Ḻūḷā grant of Viṣṇuvardhana IV

Editor: Dániel Balogh.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSVengiCalukya00085.

Language: Sanskrit.

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

Version: (37404d2), last modified (e18436c).

Edition

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨1⟩ svasti⟨.⟩ śrīmatāṁ sakala-bhuvana-saṁstūyamāna-mānavya-sagotr¿a?⟨ā⟩¿n?⟨ṇ⟩āṁ ⟨2⟩ hāritī-putrā⟨ṇāṁ⟩ kauśikī-vara-prasāda-labdha-rājyānāṁ māt¡ri!⟨r̥⟩-gaṇa-pari⟨3⟩pālitānāṁ svāmi-mah¿a?⟨ā⟩sena-pādānudhyātānāṁ bhagavan-nārā⟨4⟩yaṇa-prasāda-sam¿a?⟨ā⟩sādita-vara-varāh¿ā?⟨a⟩-lāñchanekṣa¿n?⟨ṇ⟩a-kṣa⟨5⟩¿n?⟨ṇ⟩a-vaśīkr̥tār¿a?⟨ā⟩ti-maṇḍalānāṁ Aśvamedhāvabhr̥¿t?⟨th⟩a-sn¿a?⟨ā⟩na-pavitrīkr̥⟨6⟩ta-vapuṣāṁ ca⟨lu⟩kyānāṁ kulam alaṁkariṣṇor vvividh¿ā?⟨a⟩-yu⟨d⟩dh¿ā?⟨a⟩-labdha-ya⟨7⟩śa⟨saḥ⟩ śrī-viṣṇuvarddhana-mahārājasya pautr¿ā?⟨aḥ⟩ para-nr̥pati-makuṭa⟨Page 2r⟩⟨8⟩-taṭa-ghaṭit¿o?⟨ā⟩neka-ma¿n?⟨ṇ⟩i-kiraṇa-¿ra(śi)?⟨rāga⟩-rañjita-caraṇa-yugala¿ḥ?⟨sya⟩ A⟨9⟩neka-tulā-dhr̥ta-ka¡ḷ!⟨l⟩adhauta-d¿a?⟨ā⟩na-pūta-śarīra¿ḥ?⟨sya⟩ samasta-bhuvanāśra⟨10⟩ya-śrī-vijayāditya-mahārājasya priya-tanayaḥ samati¿s?⟨ś⟩a⟨11⟩yita-pitr̥-guṇa⟨ḥ⟩ śakti-sampanna⟨ḥ⟩ samyak-prajā-pālanaḫ parama⟨12⟩-brahmaṇya⟨ḥ⟩ mātā-pitr̥-pād¿a?⟨ā⟩nudhyāta⟨ḥ⟩ sarvva-lokāśraya-śrī-viṣnuva⟨13⟩rddhana-mahārājādhirāja-parameśva⟨ra⟩-bhaṭṭ¿a?⟨ā⟩rakaḥ gudavadi-vi⟨14⟩ṣaye ḻūḷā nāma grāme rāṣṭrakūṭa-pramukhā¿ṁ?⟨n⟩ kuṭ¡i!⟨u⟩⟨ṁ⟩bi⟨Page 2v⟩⟨15⟩na⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvān ittha{M}m ājñāpayati

viditam astu vo ⟨’⟩smābhiḥ karace⟨16⟩ṟu-vāstavyāya ¿A?⟨Ā⟩treya-gotr¿a?⟨ā⟩ya Ā⟨pa⟩stam¿bh?⟨b⟩a-sūtr¿a?⟨ā⟩ya ¡taitriya!⟨taittirīya⟩-sa⟨17⟩brahmac¿a?⟨ā⟩riṇe vasiśa⟨r⟩mmaṇa⟨ḥ⟩ pautrāya mādiśa⟨r⟩mmaṇa⟨ḥ⟩ putrāya ⟨18⟩ ved¿ā?⟨a⟩-vedā⟨ṁ⟩ga-p¿a?⟨ā⟩ragāya sarvvaśa⟨r⟩mmaṇe sū¿jyā?⟨rya⟩-gr¿ā?⟨a⟩haṇa⟨19⟩-nimit⟨t⟩e Udaka{ṁ}-pūrvva⟨ṁ⟩ datt¿ā?⟨aṁ⟩ dvādaśa-khaṇḍika-¡g!⟨k⟩odrava-bīja-pra⟨20⟩m¿a?⟨ā⟩¿n?⟨ṇ⟩aṁ kṣetraṁ pū⟨r⟩vvataḥ Ātrayyaśa⟨r⟩mma-kṣetraṁ⟨.⟩ dakṣiṇ¿e?⟨a⟩taḥ ko⟨21⟩ṟikiyaṟi-sīm¿aḥ?⟨ā⟩⟨.⟩ paścimataḥ godavārī na¿dhi?⟨dī⟩⟨.⟩ Uttarataḥ ⟨Page 3r⟩ ⟨22⟩ borisa(bo)-kṣetraṁ⟨.⟩ Eteṣ¿a?⟨āṁ⟩ m¿ā?⟨a⟩dhy¿ā?⟨a⟩-va⟨r⟩tti⟨.⟩ sarvva-k¿ā?⟨a⟩ra⟨23⟩-parihārī-kr̥tya

