Paṉaimalai, temple, time of Narasiṁhavarman II

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-04-22Z

Editor:   Emmanuel Francis.

DHARMA Identifier: INSPallava00062

Summary: Foundation inscription of the Maheśvaracūḷāmaṇipallaveśvara by Narasiṁhavarman II Pallava.

Hand Description:

Ornate Grantha script.

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier:

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

    Corresponding Artefact:

    Layout:

    Edition

    I. Sragdharā
    1Segment 1viśvārambhādi-bījād a⟨ja⟩ni kila kaver aṁSegment 2girā nāma putro
    vidyeśaṁ sa(t)ya-(p)ū[ta-t]r[ida](śa-g)ur(u)m abh¿u?⟨ū⟩(t) tasya śaṁyus tanū_ Segment 3jaḥ
    tat-sūnor jjanma tejonidhir akṛta bharadvāja-nāmno munīndrāN·
    droṇa[s t]eSegment 4nodapādi prathita-bhuja-balo dr¡o!⟨au⟩ṇir aṁśaḥ purāreḥ |

    II. Sragdharā
    Aśvatthā_Segment 5_mno ’(th)a tasmān nicita-guru-tapo-nirmmaSegment 6lād āvir āsīd
    āmnāyād aṁga-vidyā-visara Iva mahī-valla_[ –  –  ⏑ ]vākhyaḥ_
    yasmād eṣa _[ ⏑  –  – ] pathi vihita-padāt pāvane mānanīyo
    mandākinyā⟨ḥ⟩ pravāSegment 7haḥ śaśina Iva mahān anvayaḥ pallavānāM· |

    III. Sragdharā
    samrājām aśvameSegment 8_dhāvabhṛtha-virajasāṁ bhūbhujāṁ pallavānām
    aspṛSegment 9ṣṭāpal-lavānāṁ vimalatara-bharadvāja-vaṁśodbhavānāM·
    ketoSegment 10r a¿t?⟨k⟩ṣīṇa-bāhu-draviṇa-hṛta-mahī-cakra-vikhyāta-kīrtter
    yyo devāSegment 11d ekamallād guha Iva para[mād īśvarād ātta-janmā |]

    IV. Vasantatilakā
    [ –  –  ⏑  –  ⏑  ⏑ ] bhuja-ddraviṇāvabhāsī
    satvoSegment 12rjjitaḥ samara-dṛṣṭa-mahā-prabhāvaḥ
    yo rājasiṁha Iti viśr(u)Segment 13ta-puṇya-kī(r)ttir
    udvṛtta-śatru-nṛpa-kuñjara-rāja-siṁha(ḥ |)

    V. Indravajrā
    harttā dviSegment 14ṣad-vargga-samucchrayāṇāṁ
    karttā ca kalyāṇa-paramparāṇāM(·) _
    Segment 15_ citte sadā sa(ṁ)bhṛta-bhakti-pūte
    dhatte padaṁ Segment 16 yasya mṛgā(ṁ)ka-m¿o?⟨au⟩li⟨ḥ⟩ |

    VI. Sragdharā
    saṁrūḍhāmnāya-mūla-smṛti-vacana-mayāneka-śākhā-samagraḥ
    śiṣṭāc¿a?⟨ā⟩rai[r] vv[. – ]t(e/ai)ḥ (pha)la-kusuma-kṛtākāntim ālambaSegment 17mān¿ā?⟨a⟩ḥ
    sad-vṛttāmbho-n(i)ṣekair ddruma Iva satata(n ta)sya [- - u - –  –  ⏑  – ]Segment 18yaiś
    chāy(ā)m ṛ[ –  ⏑  –  –  ⏑  ⏑ ] ja(ya)ti kali-yuga-g(r)īṣma-tapte ’pi dharmmaḥ Segment 19 |

    VII. Uncertain
    (ma)h(ī)bhujā _ maheśvara-cūḷā-maṇinā vinirmmite
    sthitiSegment 20m etu maheśvaro maheśvara-cūḷā-maṇi-pallaveśvare |

