Reyūru grant of Viṣṇuvardhana II

Editor: Dániel Balogh.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSVengiCalukya00012.

Hand description:

Halantas. M: a small and raised J shape with the bottom closed into a loop (or not); almost as small as an anusvāra and at the same position, but with a tail rising on the right. E.g. L2 abhivarddhitānāM, l4 sthitīnāM, l12 sarvveṣāM. N: reduced with long stem (like a lambda). E.g. l32, peNbidi-boyasya.

Original punctuation. The opening symbol is a dextrorse spiral of about 1 full turn, with a tail at the bottom right. L17 onward, in the list, a plain double vertical is used with some consistency, but often omitted, and sometimes replaced by a single plain vertical, e.g. l22, muyyarddhaṁśaḥ|; l33, Ekkaṁśaḥ| and regularly 5r (but then the double bar dominates again). A triple vertical bar is used at the end of the second (last) stanza, before the colophon.

Other palaeographic observations. Fleet (p. 186): "The anusvāra is written usually above the line, but is sometimes irregularly palced; and in a few cases it is written on the bottom line,—e.g., in Ciṁthūr-boyasya, l. 24; Aṁjaśarmmaṇa, ll. 28 and 29-30, Veṁṇiśarmaṇa, l. 34, and Maṁdu-boyasya, l. 59." In l2 rddhi, the repha is fully inside vowel mark, probably because stū above would have interfered with a regular execution. In many toponyms, anusvāra is placed atop the next character and has been read where it seems appropriate.

Language: Sanskrit.

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

Version: (c66dc65), last modified (5347f23).

Edition

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⟨1⟩ śrī-viṣamasiddhi

Plates

⟨Page 1r⟩

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⟨1⟩ svasti śrīmatāṁ sakvaśīala-bhuvana-saṁstūyamāna-mānavya-sagotrāṇāṁ hāritī-putrā(ṇ)āṁ sa⟨2⟩pta-loka-mātr̥bhir mātr̥bhir abhivarddhitānāM kārttikeya-parirakṣaṇa-prāpta-rājya-vibhavānāṁ (bha)ga⟨3⟩van-nārāyaṇa-prasāda-sa¿ṁv?⟨m⟩āsādita-varāha-lāñ¿c?⟨ch⟩anekṣaṇa-kṣaṇa-vaśīkr̥tāśeṣa-(m)ah¿i?⟨ī⟩bhr̥⟨4⟩tāṁ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩-bhr̥tām ivācala-sthitīnāM Aśvamedhāvabhr̥¿t?⟨th⟩a-snānāpanīta-kali-ma(lā)n(ā)ṁ (ca)l(u)⟨5⟩kyānāṁ kulam alaṁkariṣṇ¿u?⟨o⟩ḥ Aneka-samara-saṁghaṭṭopalabdha-vijaya-patākāvabhāsi(tā)[śe](ṣa-di)⟨6⟩¡g!-maṇḍalasya viṣṇuvarddhana-mahārājasya pautraḥ sakalāva¿t?⟨n⟩i-pati-makuṭa-ta⟨ṭa⟩-ghaṭita-maṇi-(mayū)¿(k)?⟨kh⟩(a)-pu(ñja)⟨Page 2r⟩⟨7⟩-mañjarita-caraṇa-saroruhasya{ḥ} samādhik¡r̥!⟨ri⟩yā-samāsādita-sarvva-siddheḥ jayasiṁha-vallabha-ma⟨8⟩hārājasya{ḥ} priyānujasyendra-sama-vikramasyendra-bhaṭṭārakasya priya-tanaya⟨ḥ⟩ śakti-tra(yā)namitā⟨9⟩neka-rājanya-mukha-kamala-sabhābhyarccita-caraṇa-yuga¡ḷ!⟨l⟩aḥ catur-udadhi-vel(ā-va)la(ya)-pa⟨10⟩ryyanta-prāpta-kīrttiḥ manv-ādi-praṇīta-dharmmaśāstra-pracarita-sarvva-lokāśrayaḥ cakr¿ā?⟨a⟩dhara Iva ⟨11⟩ cakravarttit¿a?⟨ā⟩-lakṣanālaṁkr̥ta-śarīra⟨ḥ⟩ parama-māheśvaro mātā-pitr̥-pādānudhyātaḥ śrī-vi(ṣ)ṇu(va)rddhana⟨12⟩-mahārāja⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvān evam ājñāpayati

