________________
JUNE, 1897.]
MISCELLANEOUS TRAVANCORE INSCRIPTIONS.
about that time by which the Kerala or Vênâd prince enjoyed its possession under the suzerainty of the Chôlasa conclusion we have elsewhere pointed out as also otherwise probable.
Before passing on to the next inscription with me, I would request my readers to bear in mind the use of the perplexing word edir, or "opposite," in the phrase recording the date of this deed. Here it unquestionably means "equal to "-"the Kollam year 392 equal or corresponding to the Kali year 4317." It may be also well to note in passing that this is a fine specimen of the Chôla style of inscriptions, where the Tamil-Grantha characters are freely intermixed with the Tamil ones. The king of Travancore about the date of this inscription was Sri-Vira-Raman Koralavarman whom our Kadinakulam record33 shews as having been on the throne just three years previously.
3
No. 4
III.
Köttar Inscription, 396 M. E.
The next inscription I propose to present is one dated 4 years later, and inscribed on the same wall of the same shrine Rajendra-Chôliévaram. It runs thus: -
145
Text.
1 Svasti Sri Kollam-tônri 396 mâṇḍu mituṇa-ñâyirru Nañchiuâṭṭu-Tirukkottar=âna mummudi-Chôlanallû[r] Udaiyâr
2 Irâsêndira-Chôliswaram
Udaiya Mahadevar Sri-Koyilir Alur-ana vikrama Cholapandiyapurattu malan Paratan mata Elundaraļu
3 vitta Kunram-erinda Pillaiyarku Ivan amurtupaḍikku tanta achchu 15 Ivv=achchu patinaiñchum Ikkôyilir siva Bra
4 hmaṇaron-kaikkondu
poliyûttâka kai-kkonda nittal niluri arisi-yun-kariyamurtum
palakai-talaiyi
Tamil Tamil
51 alandu eraṭṭu amurtu Cheyvippôm=âkavum Ippadi muṭṭâtêy nittal niman tam-aka Chandrâtittavar Chelattuvum=âka.
Translation.
"Hail! Prosperity! In the year 396 after the appearance of Kollam when the sun was in Gemini (the following arrangement was made):- Malan Paratan of Ålar alias VikramaCholapanḍiyapuram having given 15 achchu for providing daily oblations to the image of Kunram Erinda Pillaiyar, set up by his mother in the holy temple of Mahâdêva of Rajendrachôlisvaram alias the lord of Mummuḍichôlanallûr, otherwise known as holy Kottar in Nâñchinâḍa, we the Siva-Brahmans of this temple, accepting this sum of 15 achchu given by this man, shall, out of the interest accruing therefrom, measure out every day on the temple plank a nali and a half of rice and the required vegetables, and, duly cooking25 the same, shall offer them as oblation. Thus do we promise to discharge this our daily duty without failure as long as the moon and the sun endure."
21 Ante, Vol. XXIV. p. 254.
22 Ante, Vol. XXIV. p. 308.
23 Tho y or iv at the end of this word is an obvious error.
Here then we have an illustration of the manner in which idols multiply in temples. The good mother of Malan Paratan, anxious to secure special merit in the eyes of her favourite
24 This is probably the plank placed on the door-way of the temple.
25 This expression might mean "after submitting the amount to be checked."
