Copper plates from Patagandigudem (Kattaceruvul), set II — grant of Vikramendravarman, reign of Mādhavavarman II, year 26

Editors: Arlo Griffiths, Vincent Tournier.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSEIAD00180.

Hand description:

Language: Sanskrit.

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

Version: (a154659), last modified (72e3163).

Edition

⟨Page 1b⟩ ⟨1⟩ svasti

I. Āryā

jayati jagaddhitahetor

a

apratihataśāsanasthitis satataṁ

b

⟨2⟩ saddharmmacakravarttī

c

munis trilokāśrayaḥ śrīmān· ||

d

śrīmataḥ pu⟨3⟩randarapurapratisparddhivibhavātiśayād asanapurād bhagavacchrī⟨4⟩parvvatasvāmipādānuddhyāto brahmakṣatratejonidhīnāṁ viṣṇuvikramāṇāṁ ⟨Page 2a⟩ ⟨5⟩ viṣṇukuṇḍīnā(ṁ) ṣaḍabhijñadarśanābhiprasādopapāditasu⟨6⟩gataśāsanāvetyaprasādasyānekamahāvihārapratiṣṭhāpana⟨7⟩ratnatrayaparicarato samadhigatavipulapuṇyasaṁbhārasya ⟨8⟩ mahārājaśrīgovindavarmmaṇaḥ priyanaptaikādaśāśvamedhā⟨9⟩⟨Page 2b⟩vabhr̥thāvadhautajagatkalmaṣasya kratusahasrayājinaḥ sarvvame⟨10⟩dhāvāptasavvabhūtasvārājyasya bahusvavarṇṇaikādaśakayā⟨11⟩jina Ekādaśapauṇḍarikaprāptasarvvarddher yathāviddhyanuṣṭhita⟨12⟩rājasūyopapāditādhirājyasyaikādaśavājapeyayāgādhi⟨13⟩⟨Page 3a⟩gatasāmrājyaprājāpatyasya puruṣamedhādyanekakratvanuṣṭhānaja⟨14⟩nitapārameṣṭhyasya devātidevasya mahārājaśrīmādhavavarmma⟨15⟩ṇaḥ priyasūnur nnayavi(k)ramasvaguruprasādādhigatatrika⟨16⟩liṅgaveṁgīviṣayādhipatyaḥ śrutaprajñāmedhākavitvavā⟨17⟩⟨Page 3b⟩gmitvādibhir atiśayaguṇair upeto mahābodhisatvaḥ śrīviṣṇu⟨18⟩kuṇḍivākāṭakakuladvayalalāmabhūtaḥ paramakāruṇika ⟨19⟩ śrīmān vikkramendravarmmā yatra sannihite bhaviṣyatkālān sarvva⟨20⟩pr̥thivīpatīn anurūpena satkāreṇa satkr̥tyettham abhinandaya⟨21⟩⟨Page 4a⟩ti viditam astu bhavatā veṁgiviṣaye savāṭakaḥ kṣovela⟨22⟩nāmā grāmaḥ kṣoyūranāmā ca koṇḍūramaṇivelapra⟨23⟩tyāsannaḥ Āryyatāmraparṇṇīyaṁ mahāvihāravāsinaṁ ⟨24⟩ kṣemācāryyavaṁśapradyotakaram asmākaṁ tathāgataśāsa⟨25⟩⟨Page 4b⟩nāvatāraparamagurum asādhāraṇaśrutaprajñāśīla⟨26⟩samādhisaṁpannam ācāryyasaṁghadāsam uddiśya tacchiṣyana⟨27⟩vakarmmālaṁkr̥tāya caturddigabhyāgatāryyasaṁghaparibhogā⟨28⟩ya Asanapure smatpratiṣṭhāpitatrilokāśrayarājamahāvi⟨29⟩⟨Page 5a⟩hārāyāsmatparamaguror mmaddhyamasthānīyasya mahārājaśrīmādhavava⟨30⟩rmmaṇo nujñayā svavaṁśyapramukhānāṁ sarvvasatvānām anuttarajñānāvā⟨31⟩ptaye ṭaṇḍiṁviṣṭidālavakadurukuṭṭukāḍukāpusarvvakarādānasahi⟨32⟩tāv acāṭabhaṭapraveśau mayā dattāv anyac ca kuravakapattane kramu⟨33⟩⟨Page 5b⟩kavāṭadvayam api tathaiva dattaṁ tad atra na kena cid vicāraḥ karaṇi⟨34⟩yaḥ bhavati cātra <symbol><symbol>

