Pullūr plates, time of Nandivarman, year 33

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2024-04-22Z

Editor: Emmanuel Francis.

DHARMA Identifier: INSPallava00081

Summary: Grant of four villages (Nelli, Pullūra, Takkāra and Kuḍiūra in the Kīḷveṇātaka in the Palkundakoṭṭaka according to the Sankrit portion; Nelli, Pullūr, and Kuṭiyūr in the Kīḻvēṇāṭu in the Palkuṉṟakkōṭṭam and Takkāṟu in the Maṇalaikuḷanāṭu in the Palkuṉṟakkōṭṭam according to Tamil portion), as a brahmadeya renamed as Nayadhīramaṁgala/Nayadhīramaṅkalam, to 108 Brahmins. In fact only 100 Brahmin donees are mentioned, including the 3 donees added, by afterthought, at the end of the grant, whereas there are 8 further donees, who appear to be officials involved in the transaction and religious dignitaries granted at the same time.

Hand Description:

The puḷḷi is used in the Tamil text. For further paleaographical details, see Mahalingam 1965–1966: pages 144–145.

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier:

Origin:

Classification: religious land grant

Languages:

Corresponding Artefact:

Layout:

Edition

Seal

Sanskrit portion 1 of 2

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1=1[svastī śrī]

I. Anuṣṭubh

[pāyā](d va)ś śāṁkar¿i?⟨ī⟩-mūrttiś

śaśā{ṁ}ṅkāṁkura-śekharā

pratipad-dina-paryyante

sandhyeva sakalānatā |

II. Sragdharā

...

III. Anuṣṭubh

...

IV. Anuṣṭubh

...

V. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

...

VI. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

...

... ...

...

sa tu kadācid rājā rāja-[n]i[tya-p]ādopajīvi-rāja
^2r3=11ka-parivṛta⟨ḥ⟩ kṛta-vyavasthā-sthāna-sthitis tatra sthitena parañ-cirantarānanta-sāmanta-mukhya-vikhyātena pallava-bha-
^2r4=12ktinā vilvalapureśvareṇ¿ā?⟨a⟩ Avanicandra-yuvarāja-nām(n)ā dharmma-kṛtthārtthaṁ vijñ¿ā?⟨a⟩pto datta-¿t?⟨k⟩ṣaṇa-
^2r5=13¿t?⟨k⟩ṣoṇīpatiḥ pratya¿t?⟨k⟩ṣa-b¿ra?⟨ṛ⟩haspatiṁ ¿t?⟨k⟩ṣatra-vidyā-(vi)ca¿t?⟨k⟩ṣaṇam a¿t?⟨k⟩ṣī¿s?⟨ṇa⟩-svāmi-rāgan nāgaśarmmaṇa-
^2r6=14m· brahmādhirājāpara-nāmānan dvija-vara-mantri-varam ājñaptiṁ kṛtvā palkunda-koṭṭake kīḷ·veṁ-ṇā(ṭa)ke ceyāru-nadī-
^2r7=15da¿t?⟨k⟩ṣiṇa-kūle nelli-pullūra-takkāra-kuḍ¡iŪ!⟨iyū⟩ra catur-grām¿ī?⟨a⟩-saṁgraheṇaika-grāman nayadhīra-maṁgalaṁ sva-nā-
^2r8=16mnā kṛta-nāmānaṁ kṛtvā nija-vaṁśa-param·parāgatānāṁ śuddhābhijana-vṛtta-vidyānām· dvija-vara-bappa-bhaṭṭārakānā
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1=17m aṣṭ⟨ottar⟩aśatāya ssalila-pūrvvan dattavān(·) | _

