The Indian Analyst
 

South Indian Inscriptions

 

 

Contents

Index

Introduction

Contents

List of Plates

Additions and Corrections

Images

Contents

Bhandarkar

T. Bloch

J. F. Fleet

Gopinatha Rao

T. A. Gopinatha Rao and G. Venkoba Rao

Hira Lal

E. Hultzsch

F. Kielhorn

H. Krishna Sastri

H. Luders

Narayanasvami Ayyar

R. Pischel

J. Ramayya

E. Senart

V. Venkayya

G. Venkoba Rao

J. PH. Vogel

Index

Other South-Indian Inscriptions 

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

Vol. 4 - 8

Volume 9

Volume 10

Volume 11

Volume 12

Volume 13

Volume 14

Volume 15

Volume 16

Volume 17

Volume 18

Volume 19

Volume 20

Volume 22
Part 1

Volume 22
Part 2

Volume 23

Volume 24

Volume 26

Volume 27

Tiruvarur

Darasuram

Konerirajapuram

Tanjavur

Annual Reports 1935-1944

Annual Reports 1945- 1947

Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Volume 2, Part 2

Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Volume 7, Part 3

Kalachuri-Chedi Era Part 1

Kalachuri-Chedi Era Part 2

Epigraphica Indica

Epigraphia Indica Volume 3

Epigraphia
Indica Volume 4

Epigraphia Indica Volume 6

Epigraphia Indica Volume 7

Epigraphia Indica Volume 8

Epigraphia Indica Volume 27

Epigraphia Indica Volume 29

Epigraphia Indica Volume 30

Epigraphia Indica Volume 31

Epigraphia Indica Volume 32

Paramaras Volume 7, Part 2

Śilāhāras Volume 6, Part 2

Vākāṭakas Volume 5

Early Gupta Inscriptions

Archaeological Links

Archaeological-Survey of India

Pudukkottai

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

capital was the city of Addaṅki in the country of Pûṅgi, which extended from the eastern slopes of Śrîgiri[1] to the eastern sea[2] on both sides of the river Kuṇḍi (vv. 14 and 15). At an eclipse of the moon on Chaitrî[3] in the Śâka year counted by the mountains (7), the seasons (6) and the suns (12),─ in figures 1267,─ in the presence if Mâṇḍûka-Śaṁbhu,[4] king Vêma gave as an agrahâra to several Brâhmaṇas the village of Âtukûru, which was situated on the northern bank of the river Kṛishṇâ, and which was renamed Vêmapuram after the donor (vv. 17 and 18). After this comes a list of the donees, which is followed by a detailed account of the boundaries if Âtukûru,─ boundaries which were entirely of a temporary nature, and which must have disappeared centuries ago. The inscription ends with the usual imprecatory verses and the signature Śrî-Pallava-Trinêtra (line 87).

This is the earliest inscription of the Reḍḍi dynasty as yet discovered. There is another inscription of Vêma at Amarâvatî, also dated in the Śaka year 1267,[5] but in the month of Kârttika. The Śaka year quoted in the subjoined inscription was the expired and not the current year, and the date of the grant corresponds to Friday, the 18th March A.D. 1345, on which date there was, according to Professor Kielhorn, “ a total eclipse of the moon from 18 h. 49 m. to 22 h. 27 m. after mean sunrise, and therefore visible in India.” In the Amarâvatî inscription the corresponding cyclic year is given as Pârthiva.

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I have not met with the name of Pûṅgi elsewhere and cannot say whether it has anything to do with Ongole, which is a contraction of Vaṅgavôlu─ the town of Vaṅga. It would perhaps be more fanciful to derive the word from Pâka in Pâkanâḍu. The country of Pûṅgi comprised parts of the modern districts of Kurnool, Nellore and Kistna. The village Âtukûru I identify with Gani-Âtukûru─ west of Bezvâḍa. Addaṅki is the well-known village of that name in the Ongole tâluka of the Nellore district and is the head-quarters of a Deputy Tahsildar. The river Kuṇḍi is the Guṇḍlakamma of the map and is called Brahma-Kuṇḍi and Kuṇḍi-Prabha in the Amarâvatî inscription.

All the accounts hitherto published of the genealogy of the Reḍḍi chiefs open with Kômaṭi-Prôla. This inscription gives us the name of Prôla’s father Vêma, after whom his illustrious grandson was named. This account is corroborated by the Telugu Harivaṁśam, which was dedicated to Vêma, the donor of the present grant. In this book Vêma is called indiscriminately Vêma, Kômaṭi-Vêma, Prôlaya-Vêma, or Annama-Vêma. The second and third names are combinations of Vêma’s own name with those of his father, and the last name he derived from his mother. From the Harivaṁśam we learn that Prôla’s wife Annamâ was the daughter of Doḍḍa, who had three sons, viz. Pôta, Chiṭṭa and Nâga. Chiṭṭa had a son named Nûka who is said to have been a very dear friend of Vêma. He is perhaps identical with Nallanûṅka, who married Vêma’s daughter Vêmasani.[6] From the same book we learn that Vêma’s younger brother Malla took Môṭupalli[7]─ from whom it is not stated─ and that he was of great help to Vêma. The latter statement derives corroboration from the Amarâvatî inscription already referred to, which says that Vêma fixed five golden post on the top of the temple of Amarêśvara for the eternal benefit (puṇya) of his younger brother Mallâ-Reḍḍi. Before taking leave of the Harivaṁśam, it may be pointed out that that book mentions only two sons of Vêma, viz. Pôta (afterwards called Anapôta or Anavôta) and Kômaṭi. Anavêma, Doḍḍâmbikâ and Vêmasâni were apparently not yet born when the Harivaṁśam was composed, and Kômaṭi probably died while yet a boy.
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[1] Śrîśailam in the Kurnool district.
[2] The Bay of Bengal.
[3] I.e. the full-moon day in the month of Chaitra.
[4] I.e. at the Śiva temple called Mâṇḍûkêśvara.
[5] No. 268 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1897.
[6] See above, Vol. III. p. 287, and the genealogical tree published in the Report on Epigraphy for 1899-1900.
[7] In the Bâpaṭla tâluka of the Kistna district.

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