viditam astu sarvveṣāM⟨.⟩ karmmarāṣṭra-viṣaye pasiṇḍipaṁṟu-ni(ḍ)u⟨Page 2v⟩⟨13⟩mrānu-m(i)delkontha-rāvinūyu Ity etasya grāma-⟨ma⟩dhyamasya reyūru nāma-grāma⟨ḥ⟩ bhāradvāja-go⟨14⟩trāya nāgaśarmmaṇa⟨⟨ḥ⟩⟩ pautrāya Agniśarmmaṇa⟨⟨ḥ⟩⟩ putr¿a?⟨ā⟩ya kuṇḍiśarmmaṇe dvā⟦(śa)⟧⟨⟨da⟩⟩śāṁśa⟨ḥ⟩⟨.⟩ ¿b?⟨bh⟩āradvā⟨ja⟩-go⟨15⟩trāya nāgaśarmmaṇa⟨ḥ⟩ pautrāya śaṁkaraśarmmaṇa⟨⟨ḥ⟩⟩ putrāya maṇḍaśarmmaṇe ⟨16⟩ daś(āṁśaḥ)⟨.⟩ puna⟨r⟩ bhāradvāja-gotrāya nāgaśarmmaṇaḥ putrāya kumāraśarmmaṇe ⟨17⟩ Aṣṭāṁśaḥ|| kauṇḍilya-gotrāya śa⟨ṁ⟩karaśarmmaṇe ¡dvayaṁśaḥ!⟨dvy-aṁśaḥ⟩|| kauṇḍilya-gotrāya kumā⟨18⟩raśarm(m)aṇe ¡dvayaṁśaḥ!⟨dvy-aṁśaḥ⟩⟨.⟩ ¡tasyānuja! Agniśarm(m)aṇe ¡dvayaṁśaḥ!⟨dvy-aṁśaḥ⟩|| Āla-boyasya kauṇḍilya⟨Page 3r⟩⟨19⟩-gotrasya kattiśarmmaṇa putra kandaśarmmaṇa putra kappaśarmmaṇa catāri Aṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna ⟨20⟩ kappaśarmmaṇa Eka Aṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna revaśarmmaṇa dve Aṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna kandaśarmmaṇa dve ⟨21⟩ Aṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna kandaśarmmaṇa Arddhāṁśaḥ|| koyila-boyasya bhāradvāja-gotra bā⟨22⟩diśarmmaṇa muyyarddhaṁśaḥ| Utpitoṟu-boyasya kāṇva-gotra pālaśarmma⟨23⟩ṇa Ekāṁśaḥ|| kavila-boyasya gautama-gotra kuṇḍiśarmmaṇa ekkaṁśaḥ|| Ala⟨24⟩punaṁ-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra (b/p)ādiśarmmaṇa Ekaṁśaḥ|| ciṁthūr-boyasya ⟨Page 3v⟩ ⟨25⟩ bhāradvāja-gotra sarvvaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| muduṁba-boyasya kauṇḍilya-gotra (sarv)v(aśa)⟨26⟩rmmaṇa putra jeṭṭiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna kuṇḍiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna śaṁkaraśarmmaṇa Ekk(a)[ṁ]⟨27⟩śaḥ⟨.⟩ puna sarvvaśarmmaṇa ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna ḻuddaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ kattiśarmmaṇa putra ⟨28⟩ Aṁjaśarmmaṇa putra kattiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna sarvvaśarmmaṇa tiṇṇi aṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ deva⟨29⟩śarmmaṇa putra samudraśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna jeṭṭiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ Anantaśarmmaṇa putra A⟨30⟩ṁjaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ pālaśarmmaṇa putra revaśarmmaṇa ti(ṁṇ)i aṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puḻolūr-boyasya ⟨Page 4r⟩ ⟨31⟩ putra vasuśarmmaṇa E¿k?⟨kk⟩aṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ benbidi-boyasya putra Āruvaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna veda⟨32⟩śarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ pe¡N!bidi-boyasya kauṇḍilya-gotra jakkiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ keśava-boyasya ve⟨33⟩baśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| bhāradvāja-gotra Agniśarmmaṇa putra vināyaśarmmaṇa putra sarvvaśarmma⟨34⟩ṇa dvayaṁśaḥ|| kauṇḍilya-gotra veṁṇiśarmmaṇa putra nandiśarmmmaṇa putra vāsudevaśarmmaṇa ⟨35⟩ dvayaṁśaḥ|| kauṇḍilya-gotra vināyaśarmmaṇa putra nandiśarmmmaṇa ⟨putra⟩ nāgaśarmmaṇa dvayaṁśaḥ⟨| ⟩ ⟨36⟩ paummuddi-boyasya kauṇḍilya-gotra devaśarmmaṇa dvayaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna bādiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| ⟨Page 4v⟩ ⟨37⟩ dūdi-boyasya kauṇḍilya-gotra gabotaśarmmaṇa Ek⟨k⟩aṁśaḥ| toṇḍadūr-boyasya kauśika-gotra re⟨38⟩vaśarmmaṇa Ek⟨k⟩aṁśaḥ|| ceyūr-boyasya kauṇḍilya-gotra revaśarmmaṇa muyyarddhaṁśaḥ|| miṟibo⟨39⟩yasya kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra Anantaśarmmaṇa dvayaṁśaḥ|| mudugontha-boyasya bhāradvā⟨40⟩ja-gotra duggaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśa⟨.⟩ canthrūr-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra pālaśarmmaṇa catā⟨41⟩ri Aṁśaḥ|| māraṭa-boyasya k¿o?⟨au⟩ṇḍilya-gotra veṇṇiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| muddamūr-boyasya ⟨42⟩ kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra revaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna revaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| beppi-boyasya kāśy¡ā!⟨Page 5r⟩⟨43⟩pa-gotra kumāraśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| ponnaḷūr-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa- gotra sarvvaśarmmaṇa dvayaṁśaḥ| ⟨44⟩ veṁgi-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra kuṇḍiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| ku(n/t)mur-boyasya bhāra(d)vāja-gotra ⟨45⟩ ḻuddaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| kondāḻi-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa- gotra kuṇḍiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ(|) mu⟨46⟩ttinthi-boyasya kauṇḍilya-gotra veṇṇiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| Alaṁbuna-boyasya k¿o?⟨au⟩⟨47⟩ṇḍilya-gotra bhaṭṭiśarmmaṇa Arddhaṁśaḥ| keśava-boyasya bhāradvāja-gotra vināyaśarmmaṇa ⟨48⟩ Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna vināyaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| rāṁpurboyasya kauṇḍilyagotra jeṭṭiśarmmaṇa Ek⟨k⟩aṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ ⟨Page 5v⟩ ⟨49⟩ pulkontha-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra revaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| pandiri-boya⟨sya⟩ bhāradvāja-gotra (p)avva(ś)armmaṇa E⟨50⟩kkaṁśaḥ| keśava-boyasya vināyaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| puna vināyaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ| māra(j)a-boyasya ⟨51⟩ kauṇḍilya-gotra cāmuṇḍiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ⟨.⟩ puna śi¡vv!aśarmmaṇa Ek⟨k⟩aṁśaḥ| ⟨52⟩ rekādi-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra doṇaśarmmaṇa Ek(k)aṁśa(ḥ||) puna ⟨53⟩ rekādi-boyasya revaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| munikol-boyasya (bh)āradvāja-⟨54⟩gotra kandaśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| ceṁbudothi-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa-go⟨Page 6r⟩⟨55⟩tra vīraśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| Eddoṇḍi-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra nāga⟨56⟩śarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| ḻuttaḷūr-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa-gotra nāga⟨57⟩śarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| ciccakudi-boyasya kāśy¡ā!pa⟨58⟩-gotra nandiśarmmaṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| samati-boyasya veṇṇiśarmma⟨59⟩ṇa Ekkaṁśaḥ|| maṁdu-boyasya bhāradvāja-gotra kattiśarmmaṇa dvaya(ṁ)śaḥ(|) ⟨Page 6v⟩ ⟨60⟩ bala-vijayārogya-nimittam asmābhiḥ samprāpta⟨ḥ⟩⟨.⟩ gamyā rājava⟨61⟩llabh¿a?⟨ā⟩ḥ sarvvaparihārai⟨ḥ⟩ pariharantu parihārayantu⟨.⟩ ⟨62⟩ Api ca ¡teṣāḥ! ślokāḥ

