiyad=arasu (ch. 39, v. 4). It will be noted that the phrase allavai kadindu of the inscription occurs in the form allavai nikki in Kura! 39, v. 4, and kurrar-kadidal in 55, v. 9. Allavai cannot mean remainder as noted on p. 108 of ARSIB for 1920. The juxtaposition of the phrases aril onru kondu (receiving onesixth of the produce as tax) and allavai kadindu (punishing the wicked or removing sins), showshow the latter followed the former as cause and effect and reminds one of the Smriti text
अरक्ष्यमाणाः कुर्वन्ति यत्किंचित्किल्बिषं प्रजाः ।
TEATRE TOT
CERAT
I
Yājħavalkya-smriti, I. 337
1 ARSIE, 1920, No. 183. * Parimelalagar oommenting on this word equates it with kolai kalavu (murdor, stealing); of. Kural, ch. 39, v. 4,
