North Indian Inscriptions

TORKHEDE PLATES OF GOVINDARAJA.

......(L. 14.)— And it has been said :— The earth has been enjoyed by many kings, commencing with Sagara ; whosever at any time possesses the earth, to him belongs, at that time, the reward (of this grant that is now made, if he continue it) ! The give of land enjoys happiness in heaven for sixty thousand years ; (but) the confiscator (of a grant), and he who assents to (an act of confiscation), shall dwell for the same number of years in hell ! O Yudhishṭhira, best of kings, carefully preserve land that has previously been given to the twice-born ; (verily) the preservation (of a grant) is more meritorious than making a grant ! Whosever confiscates land that has been given, whether by himself or by another,— he is born as a worm in ordure, and is consumed together with (his) deceased ancestors ! Those grants, productive of religion and wealth and fame, which have been formerly given here (on earth) by (previous) kings, (are) like worn-out garlands ; verily, what good man would take them back again ? He who grants land, (whether simply) ploughed, (or) planted with seed, (or) full of crops,— he is treated with honour in heaven, for as long as the worlds, created by the sun, endure !

......(L. 20.)— Let prosperity attend the writer, the reader, and the hearers ! Ôm !

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No. 9.— TORKHEDE COPPER-PLATE GRANT OF THE TIME OF
GOVINDARAJA OF GUJARAT.- SAKA-SAMVAT 735.

BY J. F. FLEET, I.C.S., PH.D., C.I.E.

......I owe the opportunity of editing this inscription, which is now brought to notice for the first time, to the kindness of Mr. C. G. Dodgson, I.C.S. (Bombay), who sent me the original plates, for examination, in 1891. They were obtained from Dêvarâo bin Balwantrâo Kadambâṇḍê Jâhâgîrdâr, a resident of the village of Tôrkhêḍê, in the Shâhâdê Tâlukâ, Khândêsh District.

......The plates are three in number, each measuring about 11⅝’’ by 8½’’. The edges of them were fashioned somewhat thicker than the inscribed portions, so as to serve as rims to protect the writing ; and, though the plates have been a good deal corroded by rust, there are but very few letters which are not in a perfect state of preservation.— The plates are strung on two rings. One of them is about ¼’’ thick ; and, though now bent out of shape, was probably originally circular, about 2½’’ in diameter : it has been severed ; but it shews indications of having been soldered up, to make an actual ring. The other is about ⅜’’ thick : part of it is roughly oval, measuring about 3½’’ by 2½’’ ; and it ends in two straight, pointed extremities, which were intended for soldering into a seal : the total length is about 5½’’. The seal is not forthcoming.— The weight of the three plates is 434 tolas ; and of the two rings, 18¾ tolas : total, 452¾ tolas.— The characters belong to the southern class of alphabets, and are of the regular type of the period to which the record refers itself. It should be noted that two forms of l occur ; they are both illustrated in lâlita, line 10, and again in lallaḥ, line 35. The average size of the letters is about ¼’’. The engraving is good, bold, and fairly deep ; but, the plates being substantial, the letters do not show through on the reverse sides. The interiors of some of them shew marks, as usual, of the working of the engraver’s tool.— The language is Sanskṛit. There are two of the customary benedictive and imprecatory verses in lines 47, 48, but, otherwise, there are verses only in lines 6 to 14. The language is mostly accurate : but the construction is bad in the passage that contains the names of the various grantees ; and a corrupt or Prâkṛit word, uchchharpaṇa for utsarpaṇa, is used in line 22.— In respect of orthography, the only points calling for special notice are (1) the use of ṅ, instead of the anusvâra, in ºâṅśô, line 35 ; (2) the omission of a t, for metrical purposes, in jagatuṅga, line 6 ; (3) the doubling of t before r in pauttra, line 18, mâtâpittrôr, line 20, agnihôttra, line 22, sagôttra, lines 23 to 39 (except in the subsequent addition to line 39), puttra, lines 24, 25,