EIAD 170. Gōraṇṭla plates of Attivarman, ca. 5th c. CE

Authors of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr), Arlo Griffiths (argr).

Summary: Grant of the village of Āntukkūra (or Āntukkūra) and of a field of 800 paṭṭis in Tāṉṟikoṉṟa village to the Brahmin Koṭṭiśarman.

Palaeographic description: Late Southern Brāhmī, ca. 5th century. The anusvāra is in most cases placed at line height, close to the following character. The text contains two instances of the cluster ṉṟ in the vernacular toponym tāṉṟikoṉṟa (line 7). There are a few instances of small word-final consonant (e.g., line 8 parihāraM, line 9 vasundharāM). Separation of metrical and syntactic segments is sometimes marked by a space. We further note slightly different forms of ja (lines 2 and 3) and jā (lines 3 and 4). According to Sircar (1934, p. 733), “the characters of the Gorantla inscription resemble, in some respects, those of the Ikṣvāku inscriptions of Nagarjunikonda”, which latter date to the 3rd century. We, for our part, would rather situate the inscription well after the Ikṣvāku period, perhaps contemporaneously with some of the later Śālaṅkāyanas or early Viṣṇukuṇḍins.

Language: Sanskrit (san) [Southern Brāhmī (other) (brāhmī_southern_other)].

Repository: Early Andhra (tfb-eiad-epigraphy).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSEIAD00170.

File path: texts/xml/DHARMA_INSEIAD00170.xml.

Version: 2026-07-17 15:34 (ce35bbc), last modified 2026-07-17 15:34 (ce35bbc).

Edition

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨1⟩ svasty atula-vipula-yaśasi śrīmaty ānanda-maharṣi-vaṁśa-samudbhūte bhagavato vaṁkeśvarādhi-

⟨2⟩ vāsinas tri-bhuvana-kartuḥ ◯ śaṁbhoś caraṇa-kamala-rajaḥ-pavitrī-kr̥te kandara-nr̥pati-kule samu-

⟨3⟩ dbhūtena sundara-sujāta-peśala-jana-paricāreṇāprameya-hiraṇyagarbha-prasavena pratāpopana-

⟨Page 1v⟩

⟨4⟩ ta-sakala-sāmanta-maṇḍalena mahendra-sama-vikrameṇa sura-guru-sadr̥śa-buddhinā samyak-prajā-pālano-

⟨5⟩ pārjjita-kīrttinā rājñā ◯ Attivarmmaṇā Anuparata-dharmma-kriyā-pareṇa _ kāśyapa-gotrā-

⟨6⟩ ya _ Āpastaṁbha-sūtra-vide yama-ni⟨ya⟩mavate _ R̥g-yajus-sāma-vide brāhmaṇāya brahma-kalpā-

⟨Page 2r⟩

⟨7⟩ ya koṭṭiśarmmaṇe kr̥ṣṇabeṇṇā-dakṣiṇa-kūle_ tāṉṟikoṉṟa-grāme cātur-ddiśam aṣṭa-śata-pa-

⟨8⟩ ṭṭi-kṣetrañ cāntukkūra◯-grāmaś codaka-pūrvvan dattaḥ s{s}arvvā-bādha-parihāraM [s]va-dattāṁ pa-

⟨9⟩ ra-dattām vā yo hareta vasundharāM_ gavāṁ śata-sahasrasya hantuḥ pibati kilbiṣaM

⟨Page 2v⟩

⟨10⟩ (bh)ūmi-dānāt paran dānan na bhūtan (na bhavi)ṣyati_ (tas)y[aiva haraṇāt pāpa]n na bh[ūtan na bhaviṣya]t[i] [bahubhi]-

⟨11⟩ r vvasudhā dattā bahubhi◯ś cānupālitā yasya yasya ya(dā) bhū(mi)s tasya (tasya) [tadā phalaM]

⟨12⟩ brahma-svaṁ ⟨tu⟩ viṣaṁ ghoran na viṣaṁ viṣam ucyate _ viṣam ekā[ki]na[ṁ] (ha)nti brahma-svaṁ [putra]-pautr[i]kaM

Apparatus

⟨4⟩ vaṁkeśvarādhi- F ⬦ (va/vaṁ)eśvarādhi- F • It seems that the anusvāra is placed inside the hook-shape for -e in ke.