svasti _

Tamil portion 1 of 2

kō-vic¡ai!⟨ai⟩ya-nan·tivarmmaku yā(ṇ)ṭu mu ^2v2=18p·pat·tu mūṉṟāvatu

Avanicandra-Iḷavaracaṉ· viṇ·ṇap·pat·tāl· brahmādhirāja n· Aṇat·ti
^2v3=19Āka pal·kuṉ·ṟa-k·-kōṭṭat·tu k[¿i?⟨ī⟩ḻvēṇāṭṭu nel·liyum pul·lūruṅ· kuṭiyūru maṇa(lai)ku-
^2v4=20ḷa-nāṭṭu-t takkāṟum· In·-nāl·kūruṅ· kōvum· poṟiyun· tīr·t·tu muṉ· peṟṟārai māṟṟi ku-
^2v5=21ṭi nīk·ki brahmadeyam-āka-p· peṟ·ṟa nal·kūṟ·-naṟ-pāppār· ṣaṇḍila-gotratt’ āvat·tampa-cū{t·tira}-
^2v6=22t(·)tirat·t’ uḻappūr-vat·tavaṉ· kāṭaka-c·-cōmāci ti¿ru?⟨ri⟩vēti kūḷa-śarmmaṉ· paṅ·k’ iraṇ·ṭu | Ik·-kō-
^2v7=23... -
^{⎘ plate 7r}^7r1=98ṉum | kāśyapa-kōtrattu paṟampur āḷuṅ kariśarmaṉ paṅk’ iraṇṭu | bra(h)mādh[i]rājaṉ paṅku nāl·ku | kaṭaṅ-
^7r2=99kāṭṭu-p perun tiṇai paṅk’ oṉṟu | cāttaṅkuṭi kiḻāṉ paṅk’ oṉṟu | nāṭṭiya-p perun tiṇai paṅk’ o(ṉṟu)
^7r3=100kalivicaiyaṉ paṅk’ oṉṟu | perumaṉaṭikaḷ paṅku | tiruvaṭikaḷ paṅku | bhagavatiyār paṅku |

Ivait-
^7r4=101tuḷ Aṣṭaśadattiṉ mēl paṇiyāl ēṟiṉa paṅku patiṉ aintu _
^7r5=102 nūṟṟeṇ(m)ar nāl{kū}kū⟨r⟩ naṟ-pā⟨r⟩ppā⟨r⟩k=ku brahmadeyam Aruḷic c¡ē!⟨ey⟩ta tiru-
^7r6=103mukaṉ talaik=ku vaittu nāṭṭā⟨r⟩ viṭunta Aṟaiyōlai-p paṭiyāl nā-
^7r7=104ṭṭu viyavaṉ colliya kīḻpāṟk’ ellai pāṭi Ērik=kum cālai-nal - _
^7r8=105lūr nattattin mēlai kaḷāṅkēṇik=ku mēk=kum tenpār(ṟ)kk’ e-
^7r9=106llai necalar-p-pūṇṭi Ērik=kum nākaṭi-maṅkalattu (va)riccu-kāluk=kum cātā-maṅkalattu-
^7r10=107k=ku nāraikuḻalaik=ku vaṭakku mēlpāṟk’ ellai paḻaṅkōḷūr Ellaiyin kiḻakkum _
^{⎘ plate 7v}^7v1=108vaṭapāṟk’ ellai paḻaṅkōḷ(ū)r Ellaiyiluñ cēyāṟṟuḷ pākam peṟavun teṟku¡mm!⟨m⟩ in-nāl-
^7v2=109k’ ellai-y akattu¡mm!⟨m⟩ akapaṭṭa nīru-nilaṉu⟨m⟩ pu¿ṉ?⟨ñ⟩ceyuṅ kāṭuṅ kaḷaru¡mm!⟨m⟩ uṭump’ ōṭiy āmai tava-
^7v3=110ḻ·(n)tat’ ellān nayadhīramangalam ennum pērā¿n?⟨l⟩ sarvva-⟨⟨pa⟩⟩rihāram uḷ·ḷaṭaṅka sāmānya
^7v4=111Iraṇṭu paṭṭi-p paṭiyāl brahmadeyam āyittu

Ip-paṭiyālē pāṟcāttum
^7v5=112paratattiyuñ celvat’ āka-v aruḷi-c c¡ē!⟨ey⟩tu paratatti ceytatu

