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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA No. 3.─ MADRAS MUSEUM PLATES OF VEMA ; A.D. 1345. BY. J. RAMAYYA, B.A., B.L. This inscription is engraved on five copper-plates which are deposited in the Madras Museum, and I edit it from ink-impressions kindly furnished to me by Prof. Hultzsch. The plates are engraved on both sides, except the first plate which is engraved on one side only. The ring and seal are missing. The letters are bold and legible. The characters are of the old Telugu type. The language is Sanskṛit, except the portion describing the boundaries of the village of Âtukûru, which is in Telugu. The inscription opens with an invocation to the boar-incarnation of Vishṇu (verse 1), whose feet gave birth to the fourth caste (v. 2). In that caste was born Vêmaya, the founder of a family (vaṁśa-kartâ, v. 3). To him was born the great hero Kômaṭi-Prôla (v. 4), whose wife was Annemâmbâ (v. 5). To Kômaṭi-Prôla, Annemâmbâ bore five sons :─ Mâcha, Vêma, Doḍḍaya, Annaya and Mallaya (v. 6). Of these Vêma ruled the earth (v. 8). He was the torrent of a mighty river to the trees which were rebellious neighbouring kings, the full-moon to the water-lilies which were friendly kings, the wind to the cotton which was the mad manne chiefs,[4] a very Agastya to the ocean which was the Mlêchchhas[5] (v. 9), and bore the biruda Râyachêkôlugaṇḍa (v. 10). King Vêma restored all the agrahâras of Brâhmaṇas, which had been taken away by the wicked Mlêchchha kings from (the time of) king Vîra-Rudra of the Kâkati-vaṁśa (v. 12). King Vêma, surnamed Śrî-Pallava-Trinêtra, was a bee on the lotus-flowers which were the feet of the preceptor named Ghôḍerâya-Gaṅga[6] (v. 13). Vêma’s ___________________________________________________________
[4] The reference seems to be to the hill-chiefs whom Vêma vanquished.
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