I. Anuṣṭubh

Asya dha⟨r⟩mmasya guṇavān{n}

a

ājñapti⟨r⟩ vinayā⟨24⟩nvitaḥ

b

jayarūpa Iti khyāto

c

loke ⟨’⟩smin dharmma-va⟨25⟩tsalaḥ

d

Asyopari na kenacid bādhā karaṇīyā⟨.⟩ karoti ya⟨26⟩s sa pañca-mahāpātaka-saṁyuktaḥ bhavati⟨.⟩ vyāsenāpy uktaM

II. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhi⟨27⟩r vvasu¿d?⟨dh⟩ā dattā

a

bahubhiś cānupālitā

b

yasya yasya yad¿a?⟨ā⟩ bhūmi⟨28⟩s

c

tasya tasya tadā phalaM

d
⟨Page 3v⟩

Apparatus

⟨6⟩ ca⟨lu⟩kyānāṁ • I supply the standard form of the name, but the spelling in many related plates including the practically identical Permmañcili grant of Viṣṇuvardhana IV, is caḷukya. — ⟨6⟩ vvividh¿ā?⟨a⟩-yu⟨d⟩dh¿ā?⟨a⟩- • I second MDS’s emendation. A smaller emendation to vividhāyudha- also yields intelligible text, but compare vividha-yuddha-labdha-vijaya-siddher describing Maṅgi Yuvarāja in the Zulakallu plates of Vijayāditya I and the Eḍeru plates of Vijayāditya I. — ⟨6⟩ -ya⟨7⟩śa⟨saḥ⟩-ya⟨7⟩ś¿a?⟨ā⟩⟨ḥ⟩ MDS.

⟨8⟩ -¿ra(śi)?⟨rāga⟩- ⬦ -ra(ś)⟨m⟩(i)- MDS • MDS’s raśmi is redundant in the context, while rāga occurs in similar or identical phrases in several related grants, including the Permmañcili grant. I suspect that the received reading is also closer to rāga than raśi, but even if this is not the case, I am confident that the former was the composer’s intent. — ⟨8⟩ -yugala¿ḥ?⟨sya⟩-yugalaḥ MDS • In my opinion this phrase refers to Vijayāditya.

⟨9⟩ -śarīra¿ḥ?⟨sya⟩-śarīraḥ MDS • In my opinion this phrase refers to Vijayāditya.

⟨11⟩ -guṇa⟨ḥ⟩-guṇa- MDS. — ⟨11⟩ -pālanaḫ • Although the text is not strictly incorrect as received, the intent was probably -pālana-paraḫ; the omission may be due to haplography of para. Note the identical omission (also involving an upadhmānīya) in line 11 of the Permmañcili grant, where -para is also missing.

⟨12⟩ -lokāśraya- ⬦ -lokāśraya⟨ḥ⟩ MDS • An insignificant detail, but this epithet is used without a nominative ending in almost all related grants. — ⟨12⟩ -mahārājādhirāja- ⬦ -mahārājādhirāja⟨ḥ⟩ MDS • Also an insignificant detail, but this title is used without a nominative ending in many related grants. — ⟨12⟩ ḻūḷā ⬦ lūḷā MDS • MDS prints lūḷā here, in his title and in his discussion. However, the ARIE report gives the name as ḻūḷā, and I think it is much more likely that MDS’s typesetter omitted the diacritic than that the ARIE report misread an l as or misprinted the latter for the former.

⟨15⟩ ittha{M} mājñāpayati • MDS in fact prints “itthamm=ājñāpayati”, noting that “The final m is redundant.” I interpret this to mean that the first of the two transliterated m-s is a final (halanta) form. Note that the exact same spelling idiosyncrasy occurs in line 15 of the Permmañcili grant. — ⟨15⟩ Udaka{ṁ}-pūrvva⟨ṁ⟩ datt¿ā?⟨aṁ⟩Uda⟨ka-pūrvva⟩kaṁ pūrvva- datt¿ā?⟨a⟩ MDS.

