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338 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXXII late for his grandfather who has been identified with Varaguna (I) of the Larger Sinnamanür grant and Jatila-Parantaka Neduñjadaiyan of the Vēlvikkudi plates* and for whom the Anaimalai records offer the date Kali 3871 (expired)-A. D. 770.
With regard to the date of our record, the first thing to be borne in mind is that the Saka year quoted, viz. 792, was expired (pondana). Thus Varaguna's eighth regnal year is coupled with Saka 793 current (between March 870 A. D. and March 871 A. D.). He therefore ascended the throne sometime between March 862 and March 864 A.D. and not exactly between March 862 A.D and March 863 A.D. as has generally been believed. The view assigning the king's accession to 861-62 A. D. overlooks the expression pondana.. Secondly, the eighth regnal year of the record should better be taken as current rather then expired. For the first regral year of a king is likely to be counted from the first day of his accession and not from the date of the expiry of the first year.' But those who regard the Saka year 792 of our record as current and at the same time the regnal year 8 as expired predate the king's accession by two years. Our record seems to necessitate a reconsideration of the dates suggested for the records from Tiruvellarai," Lälgudio and Javantināthapuram, 11 all of which are dated in the 4+9th regual year of Varagupa who has been identified with Varaguņa I ly some hut with Varaguna II by others.
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1 Sakara-yändu eļu-nüfruttonpörr=tranda 2 pondaņa Varaguparku yāndu ettu Gunavira-kku3 ravadigal-māņākka[r] Kälattu Santivirak4 kuravar Tiruvayirai Poribva(Pāréva)-pa(bha)ţäraraiyum-iyak6 ki-avvaigalaiyum pudukki iraņdukku-mnt6 tā=vaviyum=or=adigalukku sõrāga 18 amaitta po7 n ai-nnūI-aindu kāņam [[[*]
1 Above, Vol. VIII, p. 319.
? Sastri. The Pandyan Kingdom, pp. 39-44. The identification seems to be corroborated by the Perumballi inscription of Varaguna II (abovo, p. 271).
: SI1., Vol. III, pp. 451 ff. . • Above, Vol. XVII, PP. 291 ff.
.A.R. Ep., 1906, paragraph 25; above, Vol. VIII, p. 319; Vol. IX, p. 88. The actual date of the King's accession, however, cannot be determined without further evidence.
• Abiye Vol. XXVIII, p. 39. Our record does not presuppose that the quoted Bake year 792 was the current year (above, Vol. XI, p. 268) nor does it give room for the doubt that it may be either current or expired (QJMS, Vol. XLIII, p. 132).
Cf. JOR, Vol. IX, p. 217. • Above, Vol. XI, p. 253 ; QJM8, Vol. XLIII, p. 182.
Two dates have been suggested. The one is the 22nd November 874 A, D. (above, Vol. XI, p. 263; Vol. XXVIII, p. 38.); but it is doubtful (cf. QJMS, Vol. XLII, p. 127; Vol. XLIII, p. 138). The other date viz. 7th November, 824 A, D., has been suggested by ascribing the record to Varaguna I (above, Vol. XX, p. 51). This also seems to require a roconsideration if we assign the Anaimalai inscription to that king.
10 The proposed date is the 6th December, 876 A. D. (loc. cit.; above, Vol. XXVIII, p. 42) by taking the regral year as expired. .
11 The date suggested in the 6th December, 876 A.D. (above, Vol. XXVIII, p. 30). 11 From impressions. u Road Anrundga. u i am indebted to Mr. K. G. Krishnan for some valuable suggestions in the preparation of this article.
