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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1892.
INSCRIPTION No. 3. An inscription on the eastern wall of the Saiva temple at Tiruvidaimarud or in the Tanjore District, which begins with the first 66 lines of the text and proceeds as follows:
Text. Chivanidattumaiyena Tinachintamani puvanamulutadaiyaļodum kaókaiverrirantena man kaiyar tilatam lichaivallapi frélulakamadaiya! vâliyumalarntinitiruppa aliyum tirumalakattuppiriyâtena tirumakaļ tikallena Tiyakavalli taruma ulakudaiyâliruppa . . . pavanamolutudaiyalodum virsiruntaruliya Kovirajakosarivarmmarana Chakkaravarttikal brt. Kalottunga-Choladevarkku yaņdu 26 vatu nal narrelupattirandinil .......
Translation, On the 172nd day of the 26th year of the emperor bri-Kulottunga-Choladeva, alias KO-BAjakesarivarman, (here enter the translation of the first 66 lines) who, worshipped by the whole world, was pleased to sit in state with Dinachintamani, the mistress of the whole world, like 'Siva with Uma, and with Elibaivallabhi, the mistress of the fourteen worlds, the moet beauteous amongst women, like Gangå with Umâ, and with Tyagavalli, the charitable mistress of the world, like Lakshmi who is ever inseparable from Vishņu, and with the goddess Earth.
Comparing the above three inscriptions with that which is the subject of this paper, and which is dated in the 42nd year of the emperor bri-Kulottunga-Choladova," it will be seen that it is beyond doubt that all the four refer to the same sovereign, because his name is given as Kulottunga-Chola in all of them, and the events of his reign mentioned in the earlier inscriptions are repeated in the very same words in the later. Considering the facts that these inscriptions are found in places very distant from each other, and that the same verses have been used for describing the reigning king, it would appear that it was the custom during this period to adopt a prescribed form of preamble in drawing up any important deed ; and as that form was in verse, it is most probable that it was composed by a poet of the king's court and circulated under royal sanction. This is borne out by epigraphical records of other Chô la kings; for instance, the inscriptions of Rajaraja-Chola begin with the words “Tirumaka! pola perunilachchelviyum"; those of Vikrama-Chola commence “ Půmälai milainta ponmálai tikala"; those of Rajendra-Chola open with the verse "Tiru manni vaļara irunilamadantaiyum."
The four inscriptions of Kulottunga noticed in this paper furnish a short history of his life. While he was Yuvarája, he first distinguished himself by storming Chakkarakottam. He surprised the enemy there and captured a number of elephants, but left no permanent trace of his conquest. Then he had to fight against the kings of Kuntala, that is the Western Chalukyas. About this time the Chola country came to be without a king, and he marched southwards, and by right of inheritance ascended the throne of the Chồlas. Before the end of the fifth year after his accession he vanquished the Southern or Pandya king, who was either taken prisoner, or killed in battle; for the inscriptions state that his head lay, pecked by eagles, outside the Chola capital. Vikkilan, who is doubtless the Western Chalukya Vikramaditya VI., then invaded the Chola territory, but had to retreat before the superior forces of the Cholas, and was hotly pursued from Nangali in the Mysore province to Manalar on the banks of the Tungabhadra, where he crossed the river and sought safety within his own dominions. An expedition towards the west was next conducted by Kulôttunga in person, and Kongumandalam was subjugated. Two expeditions were also sent to Singhalam, apparently with no great results. Then he wisbed to conquer the Pandimandalam, and equipped a large army. After the death of the Pandya king above alluded to, his kingdom evidently became dismembered, and five Pandya princes, who were in power, fled in dismay before the Cho's forces, and sought refuge in
These were most probably the two Chôde invasions mentioned in the Mahatansa (chap. lviii.) as having occurred during the early part of the reign of Vijayabahu.
