The significance of "mOci" in the name mOci kIran2Ar, the Classical Tamil poet

[Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan]

Dear Scholars,




There are Classical Tamil poets whose names contain the component 'mOci' and there have been questions about the significance of 'mOci' and the social status of poets like mOci kIran2Ar. The following text in inscription ARE 97/1927-28 in Tiruppukalur shows that most probably mOci was a gotra name and mOci kIran2Ar was a brahmin. 


... sabhaiyuLLiruntu [paNittAr] 
nArAyaNan tirukkaNNapuramuTaiyAn 
mOci canAttanan tirucciRRampalamuTaiyAn 
k[A]ciyapan kEcavan tirukkaNNapuramuTaiyAn 
kAppiyan2 kaNapati paRpanApan 
[kAciyapan nArAyaNa] paTTan 
pArattuvAci cEntan cuppiramaNyan…...kATan 
pAlAciriyan kOvalan tirukaNNapurattammAn uLLittAr paNiyAl piramANam ezutinEn ivvUr karaNattAn2 ...


Regards,
Palaniappan