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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA of a debtor, for whom security had been furnished, neither handcuffs nor guards at court were necessary. When no pratibhū was furnished, the court had to arrange for the person’s watch and the cost of it had to be borne by the parties.[1] 24. Varshāsu sva-vishayāt bīj-ārtham=āgataka-karshakāḥ svāminā na grāhyāḥ. Cultivators coming out of their areas for sowing seeds during the rainy season were not to be apprehended or engaged by the king or landlord in free labour.[2] 25. Āshāḍha-māsi Paushē cha drashṭavyaṁ māna-pautavam ; ādānē rūpakaḥ sa-pādaḥ saha dhārmikēṇa. The māna-pautava[3] which had to be examined in the month as Āshāḍha and Pausha seems to have been a store-house where grains were measured and stored. Possibly there were two kinds of store-houses, one working on a small fee and the other working free of charges ; but there was no reduction of the tax for the latter. Ādāna no doubt refers to the collection of tax and dhārmika seems to point to an extraordinary case somehow associated with religious merit or, as suggested by No. 65 below, with permission or grace of the authorities. It is also possible to think that dhārmika was a cess payable in addition to the usual tax. The terms ādāna and dhārmika are frequently mentioned in the latter part of the document. 26. A-saṁvādya vyavaharataḥ śulk-ādikaṁ cha dhāny-ādi pravēśayatō nishkāśayatō vā śulkam= ashṭa-guṇaṁ dāpyaḥ. It seems to be related to No. 25 above. If a store-house collected fees and stored and disposed of grains without informing the royal officials, it had to pay eight times the usual tax, i.e. ten silver coins. This may also refer to the bringing and taking out of goods without official checkup in regard to matters of śulka, etc., as per the rulers laid down.[4]
27. Pēṭavika-vārikēṇa pañcha-rātrakē pañcha-rātrakē kartavyam=arggha-nivēdanam ; anivēdayatō Vinayē[5] rūpakāḥ shaḍ=dhārmikē pādaḥ. The Pēṭavika-vārika appears to be a particular class of vārika or official that was responsible for the delivery of the rāj-ārgghikā received from the subjects once in five days. The word pēṭavika is possibly associated with Marathi pēṭhā (sub-division of a Taluk) or pēṭh (a trading town or an emporium). The fine for non-delivery was six silver coins ; but, in the case of dhārmika, i.e. when there was any reasonable excuse, the fine was only one-fourth silver coin. Vinaya[6] means ‘fine’. It is also possible that the āchāra refers to the rule that, every five days, the official should fix prices (arggha) of commodities and inform the higher authorities about the prices so fixed.[7] 28. Uttarakulika-vārikaiḥ māna-bhāṇḍa-mēya-gatē bahir=na gantavyam. Uttarakulika, like pēṭavika, possibly meant another class of vārika or official. The Uttarakulikas appear to have been associated with the law-court. In cases of disputes in regard to the measurement, the measuring pot or the thing measured, such officers were possibly not allowed to go out of the court to be influenced by one party or the other. 29. Uttarakulika-vārikāṇām=ēva karaṇa-sannidhau Chhātrēṇa trir=āghushitānāṁ nirupasthānād= vinayē rūpaka-dvayaṁ sa-pādaṁ saha dhārmikēṇa. Karaṇa apparently means adhikaraṇa, ‘a law-court’, and Chhātra seems to indicate a peon or a constable. Karaṇa as a contraction of adhikaraṇa __________________________________________________
[1] Cf. Yājñavalkya Smṛiti, N. S. Press ed., p. 126, quoted from Kātyāyana : atha chēt pratibhūr=n=āsti
kārya-yōgyas=tu vādinaḥ | sa rakshitō dinagy=āntē dadyād=bhṛityāya vētanam ||
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