This inscription is dated in the 29th year of the reign of the Chōḷa king Rājarāja I. and opens with the usual historical introduction, where, however, this inscription and No. 16 read Taḍīga-pāḍi instead of Taḍigai-pāḍi or Taḍiya-vaḻi.
The inscription records that the citizens of Mēṟpāḍi granted to the Aṟiñjigai-Īśvara temple 5, 136(1/2) kuḻi of land, which was bounded in the east by the river Nugā, and in the north by the Chōḷēndrasiṁhēśvara temple. Nugā is evidently the original name of the river Nīvā (or Poṉṉai), on the western bank of which Mēlpāḍi is situated, and Chōḷēndrasiṁhēśvara is the ancient designation of the Sōmanāthēśvara temple.
svasti śrī śrīkovirājarājakesaripanmarāna śrīrājarājadevarkku yāṇṭu jayaṅkoṇṭacoḻamaṇṭalattupperumpāṇappāṭittūñāṭṭu rājāśrayapurattu nakarattom Āṟṟśrīrājarājadevar Eṅkaḷ nakarat Īśvarattu mahādevar śrīko
maṭaviḷākattukkumāvyāpāri Āccerumāṉ vayiramekaṉ toṭṭappāntrasiṁśvaramuṭaiya tevar teva ntrasiṁhīśvaramuṭaiyār koyiliṉ teṟkil ti
varinnilattukkumilupprājāśrayapurattu nakarattom
(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 29th year (of the reign) of the glorious king Rājarāja-Kēsarivarman, alias Śrī-Rājarājadēva, who, (in) his life of growing strength, during which,—(in) the belief that, as well as the goddess of fortune, the goddess of the great earth had become his wife,—(he) was pleased to destroy the ships (at) Kāndaḷūr-Śālai and conquered by (his) army, which was victorious in great battles, Vēṅgai-nāḍu, Gaṅga-pāḍi, Nuḷamba-pāḍi, Taḍīga-pāḍi, Kuḍamalai-nāḍu, Kollam, Kaliṅgam, Īḻa-maṇḍalam, (the conquest of which) made (him) famous (in) the eight directions, and the seven and a half lakshas of Iraṭṭa-pāḍi,—deprived the Śeḻiyas of (their) splendour at the very moment when Udag[ai], which is worshipped everywhere, was (most) resplendent;—we, the citizens of Mēṟpāḍi, alias Rājāśrayapuram, in Tūñāḍu, (a subdivision) of Perumbāṇa-pāḍi in Jayaṅkoṇḍa-Śōḻa-maṇḍalam, gave land to the god Mahādēva (Śiva) of the holy Aṟiñjigai-Īśvara (temple),—which the lord Śrī-Rājarājadēva had been pleased to build in our city as a resting-place (? paḷḷi-paḍai) for the king who fell asleepPuṟanāṉūṟu, Mr. V.Kanakasabhai Pillai suggests that the expression tuñjiṉa or tuñjiya, ‘who slept,’ which forms part of the designations of several Chōḷa, Pāṇḍya and Chēra kings, means ‘who died.’Āṟṟūr,—for the sacred temple, for the temple enclosure,ālaya in Sanskrit). Hence parivārālaya, on which see Vol. II. p. 151, note 1.
(L. 2.) The (four) boundaries of (this land are) to the west of the river called Nugā; to the north of the limit, eighty-seven rods (in length), of the high-road which, at a breadth of two rods, leads westward from the Nugā river along the northern extremity of the waste land of the garden of the merchant (vyāpārin) Āchcherumāṉ Vayiramēgaṉ, (who resides) in the high-street of Mummaḍi-Śōḻa in this village; to the east of the street which leads up northward from this limit to Mattavāṇachchēri, (the quarter) of the dancing-girls of the god of the Śōḷēndrasiṁhīśvara (temple); and to the south of the high-road which, at a breadth of four rods, leads eastward to the river called Nugā along the southern extremity of the temple garden on the south of the temple of the lord Śōḷēndrasiṁhīśvara. The land enclosed within these four great boundaries, (which measures) five thousand one hundred and thirty-six and a half kuḻi by the rod of eighteen spans, by which our village is measured and divided, we gave to this god as tax-free temple land. The channel, a quarter rod in breadth, (which flows) through this land from the river called Nugā (and) supplies water to this land and to the iluppaiBassia longifolia.continue to) supply water to this land and to the iluppai field of this god.
(L. 3.) Thus we, the citizens of Mēṟpāḍi, alias Rājāśrayapuram, having engraved (this) on stone, gave (this land) as tax-free temple land. At the bidding of these citizens, I, the accountant (karaṇattāṉ) of this city, Nārāyaṇaṉ Aḍaikkalavaṉ, wrote (this). This is my writing. This (gift is placed under) the protection of all Māhēśvaras.
Digital edition of SII 3.15 by