⟨7⟩ tāṉṟikoṉṟa- ⬦ tānthikontha- F • Hultzsch (1923–1924) corrected to tānṟikonṟa-. But the fact is that the body of the akṣara above ṟ in both cases shows a loop on the left side, which is not found in the occurrences of n in these plates and which likeswise does not correspond to occurrences of ṇ. This appears to be a device meant to denote alveolar n, i.e., ṉ. — ⟨7⟩ cātur-ddiśam ⬦ catur-ddiśam F.

⟨12⟩ brahma-svaṁ ⟨tu⟩ viṣaṁ ⬦ brahma-svaṁ viṣaṁ F • Fleet (1880, p. 103, p. 29) comments: “The metre requires us to correct this into brâhmaṇa.” The metre indeed requires one more syllable. We restore as per the variant recorded in BEst_0098v02. — ⟨12⟩ -pautr[i]kaM • The small final M appears clearly on Fleet’s estampage.

Translation by Fleet 1880

⟨1–8⟩ Hail! By king Attivarmā,—who is born in the family of king Kandara, which is possessed of uneqnalled and extensive fame, and which is glorious, and which is descended from the lineage of the great saint Ānanda, and which is purified by the pollen of the lotuses which are the feet of (the god) Śambhu, the holy one, who resides at (the temple of) Vakeśvara, and is the maker of the three worlds; who is attended hy beautiful and well-born and clever people; who is of the posterity of the inscrutable (god) Hiraṇyagarbha; who has reduced the territories of all chieftains by his prowess; who is equal in valour to (the god) Mahendra; who resembles in intellect the preceptor of the gods; whose fame has been acquired by properly governing his subjects; and who is intent upon (maintaining) the uninterrupted practices of religion,—a field of (the measure of) eight hundred paṭṭis, including (its boundaries on) the four quarters, at the village of Tanthikontha on the south bank of (the river) Kr̥ṣṇabeṇṇā, and also the village of Antukkūra, were given, with libations of water, free from all opposing claims, to the Brahman Koṭṭiśarmā, of tho Kāśyapa gotra, who knows the Āpastambha sūtra, and who practises the major and the minor observances, and who is acquainted with the R̥g and the Yajur and the Sāma (Vedas), and who is a Brahman, and who is almos equal to (the god) Brahmā himself.

He incurs the guilt of the slayer of a hundred thousand cows, who confiscates land that has been given, whether by himself, or by another!

There has not been, and there shall not be, any gift ⟨better⟩ than a gift of land; there has not been, and there shall not be, any sin ⟨greater⟩) than confiscating the same!

Land has been given by many, and has been preserved in grant by many; he, who for the time beiing possesses land, enjoys the benefit of it!

The property or a Brahman is said to be a terrible poison, (but, in comparison with that), poison is not called poison; ⟨for⟩ poison kills only one person, ⟨whereas⟩ the property of a Brahman, ⟨if confiscated⟩, kills one’s sons and sons’ sons!

Translation

⟨1–8⟩ Hail! By the king Attivarman (rājñā attivarmaṇā) who arose (samudbhūtena) in the lineage of the kings of Kandara / of king Kandara (kandara-nr̥pati-kule),¹ of unequalled and wide fame (atula-vipula-yaśasi), glorious (śrīmaty), which arose in the lineage of the maharṣi Ānanda (ānanda-maharṣi-vaṁśa-samudbhūte) ⟨and⟩ which is purified/cleansed by the dust of the lotus-feet (caraṇa-kamala-rajaḥ-pavitrī-kr̥te) of the lord (bhagavato) Śambhu (śaṁbhoś) residing in V[a/aṁ]keśvara (v[a/aṁ]keśvarādhivāsinas) and creator of the triple world (tri-bhuvana-kartuḥ), who is attended by people charming, well-born and pleasant (sundara-sujāta-peśala-jana-paricāreṇa), who has his origin in an immeasurable Hiraṇyagarbha (aprameya-hiraṇyagarbha-prasavena),² by whose splendour the circle(s) of all neighbouring/feudatory kings are subdued / all the circle(s) of neighbouring/feudatory kings are subdued (pratāpopanata-sakala-sāmanta-maṇḍalena), whose valour is same as that of Mahendra (mahendra-sama-vikrameṇa) who possesses an intellect like that of the spiritual master of the gods (sura-guru-sadr̥śa-buddhinā), who possesses a glory acquired by his proper/appropriate/just protection of his subjects (samyak-prajā-pālan=opārjjita-kīrttinā), who is occuped with / intent upon the uninterrupted practice of dharma (anuparata-dharmma-kriyā-pareṇa), to the Brahmin Koṭṭiśarman, of the Kāśyapagotra, versed in the Āpastambasūtra, practiser of the major and minor observances, versed in Ṛg, Yajus and Sāman, who is like Brahmā (kāśyapa-gotrāya āpastaṁbha-sūtra-vide yama-ni[ya]mavate r̥g-yajus-sāma-vide brāhmaṇāya brahma-kalpāya koṭṭiśarmmaṇe), a field of 800 paṭṭis within four limits (cāturdiśam) in the village of Tāṉṟikoṉṟa on the southern bank of the Kr̥ṣṇaveṇṇā and the village of (Ā/A)ntukkūra is given after water aspersion (litt. preceded by water) ⟨and⟩ with exemption of all annoyances/obstacles (kr̥ṣṇabeṇṇā-dakṣiṇa-kūle tāṉṟikoṉṟa-grāme cātur-ddiśam aṣṭa-śata-paṭṭi-kṣetrañ cāntukkūra-grāmaś codaka-pūrvvan dattaḥ sarvvā-bādha-parihāram).

