Arachalur (அரச்சலூர்) - 2

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XXIX .  Arachalur (அரச்சலூர்) - 2
861
A.
L. 1    ta       tai      tā2       tai     ta
L. 2    tai      tā       tē        tā      tai
L. 3    tā       tē       tai2       tē      tā
L. 4    tai      tā       [t]ē      tā      tai
L. 5    ta       tai      tā        tai     ta
    
அ.
வரி 1    த     தை   தா    தை   த
வரி 2    தை  தா    தே    தா    தை
வரி 3    தா   தே    தை   தே   தா
வரி 4    தை  தா    ே[தே]  தா    தை
வரி 5    த     தை   தா     தை  த
Locus
Above the stone bed at left in the cave; worn out but legible.
No. of lines
5
Length
Size : 27 x 19 cm.
Date
ca. 4th century C.E.
Notes
1. The inscription is a musical notation composed of the syllables ta, tā, tē and tai arranged symmetrically in five columns and five rows. See 87 and Commentary (86 & 87).
2. Krishnan (1974) reads the 3rd letter in L. 1 as tē and the 3rd letter in L. 4 as tai. I agree with RN that they have to be read respectively as tā and tē, which would also preserve the symmetry. I have rechecked the letters in situ.
Field Notes