South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

Chaürayya, Prabhu Jakkarasa and the eight hiṭṭus. The village Ekaṁchi was a dēvavāḍa of the god Koppanātha at Telasaṁga included in the tract of Kaṇaṁbaḍe Three Hundred which was under the authority of Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara Sahadēva-Nāyaka. The gift was made in the presence of the god Kalidēva by smearing with flour.

Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara Sahadēva-Nāyaka of the present record is apparently identical with Sahadēva of the Kokaṭnūr inscription^[1] (1235 A.C.) and Sahadēva Daṇḍanātha of the Maṅkaṇi epigraph (1205 A.C.).^[2] It is noteworthy that all these three records belong to the reign of Siṁhaṇa. In the Maṅkaṇi inscription Sahadēva is said to be ruling over Tardavāḍi 1000 ; but in the Kokaṭnūr charter no definite area is assigned to him, nor does he bear a designation. Still, the latter speaks of his conquests over such far-off regions as Māḷava, Maleyāḷa and Āndhra. It may be surmised from this that by this time he had risen to a high position by dint of his prowess. In the Kokaṭṇūr epigraph Nāgarasa is said to be ruling over the tract of Kaṇaṁbaḍe, implying thereby that Sahadēva exercised authority over a wider region.

The place-names mentioned in the inscription are : Kaṇaṁbaḍe Three-Hundred, Telasaṅga and Ekaṁchi. Of these Kaṇaṁbaḍe Three-Hundred and Telasaṅga occur in a number of inscriptions of this area. Kaṇaṁbaḍe is identified with Kanmaḍi, about 10 miles north-north-east of Telsang, in the Bijapur taluk of the Bijapur District, by Dr. Fleet.^[3] Telasaṅga is the present Telsang in the Athni taluk, about 22 miles east of Athṇi. The name appears as Tiḷasaṅga, Telasaṅga, Telasaṅgava and Teḷasaṅga in the inscriptions of the place.^[4] Of these, Tiḷasaṅga appears to be the older form. Ekaṁchi, the village where the record was found, still retains its old name in the form Ekkañchi. The inscription refers to the god Koppanātha of Ekaṁchi. But no such god and temple exist in this place at present. In fact, there are no ancient or mediaeval temples in the village or round about it. The Hanumān temple, where the present epigraph is kept, does no appear to be old.^[5]

My thanks are due to Mr. P. B. Desai of the Office of the Government Epigraphist for India for having kindly revised this article.

TEXT^[6]

1 Svasti [|*] Śrī-Sa(Śa)ka-varshaṁ 11^[4]7neya Pārtti(rthi)va-saṁvatsara[da]
2 Kārtti ba^[7] 11 Bri(Bṛi) vā^[8] śrī-Siṁhaṇadēvana rā[jya]-
3 daṁdu śrīmanu(n)-mahāmaṁḍaḷēsva(śva)raṁ Sahadēva-nā-
4 yakan=āḷva maṁ[ḍa]ḷaṁ Kaṇaṁbaḍe-mūnūrar=oḷagaṇa
5 śrīmatu Telasaṁgada Kopanātha-dēvara dēvavāḍ Ekaṁ-
6 chiya Koppanātha-dēvar=āchāryya Vīrabhadra Hegaḍe [Sau]-
7 ḍayya Sūḷavāḷ Chaü[ra]yya prabhu Ja[kka]rasa mukhya-

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^[1] Karnataka Inscriptions, Vol. II, p. 131.
^[2] B. K. Coll., No. 264 of 1927-28.
^[3] Ind. Ant., Vol. XIX, pp. 268 ff.
^[4] Karnatak Inscriptions, Vol. II, Nos. 15, 18, 21 and 27. Some old remains are scattered in the southern and south eastern side of Telsang, which merit excavation. Recently, a finely carved image of Vishṇu, excellently preserved, was found in a field near the village while digging a pit, at about 10 feet below the surface.
^[5] It has, however, to be noted that sculptured stones like satī stones and hero stones, Gajalakshmī tablet and Śiva in sitting posture, all worn out or party mutilated, are found fixed round this temple.
^[6] In situ and from ink-impressions prepared by me.
^[7] Kārtti ba appears to be an abbreviation of Kārttika bahuḷa.
^[8] The abbreviation Bṛi vā stands for Bṛihaspativāra.