Commentary

The text is laid out in 12 lines over both sides of two plates (3 lines per plate), which are accompanied by a third plate, on which Fleet (1880, p. 102) commented: “One side of the third plate is blank. But parts of three lines of writing, in the same characters those of the extant inscription, can be distinctly discerned about the centre of the other side of the plate; thus, in l. 2 I can clearly read para-[da]tt[âṁ] vâ, and, in l. 3 [piba]ti kilbiṣa[m], and many other letters are recognisable, though I cannot make a connected passage out of the first line. This obliterated writing has all the appearance of having been beaten down with a hammer, by way of cancellation, after heating the plate. And the plate was evidently then attached to the other two, as a guard to protect the writing. Probably there was another blank plate, now lost, attached to protect the writing at the other end of the grant.”

The text contains no internal date. If Attivarman is to be identified as the Vaiṅgeyaka Hastivarman of Samudragupta’s Allāhābād praśasti, line 20, this would situate the charter around 350 CE and would make it one of the earliest instances of a Sanskrit land grant. Another possibility is that the Vaiṅgeyaka Hastivarman of Samudragupta’s Allāhābād praśasti had a homonymic descendant. The palaseographic aspect of the inscription, as well as its language and formulaics, rather clearly point to a date well after the mid-4th century, and hence to the latter hypothesis.

Bibliography

Edited by J. F. Fleet (1880). This digital edition based on photos of the plates and of estampages.

Primary

[F] Fleet, John Faithfull. 1880. “Sanskrit and Old Canarese inscriptions, no. LXXV.” IA 9, pp. 102–103.

Secondary

Kielhorn, Lorenz Franz. 1904. “A list of inscriptions of Southern India from about A.D. 500.” Epigraphia Indica 7, Appendix. Page 162, item 1015.

Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1923–1924. “Mattepad plates of Damodaravarman.” EI 17, pp. 327–330. Pages 328–329.

Sircar, Dines Chandra. 1934. “Epigraphic notes: 1. Hiraṇyagarbha ― 2. Genealogy of the “Ānanda Kings of Guntur”.” JRAS, pp. 729–736.

Gaur, Albertine. 1975. Indian charters on copper plates in the Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books. London: British Museum Publications. Page 2.

Francis, Emmanuel. 2025. “Between Two Rivers: The Śālaṅkāyana Charters (EIAD 159–168, ca. 300–450 CE).” In: Early Āndhradeśa: Historical studies around the epigraphic corpus. Volume II: Studies. Edited by Arlo Griffiths, Vincent Tournier & Akira Shimada. Gonda Indological Studies 25. Leiden: Brill, pp. 334–376. DOI: 10.1163/9789004744097_010. [URL]. Pages 334, 335, 337, 344.

