Image of Viṣṇu probably donated by Cōḷaṟaviti

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-22Z

Editor:   J. Ramayya Pantulu.

DHARMA Identifier: INSTelugu00004

Summary: Probably the name of a female donor.

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier:

Origin:

Classification: utilitarian-name person

Languages: Telugu

  1. Predominantly in Telugu, script and

Corresponding Artefact: ARTTelugu000004 inscription on Below the image of Vishṇu carved in the first cave-temple at Bhairavakōna in Bhairavakoṇḍa

Layout: 1 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

1śrī cōḷaṟaviti

Apparatus

1 śrī cōḷaṟavitiśrīcōḷōṟuvṛiti ARIE • I am not sure whether this spelling indicates that two vowel signs were read or rather simply renders .

Translation by Jens Thomas

Śrī Cōḷaṟaviti

Commentary

The Annual Report states that the inscription was found [b]elow the image of Vishṇu carved in the first cave-temple at Bhairavakōna in BhairavakondaARIE 1921-1922, page 79: . It may be the name of the donor of this image. While cōḷa most certainly refers to the dynasty, ṟaviti may consist of ṟava ’jewel’ and the female suffix -iti ’woman’ (confer Sastri 1969: page 139). Hence, the name probably means ’a jewel of a woman of the Cōḻa (dynasty)’. If this is the case ṟaviti parallels the skt. expression kanyāratna-. The inscription, albeit short, is therefore of a certain importance because it is evidence of a donation made by a woman.  Since the dynasty is normally spelt cōḻa or cōḍa (with/ḍ/ from/ḻ/) and ‹ḍa› and ‹ḷa› are often spelt quite similarly, the intended spelling might have been cōḍa. The following remarks were made in the Annual Report regarding the reading therein: This probably means ’the work or style of Śrīchōḷōṟu. Might Chōḷōṟu be another form of Chōḷōju?ARIE 1921-1922, page 79: . Accordingly, Sastri summarizes the content as: Records the work of Śrī CōḻāṟuSastri 1969, page 327, but follows J. Ramayya Pantulu’s edition. 

Bibliography

The inscription was noted and edited in the Annual Reports on Indian Epigraphy (1923: page 79, № 265) and was re-edited by J. Ramayya Pantulu in 1948: page 17, № 40 with few metadata and without translation.

Primary

ARIE 1921-1922. Page 79, appendix C/1922, № 265. [siglum ARIE]
Ramayya Pantulu, J. 1948. South-Indian Inscriptions (Texts). Volume X: Telugu Inscriptions from the Madras Presidency. South Indian Inscriptions 10. Delhi: Manager of Publications.
Page 17, № 40. [siglum JRP]

Secondary

Sastri, Korada Mahadeva. 1969. Historical Grammar of Telugu with Special Reference to Old Telugu c. 200 B.C. - 1000 A.D. Anantapur: Sri Vekateswara Univ.
Page 327, № 55.