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Muttuppatti (முத்துப்பட்டி) - 1

Inscription tracing

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XVII.  Muttuppatti  (முத்துப்பட்டி) - 1
56. A. nā  kā  pe  rū  ra  tai  ya  mu  ci  ṟi1 ko  ṭa  ṉa2 [e]3 ḷa  ma  ka  ṉa
  B. nākapērūr=atai-y4 muciṟi kōṭaṉ [e]ḷamakaṉ5
அ. நா கா பெ ரூ ர தை ய மு சி றி கொ ட ன [எ] ள ம க ன
ஆ. நாகபேரூரைதய் முசிறி கோடன் [எ]ளமகன்
Translation The a(n)tai of Nākapērūr (and) Kōṭaṉ,6 the Eḷamakaṉ7 from Muciṟi8
Locus On the front side of an oblong boulder (the top of which is smoothened to serve as a bed) in the smaller cave on the Karaṭippaṭṭi hill. The inscription is engraved from right to left and upside down. It is reversed for direct reading. The inscription is engraved on a very rough and uneven surface and is difficult to make out. Click here to see inscription as in situ.
No. of lines 1
Length 101 cm.
Date ca. st century B.C.E.
Notes

1. The letter has an unusual form.

2. The letter is reversed by scribal error.

3. The letter e copied by our team in 1992 is no longer extant according to the CICT Ta. Br. Photographic Survey.

4. cf. antai. The nasal is omitted here. See ETE 2, Commentary (30.2).

5. cf. (inscr.) iḷamakaṉ, a member of the ancient martial clan of iḷaiyar. See ETE 2, Commentary (56.5).

6. The personal name kōṭaṉ maybe derived from kōṭu 'mountain' or 'fort'.

7. Presumably the gift was jointly made by the master and the (armed) follower. See ETE 2, Commentary (56.5 & 94.2).

8. Muciṟi is identified with the ancient Cera port on the West Coast. See ETE 2, Commentary (56.1) and Section 4.20.4 (iv).

Field Notes