Notes

1. Sircar (1934: 733): “sprung from the family of King Kandara.” Kandara is generally considered as the name of an ancestor. But could it just be a place-name? “in the family of the kings of Kandara(pura)” / “in the kingly family of Kandara”? The Maṭṭepād Plates of Dāmōdaravarman are issued from Kandarapura. See also the Cejarla stele inscription, face A, lines 10-11: kandarapura-vara-janapada-dvitayādhipateḥ kandara-rājasya priya-sutāyām, “the daughter of King Kandara / the king of Kandara”?
2. Compare a[vandhya]-go-saha[srāne]ka-hiraṇyagarbhodbhavodbhavasya in the Maṭṭepād Plates of Dāmōdaravarman (1b2-2a1). Fleet (1880, p. 103): “who is the posterity of the inscrutable (god) Hiraṇyagarbha.” Fleet had later “withdrawn his original opinion” (Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts, 2nd ed., p. 334) according to Hultzsch (1924: 328). Hultzsch (1924: 328): “who is a producer of (i.e. who has performed) innumerable Hiraṇyagarbhas.” Sircar (1934: 730ff.): not a ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (producer of H) as Hultzsch understood it, but a bahuvrīhi: “one whose prasava (origin, producer, progenitor) is the H.” See other examples which are pañcamī-tatpuruṣa (produced by H). The performer of H = newly-born child. Sircar (1934: 735): “one whose producer is the H.”

Display Options Word Wrap Line Numbers Comments Processing Instructions

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<?xml-model href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/erc-dharma/project-documentation/master/schema/latest/DHARMA_Schema.rng" type="application/xml" schematypens="http://relaxng.org/ns/structure/1.0"?>

<?xml-model href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/erc-dharma/project-documentation/master/schema/latest/DHARMA_SQF.sch" type="application/xml" schematypens="http://purl.oclc.org/dsdl/schematron"?>

<?xml-model href="https://epidoc.stoa.org/schema/latest/tei-epidoc.rng" schematypens="http://relaxng.org/ns/structure/1.0"?>

<?xml-model href="https://epidoc.stoa.org/schema/latest/tei-epidoc.rng" schematypens="http://purl.oclc.org/dsdl/schematron"?>

<title>EIAD 170. Gōraṇṭla plates of Attivarman, ca. 5th c. CE</title>

<resp key="creator">author of digital edition</resp>

<forename>Emmanuel</forename>

<surname>Francis</surname>

</persName>

<surname>Griffiths</surname>

</persName>

</respStmt>

</titleStmt>

<authority><ref target="https://dharmalekha.info">DHARMA</ref></authority>

<pubPlace>Jakarta</pubPlace>

<idno type="filename">DHARMA_INSEIAD00170.xml</idno>

</publicationStmt>

<repository>DHARMAbase</repository>

</msIdentifier>

<summary>Grant of the village of Āntukkūra (or Āntukkūra) and of a field of 800 <foreign>paṭṭi</foreign>s in Tāṉṟikoṉṟa village to the Brahmin Koṭṭiśarman.</summary>

</msContents>

<p>Late Southern Brāhmī, ca. 5th century. The <foreign>anusvāra</foreign> is in most cases placed at line height, close to the following character. The text contains two instances of the cluster <foreign>ṉṟ</foreign> in the vernacular toponym <foreign>tāṉṟikoṉṟa</foreign> (line 7). There are a few instances of small word-final consonant (e.g., line 8 <foreign>parihāraM</foreign>, line 9 <foreign>vasundharāM</foreign>). Separation of metrical and syntactic segments is sometimes marked by a space. We further note slightly different forms of <foreign>ja</foreign> (lines 2 and 3) and <foreign>jā</foreign> (lines 3 and 4). According to Sircar (<bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Sircar1934_01"/><citedRange unit="page">733</citedRange></bibl>), <quote>the characters of the Gorantla inscription resemble, in some respects, those of the Ikṣvāku inscriptions of Nagarjunikonda</quote>, which latter date to the 3rd century. We, for our part, would rather situate the inscription well after the Ikṣvāku period, perhaps contemporaneously with some of the later Śālaṅkāyanas or early Viṣṇukuṇḍins.</p>

</handDesc>

</physDesc>

</msDesc>

</sourceDesc>

</fileDesc>

<p>Encoded in TEI/EpiDoc according to the <ref target="https://hal.science/halshs-02888186">DHARMA Encoding Guide for Documentary Editions, version 2</ref></p>

</encodingDesc>

<change when="2026-06-21" who="part:argr" status="draft">encoded the inscription</change>