    Apparatus

    1s1 sa(t)ya-(p)ū[ta-t]r[ida](śa-g)ur(u)m • Conjectural restoration suggested by Dominic Goodall.
    1 bharadvāja-nāmno • The syllables janā are not readable on the new estampage (2011) as they are on the spot hidden behind a wood frame.
    1s2 ’(th)a • The th misses a little hook inside on the bottom right, visible in other instances of this letter in the inscription (e.g. pathi). As such the letter looks like dha, but it must be tha.
    1 mahī-valla_[ –  –  ⏑ ]vākhyaḥ • In the space, of a length of one foot according to VR, left blank, for unclear reasons, bhaḥ palla is a plausible restoration, as suggested by VR on the parallel found in SII 1, no. 24, stanza 3. Thus mahī-vallabhaḥ pallavākhyaḥ — 1 vākhyaḥ_ • The space is left blank because of the drain spout of the adjacent subsidiary northern shrine, which indicates that this drain spout is not a later addition. — 1 eṣa _[ ⏑  –  – ] • In the space, of a length of one foot according to VR, left blank, for unclear reasons, VR suggest to restore prabhūtaḥ or prajajñe. SB adds a further option: prasūtaḥ.
    1s3 aśvame‡_dhāvabhṛtha° • The space is left blank because of the drain spout of the adjacent subsidiary western shrine, which indicates that this drain spout is not a later addition.
    1 para[mād īśvarād ātta-janmā] • This lacuna, due to a break in the stone, is retored as such, following VR from the parallel in SII 1, no. 24, stanza 5.
    1s4 [ –  –  ⏑  –  ⏑  ⏑ ] bhuja-ddraviṇāvabhāsī ◇ [ –  –  ⏑  –  ⏑  ⏑ ] VR • VR suggests to restore ...
    1s5 ‡_ citte • The space is left blank because of the drain spout of the adjacent subsidiary southern shrine, which indicates that this drain spout is not a later addition.
    1 sa(ṁ)bhṛta° • Alternatively: sa⟨ṁ⟩bhṛta° — 1 mṛgā(ṁ)ka° • Alternatively: mṛgā⟨ṁ⟩ka°
    1s6 °mūla-smṛti-vacana° ◇ [ –  –  ⏑  ⏑  ⏑  ⏑  ⏑ ] VR • This part of the inscription is not entirely covered by the estampage published in ARIE and a portion covered by this estampage has since suffered damage. See new estampage (2011).
    1 śīṣṭāc¿a?⟨ā⟩rai[r] vv[. – ]t(e/ai)ḥ ◇ (śrī)[ –  –  –  ⏑  – ]teḥ VR • This part of the inscription is not entirely covered by the estampage published in ARIE and a portion covered by this estampage has since suffered damage. See new estampage (2011). S.L.P. Anjaneya Sarma suggests to read, with a correction, variṣṭhaiḥ. — 1 °vṛttāmbho° ◇ °vṛttā⟨m⟩bho° VR • In the letter mbho, the superscript element m appears to have been added after first engraving bho.

    Translation by Emmanuel Francis

    I.
    From the poet (kavi↓1) who is the primordial seed [which gave] beginning to the universe, the son named Aṅgiras engendered (ajani↓2), as is well known (kila), the lord of knowledge Tridaśaguru↓3 purified by truth. His son was Śaṁyu. From his son, the best among the sages (munīndra), named Bharadvāja, was born a treasure of majesty (tejas): Droṇa. By him (tena) was born Drauṇi↓4, who is renowned for the strength of his arms and is a partial incarnation of the enemy of Pura↓5.

    II.
    ...
    ...
    ...
    ...

    III.
    ...
    ...
    ...
    ...

    IV.
    ...
    ...
    ...
    ...

    V.
    ...
    ...
    ...
    ...

    VI.
    ...
    By good conducts (śiṣṭācārair) ...
    ...
    ...

    VII.
    In the Maheśvaracūḷāmaṇipallaveśvara↓6 built by the king Maheśvaracūḷāmaṇi↓7 let Maheśvara come into residence (sthitim etu).