II. Anuṣṭubh

pūrvvarājarṣidattānām

a

asmābhir iva pālanaṁ

b

⟨35⟩ bhavadbhir api karttavyam

c

asmaddātasya rājabhiḥ ||

d
III. Anuṣṭubh

Apūrvvam api yo dā⟨36⟩tuṁ

a

mahecchatvād vyavasyati

b

kathaṁ nirmmālyapakṣasthaṁ

c

so nyadattaṁ gra⟨37⟩⟨Page 6a⟩hīṣyati ||

d
IV. Anuṣṭubh

vayaṁ tv ācāra Ity eva

a

bhavatpuṇyābhivr̥ddhaye

b

Anujñādāna⟨38⟩lābhārtham

c

addhyeṣaṇakr̥tādarā⟨ḥ⟩ ||

d

pūrvvāgamaś cātra bhinnamaryyādāṁkuśa⟨39⟩tvena paṭhyate yathāha ||

V. Anuṣṭubh

nighnatāṁ bhartr̥govipra

a

bālayoṣidvipaścitaḥ

b

⟨40⟩ yā gatis sā bhaved vr̥ttiṁ

c

haratāṁ śāsanāṁkitāṁ ||

d
VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadattāṁ paradattāṁ vā

a

yo ⟨Page 6b⟩ ⟨41⟩ hared dhi vasundharāṁ

b

sa viṣṭhāyāṁ krimir bhūtvā

c

pitr̥bhis saha pacyate ||

d
VII. Anuṣṭubh

⟨42⟩ ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣasahasrāṇi

a

svargge modati bhūmidaḥ

b

Ākṣeptā cānu⟨43⟩mantā ca

c

tāny eva narake vaset· ||

d
VIII. Anuṣṭubh

tām eva rakṣato yatnān

a

nibo⟨44⟩dha kr̥tinaḥ phalaṁ

b

naikakalpasahasrāṇi

c

divi ddevais sa dīvyati ||

d
IX. Anuṣṭubh

⟨Page 7a⟩ ⟨45⟩ bahubhir vvasudhā dattā

a

bahubhiś cānupālitā

b

yasya yasya ⟨46⟩ yadā bhūmis

c

tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ ||

d

pravarddhamānavi⟨47⟩jayarājyasa(ṁ)vatsare ṣaḍviṁśattame hemantapakṣe ṣṭame diva⟨48⟩se pratipadi ||Ājñapto gandharvvamutturājaḥ ||<symbol>||<symbol>||<symbol>

Apparatus

⟨2⟩ saddharmmacakravarttī ⬦ saddharmma cakravartti Parasher2004b eiad-bibl:Ramesh2004b. — ⟨2⟩ trilokāśrayaḥ Padmanabha Sastry 2004tilokāśrayah.

⟨3⟩ -pratisparddhi- ⬦ -pratisparadbhi- Padmanabha Sastry 2004Padmanabha Sastry 2004 suggests emending -pratisparaddi-. — ⟨3⟩ -tiśayād Padmanabha Sastry 2004-tiśayad.

⟨4⟩ -parvvata- Padmanabha Sastry 2004-pavvata-. — ⟨4⟩ -nidhīnāṁ ⬦ -nidhināṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨4⟩ viṣṇuvikramāṇāṁ ⬦ viṣṇuvikrameṇa; viṣṇuvikamāṇāṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • Padmanabha Sastry emends viṣṇuvikramāṇāṁ.

⟨5⟩ viṣṇukuṇḍīnā(ṁ)viṣṇukuṇḍinā(ṁ) Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨5⟩ ṣaḍabhijñada[r]ś(i)tā- ⬦ ṣadahhijña daśanā-; ṣaḍabhijña daśanā- Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • The akṣara na is slightly ambiguous and might be read ta. Moreover, there does not seem to be a clear distinction between da and ḍa in this script. Cf. also l. 11.

⟨6⟩ -śāsanāvetya ⬦ -sāsanā-; -śāsanāvety Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨6⟩ prasādasyā- • There might be an unnecessary anusvāra on the top of the pra.

