South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

I may further point out that in the wording of the formal part of the grants also the two inscriptions of Dadda Praśântarâga referred to above agree most closely with the inscription here edited. We find in them exactly the same list of officials to whom the order is addressed (sarvân=êva râja-sâmanta-bhôgika-vishayapati-râshṭragrâmamahattar-âdhikârik-âdîn) ;the same technical and other terms applied to the village granted (from êsha grâmaḥ to putra-pautrânvaya-bhôgyaḥ in lines 20-22 of the present inscription) ; with the exception of a single word, the same form of appeal to future rulers to preserve the grant, and, with the omission of one verse, the same benedictive and imprecatory verses, given in the same order. And one cannot help asking oneself how very different all this might have been, if the existing Gurjara grants of Śaka-Saṁvat 400, 415 and 417^[1] were really genuine documents.

Of the localities mentioned in this inscription, Ânandapura, from where the grant was issued, probably is the same Ânandapura from where the Alînâ grant of Śîlâditya VII. Dhrûbhaṭa of Valabhî of the year 447 was issued, and which has been identified by Dr. Fleet^[2] with the modern Ânand, the chief town of the Ânand subdivision of the Kaira district. And Bharukachchha, so often mentioned elsewhere, is the modern Broach. Ḍêbhaka, the place of residence of the donee, apparently is Dabka,^[3] a village in the Baroda State, about 8 miles west of Pâdre and 40 miles north of Broach. On the remaining localities Dr. Fleet, who at my request has kindly searched the sheets No. 22, S. E. (1883) and No. 36, S. W. (1897) of the Indian Atlas, of which copies were not accessible to me, has sent me the following note :─ “ The Gôrajjâ of this grant must be the ‘ Goraj ’ of sheet No. 36, in lat. 22o 20′, long. 73o 32′, in the Hâlôl subdivision of the Pañch Mahâls : it is shewn as a town or large village 11 miles on the south of Hâlôl, and is about 54 miles towards the north-east-by-north from Broach. Kumârivaḍaô must be the ‘ Kawarwara ’ of sheet No. 22, about 11miles towards the west-south-west from ‘ Goraj,’ and about 8 miles east-south-east from Baroda ; it is about 24 miles almost due east of ‘ Dabka.’ And Bṛihannârikâ must be the ‘ Banaiya ’ of the same sheet, 4½ miles on the south of ‘ Kawarwara.’ ”

TEXT.^[4]

First Plate ; Second Side.

1 Ôṁ^[5] svasti [||*] Vijaya-skandhâvârâd=Ânandapura-vâsakâch=chharad-upagama- prasanna-gaganatala-vimala-vipulê vividha-purusharatna-guṇa-
2 kiraṇa-nikar-âvabhâsitê mahâsa[t*]tv-âpâśraya-durllaṅghê gâmbhîryyavati sthity- anupâlana-parê mahôdadhâv=iva Kaṭa[chch]u-^[6]
3 rîṇâm=anvayê sakala-jana-manôharayâ chandrikay=êva kîrty[â] bhuvanam= avabhâsayann=â janmana êva Paśupati-samâśra-
4 ya-parah=kalaṅka-dôsha-rahitah=kula-kumudavana-lakshmî-vibôdhanaś=chandramâ iva Śrî-Kṛishṇarâjô yas=saṁśraya-viśê- 5 sha-lôbhâd=iva sakalair=âbhigâmikair=itaraiś=cha guṇair=upêtaḥ saṁpanna-prakṛiti- maṇḍalô yathâvad=âtmany=âhita-śakti-
6 siddhir=yyêna cha ruchira-vaṅśa-^[7]śôbhinâ niyatam=askhalita-dâna-prasarêṇa prathita- bala-garimṇâ vanavâraṇa-yûtha-
7 pên=êv=âviśaṅkaṁ vicharatâ vana-râjaya iv=âvanamitâ diśô yasya cha śastram= âpanna-trâṇâya vigrahah=par-â-
8 bhimâna-bhaṅgâya śikshitaṁ vinayâya vibhav-ârjjanaṁ pradânâya pradânaṁ dharmmâya dharmmaś=śrêyô-vâptayê tasya putraḥ

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^[1] See my List of Northern Inscr. Nos. 347-349.
^[2] See Gupta Inscr. p. 173.
^[3] See the Gazetteer of the Bombay Pres. Vol. VII. p. 542.
^[4] From impressions supplied by Dr. Hultzsch.
^[5] Expressed by a symbol.
^[6] The consonants of the akshara chchu are not clear in the impressions, but I do not think that the akshara can be read differently.
^[7] Read –vaṁśa-.