Babbēpalli plates, time of Kumāraviṣṇuvarman, year 13

Version: (c74dfdd), last modified (37429fa).

Edition

Plates

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩

⟨1v1=1⟩ svasti jitaṁ bhagavatā{t} kāñc¡i!purādhiṣṭhān¿a?t parama-brahmaṇyasya sva-bāhu-ba[lā]-

⟨1v2=2⟩ rjjitorjjita-kṣātra-taponidhe(r) vvidhi-vihita-sarvva-maryyādasya mahārājasya

⟨1v3=3⟩ śrī-vīrakorccavarmmaṇaḥ prapautro ’bhyutthita-śakti-siddhi-saṁpa⟨n⟩nasya prat(ā)¿t?o-

⟨1v4=4⟩ panata-rāja-maṇḍalasya vasudhā-talaika-vīrasya mahārājasya śrī-karā-

⟨Page 2r⟩

⟨2r1=5⟩ ḷavarmmaṇaḥ pautro deva-dvija-guru-vṛ¿dh?¿ā?pacāyina⟨ḥ⟩ pravṛ¿dh?a-⟨dha⟩rmma-sañcaya-

⟨2r2=6⟩ sya prajā-pāla⟨na⟩-dakṣasya lokapāl¿a?nāṁ pañcamasya lokapāla¿nāṁ? satyā-

⟨2r3=7⟩ tmano mahārājasya śrī-skanda-mūlavarmmaṇaḥ putro bhagavat-pādānu-

⟨2r4=8⟩ ddhyāto bappa-bhaṭ¿ṭh?āraka-pāda-bhakta⟨ḥ⟩ parama-bhāgavato bhāradvāja-sago-

⟨Page 2v⟩

⟨2v1=9⟩ tra¿a? yathāvad-āhṛ¿d?āne⟨kā⟩śvame¿th?ānāṁ pallav¿a?n¿a?ṁ pallava-śrī-mahārāja¿sya?

⟨2v2=10⟩ śrīmāN kum¿a?ra-viṣṇu-varmmā Imam arttham ¿a?jñāpayati tad yathā karmmarāṣṭre ka-

⟨2v3=11⟩ ligoṇḍa-nāma-grāma-vīri-grāma-pa¡te! pūrvvataḥ cuṇoprāḷu-grāma-sī¿nm?a

⟨2v4=12⟩ ¿pu?ttarataḥ koṇḍamujunūru-grāma-pa¡te! paścimataḥ sarppāḷa(ya)-dakṣiṇata

⟨Page 3r⟩

⟨3r1=13⟩ Eta⟨c⟩ catur-avadhi-dakṣiṇ¿a? sukṣetre doṇāvadi-grāma-sī¿nm?aḥ paścimataḥ cuṇoḷū-

⟨3r2=14⟩ prāḷu-grāma-s¡i!¿nm?aḥ Uttara[taḥ] sarppagṛh¡e!-pūrvvataḥ vṛ¡dh!a-taṭāka-dakṣiṇata Eta⟨c⟩-

⟨3r3=15⟩ catur-avadh¡ī!-dakṣiṇa-pūrvve sukṣetre sarppagṛh¡e!-pūrvvataḥ mahiṣaśira-grām¡e!-

⟨3r4=16⟩ -s¡i!¿nm?a(ḥ) dakṣiṇata⟨ḥ⟩ pullaḷūru-grām¡e!-s¡i!¿nm?aḥ paścimata⟨ḥ⟩ kaṁsāri-taṭāka⟨sya⟩ Uttararataḥ

⟨Page 3v⟩

⟨3v1=17⟩ Eta⟨c⟩ catur-avadh¡ī!-pūrvvottare sukṣetre trai-bhūmyā(ṁ) cauṣaṣṭi nivarttanāni kāśy¿ā?-

⟨3v2=18⟩ pa-gotrāya Isara-¿s?armmaṇ(e) dattavāN Āyur-bala-puṇyārogya-nimi¿t?a(M) saṁ-

⟨3v3=19⟩ pra⟨tta⟩s tad avagamya rāja-valla¿v?a-naiyogika-gopāla-vatsapāla-sañcara-

⟨3v4=20⟩ ntakā⟨ḥ⟩ parih¿a?rai⟨ḥ⟩ pa⟨ri⟩ha⟨ra⟩ntu parihārayantu ca yo ’smac chā¿ś?anam atikra--