⟨7⟩ -trayaparicarato ⬦ trayaparivarato; tray paricraṇa Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨8⟩ -varmmaṇaḥ Padmanabha Sastry 2004-varmaṇaḥ. — ⟨8⟩ priyanaptaikā- Padmanabha Sastry 2004priyanaptekā.

⟨8-9⟩ -medhāvabhr̥thā- ⬦ -medhavabhrithā- Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨10⟩ -āvāpta- ⬦ -āvākpta- Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨10⟩ -savva- ⬦ -sa(r)vva-; -sarvva- Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • There is no repha, but unless we take this as a residual Middle-Indicism, we can follow Ramachandra Murthy’s restoration. — ⟨10⟩ -svavarṇṇaikā- ⬦ -suvarṇṇaikā-; -savarṇṇaikā- Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • Silent emendation. • Padmanabha Sastry 2004 suggests emending -suvarṇṇaikā-. Understand -suvarṇṇa-. Compare parallel in EIAD 175, l. 8.

⟨10-11⟩ yājina ⬦ yājina⟨ḥ⟩ Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨11⟩ -pauṇḍarika- ⬦ -pauṇḍarīka- Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • They both do here a silent emendation. Emend accordingly. — ⟨11⟩ -sarvvarddher ⬦ sarvvārddhair; sarvvarddary Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • The form of the rddha is different from the two other forms of ddha attested in l. 1 and 3. The engraver might in fact have miscopied dve for ddhe. Compare with the parallel formula in EIAD 183, l. 5. — ⟨11⟩ yathāviddhyanuṣṭhita- Padmanabha Sastry 2004yahā vidvyanuṣṭhita-Padmanabha Sastry 2004 erroneously suggests to emend yathāvidya-.

⟨12⟩ rājasūyopapāditādhirājyasyaikādaśa- ⬦ -rājasūyopa pādisādirājyasyaikādasa-; -rājasūyopāditādhirajyasyekādaśa- Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨12⟩ -yāgādhi- Padmanabha Sastry 2004-yāgādi-.

⟨13⟩ -prājāpatyasya ⬦ -prājipatyasya Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨13⟩ -kratvanuṣṭhāna- ⬦ -kratyanuṣṭhāna- Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨14⟩ pārameṣṭhyasya Padmanabha Sastry 2004pārameśvyasya • Cf. EIAD 183, l. 8. — ⟨14⟩ devātidevasya Padmanabha Sastry 2004da vāgidevasya.

⟨15⟩ nnayavi(k)rama- ⬦ nnayavi⟨k⟩rama; nnayavi⟨k⟩rama Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • The k has been incompletely engraved and lacks its crossbar. — ⟨15⟩ -ādhigata- ⬦ -ādhita- Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨16⟩ -veṁgī- ⬦ -veṅgī- Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • The anusvāra is located between the akṣaras ve and .

⟨16-17⟩ vāgmitvādibhir ⬦ vāgminvādibhir Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨17⟩ -guṇair upeto ⬦ atiśayaguṇaikapeto; atiśayaguṇo rūpeṇa Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨18⟩ paramakāruṇika ⬦ paramakāruṇikaḥ Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • Silent emendation. Understand paramakāruṇikaś.

⟨19⟩ vikkramendravarmmā ⬦ vikkramendravarmma Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨19⟩ -ṣyatkālāt ⬦ -ṣyatkālat; -ṣyatkālān Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨19-20⟩ sarvvapr̥thivīpatīn anurūpeṇa ⬦ sarvvapr̥thivīpati tanurūpena; sarvvapr̥thivīpati tanurūpeṇa Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨20⟩ satkr̥tyettham ⬦ satkārye tva m-; satkritye ttham Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • Cf. EIAD 175, l. 18.

⟨21⟩ bhavatā⟨ṁ⟩bhavatā[ṁ]; bhavatā(ṁ) Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨21⟩ veṁgiviṣaye ⬦ veṅgīviṣaye; vengiviṣaye Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • Emend veṁgī-. — ⟨21⟩ savāṭaka(ḥ) Padmanabha Sastry 2004savāḍakaḥ. — ⟨21⟩ kḻovela ⬦ kṣovela; kḻocela Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • A subscript of similar shape may also be found, for instance, in EIAD 181, l. 6: pḻakkirāṣṭre.