</revisionDesc>

</teiHeader>

<body>

<p>

<pb n="1r"/><lb n="1"/>svasty atula-vipula-yaśasi śrīmaty ānanda-maharṣi-vaṁśa-samudbhūte bhagavato vaṁkeśvarādhi<lb n="2" break="no"/>vāsinas tri-bhuvana-kartuḥ <space type="binding-hole"/> śaṁbhoś caraṇa-kamala-rajaḥ-pavitrī-kr̥te kandara-nr̥pati-kule samu<lb n="3" break="no"/>dbhūtena sundara-sujāta-peśala-jana-paricāreṇāprameya-hiraṇyagarbha-prasavena pratāpopana<pb n="1v" break="no"/><lb n="4" break="no"/>ta-sakala-sāmanta-maṇḍalena mahendra-sama-vikrameṇa sura-guru-sadr̥śa-buddhinā samyak-prajā-pālano<lb n="5" break="no"/>pārjjita-kīrttinā rājñā <space type="binding-hole"/> Attivarmmaṇā Anuparata-dharmma-kriyā-pareṇa <space/> kāśyapa-gotrā<lb n="6" break="no"/>ya <space/> Āpastaṁbha-sūtra-vide yama-ni<supplied reason="omitted">ya</supplied>mavate <space/> R̥g-yajus-sāma-vide brāhmaṇāya brahma-kalpā<pb n="2r" break="no"/><lb n="7" break="no"/>ya koṭṭiśarmmaṇe kr̥ṣṇabeṇṇā-dakṣiṇa-kūle<space/> tāṉṟikoṉṟa-grāme cātur-ddiśam aṣṭa-śata-pa<lb n="8" break="no"/>ṭṭi-kṣetrañ cāntukkūra<space type="binding-hole"/>-grāmaś codaka-pūrvvan dattaḥ s<surplus>s</surplus>arvvā-bādha-parihāraM</p>

<l n="a"><supplied reason="lost">s</supplied>va-dattāṁ pa<lb n="9" break="no"/>ra-dattām vā</l>

<l n="b">yo hareta vasundharāM<space/></l>

<l n="c">gavāṁ śata-sahasrasya</l>

<l n="d">hantuḥ pibati kilbiṣaM</l>

</lg>

<l n="a"><pb n="2v"/><lb n="10"/><unclear>bh</unclear>ūmi-dānāt paran dānan</l>

<l n="b">na bhūtan <unclear>na bhavi</unclear>ṣyati<space/></l>

<l n="c"><unclear>tas</unclear>y<supplied reason="lost">aiva haraṇāt pāpa</supplied>n</l>

<l n="d">na bh<supplied reason="lost">ūtan na bhaviṣya</supplied>t<supplied reason="lost">i</supplied></l>

</lg>

<l n="a"><supplied reason="lost">bahubhi</supplied><lb n="11" break="no"/>r vvasudhā dattā</l>

<l n="b">bahubhi<space type="binding-hole"/>ś cānupālitā</l>

<l n="c">yasya yasya ya<unclear>dā</unclear> bhū<unclear>mi</unclear>s</l>

<l n="d">tasya <unclear>tasya</unclear> <supplied reason="lost">tadā phalaM</supplied></l>

</lg>

<l n="a"><lb n="12"/>brahma-svaṁ <supplied reason="omitted">tu</supplied> viṣaṁ ghoran</l>

<l n="b">na viṣaṁ viṣam ucyate <space/></l>

<l n="c">viṣam ekā<supplied reason="lost">ki</supplied>na<supplied reason="lost">ṁ</supplied> <unclear>ha</unclear>nti</l>

<l n="d">brahma-svaṁ <supplied reason="lost">putra</supplied>-pautr<supplied reason="lost">i</supplied>kaM</l>

</lg>

</div>

<lem source="bib:Fleet1880_03">vaṁkeśvarādhi-</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Fleet1880_03"><choice><unclear>va</unclear><unclear>vaṁ</unclear></choice>eśvarādhi-</rdg>

<note>It seems that the <foreign>anusvāra</foreign> is placed inside the hook-shape for <foreign>-e</foreign> in <foreign>ke</foreign>.</note>

</app>

<lem>tāṉṟikoṉṟa-</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Fleet1880_03">tānthikontha-</rdg>

<note>Hultzsch (<bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Hultzsch1923-1924_01"/></bibl>) corrected to <foreign>tānṟikonṟa-</foreign>. But the fact is that the body of the <foreign>akṣara</foreign> above <foreign>ṟ</foreign> in both cases shows a loop on the left side, which is not found in the occurrences of <foreign>n</foreign> in these plates and which likeswise does not correspond to occurrences of <foreign>ṇ</foreign>. This appears to be a device meant to denote alveolar <foreign>n</foreign>, i.e., <foreign>ṉ</foreign>.</note>

<!--

Compare with tena (line 3)

Check occurrences of tāṇḍikoṇḍa in the plates of Pr̥thivīśrīmūla, etc.-->

</app>

<lem>cātur-ddiśam</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Fleet1880_03">catur-ddiśam</rdg>

</app>

<!--

(11) cānupālitā ― As noted by Fleet (1880, p. 103 n. 28): “First kâ was engraved, and then it was corrected into tâ.”

