Pillar from the Bhīmeśvara temple in Chebrolu (EIAD 651)
Editors: Arlo Griffiths, Vincent Tournier.
Identifier: DHARMA_INSEIAD00651.
Hand description:
Characters of the 4th or 5th c. CE.
Language: Sanskrit.
Repository: Early Andhra (tfb-eiad-epigraphy).
Version: (a154659), last modified (f081fbb).
Edition
⟨1⟩ [4×](rmmā)ṇaḥ [1×] manuṣyeṇa [8+] ⟨2⟩ [ca. 4×]la-potena rājñ¿aḥ?⟨o⟩ vijayā[8+]⟨3⟩naś ca hitārtthaM tāmmrāpe kā(rt)tik(eyo) ⟨’⟩py ātta-[8+]⟨4⟩(t) sa(n-nā)madheyaḥ bhagavatyāḥ śakti-mātr̥kāyāḥ [8+] ⟨5⟩ (ma)ṇḍapaẖ kāritaḥ
bhavati cātra ślokaḥ
Anuṣṭubh
[⏓⏓⏓⏓⏑––⏓]
a⟨6⟩ naraḫ prāsāda-maṇḍapāN
bdevānāṅ kārayet sammyaK
c[⏓⏓⏓⏓⏑–⏑⏓]
d⟨7⟩ Iti saṁvatsaraḫ pañcamaḥ 5 hepa 7 diva 4
Apparatus
⟨1⟩ [4×](rmmā)ṇaḥ ⬦ [3*]varmmaṇaḥ M1 M2 • Restore dharmmāṇaḥ? — ⟨1⟩ manuṣyeṇa [8+] ⬦ (mātru dakṣaṇo) M1; mātru dakṣiṇo M2 • Neither here not in any line below does Munirathnam indicate any loss of characters.
⟨2⟩ [ca. 4×]la-potena ⬦ [2*] ra [3*]lo pā tena M1; [2*] ra [3*]lopa tena M2 • Imaginable readings include purāṇa-maṅgala-potena, purāṇāṅ śaila-potena, purāṇāM śaila-potena and pūrṇe maṅgala-potena. — ⟨2⟩ rājñ¿aḥ?⟨o⟩ ⬦ rājña M1; rājñā M2. — ⟨2⟩ vijayā[8+] • Our translation below assumes that we must restore something like vijayābhivr̥ddhaye.
⟨3⟩ naś ca hitārtthaM ⬦ [1*][[hi]śca] hatārthaṁ M1; [1*]hi śca hitārthaṁ M2 • If the suggestion in the previous note is accepted, then the text on line 2 may have continued with cātma- so we would get cātmanaś ca hitārtthaM. — ⟨3⟩ tāmmrāpe ⬦ tāmprāpe M1; tāmbrāpe M2. — ⟨3⟩ kā(rt)tik(eyo) ⟨’⟩py ātta-[8+] ⬦ kārtika (pra)kyātta M1 M2.
⟨4⟩ (t) sa(n-nā)madheyaḥ ⬦ [1*] nāmadheyaḥ M1; nāmadheyaḥ M2.
⟨5⟩ (ma)ṇḍapaẖ kāritaḥ ⬦ (ma)ṇḍpañca kāritaḥ M1; (ma)ṇḍapāñca kāritaḥ M2.
⟨6⟩ naraḫ ⬦ su M1 M2. — ⟨6⟩ devānāṅ kārayet ⬦ devānā kārayet M1 M2.
⟨7⟩ saṁvatsaraḫ pañcamaḥ ⬦ savatsaraṟ pañcamaḥ M1; saṁvatsara pañcamaḥ M2 • In his 2018 publication, Munirathnam actually prints an r with double underdot (that we cannot reproduce) before the p. We suppose he may have imagined that we are dealing with one of the Dravidian consonants ṟ or ḻ. From both of his editions it is clear that has not recognized any of the upadhmānīya and jihvāmūlīya characters in this inscription. — ⟨7⟩ hepa 7 ⬦ he pakhe M1 M2.
Translation by Arlo Griffiths and Vincent Tournier
(1–5) […] by the man […] boat/young […] — for the purpose of [the increase of] victory of the king and for [his own] benefit, in Tāmbrāpa — [who] as Kārttikeya has also gained the good name […], has been commissioned the pavilion of the Lady Śaktimātr̥kā.