⟨22⟩ kḻoyūranāmā Padmanabha Sastry 2004kṣauyūranāmā. — ⟨22⟩ ca koṇḍūramaṇivela- ⬦ -vakaunḍūra maṇivela-; ca koṇḍūra maṇicela Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨23⟩ -parṇṇīyaṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004paṇṇiya-. — ⟨23⟩ mahāvihāravāsinaṁ ⬦ mahāvihāravāsināṁ; mahā vihāra vasinaṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • Understand mahāvihāravāsināṁ.

⟨24⟩ tathāgata- Padmanabha Sastry 2004tadhāgata-. — ⟨24⟩ -karam asmākaṁ ⬦ -kara māsmākaṁ; -karamākaṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨25⟩ -prajñā- ⬦ -prajña- Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨26⟩ ācāryyasaṁghadāsam Padmanabha Sastry 2004-ādāryyasaṁghadāsam.

⟨27⟩ caturddigabhyāgatāryya- Padmanabha Sastry 2004catuddiga[n]yāganāryya.

⟨28⟩ smatprati- ⬦ sva prati-; smaḥprati- Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨29⟩ -yāsmatpa- Padmanabha Sastry 2004-yāsmātpa-. — ⟨29⟩ mmaddhyamasthānīyasya ⬦ madhyamasthāniyasya; mādddhyamasthānīyasya Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨29⟩ mahārāja- ⬦ mahāraja; māharāja Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨30⟩ -rmmaṇo nujñayā ⬦ rmmaṇānjñuyā; -rmmaṇo nujñaya Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨30⟩ pramukhānāṁ ⬦ pramukhānā(ṁ); pramukhānām Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨31⟩ ṭaṇḍiṁviṣṭi- ⬦ ṭaṇḍi viṣṭi-; Uṇḍiviṣṭi- Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨31⟩ -kadurukuṭṭukāḍu- ⬦ -kutdukāḍu; -kadurrukaṭṭukāḍu- Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨31⟩ sarvvakarā- Padmanabha Sastry 2004sarva karā.

⟨32⟩ acāṭabhaṭapraveśau ⬦ ācahāṭapraveśo; acāṭabhaṭapraveśo Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • Read acāṭabhaṭapraveśyau. — ⟨32⟩ dattāv anyac ca ⬦ dattā vattya ca-; dattaṁ ca anyac ca Padmanabha Sastry 2004Padmanabha Sastry 2004 erroneously suggests emending anyeca. — ⟨32⟩ ca kuravaka- Padmanabha Sastry 2004-chakuruvaka-.

⟨32–33⟩ kramukavāṭa- Padmanabha Sastry 2004kramukāvāṭa-.

⟨33⟩ tad atra na kena cid ⬦ ta dagra takecid-; tadatra nakecid Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨33–34⟩ karaṇiyaḥ ⬦ karaṇīyaḥ Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • Emend karaṇīyaḥ.

⟨34⟩ cātra :| ⬦ chātrah ||; cātraḥ | Padmanabha Sastry 2004 • The : mark here is probably a case of so-called visargadaṇḍa. — ⟨34⟩ pūrvvarājarṣidattānām ⬦ pūrvva rāja(r)ṣidattānām; pūrvarājarṣidattānāṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨34⟩ pālanaṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004pālnāṁ.

⟨35⟩ asmaddātasya rājabhiḥ ⬦ -asmāddātasya rājabhiḥ; asmaddānasya rajabhiḥ Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨35-36⟩ dātuṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004dātu.

⟨36⟩ mahecchatvād vyavasyati Padmanabha Sastry 2004mahāchantvadyavasyati. — ⟨36⟩ kathaṁ nirmmālya- Padmanabha Sastry 2004kaṭhaṁ nirmālya-.

