North Indian Inscriptions

JAMBUKESVARA INSCRIPTION OF VALAKA-KAMAYA.

No. 13.─ UDAYENDIRAM PLATES OF THE BANA KING VIKRAMADITYA II.

BY F. KIELHORN, PH.D., C.I.E. ; GÖTTINGEN.

......An edition of this inscription, or rather, of these fragments of two different inscriptions, of the Bâṇa king Vikramâditya II. has already been published by the Rev. T. Foulkes in the Indian Antiquary, Vol. XIII. pp. 6 ff. and in the Manual of the Salem District, Vol. II. pp. 388 ff. For my revised text I have used excellent impressions received from Dr. Hultzsch, to whom the original plates, which are at Udayêndiram, in the Guḍiyâtam tâlukâ of the North Arcot district, were lent by the Acting Collector of the district, Mr. F. A. Nicholson, I.C.S.

......The copper-plates are four in number. Three of them, the first of which is inscribed on one side only, are the first, second, and third plates of a grant of which the concluding part is missing. And the fourth plate, which, like the second and third plates, is inscribed on both sides, is an odd, probably the third, plate of another grant, of which both the beginning and the end are missing. Each plate measures about 8⅝’’ broad by 3 9/16’’ high, and all have raised rims to protect the writing. The odd plate closely resembles the others, the other plates. The plates are held together by a ring, about 4¾’’ in diameter. This ring, which is cut, holds a circular seal, about 2” in diameter. The seal bears in relief a recumbent bull, which faces the proper right, reclining on a ornamental pedestal, and having a lamp on each side. At the top is a parasol between two chaurîs.

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The engraving is good, and the writing is almost throughout in a perfect state of preservation.― The size of the letters is between ⅛” and ¼”.― The characters are Grantha, with the exception of the Tamil word pugalvippavar (Plate iii. a, line 39), which is written in Tamil characters.¹ As a photo-lithograph of the inscription is published herewith, I need not attempt a detailed description of the Grantha characters ; but in the original are very similar to each other ; and that also more than once I have failed to recognise in the impressions the superscript r of conjunct consonants.― The language is Sanskṛit. Of the inscription on plates i-iii. lines 1-44, excepting the introductory svasti śrî[ḥ], are in verse, and lines 45-51 in prose. Line 1 to nearly the middle of line 13 of the odd plate give the verses in lines 32-44 of the other plates, while the remaining lines contain a prose passage which differs from the corresponding passage at the end of plate iii. As regargds orthography, attention may be drawn to the promiscuous use of the letters t and d, t being employed eighteen times instead of d, and d six times instead of t ; to the employment of the conjunct tsh instead of ksh, which occurs five times ; to the incorrect use of the Grantha final m instead of the anusvâra at the end of words ; and to the frequent omission of the sign of visarga. In respect of grammar, it may be pointed out that line 5 of the plate i. contains the wrong word mathitum-manas (for mathitu-manas, which would not have suited the metre).

......Plates i-iii. contain the commencement of an inscription which recorded a grant made by the Bâṇa king Vijayabâhu Vikramâditya in favour of some Brâhmaṇs residing at Udayêndumaṅgala. The inscription, after two verses invoking the blessings of the gods Śiva and Nârâyaṇa (Vishṇu), gives the following genealogy of the donor :―

......First there was regent of the Asuras, Bali (line 11) ; his son was the foe of the gods.
.................Baṇa (line 15) ; and in his lineage was born Bâṇâdhirâja (line 17). When Bâṇâ-
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......¹ The same word occurs on the odd plate (l. 8), where it is written in Grantha characters, except the letter l. which is peculiar to the Tamil alphabet and language.