(5) And on this there is a stanza:
Man should duly commission towers and pavilions for the gods […].
(7) Fifth year 5, 7th fortnight of the cold season, day 4.
Bibliography
Reported in ARIE 2015–2016; published twice, with slightly differing editions both full or errors and both without translation, by K. Munirathnam (2018 and 2020–2021). Re-edited by Arlo Griffiths & Vincent Tournier on the basis of the published photo of the ASI rubbing as well as photos made on the site in 2019.
Primary
[M1] Munirathnam, K. 2018. “Chebrōlu inscription of Sātavāhana king Vijaya, Year 5.” JESI 43, pp. 55–57.
[M2] Munirathnam, K. 2020–2021. “Landmark Brāhmī inscriptions from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.” JESI 45, pp. 117–129. Pages 119–120, 127.
Secondary
ARIE 2015–2016. Annual report on Indian epigraphy for 2015-16. Edited by K. Munirathnam. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India, 2016. Appendix B, item 14.
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<!-- class:83225 = southern class Brāhmī, maturity:83209 = middle Brāhmī -->
<p><lb n="1"/><gap reason="illegible" unit="character" quantity="4"/><unclear>rmmā</unclear>ṇaḥ <gap reason="illegible" unit="character" quantity="1"/> manuṣyeṇa <gap reason="lost" unit="character" quantity="8"/>
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<lb n="4" break="no"/><unclear>t</unclear> sa<unclear>n-nā</unclear>madheyaḥ <space/> bhagavatyāḥ <space/> śakti-mātr̥kāyāḥ <gap reason="lost" quantity="8" unit="character"/>
<lb n="5"/><unclear>ma</unclear>ṇḍapaẖ kāritaḥ</p> <p>bhavati cātra ślokaḥ <space/></p>
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<l n="b"><lb n="6"/>naraḫ prāsāda-maṇḍapāN</l>
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<p><lb n="7"/>Iti <space/> saṁvatsaraḫ pañcamaḥ <num value="5">5</num> <abbr>hepa</abbr> <num>7</num> <abbr>diva</abbr> <num>4</num></p>
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<lem><gap reason="illegible" unit="character" quantity="4"/><unclear>rmmā</unclear>ṇaḥ</lem>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2018_01 bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01"><gap reason="undefined" unit="character" quantity="3"/>varmmaṇaḥ</rdg>
<note>Restore <foreign>dharmmāṇaḥ</foreign>?</note>
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<lem>manuṣyeṇa <gap reason="lost" unit="character" quantity="8"/></lem>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2018_01"><unclear>mātru dakṣaṇo</unclear></rdg>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01">mātru dakṣiṇo</rdg>
<note>Neither here not in any line below does Munirathnam indicate any loss of characters.</note>
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<app loc="2">
<lem><gap reason="illegible" unit="character" quantity="4" precision="low"/>la-potena</lem>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2018_01"><gap reason="undefined" unit="character" quantity="2"/> ra <gap reason="undefined" unit="character" quantity="3"/>lo pā tena</rdg>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01"><gap reason="undefined" unit="character" quantity="2"/> ra <gap reason="undefined" unit="character" quantity="3"/>lopa tena</rdg>
<note>Imaginable readings include <foreign>purāṇa-maṅgala-potena</foreign>, <foreign>purāṇāṅ śaila-potena</foreign>, <foreign>purāṇāM śaila-potena</foreign> and <foreign>pūrṇe maṅgala-potena</foreign>.</note>
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<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01">rājñā</rdg>
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<lem>vijayā<gap reason="lost" quantity="8" unit="character"/></lem>
<note>Our translation below assumes that we must restore something like <foreign>vijayābhivr̥ddhaye</foreign>.<!--(Francis, Pallavas, vol. II, p. 466)--></note>
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<lem>naś ca hitārtthaM</lem>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2018_01"><gap reason="undefined" quantity="1" unit="character"/><supplied reason="undefined"><supplied reason="undefined">hi</supplied>śca</supplied> hatārthaṁ</rdg>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01"><gap reason="undefined" quantity="1" unit="character"/>hi śca hitārthaṁ</rdg>
<note>If the suggestion in the previous note is accepted, then the text on line 2 may have continued with <foreign>cātma-</foreign> so we would get <foreign>cātmanaś ca hitārtthaM</foreign>.</note>