I. Anuṣṭubh

bhūmi-dānāt paran dānaM

a

na bhūtan na ⟨63⟩ bhaviṣyati

b

tasyaiva haraṇāt pāpan

c

na bhūtan na bhaviṣyati||

d
II. Anuṣṭubh

⟨Page 7r⟩ ⟨64⟩ bahubhir vvasudhā dattā

a

bahubiś cānupālitā

b

yasya yasya ⟨65⟩ yadā bhūmi⟨ḥ⟩

c

tasya tasya ta¿th?⟨d⟩ā phalaM|||

d

varddhamāna-rājya-¡dva! ⟨66⟩ ¡ya!-saṁvatsare caitra-māse śuklapakṣe daśamyāṁ maghā ⟨67⟩ -nakṣatre budha-¡vāreṣu! ¡svamukhājñāpta! dīrghocā(y)i(sa?)[ca. 1+] ⟨68⟩ veḷayilkan(m)aṟakuṇḍi Eṟasya putra vināyakasya likhitaM śāsanam idaM||

⟨Page 7v⟩

Apparatus

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Plates

⟨6⟩ -pu(ñja) • While puñja must have been intended, the engraved character is conspicuously not ñja (compare l7, mañjarita) and looks rather like ṇḍa (compare l15, maṇḍa and especially l12, pasiṇḍi).

⟨10⟩ pracarita- • A word was probably omitted here by the scribe. Compare the superior reading manv-ādi-praṇīta-dharmmaśāstra-pracarita-vr̥ddhiḥ in line 6 of the Peddāpurappāḍu plates (set 2).

⟨12⟩ pasiṇḍipaṁṟu-ni(ḍ)u⟨Page 2v⟩⟨13⟩mrānu-m(i)delkontha-rāvinūyu ⬦ pasiṇḍi-paṁṟuniḍ(d/ḷ)u-⟨Page 2v⟩⟨13⟩mrānum(i)-delkontha-rāvinūyu JFF • I do not know how well-considered Fleet’s segmentation of the names is. Mine is conjectural and may well be incorrect, but I believe that four villages (in the four cardinal directions) are more likely to have been listed than five.

⟨15⟩ śaṁkara- • The anusvāra is on top of ka, pushed out of its proper place by the descenders of putra above.

⟨19⟩ kattiśarmmaṇa • Up to the end of the second plate, the language (including that of the executive section) was a close approximation of standard Sanskrit and included some corrections where the originally inscribed text was not up to standard. From this point on, however, editorial corrections are absent and the language is noticeably non-standard (and perhaps progressively more so). Therefore I apply editorial correction and normalisation in the edition up to this point but, like Fleet, I abstain from doing so henceforward.