(12) ekā[ki]n[aṁ ha]nti ― Fleet: ekākinaṁ hanti.

-->

<lem>brahma-svaṁ <supplied reason="omitted">tu</supplied> viṣaṁ</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Fleet1880_03">brahma-svaṁ viṣaṁ</rdg>

<note>Fleet (<bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Fleet1880_03"/><citedRange unit="page">103</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">29</citedRange></bibl>) comments: <quote>The metre requires us to correct this into <foreign>brâhmaṇa</foreign>.</quote> The metre indeed requires one more syllable. We restore as per the variant recorded in <ref target="https://dharmalekha.info/bestow">BEst_0098v02</ref>.</note>

</app>

<lem>-pautr<supplied reason="lost">i</supplied>kaM</lem>

<note>The small final <foreign>M</foreign> appears clearly on Fleet’s estampage.</note>

</app>

</listApp>

</div>

<p n="1-8">Hail! By king Attivarmā,—who is born in the family of king Kandara, which is possessed of uneqnalled and extensive fame, and which is glorious, and which is descended from the lineage of the great saint Ānanda,

and which is purified by the pollen of the lotuses which are the feet of <supplied reason="explanation">the god</supplied> Śambhu,

the holy one, who resides at <supplied reason="explanation">the temple of</supplied> Vakeśvara,

and is the maker of the three worlds;

who is attended hy beautiful and well-born and clever people;

who is of the posterity of the inscrutable <supplied reason="explanation">god</supplied> Hiraṇyagarbha;

who has reduced the territories of all chieftains by his prowess;

who is equal in valour to <supplied reason="explanation">the god</supplied> Mahendra;

who resembles in intellect the preceptor of the gods;

whose fame has been acquired by properly governing his subjects;

and who is intent upon <supplied reason="explanation">maintaining</supplied> the uninterrupted practices of religion,—a field of <supplied reason="explanation">the measure of</supplied> eight hundred <foreign>paṭṭi</foreign>s, including <supplied reason="explanation">its boundaries on</supplied> the four quarters,

at the village of Tanthikontha on the south bank of <supplied reason="explanation">the river</supplied> Kr̥ṣṇabeṇṇā,

and also the village of Antukkūra,

were given, with libations of water, free from all opposing claims,

to the Brahman Koṭṭiśarmā, of tho Kāśyapa <foreign>gotra</foreign>,

who knows the Āpastambha <foreign>sūtra</foreign>,

and who practises the major and the minor observances,

and who is acquainted with the R̥g and the Yajur and the Sāma <supplied reason="explanation">Vedas</supplied>,

and who is a Brahman,

and who is almos equal to <supplied reason="explanation">the god</supplied> Brahmā himself.</p>

<p rend="stanza" n="1">He incurs the guilt of the slayer of a hundred thousand cows,

who confiscates land that has been given, whether by himself, or by another!</p>

<p rend="stanza" n="2">There has not been, and there shall not be, any gift <supplied reason="subaudible">better</supplied> than a gift of land; there has not been, and there shall not be, any sin <supplied reason="subaudible">greater</supplied>) than confiscating the same!</p>

<p rend="stanza" n="3">Land has been given by many, and has been preserved in grant by many; he, who for the time

beiing possesses land, enjoys the benefit of it! </p>

<p rend="stanza" n="4">The property or a Brahman is said to be a terrible poison, <supplied reason="explanation">but, in comparison with that</supplied>, poison is not called poison; <supplied reason="subaudible">for</supplied> poison kills only

one person, <supplied reason="subaudible">whereas</supplied> the property of a Brahman, <supplied reason="subaudible">if confiscated</supplied>, kills one's sons and sons' sons!</p>

</div>

<p n="1-8">Hail! By the king Attivarman <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>rājñā attivarmaṇā</foreign></supplied> who arose <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>samudbhūtena</foreign></supplied> in the lineage of the kings of Kandara / of king Kandara <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kandara-nr̥pati-kule</foreign></supplied>,<note>Sircar (1934: 733): “sprung from the family of King Kandara.”

