XXXII. THATHAPPATTI (தாதப்பட்டி)

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XXXII. THATHAPPATTI (தாதப்பட்டி)
94.
A.
1 . . . (?) 2 ṉa a ṭi o ṉa pā kā la pā ḷi ya kā la
    
B.
. . . ṉ 3 aṭi-ōṉ 4 pakal 5 paḷi-y 6 kal 7
    
அ.
. . . (?) ன அ டி ஒ ன பா கா ல பா ளி ய கா ல
    
ஆ.
. . . ன் அடிஓன்ன் பகல் பளிய் கல்
Translation
The (memorial) stone (at) the grave (paḷḷi) of (pakkal lit., 'to') the servant (aṭi-y-ōṉ) (of). . . ṉ.
Locus
Engraved along the length of a fragmentary megalithic menhir (memorial stone or herostone) installed as part of an urn-burial complex at Thathappatti village on the southern bank of the Vaigai river in Nilakkottai Taluk, Dindigul District. The inscription is incomplete at the beginning as the lower part of the menhir (when it was still standing) is now lost.
No. of lines
1
Length
Dimensions : 180 cm. in height and 60 cm. in width. (Measurements of the extant stone. The original height is estimated at more than 200 cm. K. Rajan and V. P. Yatheeskumar 2007 a & b.)
Date
ca. 2்nd century B.C.E.
Notes
1. The beginning of the inscription is lost.
2. A letter is partially seen here, but cannot be identified.
3. ...ṉ could be the end of a personal name which is now lost.
4. aṭi(y)ōṉ 'servant'. The context indicates the meaning 'armed follower' (of a chieftain). See ETE 2, Commentary (94.2).
5. pa(k)kal. Rajan and Yatheeskumar (2007 a & b) read pākal regarding it as a personal name. The word is interpreted here as a grammatical postposition serving as the dative case marker 'to'. See ETE 2, Commentary (94.3).
6. pa(ḷ)ḷi- 'grave'; occurring here uniquely with this meaning. The menhir marked a grave with urn burial (Rajan and Yatheeskumar).
7. kal 'stone'; in the present context, a naṭukal (memorial stone or herostone).
Field Notes