⟨23⟩ Ala⟨24⟩puṁna- ⬦ Ala⟨24⟩buṁna- JFF.

⟨24⟩ ciṁthūr-boyasya JFF • I accept Fleet’s reading, but find it very strange that the anusvāra is a dot placed at the baseline between the first and the second character. Could viṣṇu-boyasya have been intended and misinterpreted by the engraver? Probably not. Also compare canthrūr-boyasya in line 40, possibly the same name.

⟨28⟩ Aṁja◯śarmmaṇa • Here too the anusvāra is a dot placed at the baseline between the first and the second character. Could Ajaśarmmaṇa have been intended?

⟨29⟩ A⟨30⟩ṁjaśarmmaṇa • Here too the anusvāra is a dot placed at the baseline before the second character, at the beginning of the new line. Could Ajaśarmmaṇa have been intended?

⟨30⟩ ti(ṁṇ)i • Here too the anusvāra is a dot placed at the baseline before the second character. In this case, head room is crowded with the descender of rmma above and the two i mātrās, which may be the reason why the anusvāra is lowered.

⟨32⟩ pe¡N!bidi-boyasya • Note the use of a halanta N here, as opposed to what must be the same name, benbidi-boyasya in the previous line, composed as a ligature. The first four lines on this plate are closely spaced one below the other, and this composition was probably used to avoid having to use a character with both an overhead vowel marker and a descender. — ⟨32⟩ kauṇḍilya- • Instead of the usual form of au, kau is composed with the regular two strokes for o, plus a third stroke on the lower left side of the consonant.

⟨34⟩ veṁṇiśarmmaṇa • Here too the anusvāra is a dot placed at the baseline before the second character. Could veṇiśarmmaṇa have been intended? Or did the descender of A above cause the shifting? Note that veṇṇiśarmma-, presumably the same name, occurs three times (l41, l56, l58).

⟨36⟩ paummuddi-boyasya • The right-hand stroke of the vowel marker in pau is clear but very narrow and shallow. It may have been added subsequently to correct a previous pe into pau.

⟨42⟩ beppi-boyasya ⬦ boppi-boyasya JFF.

⟨44⟩ ku(n/t)mur-boyasya ⬦ kutmur-boyasya JFF.

⟨48⟩ rāpuṁr-boyasya • Fleet corrects to rāṁpur-boyasya. Nothing interferes with the space above rā, so if that was the intended spelling, then the shift of the anusvāra is probably a scribal mistake. I believe it is also possible that the r of rbo was engraved erroneously.

⟨50⟩ māra(j)a-boyasya ⬦ māraṭa-boyasya JFF.

⟨54⟩ Ekkaṁśaḥ • Here, the anusvāra is between ka and śa, but slightly below the headline, not at the baseline. At this horizontal position, it could not have been placed higher due to the descender of rmma above, but there is nothing above kka that would have prevented the engraver from putting it there. Still, I do not think this is the same phenomenon as the possible anusvāras at baseline level.

⟨59⟩ maṁdu-boyasya • Here too the anusvāra is a dot placed at the baseline before the second character. The descender of rmma above would have prevented an anusvāra right on top of ma, but one could easily have been added only slightly to the right.

⟨62⟩ ¡teṣāḥ! • Fleet emends to teṣāṁ, but that does not seem too meaningful in the context. I believe rather that ete was intended, and this is not a scribal mistake but a solecism of the composer.

⟨65⟩ ¡dva! ⟨66⟩ ¡ya! ⬦ dv¿a?⟨i⟩[tī] ⟨66⟩ ya JFF • The damage at the end of this line is not so extensive as to obliterate without trace a putative tī. I am therefore quite certain that only dvaya was ever inscribed, intended to mean the same as dvitīya.

⟨66⟩ maghā ⬦ maghā[ca. 2+] JFF • Fleet notes that another nakṣatra may have been recorded here.It seems most likely to me that no characters were lost here. The right-hand margin is quite wide for the first and last line, where there is no damage whatsoever, and there should be at least some trace of any lost text here. See also the previous note to the end of line 65.

⟨67⟩ ¡svamukhājñāpta! ⬦ ¡svamukhājñ¿ā?⟨a⟩pt¿a?⟨ād⟩! JFF • Fleet construes this as part of the sentence with likhitam. I believe it is more likely to be a separate sentence, and the intended meaning is svamukhājñāptiḥ. — ⟨67⟩ dīrghocā(y)i(sa?)[ca. 1+] ⬦ dīrghocā(y)i[ca. 2+] JFF • According to Fleet, two or three characters are lost after dīrghocāyi. Given the vestiges and the size of the margin in other lines (see the notes to the ends of the previous two lines), two seems more likely. The beginning of the next line is, however, very closely spaced. If that was the case here too, then three characters may after all have been engraved here. I am unable to come up with a plausible restoration or correction.

