South Indian Inscriptions

INCRIPTIONS OF THE EARLY KALACHURIS

TRANSLATION
ABHONA PLATES OF SANKARGANA: YEAR 347

wild elephants, who looks splendid with his excellent back-bone, has an ever unceasing flow of rut and well-known might of strength, brings down rows of forest-trees, moving about fearlessly. He wielded his weapon (only) for the protection of the distressed, fought (only) for humbling the arrogance of his enemies, was engaged in study (only) for humility, acquired wealth (only) to spend it in charity, made gifts (only) for the sake of religious merit, and accumulated religious merit (only) to secure final liberation.

(Line 10) His son, the illustrious Śankaragana — who meditates on the feet of (his) mother and father; who is a devout worshipper of Mahēśvara; who is the lord of the countries bounded by the eastern and western oceans and other lands; who has, on the earth, no adversary (worthy of him); whose fame has tasted the waters of the four oceans; whose prowess equals that of Dhanada (i.e., Kubēra), Varuna, Indra and Antaka (i.e., Yama)¹; who, by the might of his arms, has acquired the fortune of powerful kings; to whom the circle of neighbouring princess has submitted, (being subdued) by his great prowess; who is engaged in the acquisition of religious merit, wealth and pleasure, which ( in his caste) never come into conflict with one another; whose serene and noble heart is highly pleased by mere submission; who has performed religious rites by spending, in charity, plenty of wealth which he had obtained by properly protecting his subjects; who has reinstated royal families, which had long been dethroned ; who has exterminated such as had risen too high ; who bestows, on the distressed, blind and poor people, abundant gifts which exceed their desires—issues this order to kings, feudatories, Bhōgikas,² heads of vishayas³, Mahattras⁴ of rāshtras⁵ and villages, officials and others:—

(L.17)—Be it known to you! for the increases of religious merit and fame of Our mother and father and of Ourself, We have granted, with a libation of water, at the request of Gōggā, land measuring a hundred nivartanas⁶ by a land measure (nivartanin) of forty (dandas) on either side, in the village Vallisikā, situated in the vishaya of Bhōgavardhana—together with all receipts⁷ and exempt from all gifts, forced labour and special rights,⁸ (which is) not to be entered by chātas and bhatas⁹ according to the maxim of waste land¹⁰ ____________________

¹These are the guardians of the North, West, East and South.
²Bhōgika is the head of a bhōga which was a sub-division of a vishaya.
³Vishaya was a territorial division corresponding to the modern district.
⁴Mahattara, (a comparative form of mahat, great ), occurs in Sanskrit literature in the sense of a chief person, see e.g. Uttararāmacharita, Act IV; Naishadbīyacharita, canto III, verse 19. It is perhaps used here and other similar passages in the sense of the head of a province or a village.
⁵Rāshtra was a territorial division corresponding to the modern Commissioner’s Division. The Añjanēri plates (1. 26) of Bhōgaśakti (No. 31, below) mention the Gōpa-rāshtra.
⁶It seems that there were several nivartanas is vogue. The Līlāvati (I, 6) mentions nivartana as a measure of land equal to 400 square rods, i.e., 20 rods in length and in breadth. Kautilya (II, 20) mentions a nivartana measuring 30 dandas (in length and in breadth) i.e., 900 square dandas, and Brihaspati follows him. The measure (nivartanin) intended here seems to be 40 (dandas) on either (side) (ubhaya-chatvārimśaka-nivartanin) i.e., equal to 1600 square dandas.
⁷Ādāna (lit., receiving) probably has here the meaning of a tax.
⁸Kings had prerogatives in respect of these. They are waived in the case of agrahāra villages and lands. Compare sarva-vishti-parihāra-parbritah and other expressions which occur in Vākātaka grants.
⁹compare a-bhada-papēsam in the Mayidavolu plates of the Pallava king Śivaskandavarman (Ep. Ind., Vol. VI, p.87) and a-bhata-chchhātra-prāvēśyah in Vākātaka grants. In the Surat plates of Vyāghrasēna (above, No. 9, 1. 10) the qualifying expression chōra-rāj-āpatthya-kāri-varjja(m) is added to a-chāta-bhata-prāvēśya. The bhatas and chātas were forbidden to enter the agrahāra villages expect when they had to apprehend thieves and persons accused of high treason. They were evidently royal servants whose duty it was to maintain peace and order in the kingdom. They correspond to modern policemen and soldiers.
¹⁰i.e., with full proprietory rights. He who brought waste land under cultivation became the absolute owner of it. Cf. MSM., adh. IX, v. 44.