Kandara is generally considered as the name of an ancestor. But could it just be a place-name? “in the family of the kings of Kandara(pura)” / “in the kingly family of Kandara”? The Maṭṭepād Plates of Dāmōdaravarman are issued from Kandarapura. See also the Cejarla stele inscription, face A, lines 10-11: <foreign>kandarapura-vara-janapada-dvitayādhipateḥ kandara-rājasya priya-sutāyām</foreign>, “the daughter of King Kandara / the king of Kandara”?</note> of unequalled and wide fame <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>atula-vipula-yaśasi</foreign></supplied>, glorious <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>śrīmaty</foreign></supplied>, which arose in the lineage of the <foreign>maharṣi</foreign> Ānanda <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>ānanda-maharṣi-vaṁśa-samudbhūte</foreign></supplied> <supplied reason="subaudible">and</supplied> which is purified/cleansed by the dust of the lotus-feet <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>caraṇa-kamala-rajaḥ-pavitrī-kr̥te</foreign></supplied> of the lord <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>bhagavato</foreign></supplied> Śambhu <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>śaṁbhoś</foreign></supplied> residing in V[a/aṁ]keśvara <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>v[a/aṁ]keśvarādhivāsinas</foreign></supplied> and creator of the triple world <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tri-bhuvana-kartuḥ</foreign></supplied>,

who is attended by people charming, well-born and pleasant <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>sundara-sujāta-peśala-jana-paricāreṇa</foreign></supplied>,

who has his origin in an immeasurable Hiraṇyagarbha <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aprameya-hiraṇyagarbha-prasavena</foreign></supplied>,<note>Compare <foreign>a[vandhya]-go-saha[srāne]ka-hiraṇyagarbhodbhavodbhavasya</foreign> in the Maṭṭepād Plates of Dāmōdaravarman (1b2-2a1).

Fleet (1880, p. 103): “who is the posterity of the inscrutable (god) Hiraṇyagarbha.”

Fleet had later “withdrawn his original opinion” (Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts, 2nd ed., p. 334) according to Hultzsch (1924: 328).

Hultzsch (1924: 328): “who is a producer of (i.e. who has performed) innumerable Hiraṇyagarbhas.”

Sircar (1934: 730ff.): not a ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (producer of H) as Hultzsch understood it, but a bahuvrīhi: “one whose prasava (origin, producer, progenitor) is the H.” See other examples which are pañcamī-tatpuruṣa (produced by H). The performer of H = newly-born child. Sircar (1934: 735): “one whose producer is the H.”</note>

by whose splendour the circle(s) of all neighbouring/feudatory kings are subdued / all the circle(s) of neighbouring/feudatory kings are subdued <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>pratāpopanata-sakala-sāmanta-maṇḍalena</foreign></supplied>,

whose valour is same as that of Mahendra <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>mahendra-sama-vikrameṇa</foreign></supplied>

who possesses an intellect like that of the spiritual master of the gods <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>sura-guru-sadr̥śa-buddhinā</foreign></supplied>,

who possesses a glory acquired by his proper/appropriate/just protection of his subjects <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>samyak-prajā-pālan=opārjjita-kīrttinā</foreign></supplied>,

who is occuped with / intent upon the uninterrupted practice of <foreign>dharma</foreign> <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>anuparata-dharmma-kriyā-pareṇa</foreign></supplied>,

to the Brahmin Koṭṭiśarman, of the Kāśyapagotra, versed in the Āpastambasūtra, practiser of the major and minor observances, versed in Ṛg, Yajus and Sāman, who is like Brahmā <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kāśyapa-gotrāya āpastaṁbha-sūtra-vide yama-ni[ya]mavate r̥g-yajus-sāma-vide brāhmaṇāya brahma-kalpāya koṭṭiśarmmaṇe</foreign></supplied>,

<!--

M-W, s.v. yama, m: … self-control forbearance, any great moral rule or duty (as opp. to niyama, a minor observance in Yājñ. iii, 313 ten Yamas are mentioned, sometimes only five).

-->

a field of 800 <foreign>paṭṭi</foreign>s within four limits <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>cāturdiśam</foreign></supplied> in the village of Tāṉṟikoṉṟa on the southern bank of the Kr̥ṣṇaveṇṇā and the village of (Ā/A)ntukkūra is given after water aspersion <supplied reason="explanation">litt. preceded by water</supplied> <supplied reason="subaudible">and</supplied> with exemption of all annoyances/obstacles <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kr̥ṣṇabeṇṇā-dakṣiṇa-kūle tāṉṟikoṉṟa-grāme cātur-ddiśam aṣṭa-śata-paṭṭi-kṣetrañ cāntukkūra-grāmaś codaka-pūrvvan dattaḥ sarvvā-bādha-parihāram</foreign></supplied>.

