South Indian Inscriptions

INCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF TRIPURI

who display amorous dalliance? Gold, horses, garments and all kinds of jewels are of no avail, if thereby (Śiva) the lord of Bhavāni is not worshipped.

(V. 75) “Birth in a royal family, enjoyment of the earth, learning, proper discrimination, beautiful form (and) excellent victory in battle,––(these) accrue to him, who takes refuge with the holy feet of Śankara.

(V. 76) Why need I say more? May my single-minded devotion, the cause of everything, be always directed to thee O Lord!––in which there will be, by thy grace, a shower of nectar,––such as can be experienced by one’s own self,¹––owing to the presence therein of all kinds of highest pleasures.”

(V. 77) The great fame of the (first) three princes was first described by the illustrious Śrīnivāsa, the son of the illustrious Sthirānanda.

(V. 78) Then the brilliant eulogy of the three (other) princes was composed by Sajjana, the wise son of Thīra.
In the Mandapikā² of the town––

(V. 79) There shall be paid a śōdaśikā³ (coin) on (every) khandikā⁴ of salt and (also) one śōdaśikā for (every) oil-mill per month, and a paura5 for a couple of yugās⁶ per day.

(V. 80) In the case of betel-nuts, black pepper, dried ginger and other merchandise, a paura (shall be paid) by every measurer⁷ ; a kapardī shall be paid for every vīthī (shop) and dyūtakapardas⁸ for vegetable and egg-plants. .

(V.81) In the case of dealers in liquids, the tax should be (in the form of) bundles of grass, ⁹ dhīrmara¹⁰ and whatever (else may be possible). An elephant (offered for sale)
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¹Kielhorn translates svayam=anubhava-gamyō by ‘which will manifest itself of its own accord’. The expression, however, clearly means that the shower of nectar cannot be described in words, but can be appreciated only by self-experience.
² Mandapikā (from which the Marāthī word Mandaī, a ‘market-place’, is derived) seems to have been a pavillion in the market-place where things brought to the market for sale were taxed. It was also called Śulka-maŋdapikā, see Bhāvnagar Sanskrit and Prakrit Inscriptions, P. 159.
³Śōdaśikā was probably a coin equal in value to one-sixteenth part of a dramma. Cf. Vimśōpaka Mentioned in lines 10, 20, 26 etc. of the Sīyadōnī inscription, Ep. Ind., Vol. I, pp. 174 ff.
⁴Khandikā seems to have been a measure of capacity corresponding to the modern khandī which is equal to 20 maunds. The Harsha stone inscription of Vigraharāja (Ind., Ant., Vol. XLII, pp. 57 ff.) mentions the tax of one vimśōpaka on every kūtaka of salt at Śākambharī.
⁵Paura seems to have been a small coin like kaparda. The Sīyadönī inscription states in line 20 the tax of two kapardas per yugā, which was assigned to the local deity.
⁶The meaning of yugā is not certain, but it may be noted that the Sīyadōŋī inscription states in line 6 that a yugā was stamped at the local mandapikā when a quarter pañchiyaka-dramma was paid and that it was valid for a day. It was probably voucher authorizing the owner to exhibit his articles in the market place for one day.
⁷Bharaka is probably a kind of measure. It is also mentioned in connection with cocoanuts in. v.71 of the Arthūnā inscription of Chāmuŋdarāja of V. 1136 (Ep. Ind., Vol. XIV, P. 302). See also Mitākasharā on Yajñavalkya Smŗiti, II, 221. The Sīyadōnī inscription mentions in line 30 the tax of three-quarter Vigrabapāliya-dramma on every bharana (measure) .
⁸Dyūtakaparda seem to have been a smaller coin than a kaparda. It was so called probably because it was frequently used as a stake in gambling. It may be noted that the Māngrōl (Kāthiāwād) inscription of V. 1202 mentions a daily tax of one kākiŋi on gambling. Bhāvnagar Inscriptions, pp. 158 ff.
⁹Pūlaka may be connected with pālikā. The Siyadōni inscription mentions in line 26 a tax on every pālikā of leaves. Pūtaka is also mentioned in v. 72 of the above-named Arthūnā inscription.
¹⁰Monier-Williams in his Sanskrit Dictionary gives dbīvara in the sense of ‘a fish-basket’. Dhīrmara may have the same sense here.