North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE SILAHARAS OF NORTH KONKAN

body is subject to old age and death natural in this world, and that wealth and life are fickle like drops of water on a lotus leaf tossed by wind, one should accumulate the reward of a (religious) gift by firm non-attachment.

..Having considered the sayings of ancient sages which are delightful owing to their distinguishing between what is righteous and what is not, such has the following:-

..(V. 15). In the Kṛita, Trēta and Dvāpara Ages penance is highly praised. The sages say the charity alone is the one (meritorious) thing in the Kali Age.

.. (V. 16). Learning does not yield that reward nor does penance give it as charity alone does, the sages say, in the Kali Age.

.. And it has been declared by the holy Vyāsa:-

(V. 17). “Gold was the first-born of Fire; the Earth sprang from Vishṇu, and the cows are the offsprings of the Sun. He who gives gold, land and cows gains the religious merit of giving the three worlds (of these gods).

..(V. 18). A gift of land made to worthy recipients at holy places and on holy occasions would be the means of crossing the unfathomable and boundless ocean of worldly existence.”

.. And being desirous of acquiring the spiritual welfare of My parents and Myself, I−having bathed at an excellent tīrṭha on the holy day in Chaitra, viz., the fourteenth tithi of the bright fortnight of the second Chaitra of the cyclic year Bhava after nine hundred years increased by fifty-six of the Śaka King had passed− in figures, the year 956, the bright fortnight of Chaitra, the 14th (tithi)− and having offered an arghya, beautiful with flowers of various kinds, to the divine Sun, the sole crest-jewel of the sky, and the lover of the lotusplant, and having worshipped the divine Śiva, the lord of the three worlds and the guru of all gods and demons−have given, as a gift free from taxes, and with great devotion and with the pouring out of water, to the holy Jñānaśiva, a disciple of the holy Vāḍāchārya, who belongs to the Western Āmnāya, for providing food and clothing to the ascetics dwelling in the temple of the holy Bhāiyapēśvara, constructed by Bhāiyapa, the head of the vishaya in the northern part of the village Kundē situated in the vishaya (district) of Māhirahāra for providing all materials for the worship of the god such as sandal-paste, flowers, incence, lights, offerings, tāmbūla, and singing, music and dancing, and also for the repairs of what would be broken and damaged−the field known as Abhinavadēvachchhēbhā situated in the village of Kundē included in the vishaya of sixty-six villages called Māhirahāra, the boundaries of which are−on the east, the field known as Kumbhivaṭī and Kōlihīraka ; on the west, the boundary of (the village) Gōvaṇi; on the south, the boundary of the tank in Khanālāsakshama; on the north, the boundary of (the village) Vijñānichōli−the field with its four boundaries thus determined, extending to its own limits, together with all its produce, together with grass, wood and water, but excluding the gifts previously made to gods and Brāhmaṇas, not to be assigned, not to be attached, and not to be entered by the chāṭas and bhaṭas.

..Therefore, none should cause any obstruction while these ascetics or others of their clan, who are entitled to it, are enjoying it or are allowing others to enjoy it, are cultivating it or allowing others to cultivate it.

(Line 60). For it has been said by great sages−
(Here occur three benedictory and imprecatory verses.)

..(Line 64). Having known these sayings of ancient sages, all future kings, born in our family, should aspire only for religious merit accruing from the protection (of this grant). He who, on the other hand, though thus entreated, will confiscate it or allow it to be confiscated, with his mind clouded by the darkness of ignorance as a result of greed, will incur all the five