Ivv-ūr peṟṟa
^7v6=113parihāraṅ kōyil-vastu-c cekkun taṟiyum Uḷḷiya-k kūliyum ētta-k-kā-
^7v7=114namuñ cāṭi-p-poṉṉuṅ kāruṅ teṅkam poṉṉum Upakaraṇa-t-taṇṭamu¡mm!⟨m⟩ atikaraṇa-t-
^7v8=115-taṇṭamum pattūr-c-cāṟṟ’ uḻavai-paḷḷi-vastuvum Aṟap(puṟā)-t-taṇṭamuñ ceyivu pōka-c ciṟa-
^7v9=116nta poṉṉum Uṟi-k-kāṇamum paṟi-k-kāṇamum nīrtūkku-k-kāṇamum puṭṭaka-vilaiyum paṭṭikai
^{⎘ plate 8r}^8r1=117-k-kāṇamum pirāmaṇicca-k-kāṇamuṅ kaṇṇīttu-k-kaṇamuṅ kālkōṭṭu-k-kāṇamuñ ceṅk(o)-
^8r2=118ṭiy-k-kāṇamum Āṭṭu-k-kāṇamum nāvita-k-kāṇamuṅ kuvaḷai-k-kāṇamum vaṇṇā⟨ra⟩-k-kā⟨ṇa⟩mum veṇ-
^8r3=119ṇilattu-t teṅkuṅ kamukum iṭṭaṉa kālkōṭṭ’ iṟāmeyum paṉṉīr āṭṭai-k-karai-y iṟāmeyu-
^8r4=120m

paṇṭuṇṇun nīrkk’ uritt’ ākavum

nāṭu-kāppāṉum pukāpeyu-
^8r5=121m Ivarkaḷ ceyappālaṉa I⟨va⟩rum ivar-vaḻi-k kaṇṇārumē ceyivār ākavum

Ivar-
^8r6=122kaḷukku Āṟṟuḷ niṉṟum Ērikaḷuḷ niṉṟun nīr-īnta vaḻi tō⟨⟨ṇ⟩⟩ṭi-k-koṇṭu-(p)
^8r7=123pō⟨vā⟩r ākavum

Ik-kālkaḷ pōnta nilam pōṉa māṟṟi Ivarkaḷē tu⟨y⟩ppār ākavum

Ivarkaḷu-
^8r8=124kk’ aṟaint’ āḻi pōki-kkaṉ-ṉāṭṭi k(ū)kai pukutti Ivai-Um ivai-y uḷḷiṭṭa parihāraṅkaḷum uḷ-
^8r9=125[ḷaṭaṅka] sāmānya Iraṇṭu paṭṭi-p paṭiyāl (bra)hmadeyam āyiṟṟu

Ivv-ūrkaḷil nelli-Ēri Ivarkaḷ kiṟkum
^{⎘ plate 8v}^8v1=126... v(i)riya-t tōṇṭiṉāl ceṉṟu nīr kōkku¡mm!⟨m⟩ alavuṅ kōkka-p peruvat’ ākavum

Ivv-ūr Ērikaluk-
^8v2=127ku Āṟṟu⟨k⟩kāl nīr īnta vaḻi tōṇṭi-k koṇṭ’ uṇṇa-p peṟuvār ākavum

Ik-kālkaḷ kōlkalamum
^8v3=128puḻutipāṭum peṟuvat’ ākavum

Ik-kālkaḷ kūṭai-Eṟittuṅ kuṟṟēttam paṇṇiyuṅ kuṟaṅk’ aṟuttu-
^8v4=129ṅ koḷḷa-p peṟātār ākavum

koṇṭār kōviṉāṟ-ṟaṇṭika-p paṭuvār ākavum

^8v5=130Ivaru¡mm!⟨m⟩ ivar-vaḻikkaṇṇārum māṭamum māḷikaiyum Eṭuttu-⟨k⟩ koṇṭ-irukka-
^8v6=131-p peṟuvār ākavum

