Eṟṟaguḍipāḍu grant of Kuṇḍikāḷḷu during the reign of Erikalmutturājullu

Editor: Jens Thomas.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSTelugu00008.

Summary: The inscription mentiones a pannasa given at the instance of (the) Kuṇḍikāḷḷu of Śrī Erikalmutturājullu to the Brahmin of the residence. The witnesses are mentioned.

Language: Telugu.

Repository: Telugu Inscriptions (tfb-telugu-epigraphy).

Version: (585a60b), last modified (ec27c2b).

Edition

⟨Faces A⟩ ⟨1⟩ svasti śrī Erika⟨2⟩lmutturājulla ⟨3⟩ kuṇḍikāḷḷu (n)ivabuka⟨4⟩nu Iccina pannasa ⟨5⟩ dujayarājula ⟨6⟩ muturājulu nava⟨7⟩priyamutturājulu ⟨8⟩ vallavadukarajulu śākṣi⟨9⟩kanu Icci⟨na⟩ pannassa

⟨Faces B⟩ ⟨10⟩ koṭṭa(ṁ)buna pā⟨11⟩ṟaku kuṇḍikāḷḷu⟨12⟩ḷā Iccina pannasa ⟨13⟩ Iravadiyādina⟨14⟩lku maṟu(nt)uṟlu nēla

Apparatus

⟨3⟩ (n)ivabuka⟨4⟩nu ⬦ (n)ivabukā⟨4⟩nu NS+V.

⟨6⟩ muturājulu ⬦ mutturājulu NS+V.

⟨8⟩ śākṣi⟨9⟩kanu ⬦ śakṣi⟨9⟩kānu NS+V.

⟨11⟩ kuṇḍikāḷḷu⟨12⟩ḷā ⬦ kuṇḍikāḷḷu⟨12⟩ḷa NS+V.

⟨13⟩ Iravadiyādina⟨14⟩lku ⬦ Iravadiyādinā⟨14⟩lku NS+V.

⟨14⟩ maṟu(nt)uṟlu ⬦ maṟuntuṟlu NS+V.

Translation by Sastri 1969

ll. 1-9 Hail! Prosperity! At the instance of Kuṇḍikāḷḷu (an officer ?) of Erikal-Mutturājulu, a pannasa was granted, the witnesses to the deed being Dujayarājula Mutturājulu, Navapriya Mutturājulu and Pallava Dukarajulu. ll. 10-14 Kuṇḍikāḷḷu granted pannasa of twenty-four maṟuntuṟs of land to a brahmin of ¿of? the territorial division (koṭṭaṁbu).

Translation by Jens Thomas

Svasti! At the instance of (the) Kuṇḍikāḷḷu of Śrī Erikalmutturājullu a pannasa was given. (With) Dujayarājula Muturājulu, Navapriyamutturājulu, and Vallavadukarajulu being the witnesses the pannasa was given to the brahmin at the residence. The pannasa given by (the) Kuṇḍikāḷḷu (is) twenty four maṟuntuṟlu land.

Commentary

The expression nivabukanu (*nivambu+kānu) may well correspond to modern Telugu nevamu/nepamu which means ’blame, pretext, pretence’ but also ’cause’. It is traced to either skt. nibha- (Sastri 1969, p. 372) or skt. nivāpa- (Radhakrishna 1971, p. 364). Kuṇḍikāḷḷu (i.e. skt. kuṇḍin- + kāḷḷu, pl. of kālu ’foot’ as loan translation from skt. pāda-) could be a proper noun but it also could be a desgnation of an official (e. g. a higher religious official). This ambivalence is indicated by (the) in brackets. Although a village name is not mentioned the expression koṭṭaṁbu can refer to the spot where the inscription has been found (Eṟṟaguḍipāḍu). It is noteworthy that the generic expression "brahmin at the residence" was either sufficient to identify the brahmin who was given the pannasa or that only the donation act itself was the deed that was ment to be remembered. On the other hand there are villages that are named koṭṭam.

Bibliography

The incription was noted twice in the Annual Report and edited by K. A. Nilakanta Sastri and M. Venkataramayya with picture and annotations but without translation ([1956] 1947–1948, pp. 225–228, № 42 B). Following Nilakanta Sastri’s and Venkataramayya’s edition K. M. Sastri re-edited and translated the text (1969, pp. 282–283, № 2).

Primary

[NS+V] Nilakanta Sastri, K. A. and M. Venkataramayya. [1956] 1947–1948. “Telugu Chola records from Anantapur and Cuddapah.” EI 27, pp. 220–251. Pages 225–228, item 42 B.

Secondary

Subrahmanya Aiyer, K. V. 1932. Annual report on South-Indian epigraphy for the year ending 31st March 1930. Calcutta: Government of India Central Publication Branch. Appendixes B/1929-30, page 12, item 98.

Krishnamacharlu, C. R. 1942. Annual report on South Indian epigraphy for the year ending 31st March 1938. Delhi: Government of India. Appendixes B/1937-38, page 31, item 232.

Sastri, Korada Mahadeva. 1969. Historical grammar of Telugu with special reference to Old Telugu c. 200 B.C. - 1000 A.D. Anantapur: Sri Vekateswara Univ. Pages 282–283, item 2.