Sanskrit Inscriptions of Tamil Nadu : A Literary Study

Contents: Preface. Abbreviations. Method of transliteration. Introduction. 1. Pallava inscriptions. 2. Pandya period. 3. Chola period. 4. Other inscriptions. Bibliography. Index.

"Among the thousands of inscriptions discovered in Tamil Nadu, the majority were written in Tamil, but a fairly large number were composed in Sanskrit as well. These epigraphs which are composed wholly in Sanskrit as well as the Sanskrit portions of the bilingual copper-plate inscriptions have been of immense help to historians and archaeologists as they provide copious information about various aspects of life in Ancient and Medieval periods in the Tamil Country.

Apart from being a source of valuable and authentic historical data, these epigraphs, which are actually royal documents, are also masterpieces of Sanskrit prose and poetry. The Sanskrit verses were composed by very talented poets, who were masters of the language and great scholars, well read in the epics, Puranas and classical Sanskrit works. Their command over Sanskrit and power of imagination, while earnestly recording the details of the reign of their kings are clear from a perusal of these inscriptions. The names and achievements of these hitherto unknown poets and scholars are brought to light in this book.

This book highlights the literary beauty contained in the Sanskrit epigraphs of Tamil Nadu belonging to the Pallava, Pandya and Chola Times (upto c. 1310 A.D.). It offers a fascinating and detailed study of the numerous metres, similes, rhetoric and poetical style employed by the composers of these epigraphs. The way in which the Ramayana of Valmiki and the numerous works of Kalidasa, especially the Raghuvamsa (have influenced the style of the poets of ancient Tamil Nadu is also clearly seen here. This book is indeed a distinct and valuable contribution to the field of epigraphy as well as Sanskrit studies." (jacket)