⟨37⟩ tv ācāra ⬦ satvācāra; tācāra Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨37-38⟩ Anujñādānalābhārtham ⬦ Anujñādānālobhārthe m-; anjujñā dāna lobhārtha(ṁ) Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨38⟩ addhyeṣaṇakr̥tādarā⟨ḥ⟩adhv ye ṣato kr̥tvādarā; maddye kr̥todarā Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨38⟩ pūrvvāgamaś ⬦ pūrvāgamaś; pūrvvāgamaś Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨38⟩ bhinna- ⬦ bhitta(ṁ) Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨38–39⟩ -maryyādāṁkuśatvena ⬦ -maryyādā kusatveta; -maryyādā kuśatvena Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨39⟩ yathāha ⬦ yadhāha; [1×] thāha Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨39⟩ bhartr̥- ⬦ bharṭru; bhartṭru Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨39⟩ -yoṣidvipaścitaḥ ⬦ -yoṣidvipakṣitaḥ; -yo kṣidvi pascitaḥ Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨40⟩ sābhaved vr̥ttiṁ ⬦ sābhave dvrttaṁ; bhavād vr̥tti Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨40⟩ svadattāṁ ⬦ savadattāṁ Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨40⟩ vā ⬦ va Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨41⟩ hared dhi ⬦ hareta Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨41⟩ viṣṭhāyāṁ krimir ⬦ viṣṭāyāṁ krimir; viṣṭhāyāṁ krimi Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨41⟩ pacyate Padmanabha Sastry 2004pacayate.

⟨42⟩ ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣasahasrāṇi ⬦ ṣaṣṭi varṣa sahasrāṇi; ṣaṣṭivarṣa sahasṭāṇi Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨42⟩ Ākṣeptā • There is a repha-like upward stroke above kṣe, but it lacks the serif, so we presume the stroke to be accidental.

⟨43⟩ tāny eva ⬦ nāny eva Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨43⟩ vaset· ⬦ vasīt Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨43-44⟩ nibodha- ⬦ niheda-; nikhotha- Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨44⟩ phalaṁ ⬦ pālan-; (pā)lan- Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨44⟩ naikakalpasahasrāṇi ⬦ -te ka kalpasahasrāṁ; taika kalpa sahassrāṇi Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨45⟩ bahubhir vvasudhā ⬦ sahubhira vasudhā Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨45⟩ bahubhiś cānupālitā ⬦ bahubhis cānupālitā; bahubhis cānupālitā(ṁ) Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

⟨47⟩ -sa(ṁ)vatsare ⬦ vaṭsare Padmanabha Sastry 2004. — ⟨47⟩ ṣaḍviṁśattame ⬦ ṣaḍvisattame; ṣaṭdviśattame Padmanabha Sastry 2004.

Translation

I
Victorious is the illustrious refuge of the Triple World, the Muni, who set(s) in motion the wheel [or: universal ruler] of the Saddharma, and who, for the sake of the world, constantly remains in his unimpeded Teaching.

(2–20) From the illustrious Asanapura, whose superior majesty rivals that of the city of Purandara (i.e. Indrapura): among the Viṣṇukuṇḍins, who have the prowess of Viṣṇu, and abound in the glory of brahmins and kṣatriyas, the illustrious Vikramendravarman, blessed by the feet of the Bhagavant Śrīparvatasvāmin; the dear grandson of the great king Śrī-Govindavarman — whose [perfect] faith, based on understanding of the Teaching of the Sugata [or: based on the Sugata and his Teaching], was born from the blessing of a vision of Him who has the six super knowledges (ṣaḍabhijña, i.e. the Buddha), who honored the Three Jewels through the establishment of many great monasteries, and [thus] acquired abundant accumulation of merit —; the dear son of the great king Śrī-Mādhavavarman — who, through performing the ablutions at eleven Aśvamedhas has purified the stains of the world, who performed a thousand Kratus, whose sovereignty over all beings has been obtained by [his performance of] the Sarvamedha, who has performed eleven Bahusuvarṇas, who has obtained all success through eleven Pauṇḍarīkas, whose overlordship has been delivered by the royal consecration, which he accomplished according to the prescriptions, whose sovereignty and lordship (prājāpatya) have been obtained by the offering of eleven Vājapeyas, whose supremacy (pārameṣṭhya) has been produced through the performance of numerous rites such as human sacrifice, and so on, [and] who is a supreme ruler among the rulers (devātideva) —; (this Vikramendravarman) who obtained governorship over the districts of Trikaliṅga and Veṅgī as a favour from his own master (i.e. is father) [or: because of his faith in his own guru] [thanks to his] discipline (naya) and valor, a great Bodhisattva who is like an ornament to both families of the illustrious Viṣṇukuṇḍins and Vākāṭakas, supremely compassionate [or: devout worshiper of the Compassionate One (i.e. the Buddha)], after dutifully honoring all the future kings [who will be/come] near to here (yatra sannihite), [Vikramendravarman] he salutes [them] in this way:

