South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

for (conquering) the earth (ku) ,^[1] is very liberal ; who, though very fierce enemies, is of gentle^[2] aspect ; who, though adorned with majesty (bhûti), is not cruel in disposition (while Śiva is both smeared with ashes (bhûti) and cruel in disposition) ;

(L. 14.) who, moreover, is never satisfied in acquiring merit, but the contrary in accumulating wealth ; who is devoid of anger, but not of power ; who is covetous of fame, but not of taking the property of others ; who is fond of clever remarks, but not of playing with women ; who by the fire of (his) valour burns the families of all (his) enemies (like) heaps of cotton ; who by the mass of (his) fame, white as the mountain of ice, illuminates the quarters ; who is handsome b6y nature ;

(L. 18.) the son of the glorious Nannadêva,─ (who was) the son of the glorious Indrabala (and) adorned the race of Pâṇḍu,─ the glorious Mahâśiva-Tîvararâja, who has acquired the sovereignty of the whole of Kôsala ; who by the abundance of his merit has allayed all the calamities of the world ; who has removed all thorns (or small enemies) with the needle of his wisdom ; (who is) a devout worshipper of Vishṇu ; (and) who meditates on the feet of (his) mother and father,─ issues (the followings) command to the inhabitants of Meṅkiḍḍaka, which belongs to (the district of) Sundarikâmârga :-

(L. 22.) “Be it known to you that, for the increase of the merit of (our) mother and father and of ourselves, we have granted this village, to be enjoyed as long as the world endures in which terrible darkness is dispelled by the rays of the sun, the moon and the stars ; together with treasures ; together with deposits ; not to be entered by regular or irregular troops ; accompanied by all taxes ; in order to feed daily thirty Brâhmaṇas or other men who happen to arrive (and) who use the rest-house established at Bilvapadraka at the request of (our) beloved son-in-law, the glorious Nannarâja, who has obtained the five great sounds ; and under the condition that (this charity) has to be maintained by the (local) authority.^[3]

(L. 29.) “Knowing this, you shall dwell in happiness, delivering (to the sattra) the proper share of the enjoyment.”

(L. 30.) And the following is addressed to future rulers of the earth.
[Here follow two of the customary verses.]
[L. 34.] And with referred to this they quote (the following) verses sung by Vyâsa.
[Here follow four other verses.]
(L. 40.) The year 9 in the increasing reign of victory ; the 27th day of Jyêshṭha.
(L 41.) (This edict was) engraved by Boppaṇâga, the son of the goldsmith^[4] Sottraṇâga.

Seal.

(V. 8.) This edict, the object of which is the increase of merit, of the glorious Tîvaradêva, the sovereign of Kôsala, (shall) endure as long as the moon and the stars.
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^[1] In order to understand the virôdha, the primary meaning of ku-tṛishṇâ, viz. ‘mean greed,’ must be also kept in mind.
^[2] Saumya means also ‘moon-like,’ while the word prachaṇḍa, ‘very fierce,’ hints a comparison with the sun (chaṇḍaṁśu).
^[3] Or, perhaps, ‘by the town (of Bilvapadraka).’ The meaning of adhishṭhâna is doubtful.
^[4] Âskaśâlika is a Sanskṛit form of the Kanarese akkasâliga or akkasâle (above, Vol. III. p. 213), ‘a goldsmith,’ which Dr. Kittel (Kannaḍa-English Dictionary, s.v. aka, 2) derives from arka, ‘metal.’ In the Eastern Gaṅga copper-plates we find the Prâkṛit form akhas [â]lin (above, Vol. III. p. 19) and the (apparently erroneous) Sanskṛit forms akshaśâlin (Ind. Ant. Vol. XVIII. p. 145) nd âkshaśâlika (ibid. Vol. XIII. p. 123). The ârkaśâlika has to be distinguished from the akshapaṭalika, an officer who wrote grants, but did not engrave them ; see above, Vol. IV. pp. 126 and 128, and compare ibid. pp. 121, 129 and 210. Professor Bühler’s and Monsieur Senart’s remarks (Indische Palæographic, p. 94 f., and p. 69 above) have to be modified in accordance with this result.