    Translation into French by Sylvain Brocquet and Emmanuel Francis

    I.
    [...]
    [...]
    [...]
    [...] naquit Drauṇi, célèbre pour la force de ses bras, incarnation partielle de l’ennemi de Pura.

    II.
    Puis, issu de cet Aśvatthāman, purifié par les sévères ascèses qu’il avait multipliées, apparut,
    Comme de la doctrine sacrée↓8 s’écoule le flot des sciences annexes, le favori de la terre, nommé Pallava (mahī-valla[bhaḥ palla]vākhyaḥ).
    De ce dernier, qui avait posé le pied sur le chemin qui purifie, [descend],
    Comme le cours de la Mandākinī descend de la lune↓9, cette estimable et grande lignée des Pallava.

    III.
    Des Pallava, monarques suprêmes purifiés par le bain qui clôt le sacrifice du cheval, maîtres de la terre,
    Jamais effleurés par le plus petit malheur, issus de la lignée, pure entre toutes, de Bharadvāja,
    Celui qui fut l’emblème, et dont la gloire se répandit sur le cercle de la terre, conquise par son bras et sa richesse impérissables,
    Le seigneur Ekamalla donna naissance à un fils – comme le divin Seigneur Suprême à Guha :

    IV.
    [...] brillant par son bras et sa richesse,
    Puissant par sa nature↓10, révélant au combat sa force immense,
    Celui-ci, sous le nom de Rājasiṁha, vit se répandre sa gloire sans tache,
    Et fut un lion royal pour ces éléphants qu’étaient ses ennemis gonflés d’orgueil.

    V.
    Il est le destructeur d’une multitude d’armées ennemies,
    L’auteur d’une suite ininterrompue d’actes auspicieux,
    Celui dans le cœur duquel, sans cesse purifié par les dévotions accomplies,
    Le dieu dont la lune orne le diadème pose son pied.

    VI.
    [...] riche de multiples branches/écoles,
    [...] déployant la beauté de ses fruits et de ses fleurs,
    Pareille à l’arbre qu’asperge sans cesse l’eau de ses actes vertueux, [...]
    [...] bien que brûlée par la chaleur de l’âge Kali, le dharma est victorieux !

    VII.
    ...
    ...
    ...
    ...

    Commentary

    The now fully available mythical ancestry of the Pallavas in the stanzas 1 gives the canonical list of mythical ancestors of the Pallavas, except that Viṣṇu (from whose navel arose Brahmā) is not mentioned: Brahmā (kavi), Aṅgiras, Bṛhaspati (tridaśaguru), Śaṁyu, Bharadvāja, Droṇa, Aśvatthāman (drauṇi, purāreḥ aṁśa).

    Bibliography

    Reported in ARIE 1915-1916 (ARIE/1915-1916/B/1915/616) with a plate; reported again in ARIE 1974-1975 (ARIE/1974-1975/B/1974-1975/109), when until then covered portions were exposed following renovation work.

    First translated in Jouveau-Dubreuil 1915; Edited in Jouveau-Dubreuil 1916 with translation (revised by S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar) and visual documentation and in Jouveau-Dubreuil 1916–1917 with French translation and visual documentation; re-edited and translated in Sankara Aiyar 1919; re-edited in Sankara [Aiyar] 1922–1923; re-edited and translated in Rangacharya 1927–1928 (EI 19, no. 18B); text and summary in Mahalingam 1988 (IP no. 62); text and translation in Brocquet 1997 (B no. 46).

    Re-edited here for DHARMA (ERC n° 809994) by Sylvain Brocquet & Emmanuel Francis (2023), based on published visual documentation, autopsy, partial new estampages (2011) and photographs (2011). First edition and translation of the complete text.