ceṅkaḻunīrun tamaṉakamum Iṭa-p peṟuvār ¿a?⟨ā⟩kavu¡mm!⟨m⟩

aruḷi-c ceyta
^8v6=132 tu yāṇṭu muppa⟨ttu⟩ mūṉṟu nāḷ muṉṉūṟṟu muppatu

svasti |

Sanskrit portion 2 of 2

VII. Anuṣṭubh

bhūmi-dānā¿n?⟨t⟩ paran dānam·

na bhūtan na bha^8v7=133viṣyati

tasy¿e?⟨ai⟩va haraṇ¿ā dūta?⟨āt pāpa⟩m·

na bhūtan na bhaviṣyati |

VIII. Anuṣṭubh

sva-datt¿a?⟨ā⟩m para-datt¿a?⟨ā⟩ṁ vā

yo hareta vasūndharā⟨m⟩

ṣaṣṭim(·) varṣa-{saha}sahasrāṇi

¿ṣ?⟨v⟩iṣṭhāyām· jāyate kṛmi⟨ḥ⟩ |

rakṣā ... ^{⎘ plate 9r}^9r1=135...

Tamil portion 2 of 2

Ivai nayat¿i?⟨ī⟩(ra) ^9r2=136peruṅk(ā)ṭṭukārā¿n?⟨ṉ⟩(ē) Eḻuttu

bhāradvāja-kōtratt’ āvattampa-cūtrattu-
^9r3=137-c cōlaiyūr-vatta(va)ṉ tāmō¿tila?⟨tara⟩śarmaṉum· | kāśyapa-kōtratt’ āvattam-
^9r4=138pa-cūtrattu kuṇ·ṭūr-vattavaṉ cōmāci viṉāyaka-śarmaṉum | va¿s?⟨t⟩sa-kōtra-
^9r5=139tt’ āvattampa-cūtrattu pūṇiya-vattavaṉ· ceṭṭaśarmaṉum |

Apparatus

^1v1=1 [svastī śrī] ◇ [svastī śrī] TVM1966 • The upper left corner of the plate is lost. This restoration is based on the occurrence of these blessings at the beginning of, for instance, IP 155.

Translation by Emmanuel Francis

Sanskrit portion 1 of 2

¹ [Prosperity! Fortune!]

...

VI.

...

Tamil portion 1 of 2

^17-18 Thirty-third year of the victorious king Nandivarman.

^18-100 At the request of the prince Avanicandra^↓1, whereas Brahmādhirāja was executor, [the villages of] Nelli, Pullūr, and Kuṭiyūr in the Kīḻvēṇāṭu of the Palkuṉṟakkōṭṭam, and [the village of] Takkāṟu in the Maṇalaikuḷanāṭu [of the Palkuṉṟakkōṭṭam], these four villages, after removing kingship and seal^↓2, after changing the earlier owners, after excluding the tillers, the destitute and good Brahmins who have obtained [them] as brahmadeya are:

Kāṭakaccōmāci Trivedi Kūḷaśarman, of the śaṇḍilagotra and āpasthambasūtra, resident of Uḻappūr: two shares;
Cōmāci Trivedi Kallaśarman, of this [same] gotra and this [same] sūtra, resident of this [same] village,
Kramavittaṉ Tāḻiśarman, of the bhāradvājagotra and āpasthambasūtra, resident of Kumāṇṭūr,
Yajña-Kāḷiśarman, of this [same] gotra and this [same] sūtra, resident of this [same] village,
Trivedi Uḻutamaṇṭaiśarman, of the gautamagotra and pravacanasūtra, resident of Kāvaṉūr,
...: one share;
...
...
Brahmādhirāja^↓3: four shares;
The peruntiṇai^↓4 of : one share;
The kiḻaṉ^↓5 of : one share;
The peruntiṇai [in charge] of the dance nāṭṭiyam: one share;
Kalivicaiyaṉ: one share;
Perumāṉaṭikaḷ^↓6: [one] share;
Tiruvaṭikaḷ^↓7: [one] share;
Bhagavatiyār^↓8: [one] share.

^101-102 [Furthermore, there are] fifteen shares added (ēṟiṉa?) by order for (mēl, literally “upon”) the one hundred eight among these.^↓9

^102-108 [The boundaries of the newly created brahmadeya] that the village headman (viyavaṉ) proclaimed (colliya, literally “said”) according to the palm-leaf document (aṟaiyōlai) that the delegates of the nāṭu (nāṭṭār) sent after keeping on their heads the royal order which graciously made [these villages] as a brahmadeya for one hundred and eight destitute and good Brahmins [are]:

the eastern boundary is to the west of ...;
the southern boundary is to the north of ...;
the western boundary is to the east of the boundary of ;
the northern boundary is to the south of the boundary of and of ...;

^102-111 The wet land, the dry land, the forests, and the saline lands that are included within these four boundaries, wherever the iguana runs and the turtle crawls, has become a brahmadeya under the name Nayadhīramaṅgala ...

