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NOVEMBER, 1895.]
EARLY SOVEREIGNS OF TRAVANCORE.
305
SOME EARLY SOVEREIGNS OF TRAVANCORE.
BY P. SUNDARAM PILLAI, M.A.
(Continued from p. 285.)
THIRTEEN years later we meet with another king of Venad, Sri-Vira-Rama Koraļa
1 varma Tiruvadi. I base this statement on a Vateluttu inscription in the temple of Sri-Padmanabhasvåmin in the capital itself. Unfortunately, however, it is a mutilated one, nearly one half of it being missing. All the greater pity, since the fine boid Vatteluttu characters, in which it is inscribed, would have otherwise made it, both palæographically and historically, one of the very best samples yet to hand. The locality in which this mutilated document is now found, can scarcely have been its original abode. Indeed it cannot be said to be fairly above ground! And any one wishing to pay it a visit must be prepared for an uncomfortable attitude! Passing by the flagstaff and going in at the main eastern gate of the temple, let him walk straight on till he crosses the gateway of the second enclosure. There, if he will stoop low enough, he will descry in the gloom in the nethermost row of stones forming the low passage wall to his left, the object he is in quest of, neat and remarkably well dressed for the situation. With the help of other inscriptions in my collection, I have in a measure succeeded in conjecturing what this stone when complete would have told us; and with the omissions so supplied, the translation of the document would read thus:
10 Vatteluttu No. 81. Old MATA Alam. Padmanabhasvamin Tomple Inscription of Vira-Rama
Keralavarman. “Hail ! Prosperity! In the Kollam year 384, with Jupiter in Cancer, (and the sun * days old in Gemini],75 in the presence of the Tiruvanandapuram assembly and its sabhanjita, assembled in the southern [hall] of Mitranandapuram, (under the solemn] presidency of the Bhattaraka), * * tinga76 Pallavarayan, [the loyal chieftain of] Sri-Vira-Iraman [Keralavarma Tiruvadi] of holy Vêņad, [made a free grant of certain lands] belonging to the said * tinga Pallavarayan, in Cheyyaman and Kalattûr, (to be taken charge of by such and such, under such and such arrangements,] with the object of providing daily four náli of rice and condiments, [partly] to be used as offering to the Perumal of Tiruvanandapuram, and (partly] to feed one Brâhmaņa, besides providing every year on the Uttiram star in the month of) Panguni, 77 (a special feast or lustration). [The daily offering to the Perumal shall be made] when a man's shadow in the san measures 12 ft.78 [and the rice so offered shall be made over to such and sach, who in return therefor] shall supply (each day] one garland to adorn the Perumal. If the supply of this stated quantity) of paddy fails once, [double the default shall be paid. If twice, twice the default and fine. If thrice] in succession, the property shall be confiscated, and the amount of paddy recovered and measured out. [If any dispute arises thereon,] the case shall be taken to Sri-Pâdam and the question then finally decided. To which effect [witness below our hands, # # of Kaitavilâgam. The first half-yearly (payments will be due) in the month of Vrischikam in Kollam 385."
Such in substance would be the document, if the portions lost are supplied, as far as it is now practicable to do, with the help of the context and of similar records in my possession. Happily for us, however, so far as important historical facts are concerned, there is little or no room for any legitimate doubt. For instance, comparing this inscription with the one to be given next, there can be no reasonable doubt that the full name of the king who ruled Vêņad on
75 The parts within square brackets are those supplied. 76 Looks like a corruption of Chinga or Sitha.
11 The principal festival of the temple still takes place about this time. Uttiram or Utram is a star about the tail of Leo Major.
T8 Technically called pandiradi or the 12th feet offering.'
