THE HEROIC ADVENTURE OF SUVARAN MARAN (PERUMBIDUGU MUTTARAIYAN-II)
A study on Killukottai inscription.
Sri. Sakthi Jothidar, M. Salai Sundaram,
Member of Sri. Vidya Gyana Saba (Tiruchirapalli branch).
An ancient village presently called as Killukottai is situated in Puddukottai District, Tamil Nadu. India. If any one interested to visit to this ancient village, has to travel by road on Tanjvur-Trichy Main highway and take a turn towards south at Valapakudi and from there it is about 7 kms. A single way road will help to reach this particular village.
Few trees and other plantations surround this village settlement. All community peoples are dwelling in this historical village peacefully. The main source of their yearly income is mainly from routine cultivation from Punjai lands. The irrigational water sources depend only by rainwater.
We visited this particular village to take up the field study. A young lad called T.Siva, S/o. Thulasiyappa who belongs to Malaiaddipatti Village guided the team. We could able reach to the spot, with a help of T. Siva and also a small young boy around 12 to 14 years old, belongs to this Killukottai village.
At first we have noticed an erected stone pillar made out of white rock. Such type of stone pillars, with rounded portion at the top is mostly found at the huge reservoirs meant to collect and store rainwater. There will be two such stone pillars in front of the culvert for releasing the water from the reservoir.
Notably these type culverts are of early Chola period, that too of Mutharaiyar kings. Mutharaiyars are the one who have given more attention to the irrigational system to ensure the storage of rainwater and its proper usage.
It appears there was a reservoir at southeast direction of the village. A stone pillar of white stone speaks anent to conclude the presence of an old lake. Possibly the ground level of the reservoir raised due to the accumulation mud and sand, and it was no more useful to store the water in it. It could be reason that particular area is now used for cultivation of various plants.
We walked towards south; at about a 50 meters distance from this white stone pillar, we saw the amazing stone (slab) pillar. At last, we could able to succeed in our third attempt to locate this historical stone pillar.
The sun is almost to set in the west; there was also the sign of rain with dark clouds, which threatened us more. We quickly on the job in clean the surrounding, and then we took as many pictures as possible in our digital camera. In deed, it is a wonderful experience.
For few minutes we observed the inscription and the projected sculpture of an animal on the stone pillar. The animal figure attracted us more, and we decided to identify the same at first. We concentrated on the projected sculpture of the animal. We studied the animal figure deeply and discussed a lot. As an out come of our discussion, we came to the conclusion that it is a lion as if it is running posture with its bent tail and also up lifted. The tip of the tail with hair ends in the third line of the inscription. That is between the letters "ku " and "ith". We observed a clear-cut mark of on its (Lion) shoulder, what does it mean? We shall study about the cut mark later.
Inscription (not uploaded)
The three-lined inscription is on the top of the animal figure. It is certainly 1100 years old with beautiful letters. And all the ancient letters are still intact; it is in readable condition without any difficulties. Some thing flashed in our mind, we could able recollect the letters on the pillar inscriptions belongs to Suvaran Maran alias Perum Piddugu Mutharaiyan at SriMeenakshi Sundereswarar temple at Senthalai, Tanjuvr District in Tamil Nadu. All the letters are exactly of similar pattern. Most possibly the same person must have inscribed these letters at the both places and also of the same period. Now, let us read the inscription.
Sri Shathuru Kesari
Sri Abimana Deeran Sri Kalvar Kalvan
Val Vari Vangai Kuthiadhu
In the first two sentences reads the three meikeerthi Sri. Shathuru Kesari means he is just like a lion to the enemies.
Second, Sri. Abimanadeeran means, he is enemy to the kings those who had Ahankar and the third, Sri. Kalvar Kalvan means the person who eradicated the thieves. All these meikeerthi are belongs to Suvaran Maran alias Perum Piddugu Mutharaiyan. It is exactly same like the one in Senthalai, stone pillar inscriptions.
Third Sentence; Val Varivangai Kuthiadhu
Val: Considering the Tamil letter "L" used here, we decipher this word as the sward.
Vari : Vari means lines.
Vangai : Vangai means Tiger.
Kuthiadhu : Pierced.
The "Kodu Vari" is one of the names of the tiger. But in this case we found the word only "Vari" and the next word is "Vangai". If we join these two words together, it is Varivengai. It means the tiger with lines in its body. All of us know there are many types tigers, existed in ancient India. Among those verities, the lined type of tiger is the notable one. This type of tiger cover a reasonably a long distance in it very step while running. We would like to interpret the Varivangai in Tamil as Paiyum Puli or Paiyum Vangai with lines. And Varivangai is a very ferocious one and it can cover a long distance while in motion (running), and also it can even take a 180 degree turn and can pickup the speed at once.
We assume the word Varivangai (Lined type tiger) used here is to highlight the Val (sward) used by Perum Piddugu Mutharaiyan. In other way to say, it is indirectly emphasize the capability of Perum Piddugu Mutharaiyan's strength and his wrist movement in handling his sward.
When we consolidate the inscription and lion figure, the sward of Perum Piddugu mutharaiyan pierced this lion and killed it. Where his sward pierced animal? It is on the shoulder, at the important life point (Pidari) at the spinal cord of the animal. It is the reason there is cut mark shown in the lion shoulder. The cut point is very clearly visible even today.
The stone inscription denotes that Sri. Perum Piddugu Mutharaiyan alias Suvaran Maran's sward which can rotate fast with full of strength, pierced at the life point of a lion and it got killed at this spot.
It is a fact that mostly all the kings used to go for animal hunting for the purposes to learn the war tactics. Killing a lion, the king of forest is really a great adventure and also a good experience. Hence the heroic adventure of Suvaran Maran alias Perum Piddugu Mutharaiyan kept as a monument stone with the inscription and with the lion figure at Killukottai.
My sincere thanks to Kokulu Ankarao for publishing this article in his web site, and also to T.L.Subash Chandira Bose for all the guidelines for this research and study. http://www.facebook.com/groups/mutharaiyar/
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