    Primary

    Jouveau-Dubreuil, Gabriel. 1915. Pallava Inscription at Panamalai. Pondicherry.
    • Not available to us. [siglum JD1915]
    Jouveau-Dubreuil, Gabriel. 1916. Pallava Antiquities: Vol. I. 1. London: Probsthain.
    Pages 11–23, plate II. [siglum JD1916]
    Jouveau-Dubreuil, Gabriel. 1916–1917. “Les Antiquités de l’époque Pallava.” Revue historique de l’Inde française 1: 5–76.
    Pages 10–21, plate II. [siglum JD1917]
    Sankara Aiyar, K. G. 1919. “The Panamalai Rock-Temple Inscriptions of Râjasimha.” Indian Antiquary 48: 231–39.
    [siglum SA]
    Sankara [Aiyar], K. G. 1922–1923. “Some Pallava Inscriptions.” Quartely Journal of the Mythic Society 13: 573–75.
    Pages 574–575. [siglum S]
    Rangacharya, V. 1927–1928. “Two Inscriptions of the Pallava King Rajasimha-Narasimhavarman II. A: The Mahābalipuram Inscriptions. B: The Panaimalai Inscriptions.” EI 19: 105–15.
    Pages 109–115, № B. [siglum VR]
    Mahalingam, T. V. 1988. Inscriptions of the Pallavas. New Delhi; Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Agam Prakashan.
    Pages 200–202, № 62. [siglum IP]
    Brocquet, Sylvain. 1997. “Les inscriptions sanskrites des Pallava : poésie, rituel, idéologie.” Thèse de doctorat, Paris: Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle.
    Pages 587–591, № 46. [siglum SB]

    Secondary

    ARIE 1915-1916. Pages 61, 114, appendix B/1915, № 616, plate III. [siglum ARIE 1915-1916]
    ARIE 1974-1975. Pages 4, 33, appendix B/1974–1975, № 109. [siglum ARIE 1974-1975]
    Francis, Emmanuel. 2013. Le discours royal dans l’Inde du Sud ancienne : inscriptions et monuments Pallava, IVème-IXème siècles. Tome I : Introduction et sources. Publications de l’Institut orientaliste de Louvain 64. Louvain-la-Neuve; Paris: Université catholique de Louvain, Institut orientaliste; Peeters.
    № IR 43.
    Marxia Gandhi, N., A. Padmavathy & S. Swaminathan. 2011. South Indian Inscriptions. Volume XXX: Inscriptions Collected during the Year 1915. South Indian Inscriptions 30. New Delhi; Chennai: Archaeological Survey of India; Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamilnadu.
    Page 246. • SII 30, no. 264. Text carelessly reproduced from EI 19, no. 18B.

    Notes

    ↑1. That is, Brahmā, who uttered the Vedas.
    ↑2. To be taken as a causative form with °gurum as its direct object, as suggested by S.L.P. Anjaneya Sarma.
    ↑3. That is, “the preceptor of the tirthy [gods]," that is, Bṛhaspati.
    ↑4. That is, Aśvatthāman.
    ↑5. That is, Śiva.
    ↑6. That is, "[the temple of] the lord [installed by] Maheśvaracūḷāmaṇi."
    ↑7. That is, “he who has Maheśvara (that is, Śiva) as crown jewel," that is, a devotee of Śiva.
    ↑8. C’est-à-dire le Veda.
    ↑9. Rencontrée lors de son passage sur la chevelure de Śiva.
    ↑10. Il n’est pas facile de déterminer les sens que revêt ici le mot sattva-, qui signifie « caractère », « qualité innée », ou, plus particulièrement, « fermeté », « énergie », « courage » – mais qui désigne aussi le plus haut des trois guṇa, la pureté, qualité spécifique des brahmanes. Les Pallava (on le voit du reste dans cette inscription) prétendaient être d’origine brahmanique, ce qui rend plausible cette seconde interprétation. Le composé indiquerait alors que Rājasiṁha doit sa puissance à sa pureté, plutôt qu’à ses qualités guerrières, auxquelles font référence les deux autres qualificatifs de cet hémistiche.