Translation by Dániel Balogh

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Plates

(1–12) Greetings. The grandson of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Viṣṇuvardhana, whose banners of triumph acquired in the clash of many a battle brightened the entire circle of directions, who was eager to adorn the family of the majestic Caḷukyas—who are of the Mānavya gotra, which the entire world praises, who are sons of Hāritī, who are cherished by the Mothers who are the mothers of the seven worlds, who have attained royal splendour through the protection of Kārttikeya, to whom all kings instantaneously submit at the [mere] sight of the Boar emblem they have acquired by the grace of the divine Nārāyaṇa, whose presence is as permanent as that of mountains, and who have cast off the filth of the Kali (age) by bathing in the purificatory ablutions (avabhr̥tha) of the Aśvamedha sacrifice—; dear son of Indra Bhaṭṭāraka, who was equal in valour to Indra and who was the beloved younger brother of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Jayasiṁha Vallabha, whose pair of lotus feet were bedecked by clusters of beams from gems fitted to the surfaces of the crowns of all [other] kings and who prevailed over all (sarva-siddhi) ¿by practicing meditation (samādhi)?; His Majesty King (mahārāja) Viṣṇuvardhana (II), whose two feet are worshipped by a congregation of lotuses that are the faces of numerous warlords (rājanya) bowed down by his three powers (śakti-traya), whose reputation has reached the edges of the ring comprised of the shores of the four oceans, who is the supporter of all people (sarva-lokāśraya) in accordance with the textbooks of moral duty (dharmaśāstra) composed by Manu and so on,1 whose body is adorned by the omens characteristic of universal monarchs (cakravartin) like [that of Viṣṇu] the Wielder of the Discus, who is the supreme devotee of Maheśvara and who was deliberately appointed (as heir) by his mother and father, commands everyone as follows:

(12–60) Let [this] be known to all. For the sake of [our] strength, victory and good health, we have presented2 the village named Reyūru in the Karmarāṣṭra district (viṣaya), situated in the middle of these villages—Pasiṇḍipaṁṟu, Nidumrānu, Midelkontha, Rāvinūyu—3

  • to Kuṇḍiśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, grandson of Nāgaśarman, son of Agniśarman: twelve shares
  • to Maṇḍaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, grandson of Nāgaśarman, son of Śaṅkaraśarman: ten shares
  • next, 4 to Kumāraśarman, of the Bhāradvāja gotra, son of Nāgaśarman: eight shares
  • to Śaṅkaraśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, two shares
  • to Kumāraśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, two shares
  • to his son Agniśarman, two shares
  • to Kappaśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, son of Kandaśarman the son of Āla-boya5, in his commentary on the Cendalūr Plates of Maṅgi Yuvarāja, believes it is equivalent to Sanskrit vāstavya.
  • next, to Kappaśarman, one share
  • next, to Revaśarman, two shares
  • next, to Kandaśarman, half a share
  • to Koyila-boya Bādiśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, three half shares;6 to Utpitoṟu-boya Pālaśarman of the Kāṇva gotra, one share
  • to Kavila-boya Kuṇḍiśarman of the Gautama gotra, one share
  • to Alapunaṁ-boya Bādiśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Ciṁthūr-boya Sarvaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, one share
  • to Muduṁba-boya Jeṭṭiśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, son of Sarvaśarman, one share
  • next, to Kuṇḍiśarman, one share
  • next, to Śaṁkaraśarman, one share
  • next, to Sarvaśarman, one share
  • next, to Ḻuddaśarman, one share
  • to Kattiśarman, son of Aṁjaśarman the son of Kattiśarman, one share
  • next, to Sarvaśarman, three shares
  • to Samudraśarman, son of Devaśarman, one share
  • next, to Jeṭṭiśarman, one share
  • to Aṁjaśarman, son of Ananataśarman, one share
  • to Revaśarman, son of Pālaśarman, three shares
  • to Vasuśarman, son of Puḻolūr-boya, one share
  • to Āruvaśarman, son of Benbidi-boya, one share
  • next, to Vedaśarman, one share
  • to Penbidi-boya Jakkiśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, one share
  • to Keśava-boya Vebaśarman, one share
  • to Sarvaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, son of Vināyaśarman the son of Agniśarman, two shares
  • to Vāsudevaśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, son of Nandiśarman the son of Veṁṇiśarman, two shares
  • to Nāgaśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, son of Nandiśarman the son of Vināyaśarman, two shares
  • to Paummuddi-boya Devaśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, two shares
  • next, to Bādiśarman, one share
  • to Dūdi-boya Gabotaśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, one share
  • to Toṇḍadūr-boya Revaśarman of the Kauśika gotra, one share
  • to Ceyūr-boya Revaśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, three half shares
  • to Miṟi-boya Anantaśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, two shares
  • to Mudugontha-boya Duggaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, one share
  • to Canthrūr-boya Pālaśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, four shares
  • to Māraṭa-boya Veṇṇiśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, one share
  • to Muddamūr-boya Revaśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • next, to Revaśarman, one share
  • to Beppi-boya Kumāraśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Ponnaḷūr-boya Sarvaśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, two shares
  • to Veṁgi-boya Kuṇḍiśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Kutmur-boya Ḻuddaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, one share
  • to Kondāḻi-boya Kuṇḍiśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Muttinthi-boya Veṇṇiśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, one share
  • to Alaṁbuna-boya Bhaṭṭiśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, one half share
  • to Keśava-boya Vināyaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, one share
  • next, to Vināyaśarman, one share
  • to Rāṁpur-boya Jeṭṭiśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, one share
  • to Pulkontha-boya Revaśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Pandiri-boya Pavvaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, one share
  • to Keśava-boya Vināyaśarman, one share
  • next, to Vināyaśarman, one share
  • to Māraja-boya Cāmuṇḍiśarman of the Kauṇḍilya gotra, one share
  • next, to Śivaśarman, one share
  • to Rekādi-boya Doṇaśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • next, to Rekādi-boya Revaśarman, one share
  • to Munikol-boya Kandaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, one share
  • to Ceṁbudothi-boya Vīraśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Eddoṇḍi-boya Nāgaśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Ḻuttaḷūr-boya Nāgaśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Ciccakudi-boya Nandiśarman of the Kāśyapa gotra, one share
  • to Samati-boya Veṇṇiśarman, one share
  • to Maṁdu-boya Kattiśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra, two shares.

