# Hero stone in context of a brahmahatyā

H. Krishna Sastri

Author of digital edition: H. Krishna Sastri

Contributor: Jens Thomas

Identifier: DHARMA_INSTelugu00013

Repository: Telugu Inscriptions (tfb-telugu-epigraphy)

File path: texts/DHARMA_INSTelugu00013.xml

Language: Telugu [Script (unspecified)]

Commit: 2026-09-09 14:31 (ea24452), last modified 2026-09-09 14:25
(0ba7051)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

## Edition

⟨1⟩ kēdārarāśipaṇḍitu⟨2⟩lakuṁ brahmahatya śrā(pi)⟨3⟩ñci poḍici koṇi
caccina⟨4⟩candrarāśi(bha)ṭārala rūpu

## Translation

This is the picture of Candrarāsibhaṭāra who accused (someone) of
brahmicide of Kēdārarāśipaṇḍitulu, got in close combat, slew (him), and
died.

## Commentary

The text follows the edition of H. Krishna Sastri in 1925, p. 21, № 58
in absence of a picture. Following the entry in A. R. No. 471 of 1893
Krishna Sastri edited the text which was written on two faces on a stone
slab as one entry with continuous line numbering although the two faces
evidently display two distinct inscriptions. They are given here as 58a
and 58b respectively. The term rūpu probably refers to a carving that
depicts Candrarāśibhaṭāra. However, mention of such a picture is neither
made in A. R. nor in Krishna Sastri 1925. The spelling śrāpiñci (line
2-3) is a mistake for śāpiñci. Besides ’to curse’ śāpiñcu can also mean
’to accuse’ (e. g. Sītārāmācāryulu 1922, pp. 752, 754 ’tiṭṭu’ which also
means ’niṁdiṁcu’ (Reḍḍi 1989, p. 381)). The verb koṇu means ’to take’ in
most instances but also the meanings ’to prick, peirce, strike down’ are
attested. The expression caccina ’died’ is remarkable since this
intransitive verb is not the standard for denoting death in a battle.
Hence, one could surmise that he died a natural death (long) after his
successful revenge.

## Bibliography

The text was noted in A. R. No. 471 of 1893 and edited by H. Krishna
Sastri in 1925, p. 21, № 58 without a picture. The text was re-edited by
K. M. Sastri (1969, p. 345, № 97) on basis of SII with some errors and
without translation.

### Secondary

Krishna Sastri, H. 1925. South-Indian inscriptions (texts). Volume V:
Miscellaneous inscriptions from the Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada
countries. South Indian Inscriptions 5. Madras: Government Press. Page
21, item 58.

Sastri, Korada Mahadeva. 1969. Historical grammar of Telugu with special
reference to Old Telugu c. 200 B.C. - 1000 A.D. Anantapur: Sri
Venkateswara Univ. Page 345, item 97.