⟨20⟩ Ātrayyaśa⟨r⟩mma- ⬦ ¡Ātrayya!⟨Ātreya⟩śa⟨r⟩mma- MDS • I prefer not to emend the name.

Translation by Dániel Balogh

(1–15) Greetings. The grandson of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Viṣṇuvardhana (III) who acquired glory in diverse battles and who was eager to adorn the lineage of the majestic Calukyas—who are of the Mānavya gotra which is praised by the entire world, who are sons of Hāritī, who attained kingship by the grace of Kauśikī’s boon, who are protected by the band of Mothers, who were deliberately appointed (to kingship) by Lord Mahāsena, to whom the realms of adversaries instantaneously submit at the mere sight of the superior Boar emblem they have acquired by the grace of the divine Nārāyaṇa, and whose bodies have been hallowed through washing in the purificatory ablutions (avabhr̥tha) of the Aśvamedha sacrifice—; the dear son of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Vijayāditya (I), shelter of the entire universe (samasta-bhuvanāśraya), whose pair of feet are tinted by the hues of the rays from the many gems fitted to the surfaces of the crowns of enemy kings, whose body has been purified by the donation of gold weighed in many a balance scale:1 [namely] His Majesty the supremely pious Supreme Lord (parameśvara) of Emperors (mahārājādhirāja) and Sovereign (bhaṭṭāraka) Viṣṇuvardhana (IV), shelter of all the world (sarva-lokāśraya), who was deliberately appointed [as heir] by his mother and father, thoroughly surpassing the virtues of his father, endowed with power (śakti), competently protecting his subjects, commands all householders (kuṭumbin)—including foremost the territorial overseers (rāṣṭrakūṭa)—who reside in the village named Ḻūḷā in Gudavadi district (viṣaya) as follows.

(15–23) Let it be known to you that to Sarvaśarman, a resident of Karaceṟu of the Taittirīya school, belonging to the Āpastamba sūtra and the Ātreya gotra, who is thoroughly learned in the Veda and Vedāṅga, the grandson of Vasiśarman and son of Mādiśarman, we have given on the occasion of an eclipse of the sun, [the donation being] sanctified by (a libation of) water and exempt from all taxes, a field of an extent (sufficient for sowing) twelve khaṇḍikas of kodrava seed. [Its boundaries are] to the east, the field of Ātrayyaśarman. To the south, the border of Koṟikiyaṟi. To the west, the river Godavārī. To the north, the field of Borisabo. It is situated in the midst of these [boundaries]. Having been exempted from all taxes.

I
The virtuous and disciplined executor (ājñapti) of this provision (dharma) is known in this world as Jayarūpa and is fond of lawfulness (dharma). Let no-one pose an obstacle (to the enjoyment of rights) over it. He who does so shall be conjoined with the five great sins. Vyāsa too has said:

(25–26) Let no-one pose an obstacle (to the enjoyment of rights) over it. He who does so shall be conjoined with the five great sins. Vyāsa too has said:

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.

Commentary

Bibliography

Reported in Chhabra 19??, p. 6, appendices A/1946-47, № 6 with discussion at Chhabra 19??, p. 1. Reportedly (Sampath 1996, p. 170) published by Subramanyam (no other name available) in the Journal of Andhra History and Culture, Vol. II, No. 4, Jan 1945, pp. 109-105 (not traced). Edited, perhaps from the original, by M. D. Sampath (1996), without facsimiles or translation. The present edition by Dániel Balogh thus follows Sampath unless otherwise noted in the apparatus, except for the silent correction of obvious typographic errors.

Primary

[MDS] Sampath, M. D. 1996. “Lūḷā grant of Vishṇuvardhana.” In: Gauravaṁ: Recent researches in Indology (Prof. B.K. Gururaja Rao felictation volume). Edited by K. V. Ramesh, V. Shivananda, M. D. Sampath and L. N. Swamy. New Delhi: Harman Publishing House, pp. 170–174.

Secondary

Chhabra, Bahadur Chand. 19?? Annual report on Indian epigraphy for 1946-47. [Delhi]: [Manager of Publications (Department of Archaeology)]. Page 6, appendixes A/1946-47, item 6.

Chhabra, Bahadur Chand. 19?? Annual report on Indian epigraphy for 1946-47. [Delhi]: [Manager of Publications (Department of Archaeology)]. Page 1.

Notes

  1. 1. That is, gold weighed on a scale against his body, the tulāpuruṣa mahādāna.