(60–62) Let future7 royal officers (rājavallabha) observe, and enforce the observance of, all exemptions with regard to it. There are also these verses (relevant to this matter):

I
There has never been and will never be a gift surpassing the gift of land, nor has there ever been or will ever be a sin [surpassing] the seizing of the same.
II
Many (kings) have granted land, and many have preserved it (as formerly granted). Whosoever at any time owns the land, the fruit {reward (accrued of granting it)} belongs to him at that time.

(65–68) In the second year of the continuing reign, in the bright fortnight of the month Caitra, on the tenth [tithi], under the asterism Maghā, on Wednesday. Executed as per [the king’s] direct order. dīrghocāyisa […] veḷayilkanmaṟakuṇḍi8. This decree was written (likhita) by Vināyaka, the son of Eṟa.

Translation into French by Estienne-Monod 2008

Seal

Plates

(1–12) Prospérité ! Le petit-fils du grand roi Viṣṇuvardhana, dont les bannières de victoire acquises dans les heurts des nombreux combats, illuminent le cercle complet des horizons, ornement de la lignée des Calukya, illustres, du même gotra que les descendants de Manu, honorés dans l’univers entier, fils de Hāritī, rendus prospères par les mères, mères des sept mondes, doués de la puissance royale octroyée par la proctection de Kārtikeya, auxquels tous les rois furent soumis en un instant à la vue du signe du sanglier, faveur accordée par le bienheureux Nārāyaṇa, demeures inébranlables comme les montagnes, eux dont les souillures de l’âge de Kali furent lavées par le bain purificatoire de l’aśvamedha, le cher fils d’Indra Bhaṭṭāraka, dont la vaillance est pareille à celle d’Indra, cher frère cadet du grand roi Jayasiṁha Vallabha, dont les lotus, que sont ses pieds, sont ornés par les bouquets que sont les rayons des pierres précieuses serties sur l’orbe des diadèmes des seigneurs de la terre entière, dont tous les succès furent acquis grâce à la pratique de la méditation, [ce fils] dont les deux pieds sont honorés par l’assemblée de lotus que sont les nombreux visages royaux inclinés devant [celui qui détient] les trois pouvoirs, dont la gloire s’étend jusqu’à la frontière circulaire que forment les rives des quatre océans, refuge de tous les hommes qui suit les Dharmaśāstra composés par Manu et les autres, comme Cakradhara, son corps est orné par la marque de la souveraineté, excellent dévôt de Maheśvara, méditant aux pieds de sa mère et de son père, le grand roi illustre Viṣṇuvardhana ordonne précisément à tous :

(12–60) que ceci soit connu de tous : nous donnons dans le viṣaya de Karmarāṣṭra, au milieu des villages suivants, Pasiṇḍi, Paṁṟunidu, Mrānumi, Delkontha et Rāvinūyu, le village nommé Reyūru, [fractionné en parts suivantes] :