^111-112 In this manner, so that ... a paradatti has been made.

^112-120 The (tax-)exemptions that this village obtains are: ...

¹²⁰ Let there be right (urittu) to drinking (uṇṇum) water (nīr) as before.

^120-121 ...

^121-123 ...

¹²³ ...

^123-125 ...

^125-126 ...

^126-127 ...

^127-128 ...

^128-129 ...

¹²⁹ ...

^130-131 Let these and their descendants obtain to build ... and reside in ...

¹³¹ Let [these] obtain to put^↓10 water-lilies (ceṅkaḻunīr) and southernwood (tamaṉakam).

^131-132 [Thus] has been graciously made, [in] the year thirty three, day three hundred thirty.

¹³² Prosperity!

Sanskrit portion 2 of 2

VII.

...

VIII.

...

Tamil portion 2 of 2

^135-136 These are the letters^↓11 of Nayadhīra Peruṅkāṭtukārāṉ.^↓12

^136-139

Tāmōtaraśarman^↓13, of the bhāradvājagotra and āpasthambasūtra, resident of ;
Cōmāci Vināyakaśarman, of the kāśyapagotra and āpasthambasūtra, resident of ;
Ceṭṭaśarman, of the vatsagotra and āpasthambasūtra, resident of ;

Translation into French by Sylvain Brocquet

Sanskrit portion 1 of 2

...

II.

Bharadvāja, des prêtres le [...]; [de lui] naquit l’auteur de [...], Droṇa ;

De Droṇa, naquit Drauṇi, qui, au combat, en l’espace d’un instant, de ses flèches soumit la puissance des guerriers ;

De lui naquit noblement [...] le favori de la terre plus large [...], nommé Pallava,

Un être fort jouissant d’une immense prospérité, dont la gloire resplendit au milieu des impuretés de l’âge Kali instable.

III.

Pallava donna naissance à la magnifique, l’illustre, la grande lignée des Pallava,

Qui noblement prit rang au-dessus des souverains éminents.

IV.

Dans cette lignée, fermement installés dans une position que le grand mât de leur fierté rendait inébranlable,

Naquirent des souverains qui, donnant naissance à des torrents de générosité qui s’écoulaient, furent autant d’éléphants de l’Himalaya sécrétant l’écoulement de torrents de sérosité.

Le monarque prospère, qui ébranle la fortune de ses puissants ennemis, le bien-aimé

Seigneur qui détient la puissance et réalise ce qu’il y a de plus doux, le roi plein d’éclat qui resplendit,

Celui qui jusqu’aux confins protège la terre et ses nombreux trésors, celui qui possède un monceau de joyaux

Naquit dans cette lignée des Pallava : l’actuel souverain Nandivarman, au nom illustre.

VI.

Les Keraḷa, les Coḷa, les Pāṇḍya, les Maḷava, les rois des Kāḷabhra et des Bāṇa,

Les Sāndhra, les Saindhava et les Śāntavaṁkuravara, les Gaṁga, les souverains des Kadaṁba,

Tous les chefs puissants et éminents, préoccupés, ébranlés par la crainte d’un conflit,

Prennent les devants en révérant l’autorité de ce monarque magnifique à la gloire immense, qui gouverne la terre.

