Nekkontha grant of Viṣṇuvardhana III

Editor: Dániel Balogh.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSVengiCalukya00058.

Hand description:

Halantas. Only final M occurs, used only in line 10 (twice). Shaped like a tick mark or an U with the left arm much shorter.

Original punctuation marks.

Other palaeographic observations. Anusvāra is normally to the right of the character to which it belongs, but often placed on top of the next character: l1. ṁgi; l6 ṁgi and ṁbha; l8 ṁga.

Language: Sanskrit.

Repository: Eastern Cālukya (tfb-vengicalukya-epigraphy).

Version: (4b9ab6f), last modified (3d38b2e).

Edition

⟨Page 1r⟩⟨1⟩(bhi)laṣi(ta-kā)ryya-vija(ya)-siddheḥ śrī-maṁgi-yuvarājasya priya-tana⟨2⟩(ya)ḥ svāsi-dhārā-namita-ripu-nr̥pati-makuṭa-taṭa-ghaṭita-maṇi-¿ki(rī)?⟨3⟩(ṇa-yu)galaḥ sva-vikramākrānta-mahī-maṇḍalaḥ vara-yuvati-jana-ma⟨4⟩kara-dhvajaḥ parama-brahmaṇyo mātā-pitr̥-pādānudhyātaḥ śrī-vi⟨5⟩ṣṇuvarddhana-mahārājaḥ sarvv(ā)n ittham ājñāpayati

viditam astu vaḥ va⟨6⟩ṁgipaṟu-v¡a!stavyāya hārīt¡i!⟨a⟩-gotrāya Āpastaṁ¡bh!a-sūtrā⟨Page 1v⟩⟨7⟩ya veda-vide śaṁkaraśarmmaṇaḥ pautrāya revaśarmmaṇaḥ putrā⟨8⟩ya veda-vedāṁga-pāragāya tri-veda-vide vr̥ddhaśarmmaṇe U(t)tarāya⟨9⟩(ṇa)-ni⟨mi⟩tte dvādaśa-¡k!⟨kh⟩aṇḍika-kodrava-(vāpa)⟨⟨(b)ī(jā)⟩⟩vāpa-mātraṁ kṣetraṁ sarvva⟨10⟩kara-parihāraṁ kr̥tvā Uñ¡c!⟨ch⟩a-sahitaM dattaM

kṣetrasya sīmā⟨11⟩ni⟨.⟩ pūrvataḥ nekkontha-sīmāvadhiḥ sīm¿a?⟨ā⟩⟨.⟩ dakṣiṇataḥ Ātukūri sīmā⟨12⟩vadhiḥ sīm¿a?⟨ā⟩⟨.⟩ paścimataḥ boddamāri reṇḍuvaddi⟨.⟩ Uttarataḥ kar(i?)(y)aṭa

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ -siddheḥ ⬦ -siddhiḥ MDS.

⟨2⟩ -¿ki(rī)?⟨3⟩(ṇa)- ⬦ kiraṇa MDS • The reading is confident in spite of some weathering, and indicates a major scribal omission. The intendet text may have been kiraṇa-rāga-raṁjita-caraṇa (as found for instance in the Nutulapaṟu grant of Maṅgi Yuvarāja), but an even longer omitted chunk is also possible. The word kirīṭa does not occur in a similar context in any related grant that I am aware of, but may also have been intended here; in this case, however, the omission cannot be attributed to eyeskip.

⟨9⟩ -ni⟨mi⟩tte • The last character of this word is distorted because of the adjacent binding hole. Above the hole there is a mark resembling a Roman capital T, which is probably nothing but a museum marking in ink (perhaps a Roman numeral I?). The plate was evidently inked before taking the photograph from which I edit it, but this mark seems to be in ink alone, not accompanied by any engraved strokes. — ⟨9⟩ -¡k!⟨kh⟩aṇḍika- ⬦ -kaṇṭika- MDS.

⟨11⟩ nekkontha- ⬦ nekkonṟa- MDS • The subscript component is not quite identical to that of ittham in line 5, but it is very unlikely to be , as it has a round and convex outline both on the top and the bottom. — ⟨11⟩ kar(i?)(y)aṭa ⬦ kariya-U MDS • The i of the second character is faint and very small; perhaps a is to be read here. MDS’s U cannot be ruled out, but the last character resembles the instances of ṭa in line 2 more than it does the U earlier in the present line.

Translation by Dániel Balogh

(1–5) the dear son of Maṅgi Yuvarāja, who prevailed in victory (vijaya-siddhi) in whatever goal he desired; His Majesty the supremely pious King (mahārāja) Viṣṇuvardhana (III), who was deliberately appointed [as heir] by his mother and father and whose pair [OMITTEDof feet were tinted by the hues of the rays from]1 the gems fitted to the surfaces of the crowns of enemy kings bowed down by the blade of his sword; who has by his own valour conquered the circle of the earth; and who is a crocodile-bannered [god of love] to choice young ladies—[this Viṣṇuvardhana III] commands everyone as follows.

(5–10) Let it be known to you that on the occasion of the winter solstice a field of a measure (sufficient) for sowing twelve khaṇḍikas of kodrava seed has been given, rendered exempt of all taxes and together with (the dues for) gleanings (uñcha), to the grandson of Śaṅkaraśarman, son of Revaśarman, [namely] Vr̥ddhaśarman, a resident of Vaṁgipaṟu of the Hārīta gotra, adherent of the Āpastaṁba sūtra, a knower of the Veda who is thoroughly versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas and knows the three Vedas.2

(10–12) The boundaries of the field [are as follows]. To the east, the border is the extent of the border of Nekkontha. To the south, the border is the extent of the border of Ātukūri. To the west, Boddamāri [and] Reṇḍuvaddi. To the north, (kariyaṭa) […]

Commentary

Single extant medial plate of a set, probably the second of three.

Bibliography

Reported in Krishnamacharlu 1936, p. 6, appendices A/1932-33, № 7. Edited by M. D. Sampath (2005) without reference to the ARIE report. Edited here by Dániel Balogh from public photographs from the National Museum, New Delhi,3, subsequently collated with Sampath’s edition.

Primary

[MDS] Sampath, M. D. 2005. “An odd plate of Chālukya Vishṇuvarddhana.” Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India (Bharatiya Purabhilekha Patrika) 32, pp. 100–103.

Secondary

Krishnamacharlu, C. R. 1936. Annual report on South Indian epigraphy for the year ending 31st March 1933. Delhi: Archaeological survey of India (Manager of Publications). Page 6, appendixes A/1932-33, item 7.

Notes

  1. 1. The text omitted by the scribe is restored in this translation; see the apparatus to line 2.
  2. 2. The qualifications “knower of the Veda” and “knows the three Vedas” (veda-vide and tri-veda-vide) are rather redundant. The former may have been intended, along with the specification of the residence, gotra and sūtra, to qualify the donor’s grandfather. This would be implied by proximity, but is ruled out by the syntax of the text as composed.
  3. 3. http://museumsofindia.gov.in/repository/record/nat_del-56-121-7-17122