South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

Nayâṅkura, Taruṇâṅkura and Lalitâṅkura.^[1] Thus the first plate of the inscription supplies the following short Pallava genealogy :─

The syllables which follow the word Chârudêvî at the end of the first plate can be read and restored with the help of the corresponding portions of four cognate inscriptions.

Nâsik, No. 3, l. 11 (p. 65 above), and No. 4, l. 2 (p. 71 above)─ ânapayati Govadhane amacha[ṁ *].

Mayidavôlu plates, l. 3 f. (above, Vol. VI. p. 86)─ Dhaṁñakaḍe vâpataṁ ânapayati.
Koṇḍamudi plates, l. 6 f. (ibid. p. 315 f.)─ ânapayati Kûdûre vâpataṁ.

On the strength of these analogous cases I propose to read at the end of line 4─ Ka[ḍake] vîya . . , to correct the second word to vija . . , and to restore viyâpataṁ, which is another possible Prâkṛit form of vâpataṁ in the Mayidavôlu and Koṇḍamudi plates. It is true that the verb ânapayati is missing in our inscription ; but the same is the case in the first sentence of the Hîrahaḍagalli plates.^[2] As in that document, we seem to have here a sort of official preamble, corresponding to the address of a modern letter─ ‘ Chârudêvî to the official at Ka[ḍaka].’ As regards this Prâkṛit word, its Sanskṛit equivalent is Kaṭaka, but the name cannot refer to the town of Cuttack in Orissa, which is far to the north of the Pallava territory. Besides, it must be borne in mind that the second and third syllables of Ka[ḍake] are injured, and that the true reading of the word may after all be a different one.

The remainder of the inscription refers to a gift of land made by Chârudêvî. This land must have been situated in Ka[ṭaka], to the officer in charge of which place the order was addressed. The grant consisted of a field near the ‘ King’s Tank.’ The recipient was a temple of Nârâyaṇa (Vishṇu) at Dâlûra (l. 7), a place which I am unable to trace. The Âjñapti (or Dûtaka) was Rôhiṇîgupta (l. 16).

TEXT.^[3]

First Plate.

Siddha ||^[4]

1 Siri-Vijaya-Khandava[m]ma-mahârâjassa saṁvvachchhar[â] . . [|*]
2 yuvamahârâjassa Bhâraddâyassa Pal[l]avâ-
3 ṇaṁ si[r]i-Vijaya-Buddhavammassa devî [Bu]ddhi . ^[5]
4 kura-janavî^[6] Chârudevî Ka[ḍake] vîya . . ^[7] [|*]

Second Plate ; First Side.

5 Râjatalâka-heṭ[ṭh]e pâṇiya . ^[8]
6 pâd=uttare pâse Âtukassa kasita . ^[9]
7 chhettaṁ Dâlûre Kûḷi-Mahâtaraka-^[10]devakula[ssâ]
________________________________________________________

^[1] South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. I. pp. 3 and 5 ; Vol. II. p. 341 ; above, Vol. VI. p. 320.
^[2] Ep. Ind. Vol. I. p. 5, text lines 1-6.
^[3] From ink-impressions received from Dr. Fleet.
^[4]On the left margin of the plate.
^[5] The subscribed l of the second syllable of Pallavâ- in line 2 has obliged the engraver to place the syllable ddhi too low, the top of the i being on a level with the top of the broken syllable bu.─ Restore Buddhiyaṁkura-.
^[6] Read –jananî.
^[7] Read viyâpataṁ.
^[8] Restore pâṇiya-kûpâd=.
^[9]Restore kasitavvaṁ.
^[10] Read –Mahâtâraka-; Mahânaraka, which is another possible reading, would be a very unusual name for a temple.