^10-20 Un jour que ce roi, entouré de princes qui vivaient éternellement aux pieds du roi, était assis dans la salle des délibérations, il fit une donation, requis par le seigneur de Vilvalapura, nommé Avanicaṁdra-Yuvarāja, de longue date réputé comme son principal allié perpétuel et dévoué aux Pallava, qui se trouvait là et souhaitait accomplir un acte dharmique : en monarque qui saisit l’occasion qu’on lui offrait, il fit don, avec aspersion d’eau, à cent huit illustres seigneurs Bappa, brahmanes excellents issus de la succession de leurs lignées, et dont la naissance, la conduite et la science étaient irréprochables, d’un village qu’il constitua par la réunion des quatre villages de Nelli, Pullūra, Takkāra et Kuḍiyūra, situés sur le rivage sud de la rivière Veyārū, au Kīḷveṁ-nātaka, dans le Palkuṁda-koṭṭaka, et qu’il nomma Nayadhīra-maṁgalam, d’après son propre nom. Il désigna comme exécuteur le meilleur des prêtres et des ministres : Nāgaśarman, appelé encore Brahmādhirāja, Bṛhaspati en personne, habile à pratiquer la science du gouvernement, et objet de l’indéfectible affection du roi.

Sanskrit portion 2 of 2

VII.

Hormis le don de terre, d’autre don

Il n’y eut point et n’y aura point ;

Hormis celui de s’en emparer, de crime

Il n’y eut point et n’y aura point.

VIII.

Donnée par soi ou donnée par autrui,

Quiconque s’approprie une terre,

Pour soixante milliers d’années

Dans la fiente naît vers de terre.

^134-135 Préserver un acte dharmique ou y porter atteinte [...] de ces deux actions, puissent les rois accomplir la seule qui soit pure. Le succès soit avec vous !

Commentary

Online images: https://www.museumsofindia.gov.in/repository/record/im_kol-13119-51. Plates in disorder.

TVM1988 and SB date the plates to circa 877.

The seal is entirely defaced.

Bibliography

Edited in Tamil script by Mahalingam 1965–1966 (EI 36, no. 20); text (with many typos) and summary in Mahalingam 1988 (IP no. 81); Sanskrit text (based on the very imperfect edition inMahalingam 1988) and French translation in Brocquet 1997 (B no. 56); Francis 2013 (IR no. 83); re-edited here for DHARMA (ERC n° 809994) by Sylvain Brocquet & Emmanuel Francis (2023), based on previous editions, published facsimiles and online photos.

Primary

Mahalingam, T. V. 1965–1966. “The Pullur Plates of Nandivarman II Pallavamalla, Year 33.” EI 36: 143–62.

[siglum TVM1966]

Mahalingam, T. V. 1988. Inscriptions of the Pallavas. New Delhi; Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Agam Prakashan.

Pages 261–279, № 81. [siglum TVM1988]

Brocquet, Sylvain. 1997. “Les inscriptions sanskrites des Pallava : poésie, rituel, idéologie.” Thèse de doctorat, Paris: Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle.

Pages 669–677, № 56. [siglum SB]

Secondary

ARIE 1939-1943. Pages 21, 229–230, appendix A/1939–1940, № 9.

Francis, Emmanuel. 2013. Le discours royal dans l’Inde du Sud ancienne : inscriptions et monuments Pallava, IV^ème-IX^ème 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.

Page 302, № IR 83.

Notes

↑1. TVM1966 (p. 147) rightly identifies him as the heir and son of Udayacandra, a Pallava subordinate, petitioner of IP 76, and also lord of Vilvalapura.
↑2. ...
↑3. This is the executor of the grant.
↑4. This appears to be the name of an admistrative charge.
↑5. A landowner, of some importance in connexion with the grant.
↑6. This is possibly some religious dignitary, possibly the chief of a maṭha.
↑7. This is possibly some religious dignitary, possibly the chief of a maṭha.
↑8. This is possibly a woman (Sanskrit bhagavatī).
↑9. This appears to be a donation of 15 shares for the entire group of the 108 donees.
↑10. That is, to plant or to wear;
↑11. That is, the “writing” or “handwriting”.
↑12. TVM1966 (p. 146) suggests that the four names in lines 136-139 are "the signatures of those responsible for the drafting and execution of the document on copper" , but further notes that (p. 146, fn. 5) that: "A few more names of Brāhmaṇas written by a different hand [that is, the three names in lines 136-139] follow the signature of Nayadhīra-Peraṅkāṭṭukāraṉ. These names were perhaps left out of the main list of donees and were inserted later." This makes good sense.
↑13. Sanskrit Dāmodaraśarman