  • au petit-fils de Nāgaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, fils d’Agniśarman, à Kuṇḍiśarman douze parts
  • au petit-fils de Nāgaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, fils de Śaṁkaraśarman, à Maṇḍaśarman dix parts
  • puis au petit-fils de Nāgaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, à Kumāraśarman huit parts
  • à Śaṁkaraśarman, du gotra de Kauṇḍilya, deux parts
  • à Kumāraśarman, du gotra de Kauṇḍilya, deux parts
  • à son frère cadet Agniśarman, deux parts
  • au fils de Kandaśarman, fils de Kattiśarman, du gotra de kauṇḍilya, d’Ālaboya9, quatre parts
  • puis à Kappaṣarman une part
  • puis à Revaśarman deux parts
  • puis à Kandaśarman une demi part
  • à Bādiśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, de Koyilaboya, trois parts et demi10
  • à Pālaśarman, du gotra de Kanya, d’Utpitoṟuboya, une part
  • à Kuṇḍiśarman, du gotra de Gautama, de Kaviloboya, une part
  • à Pādiśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, d’Alabuṁnaboya, une part
  • à Sarvaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, de Ciṁthūrboya, une part
  • à Jeṭṭiśarman, fils de Sarvaśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Mudubaṁboya, une part
  • puis à Kuṇḍiśarman, une part
  • puis à Śaṁkaraśarman, une part
  • puis à Sarvaśarman, une part
  • puis à Ḻuddaśarman, une part
  • au fils d’Amjaśarman, fils de Kattiśarman, à Kattiśarman, une part
  • puis à Sarvaśarman trois parts
  • au fils de Devaśarman, Samudraśarman, une part
  • puis à Jeṭṭiśarman, une part
  • au fils d’Anantaśarman, Aṁjaśarman, une part
  • au fils de Pālaśarman, Revaśarman, trois parts
  • au fils [de celui-ci], Vasuśarman, de Puḻolūrboya, une part
  • au fils [de celui-ci], Āruśarman, de Benbidiboya, une part
  • puis à Vedaśarman, une part
  • à Jakkiśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Penbidiboya, une part
  • à Vebaśarman, de Keśavaboya, une part
  • au fils de Vināyaśarman, fils d’Agniśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, à Sarvaśarman, deux parts
  • au fils de Nandiśarman, fils de Veṁṇiśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, à Vāsudevaśarman, deux parts
  • au fils de Nandiśarman, fils de Vināyaśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, à Nāgaśarman, deux parts
  • à Devaśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Paummuddiboya, deux parts
  • puis à Bādiśarman, une part
  • à Gabotaśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Dūdiboya, une part
  • à Revaśarman, du gotra de Kauśika, de Toṇḍadūrboya, une part
  • à Revaśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Ceyūrboya, trois parts et demi
  • à Anantaśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Miṟiboya, deux parts
  • à Duggaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, de Mudugonthaboya, une part
  • à Pālaśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Canthrūrboya, quatre parts
  • à Veṇṇiśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Māraṭaboya, une part
  • à Revaśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Muddamūrboya, une part
  • à Revaśarman, une part
  • à Kumāraśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Boppiboya, une part
  • à Sarvaśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Ponnaḷūrboya, deux parts
  • à Kuṇḍiśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Vegiṁboya, une part
  • à Ḻuddaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, de Kutmurboya, une part
  • à Kuṇḍiśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Kondaḻiboya, une part
  • à Veṇṇiśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Muttinthiboya, une part
  • à Bhaṭṭiśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Alabuṁnboya, une demi part
  • à Vināyaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, de Keśavaboya, une part
  • puis à Vināyaśarman, une part
  • à Jeṭṭiśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Rāṁpurboya, une part
  • à Revaśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Pulkontaboya, une part
  • à Pavvaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, de Pandiriboya, une part
  • à Vināyaśarman, de Keśavaboya, une part
  • puis à Vināyaśarman, une part
  • à Cāmuṇḍiśarman, du gotra de Kuṇḍilya, de Maraṭaboya, une part
  • puis à Śivaśarman, une part
  • à Doṇaśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Rekādiboya, une part
  • puis à Revaśarman, de Rekādiboya, une part
  • à Kandaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, de Munikolboya, une part
  • à Vīraśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Cebuṁdothiboya, une part
  • à Nāgaśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, d’Eddoṇḍiboya, une part
  • à Nāgaśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Ḻuttaḷūrboya, une part
  • à Nandiśarman, du gotra de Kaśyapa, de Cikkakudiboya, une part
  • à Veṇṇiśarman, de Samatiboya, une part
  • à Kattaśarman, du gotra de Bharadvāja, de Maṁduboya, deux parts,

(60–62) en vue [du maintien] de la puissance, la victoire et la bonne santé. Que les futurs rois favoris appliquent et fassent appliquer l’exemption de toutes les taxes Et ces vers à propos de ceux-ci :

I
Il n’existe pas et n’existera pas de don égal à celui d’une terre, Il n’existe pas et n’existera pas de crime égal à celui de son vol.
II
Beaucoup ont donné une terre, beaucoup l’ont protégée, celui qui possède la terre en possède le fruit.

(65–68) La deuxième année de notre auguste règne, au mois de Caitra, pendant la quizaine claire, le mercredi, sous la constellation de Maghā, sur les lieux de Budha, à partir des ordres [émis] par notre propre bouche, cet édit a été gravé par Vināyaka, fils de Dīrgocāyi... 11 veḷayilkanmaṟakuṇḍi Eṟa.

Commentary

The outer (recto) face of the first plate has been recycled: it bears illegible vestiges of 6 (perhaps 7) lines of previous writing. A fair portion of 4 recto also appears to be a palimpsest, with some areas chiselled out before engraving the current text. This seems to affect most of the first five lines on this page, but is most conspicuous in the area delimited by the binding hole and the upper left corner, with some vestiges of earlier writing visible at the beginning of the first line.

The opening symbol is slightly above the level of line 1 and outside the margin (in fact mostly on the raised rim), so I encode it as a separate line. The first five plates have six lines on each inscribed face; the last two have 4 to 5. The first four lines on 4 recto are very closely spaced, giving rise to some unusually composed characters (see apparatus). There is also plenty of surface roughness on this page (whereas all others are mostly pristine), and some marks that may be traces of erased characters. It seems possible that this plate was first engraved with four rather uneven lines, taking up approximately the page area now covered by five lines, and that subsequently, these four lines were struck out and the five extant lines were engraved over them, finally adding the sixth line.