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<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01">tāmbrāpe</rdg>
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<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2018_01 bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01">kārtika <unclear>pra</unclear>kyātta</rdg>
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<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01"><unclear>ma</unclear>ṇḍapāñca kāritaḥ</rdg>
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<lem>devānāṅ kārayet</lem>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2018_01 bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01">devānā kārayet</rdg>
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<lem>saṁvatsaraḫ pañcamaḥ</lem>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2018_01">savatsaraṟ pañcamaḥ</rdg>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01">saṁvatsara pañcamaḥ</rdg>
<note>In his 2018 publication, Munirathnam actually prints an <foreign>r</foreign> with double underdot (that we cannot reproduce) before the <foreign>p</foreign>. We suppose he may have imagined that we are dealing with one of the Dravidian consonants <foreign>ṟ</foreign> or <foreign>ḻ</foreign>. From both of his editions it is clear that has not recognized any of the <foreign>upadhmānīya</foreign> and <foreign>jihvāmūlīya</foreign> characters in this inscription.</note>
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<lem><abbr>hepa</abbr> <num>7</num></lem>
<rdg source="bib:Munirathnam2018_01 bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01">he pakhe</rdg>
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<div type="translation" resp="part:argr part:vito">
<p n="1-5"><gap reason="lost"/> by the man <gap reason="lost"/> boat/young <gap reason="lost"/> — for the purpose of <supplied reason="lost">the increase of</supplied> victory of the king and for <supplied reason="lost">his own</supplied> benefit, in Tāmbrāpa — <supplied reason="subaudible">who</supplied> as Kārttikeya has also gained the good name <gap reason="lost"/>, has been commissioned the pavilion of the Lady Śaktimātr̥kā.</p>
<p n="5">And on this there is a stanza:</p>
<p rend="stanza">Man should duly commission towers and pavilions for the gods <gap reason="lost"/>.</p>
<p n="7">Fifth year 5, 7th fortnight of the cold season, day 4.</p>
</div>
<div type="commentary">
<p>The toponym Tāmrāpa also figures in <ref target="DHARMA_INSEIAD00650.xml">EIAD 650</ref> (in its Prakrit guise Tabāva) and in the <ref target="DHARMA_INSPallava00005.xml">Oṁgoḍu grant, time of Skandavarman, year 33</ref>.</p>
<!-- Francis (2013, p. 261, n. 10): Selon H.K. Sastri (1920, p. 250), Tāmbrāpa doit se trouver dans le district de Nellore (aujourd’hui scindé). M.S. Sarma (1940, p. 124) l’identifie comme la Tāmrapurī des inscriptions du XIème-XIIème retrouvées à Cē(m)brōlu (16,20° N et 80,50° E ; Bapatla tk, Guntur dt) qui en est, d’après lui, le nom moderne. -->
<p>Munirathnam's publications assume that the inscription was issued by the Satavahana king called Vijaya-Sātakaṇṇi, but this is based on a misunderstanding of the text.</p>
</div>
<div type="bibliography">
<p>Reported in <bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE2015-2016"/></bibl>; published twice, with slightly differing editions both full or errors and both without translation, by K. Munirathnam (<bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Munirathnam2018_01"/></bibl> and <bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01"/></bibl>). Re-edited by Arlo Griffiths & Vincent Tournier on the basis of the published photo of the ASI rubbing as well as photos made on the site in 2019.</p>
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<bibl n="M1"><ptr target="bib:Munirathnam2018_01"/></bibl>
<bibl n="M2"><ptr target="bib:Munirathnam2020-2021_01"/><citedRange unit="page">119-120, 127</citedRange></bibl>
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<bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE2015-2016"/><citedRange unit="appendix">B</citedRange><citedRange unit="item">14</citedRange></bibl>
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Commentary
The toponym Tāmrāpa also figures in EIAD 650 (in its Prakrit guise Tabāva) and in the Oṁgoḍu grant, time of Skandavarman, year 33.
Munirathnam’s publications assume that the inscription was issued by the Satavahana king called Vijaya-Sātakaṇṇi, but this is based on a misunderstanding of the text.