⟨Page 4r⟩

⟨4r1=21⟩ me⟨t⟩ saḥ pāpaḥ śār(ī)raṁ daṇḍam arhati Api cātrārṣā⟨ḥ⟩ ¿śu?¿kl?āḥ bhūmi-dānā

⟨4r2=22⟩ t paraṁ dānaṁ na bhūtaṁ na bhaviṣyati tasyaiva haraṇ¿a?t pāpaṁ na bhūtaṁ na bhaviṣya-

⟨4r3=23⟩ ti || bahu{r}bhi⟨r v⟩vasudhā datt¿a? bahubhiś cānupālitā yasya yasya ya-

⟨4r4=24⟩ dā bhūmi⟨s⟩ tasya tasya tadā ¿p?ala⟨ṁ⟩ || sva-datt¿a?⟨ṁ⟩ para-datt¿a?¿ṇ? v¿a? yo hareta

⟨Page 4v⟩

⟨4v1=25⟩ vasundharā⟨ṁ⟩ g¿ā?vāṁ śata-sahasrasya hantuḫ pibati kil¡v!iṣa(M) brahma-

⟨4v2=26⟩ -svan tu viṣa⟨ṁ⟩ ghoraṁ na viṣaṁ viṣam ucyate viṣam ekākinaṁ hant¿u?

⟨4v3=27⟩ brahma-sva⟨ṁ⟩ putra-pautrika¡ṁ! kāñcīpurādhip¿o? datta(M) bhaktena brāhma-

⟨4v4=28⟩ ṇāya ca rakṣaṇārtthaṁ y¿ā?dā bhūmi-vallabha-pallava⟨ḥ⟩ sadā (||)

⟨Page 5r⟩

⟨5r1=29⟩ pravarddhamāna-vijaya-rājya-saṁvatsare trayoda(śe) mahā-kā-

⟨5r2=30⟩ rttik¿ā?-māse śukla-pakṣa-pañcamy¿a?⟨ṁ⟩ viśā¿k?¿a?-nakṣatre guruv¿a?re

⟨5r3=31⟩ lāḍarāj¿a?¿ā?ptyā rudraśarmm¿ā?¿a? (l)i(kh)i(tam i)daṁ ¿s?ā¿ś?anaṁ Ācandra-

⟨5r4=32⟩ -¿d?ārakaṁ kṛtvā dattavā(N) svasti go-brāhmaṇebhyaḥ @ ||

⟨Page 5v⟩

Apparatus

Plates

⟨1⟩ jitaṁ ⬦ jitam EI. — ⟨1⟩ kāñc¡i!⟨ī⟩° ⬦ kāñcī° EI. — ⟨1⟩ °ba[lā]° ⬦ °balā° EI.

⟨2⟩ °taponidhe(r)°taponidher EI.

⟨3⟩ °prat(ā)¿t?⟨p⟩o⟨1v4=4⟩panata° ⬦ pratā(p)o⟨1v4=4⟩panata° EI.

⟨5⟩ pravṛ¿dh?⟨ddh⟩a-⟨dha⟩rmma° ⬦ pravṛ⟨ddha⟩-dharmma° EI.

⟨8⟩ bhāradvāja° ⬦ bhāradvaja° EI.

⟨9⟩ °⟨kā⟩śvame¿th?⟨dh⟩ānāṁ ⬦ °⟨kā⟩śvamedhānāṁ EI. — ⟨9⟩ pallav¿a?⟨ā⟩n¿a?⟨ā⟩ṁ ⬦ pallav¿a?⟨ā⟩n¿am?⟨ām⟩ EI.

⟨10⟩ °viṣṇuvarmmā ⬦ °viṣṇuvar¿mma?⟨mā⟩ EI. — ⟨10⟩ ¿a?⟨ā⟩jñāpayati ⬦ ¿a?⟨ā⟩jñapayati EI.

⟨11⟩ cuṇoprāḷu° • Emend to cuṇolūprāḷu (see line 13)?

⟨13⟩ dakṣiṇ¿a?⟨e⟩ sukṣetre ⬦ dakṣiṇa-sukṣetre EI • ...

⟨14⟩ s¡i!⟨ī⟩¿nm?⟨mn⟩aḥ ⬦ ¿nm?⟨mn⟩aḥ EI.

⟨15⟩ °avadh¡ī!⟨i⟩° ⬦ °avadhi° EI.

⟨16⟩ s¡i!⟨ī⟩¿nm?⟨mn⟩a(ḥ)¿nm?⟨mn⟩a(ḥ) EI.