Can the instances of kauṇḍilya in this text be scribal errors for śāṇḍilya? kau looks a bit like śā and the engraver could have mistaken a pre-written text that way. The instance in l17 actually seems to contain the strokes for ś except for the loop on the left leg, which has migrated to the right leg to pretend to be the loop of k.

Bibliography

Edited from the original by J. F. Fleet (1878), with translation, without a facsimile. The estampage was published separately as Fleet 1879) (where Fleet is not named as the author), which contains no edition or discussion, only the facsimile and a few lines describing what it is. Subsequently noticed in Gai 1967, p. 49, appendices A/1962-1963, № 15. The present edition by Dániel Balogh is based on a collation of Fleet’s text with his published facsimiles, with photographs of the plates from the British Library taken by Arlo Griffiths in 2016, and inked impressions from Sir Walter Elliot’s collection12, which appear to have been taken prior to cleaning the plates and offer no new insights.

Primary

[JFF] Fleet, John Faithfull. 1878. “Sanskrit and Old Canarese inscriptions: No. XLII.” IA 7, pp. 185–191.

Secondary

Gai, G. S. 1967. Annual report on Indian epigraphy for 1962-63. Delhi: Manager of Publications. Page 49, appendixes A/1962-1963, item 15.

Fleet, John Faithfull. 1879. “An Eastern Chalukya Copper-Plate Grant.” IA 8, p. 320.

Gaur, Albertine. 1975. Indian charters on copper plates in the Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books. London: British Museum Publications. Pages 4–5, item Ind. Ch. 6.

Notes

  1. 1. Or, if the text is corrected on the basis of a parallel (see the apparatus to line 10), “who achieves prosperity by means in accordance with the textbooks of moral duty composed by Manu and so on, and who is the supporter of all people”.
  2. 2. I assume that saṁprāpta (l. 62) was intended by the composer in the sense of saṁprāpita. Fleet translates “apportioned,” citing the dictionary meanings “effected, accomplished” for saṁprāpta.
  3. 3. See the apparatus to line 12 for Fleet’s segmentation of these names.
  4. 4. It seems that the occasional use of puna does not carry meaning. At least, it is not used to specify that the person mentioned is different from a person of the same name mentioned before. Many instances of puna come with names that have appeared before, some as donees and some as ancestors of donees. But some appear next to novel names, e.g. Ḻuddaśarman in line 27. Since puna mostly appears in conjunction with names whose gotra and descent are not specified (except this first instance and Rekādi-boya Revaśarman in l53), it may be possible that puna is intended to mean “of the same gotra” or “of the same descent” as the previous person. This may be further implied by the first use of puna, where the donee’s gotra is recorded as identical to that of the previous donee, and his father’s name is the same as that of the previous donee’s grandfather. However, some instances of puna later on come with names identical to that of the previous donee (l42, Revaśarman; l48, Vināyaśarman; l50, Vināyaśarman), and it does not seem likely that these were brothers with identical names. Finally, it seems that original punctuation is hardly ever present before puna (only twice, in l50 and l52), while it is used much of the time before items that do not begin with puna. This may imply that in spite of my previous observation, items beginning with puna are meant to be read with some of the information from the previous item; or it may be that the word puna is used largely in the function of punctuation.
  5. 5. Fleet notes that boya appears to be a surname or class name, and is at least in some cases attached to village names. The term occurs in a similar manner in the Koṇeki grant, about which Narasimhaswami (1955–1956, p. 77) remarks that it has been linked to the Sanskrit word bhogika and that it also occurs in a charter of Indravarman reported in ARIE 1921-22, Appendix A/2 and p. 97. Hultzsch (1905–1906, p. 233)
  6. 6. Fleet observes that muyyu apparently means “three” in Kannada, though it is not listed in Caldwell’s grammar of Dravidian languages. He does, however, find it in Kittel’s Notes concerning the Numerals of the ancient Drâvidians (IA 2, p. 24) and two words containing it in Sanderson’s Dictionary, both of which involve “three twos” meaning six. Thus, says Fleet, muyyardha may mean “three halves,” i.e. “one and a half,” but Fleet nonetheless translates “three and a half,” apparently on the basis of a hunch. I do not share this hunch and find “one and a half” much more likely, primarily because there are plenty of single and double shares donated, but only a few over two shares and I see no need for fine-tuning a higher proportion with a half-share.
  7. 7. I follow Fleet in understanding gamya as āgāmin.
  8. 8. This uninterpreted and partially lost sequence may be part of the writer’s lineage or description.
  9. 9. Le suffixe -boya désigne un lieu (N. D. E.). Le terme n’est pas répertorié par D. C. Sircar. Il s’agit peut-être d’une altération de bhoga, il désignerait dans ce cas une subdivision territoriale. On le trouve aussi dans l’inscr. n° 22.
  10. 10. Mot hybride composé de muyyu, « trois » en kannara et arddha, « un demi » en sanskrit (N. D. E.).
  11. 11. Deux lettres sont illisibles.
  12. 12. Scans of these impressions were obtained by Emmanuel Francis from the Edinburgh University Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the British Museum.