South Indian Inscriptions

INCRIPTIONS OF THE DYNASTY OF THE HARISCHANDRA

gifts continuously; who, like a reservoir of sweet water beautified with clusters of day- lotuses, blue-lotuses and night-lotuses, (which quenches the thirst of animals), destroys the greed of living beings ; who, like a large assemblage of lotuses, made to bloom by the rays of the rising sun (which becomes an abode of beauty), is the place of resort for Fortune; who, like the ocean (that always keeps itself within bounds, is engaged in giving protection to several mountains, is very deep, and contains large aquatic animals), has maintained established customs, is intent on giving protection to many princes, and is possessed of great serenity and courage; who is always occupied with the construction of religious works, (such as) temples, tanks, charitable feeding houses and water-sheds, and is intent on meditating on Nārāyana ; who is an ornament of Kōnkana with Purī (as the capital), even as the Kaustubha jewel is of Vishnu ; who is proficient in (understanding) the import and principles of the Bhārata, the Rāmāyana and (the works on) the science of politics ; (who is) wise, clever, learned (and) intelligent ; whose strength, prowess and powers derived from personal energy, counsel and royal position, are unimpeded ; (and who is) the goad (i.e., the controller) of the three worlds—addresses the (following) command to all his sons, sons’ sons and sons’ sons’ sons and so forth, (as well as) (all people living in) the vishayas of Gōparāshtra, Eastern Trikūta, Āmrarājī, Mairikā, both the Mahāgirihāras¹ (and), Pallusūdhāmbaka,² extending as far as Prētahrada, which have been acquired by the might of his arms and valour:—

(L. 28) “Be it known to you that realizing that there is no pre-eminent god except the divine Vāsudēva, the lord of (both) gods and demons, the supreme god of gods, the cause of the creation, preservation and destruction (of the world), (I have) donated for the increase of the religious merit of (My) mother and father and of Myself, the (following) eight villages and rights to the divine (god) Nārāyana, the primeval Being and Supreme Spirit (called) Bhōgēśvara installed³ in Jayapura, for providing perfume, flowers, incense, light, bathing and anointing (of the god), for symphonic entertainment combined with dancing, singing and music, for (maintaining) a charitable feeding-house, and for repairing (what may be) damaged or broken. The names of them (i.e., the villages) are (as follows):—Jayagrāma, Ambē-Avangana, Pālittapātaka, Kōkilākshaka, Kalahaka, Mudgāhitaka, Kshēmagiraka (and) Ānnagrāma. And the rights are (as stated below):— stalls in market places ; kōvēra⁴ in a written document ; a rūpaka to be paid for each cart⁵ of the caravan on ingress and egress (at Jayapura) at the time of the yātrā festival of the god; a basket⁶ (of corn?) and an offering of ghee in the principal villages⁷ in the vishayas of Gōparāshtra, Āmrarājī (and) Mairikā ; in the same manner in other villages (of the aforementioned districts); in the vishaya of Eastern Trikūta, a hundred rūpakas of Krishnarāja, (in figures) 100; in the Western Mahāgirihāra, two hundred rūpakas of Krishnarāja, (in figures) 200; in the Eastern (Mahāgirihāra), one hundred (rūpakas), (in figures) 100; in the vishaya of Pallūdhamba, fifty rūpakas of Krishnarāja, (in figures) 50. As for the eight villages, ____________________

¹ These were the Eastern and Western Mahāgirihāras as appears from 11. 38-39.
² This is to be taken as one name in view of Pallūdhamba, mentioned in 1.39 below, with which it is plainly identical.
³ See above, p. 150, n. 10.
⁴ The meaning of this is not clear to me.
⁵ Vahitra, lit. an instrument of conveying, is clearly used here in the sense of a cart or some similar vechicle.
⁶ M. Williams on the authority of the Kārandavyūba gives muta or mūta|in the sense of a basket. The Arthūnā inscription of Chāmundarāja (Ep. Ind., XIV, p. 302) mentions the tax of a mānaka on each mūtaka of salt. Cf. mudā in Marathi and mude in Kannada.
⁷ The reference to ‘other villages’ in the sequel shows that Iyēsthikā-grāma is used here in the sense of the headquarters of a vishaya etc.