⟨17⟩ °avadh¡ī!⟨i⟩° ⬦ °avadhi° EI. — ⟨17⟩ °pūrvvottare ⬦ °pūr¿v?⟨vv⟩ottare EI.

⟨19⟩ rāja-valla¿v?⟨bh⟩a° ⬦ (ja-va)lla¿v?⟨bh⟩a EI.

⟨21⟩ śār(ī)raṁ ⬦ śārīraṁ EI. — ⟨21⟩ ¿śu?⟨ślo⟩¿kl?⟨k⟩āḥ ⬦ ¿śu?⟨ślo⟩kāḥ EI.

⟨24⟩ ¿p?⟨ph⟩ala⟨ṁ⟩¿p?⟨ph⟩ala(m) EI.

⟨25⟩ kil¡v!⟨b⟩iṣa(M)kilbiṣam EI.

⟨26⟩ ekākinaṁ ⬦ ekākina⟨ṁ⟩ EI.

⟨27⟩ datta(M)dattaṁ EI.

⟨28⟩ °pallava⟨ḥ⟩°pallava EI. — ⟨28⟩ sadā ⬦ EI • Maybe emend to tādā.

⟨29⟩ °da(śe)°daśe EI.

⟨31⟩ lāḍa° ⬦ (ḍa) EI. — ⟨31⟩ rudraśarmm¿ā?⟨a⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩rudraśarmm¿e?⟨a⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩ EI. — ⟨31⟩ ¿s?⟨ś⟩ā¿ś?⟨s⟩anaṁ Ācandra° ⬦ ¿s?⟨ś⟩ā¿ś?⟨s⟩anam ācandra° EI.

Translation by Emmanuel Francis

⟨1⟩ Prosperity! The Lord is victorious

⟨1⟩ From the residence of Kāñcīpura:

⟨1–10⟩

  • great grand-son of the glorious mahārāja Vīrakorcavarman ...
  • grand-son of the glorious mahārāja Karāḷavarman ...
  • son of the glorious mahārāja Skandamūlavarman ...
  • the glorious Kumāraviṣṇuvarman, the glorious Pallava mahārāja, ...

orders ...:

⟨10–18⟩ This thus in the Karmmarāṣṭra,

  • east of ...
  • north of ...
  • west of ...
  • south of ...

in the good field south within these four boundaries

  • east of ...
  • north of ...
  • west of ...
  • south of ...

in the good field south(est within these four boundaries

  • east of ...
  • north of ...
  • west of ...
  • south of ...

in the good field north-east within these four boundaries, from [these] three land plots, he gave to Īśvaraśarman of the kāsyapagotra sixty-four nivartanas.

⟨18–19⟩ It was given for the purpose of ...

⟨19–20⟩ ...

⟨20–21⟩ Who ...

⟨21⟩ ...

1.

A gift superior to the gift of land

There has not been and there won’t be.

Therefore a sin [superior] to seizing it

There has not been and there won’t be.

2.

Land has been given by many

And by many it has been protected.

Whoever owns a land at a given moment,

To him does the fruit then belong.

3.

Who seizes land

Given by oneself or given by another,

Drinks the sin of killing

One hundred thousand cows.

4.

The property of a Brahmin is indeed a terrible poison.

It is not poison ...

Poison kills a single person.

The property of a Brahmin [also] kills the son and the grandson.

5.

This has been given by the king of Kāñcī,

Who is a devotee, to a Brahmin.

When it is a matter of protection

There is always a Pallava, a favourite of the earth.

⟨29–32⟩ ...

⟨32⟩ Prosperity for cows and Brahmins!

Bibliography

Edited in Parabrahma Sastry [1992] 1977–1978 (EI 42.5), with visual documentation.

This revised edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on photos (2008, by Emmanuel Francis, by courtesy of Andhra Pradesh State Department of Archaeology and Museums; 2016, kindly supplied by Valérie Gillet).

Primary

[EI] Parabrahma Sastry, P. V. [1992] 1977–1978. “Babbēpalli plates of Pallava Kumāravishṇu.” EI 42, pp. 44–54.

Secondary

Francis, Emmanuel. 2013. Le discours royal dans l'Inde du Sud ancienne : inscriptions et monuments Pallava, IV-IX siècles. Tome I : Introduction et sources. Publications de l'Institut orientaliste de Louvain 64. Louvain-la-Neuve; Paris: Université catholique de Louvain, Institut orientaliste; Peeters. Pages 266–267, item IR 13.