North Indian Inscriptions

SATYAMANGALAM PLATES OF DEVARAYA II.

from the ring-holes to the edges, and thus damaged some of the writing. With this exception, and except that four aksharas are broken away at the edges, the plates are well preserved.

......The size of the letters is about ¼’’. The characters are Nâgarî, similar to, but more modern than, those of the Gôrâkhpur copper-plate grant of Jayâdutya of Vijayapura.¹ The language is Sanskṛit. Lines 31-41 are in prose ; the rest of the inscription, excepting the introductory ôṁ svasti, is in verse. As regards orthography, the letter b is throughout denoted by the sign for v ; the guttural nasal is used instead of anusvâra before the palatal sibilant, in aṅśubhiḥ, line 2, prâṅśur, line 7, and in the word vaṅśa, in lines 14 and 19 ; and the vowel ṛi is employed instead of ṛi in tṛibhuvana, line 6, and tṛiyârshêya (for triyârshêya = tryârshêya), line 38. The language is simple, but not always correct ; and though the general sense is plain enough, it is in one or two passages impossible to construe the words properly, and to make out with certainty what the writer exactly meant to say.

......The inscription is one of the illustrious Mâdhavavarman (line 30), who, from his residence at Kaiṅgôda (line 29), informs his officials and the people generally that, on the occasion of a solar eclipse, he gave the village of Puipiṇa (line 36), which was in the Khadira pâṭṭaka of the Guḍḍa vishaya, to the Bhaṭṭa Vâmana (line 40), who was a son of Âdityadêva and grandson of Vâmana, and a student of the Taittirîya charaṇa, of the Harita gôtra, and with the threefold pravara Âṅgirasa, Âmbarîsha² and Yauvanâśva.

......After the words ôṁ svasti, the inscription opens with two verses, one of which invokes the protection of the god Śaṁbhu (Śiva), while the other glorifies the donor, here called the Râjêndra Mâdhavêndra. Verses 3-12 then give the genealogy of the donor. The first personage spoken of is Pulindasêna, ‘famous amongst the peoples of Kaliṅga.’ He, although endowed with many excellent qualities (a lofty stature, strong arms, a broad chest, etc.), did not covet sovereignty for himself, but rather worshipped Brahman, in order that the god might create a fit ruler of the land. And Brahman granted his wish, and created, apparently out of a rock, the lord Śailôdbhava (verse 5), who became the founder of a distinguished family. In this family was born Raṇabhîta (verse 6) ; his son was the lord of the earth Sainyabhîta (verse 7) ; in his family Yaśôbhîta was born (verse 8) ; his son again was Sainyabhîta (verse 9) ; and his son was the powerful and pious prince Mâdhavavarman (verses 10-12). Beyond the indication that these chiefs ruled in the country of Kaliṅga, nothing of importance is reported of any of them. Verse 12 is followed by the part formal part of the grant, the contents of which have been given above. Here I would only add that the list of officials, in lines 31-33, is a fairly long one, and that it includes officials termed antaraṅga, vaiśvâsika, and pattalaka, who are not met with ordinarily. The formal part of the grant closes with the usual admonition not to disturb the donee in the enjoyment of the land granted to him, and is followed, in lines 42-49, by five of the customary benedictive and imprecatory verses. The second verse, and evidently the third, fourth and fifth too, are stated to be a quotation from the Law of Manu (Mânava Dharma, line 44 f.). Another verse informs us that the grant was written by Upêndrasiṅgha, the son of Kuṇḍabhôgin, remarked³ (?) by Jayasiṅgha, and engraved by Daḍḍibhôgin. The inscription closes with the statement that the dûtaka for this grant was the pratihârin Gaṅgabhadra.

......The inscription is not dated, and I have not found the names of any of the chiefs mentioned in it in other inscriptions ; nor am I able to identify the localities which are spoken of in this grant.
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......¹ See Ind. Ant. Vol. XXI. p. 169.
......² In the original this name is written Aṁvarhasha and Amvarsha.
......³ The term of the original is lâñchhita ; I am not sure about the exact meaning of it. It occurs again in line 35 of the copper-plates of Vidyâdhara Bhañja, where Dr. Râjêndralâl Mitra has translated it by. ‘marked (sealed) ;’ see Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. LVI. Part i. p. 159.