South Indian Inscriptions

INCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF TRIPURI

arrrows, the ceremony of choosing (their) husbands in an assembly was, for a short time, performed with difficulty by the immortal (i.e., celestial) damsels, who could not hear one another’s words, by means of the hasty signs such as those of their hands

(V. 27) On the stage of battle-field which was strewn with flowers scattered by the gods who were stupefied with joy, the heroic deeds of the valiant (Karna), whose arms were merciless in forcibly dragging the (enmy’s) fortune, were represented in dancing by headless trunks in the presence of kings.

(V. 28) He thus showed himself to be a unique teacher of the four āśramas to his enemies,─who were, first, taught the vow of the Brahmacharin^¹ by being separated from (their) wives, (then) the order of the house-holder by being imprisoned together with their kinsmen, (then) that of the forest-dwelling hermit by (being forced to seek) shelter in the woods, and that of the religious mendicant by (being made to live on ) alms.

(V. 29) Having heard the loud proclamations, resounding in the land extending from the eastern to the western mountain, that the hosts of suppliants (coming) to him would obtain gifts exceeding their desires, the self-existent (Brahmā) was long perplexed with the thought, ‘Alas ! this brahmānda has already been created so limited in expanse ! How will the glory of the King of Chēdi be contained in it?’ ’

(V. 30) What can we describe of that king Karna by whose copper-charters, (given) to Brāhmanas,─which made a loud noise as multitudes of closely packed letters were being incised on them,─the (whole) universe is deafened.

(Line 33) This Paramabhattāraka, Mahārājādhirāja and Paramēśvara, the illustrious Karnadēva, the devout worshipper of Mahēśvara, the lord of Trikalinga,─who has by his arm acquired sovereignty over the three kings, (viz.) the lord of horses, the lord of elephants (and) the lord of men, (and) who meditates on the feet of the Paramabhattāraka, Mahārājādhirāja and Paramēśvara, the illustrious Vāmadēva,─being in good health duly honours, informs and issues the (following) command at his victorious camp fixed at the famous Karnatīrtha, to the following, (viz.) the Mahādēvī, the Mahārājaputra, the Mahāmantrin, the Mahāsāndhivigrahika, the Mahāmātya, the Mahādharmādhikaranika, the Mahāpratīhāra, the Mahākshapatalika, the Mahābhāndāgārika, the Mahāsāmanta, the Mahāpramattavāra,^² the Mahāśvasādhanika and other unnamed officers appointed to their respective posts as well as all people residing in their respective places the village Chandapahā in the pattalā^³ of Kauśāmbi:-

(L. 38) “Be it known to you that for the increase of the religious merit and fame of (Our) parents and Ourself, We, having bathed at the glorious Arghatīrtha here and having worshipped the divine (god) Śiva today, Thursday, the full-moon day of Kārttika in the seventh year of administration rendered glorious by (us) the illustrious Karna,-in the aforesaid year, month, fortnight, tithi and day respectively, have given as a grant, with the words ‘this village is his,’ this village,-with its four boundaries well-determined, inclusive of water and land, the mango and madhūka trees, together with its pits and barren land, together with mines of iron and salt, extending to its boundaries and together with woods, meadows and pasture-lands, to last as long as the moon, the sun and the earth will endure,─to the Brāhmana the illustrious Pandita Śāntiśarman, the son of Āvasathika Mālhū and grandson of the Upādhyāya Sīlū, of the Vājasanēya śākhā, the Vidarbhī-Kaundinya Gōtra⁴ and the three pravaras Āngirasa, Ambarīsha, and Yauvanāśva. Knowing this
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¹Viz., celibacy. Compare Manumriti, II, 177.
²This is a technical official title meaning probably ‘the Chief Commander of the elephant force’. Compare Aśvavāra, a horseman.
³Pattalā is a territorial division corresponding to the modern tahsil.
⁴The sage Vidarbhī-Kaundinya is mentioned in Br. Up. II, 63; IV, 6, 3.