<!--Fleet (1880, p. 102): “a field of the measure of eight hundred paṭṭis, or a filed called Ashṭaśata-paṭṭi”

Fleet (1880, p. 102): Antukkūr. Hultzsh (1924: 328): Āntukkūra.

Hultzsh (1924: 328): Tānṟikonṟa “is probably identical with Tāḍikoṇḍa, 10 miles north of Guṇṭūr” [note 9: See Mr. R. Sewell’s Lists, Vol. I, p. 76] and south of the Krishṇā river”

Hultzsh (1924: 328-9): Āntukkūra is probably identical “with Gani-Ātukūru, west of Bezvāḍa. [note 1: See above [[i.e. EI]], Vol. VIII, p. 10]”-->

<!--

[s]va-dattāṁ para-dattām vā yo hareta vasundharām

gavāṁ śata-sahasrasya hantuḥ pibati kilbiṣam

[bh]ūmi-dānāt paran dānan na bhūtan [na bhavi]ṣyati

[tas]y=[aiva haraṇāt pāpa]n na bh[ūtan na bhaviṣya]ti

[bahubhi]r vvasudhā dattā bahubhiś cānupālitā

yasya yasya ya[dā] bhū[mi]s tasya [tadā phalam]

brahma-svaṁ viṣaṁ ghoran na viṣaṁ viṣam ucyate

viṣam ekā[ki]n[aṁ ha]nti brahma-sva[ṁ putra]-pautr[i]ka[m]

Fleet (1880: 130): “The property of a Brâhmaṇ is said to be a terrible poison, (but in comparison with that), poison is not called poison; (for) poison kills only one person, (whereas) the property of a Brâhmaṇ, (if confiscated), kills one’s sons and sons’ sons!”-->

</p>

</div>

<p>The text is laid out in 12 lines over both sides of two plates (3 lines per plate), which are accompanied by a third plate, on which Fleet (<bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Fleet1880_03"/><citedRange unit="page">102</citedRange></bibl>) commented: <quote>One side of the third plate is blank. But parts of three lines of writing, in the same characters those of the extant inscription, can be distinctly discerned about the centre of the other side of the plate; thus, in l. 2 I can clearly read <foreign>para-[da]tt[âṁ] vâ</foreign>, and, in l. 3 <foreign>[piba]ti kilbiṣa[m]</foreign>, and many other letters are recognisable, though I cannot make a connected passage out of the first line. This obliterated writing has all the appearance of having been beaten down with a hammer, by way of cancellation, after heating the plate. And the plate was evidently then attached to the other two, as a guard to protect the writing. Probably there was another blank plate, now lost, attached to protect the writing at the other end of the grant.</quote>

<!--This is what Fleet (1880: 102) reads on what he considers as the third plate, and which was initially photographed by BL as first plate (of which only one face was photographed). There are faint traces of characters on the photograph from BL.

(3r1=1) …

(3r2=2) … para-[da]tt[āṁ] vā …

(3r3=3) … [piba]ti kilbiṣa[m]

As this imprecatory verse is also found on plate 2r, this text does not seem to be originally part of the same record. See Fleet’s remarks (1880: 102).--></p>

<p>The text contains no internal date. If Attivarman is to be identified as the Vaiṅgeyaka Hastivarman of Samudragupta’s Allāhābād <foreign>praśasti</foreign>, line 20, this would situate the charter around 350 CE and would make it one of the earliest instances of a Sanskrit land grant. Another possibility is that the Vaiṅgeyaka Hastivarman of Samudragupta’s Allāhābād <foreign>praśasti</foreign> had a homonymic descendant. The palaseographic aspect of the inscription, as well as its language and formulaics, rather clearly point to a date well after the mid-4th century, and hence to the latter hypothesis.</p>

</div>

<p>Edited by J. F. Fleet (<bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Fleet1880_03"/></bibl>). This digital edition based on photos of the plates and of estampages.</p>

</listBibl>

<!-- Sircar (1970: 203) ― Rama Rao (1943a; 1943c: 57; 1946a: 14-15).

-->

</listBibl>

</div>

</body>

</text>

</TEI>