(21–34) “Be it known to you that I have given, in the region of Veṅgī, the village named Kḻovela—together with its fields—and that named Kḻoyūra, in the vicinity of Koṇḍūra and Maṇivela, in the neighborhood of Koṇḍūra and Maṇivela, with the right to take all taxes and levies [such as] ṭaṇḍi (= taṇḍa, punitive tax?), corvée (viṣṭi), dālava (tax on second crop?), kaduru (tax on spinning yarn?), kuṭṭu, kāḍu (tax on forests?), and kāpu; [these] must not be entered by irregular troops or mercenaries. [These gifts were made] having assigned (uddiśya) them to master Saṅghadāsa, my supreme guru, who is [like] an incarnation of the Tathāgata’s Teaching [or: who has introduced (me) to the Tathāgata’s Teaching], who is endowed with unparalleled learning, knowledge, virtue, and concentration, who is a noble Tāmraparṇīya, a resident of the mahāvihāra, who makes radiant the [spiritual] lineage of master Kṣema. [These gifts, made] with the permission of the great king Śrī-Mādhavavarman as a representative (maddhyamasthānīya) of my supreme guru, are for the royal mahāvihāra named Trilokāśraya established by me, at Asanapura—which is adorned by new constructions and by [Saṅghadāsa]’s disciples— for the enjoyment of the noble community coming from the four directions; [the merit produced by this gift] is for the attainment of the supreme knowledge by all beings, priority being given to the members of my own lineage. I have also given, in the district of Kurava two other orchards of betel-nut trees. With respect to these [gifts,] there should not be any dispute.”

(34) And with respect to this there is [a saying]:

II
In the same way that we ensure the protection of what has been given by earlier royal seers, likewise, you [future] kings should behave with respect to what has been given by us.
III
How could someone who resolves, because his desires are lofty, to make an unprecedented gift take hold of what has already been given by another, which would belong to the category of an already used ritual offering (nirmālyapakṣastha)?
IV
Rather (tu), for the increase of your own merits (bhavatpuṇyābhivr̥ddhaye), simply on the grounds that (ity eva) it is [correct] conduct, we are ones to whom respect is due regarding our sollicitation (addhyeṣaṇakr̥tādarāḥ) that we may obtain the reward of our freely made offering (anujñādānalābhārtham).

(38–39) And with respect to this [same issue], the tradition of yore is recited, by way of hook for those who might forget the rule. As it is said:

V
The destiny of those who slay their master, a cow, a brahmin, a child, a woman or a learned man, will be the one of him who seizes the livelihood that is marked by a (royal) charter.
VI
He who would seize land given by himself or by someone else becomes a worm in excrement and is cooked together with his ancestors.
VII
The giver of land revels in heaven for sixty thousand years; the one who seizes [land] as well as the one who approves (of the seizing) will reside as many [years] in hell.
VIII
Consider the fruit of the virtuous man who protects it scrupulously: during numerous thousands of aeons he plays in heaven with the gods.
IX
By numerous [kings], land has been given; and by many it has been protected. Whoever holds land at a given moment, to him does the fruit then belong.

(46–48) Twenty-sixth prosperous and victorious year [of Mādhavavarman], first day of the eighth fortnight of Hemanta. The executor is Gandharvamutturāja.

Bibliography

First edited by Ramachandra Murthy (NSRM) in Hanumantha Rao et al. 1998, pp. 207–10. Edited again by Padmanabha Sastry 2004 (CAPS). The NSRM edition was republished as Ramachandra Murthy 2004, pp. 166–77. All these publications are marred by a great number of involuntary errors; the second publication by NSRM does not improve the first. We re-edit the text here from our own photographs and after autopsy of the plates, citing variant NSRM readings only from his first publication.

Secondary

No name. 1887–. Annual report on Indian epigraphy. Madras; Calcutta; New Delhi: Government of Madras; Archaeological Survey of India. Pages 1997–98: no. A.2.

No name. N.d. Indian Archaeology: a review. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. Pages 1997–98: 206–7 (no. 5).

Tournier, Vincent. 2018. “A tide of merit: Royal donors, Tāmraparṇīya monks, and the Buddha’s awakening in 5th–6th-century Āndhradeśa.” IIJ 61 (1), pp. 20–96. DOI: 10.1163/15728536-06101003. [URL].