| |
South
Indian Inscriptions |
| |
|
|
PART-I
SANSKRIT
INSCRIPTIONS
No.37.
A GRANT OF CHALUKYA-BHIMA II
The
original of the subjoined inscription was kindly placed at disposal
by R. Sewell, Esq., then Acting Collector of the Kistna District,
and was, at his desire, made over to the Central Museum, Madras, for
safe custody. It was
discovered recently, while of three copper-plates near the temple at
Kolavennu, Bezvada Talluqa. The
document consists of three copper-plates with raised rims.
Each plate measures 9 ¼ by 4 5/8 inches.
The first and third plates are inscribed only on their inner
sides, while the second one bears writing on both sides.
The writing on the third plate breaks off in the description
of the boundaries of the granted village.
As t here is no trace of any letters after the words : yasyavadhayah
purvatah, âthe boundaries of which (are), to the
east,â it seems that the document was left incomplete, perhaps
because the necessary details of the surroundings of the village
were not to hand, when the edict was issued. The plates are strung on a ring, which is ½ inch thick and 5
inches in diameter. The
circular seal, which is attached to the ring, rests on an expanded
lotus-flower and measures 2 ¼ inches in diameter. It bears at the
top a standing boar, which faces the right, with the sun and the
moon over it, a chauri and elephant-goad on its left and a chauri
on its right ; the
centre of the seal is occupied by the legend
and its bottom by a lotus-flower with eight petals (birdâs
eye view), - all in relief on a counter-sunk surface.
Both the inscription and the seal are in fairly good
preservation.
The
inscription opens with a mangala, which
mentions the lotus-flower that rises from Vishnuâs navel, and then gives the usual vamsavali
of the Eastern Chalukyas from Kubja-Vishnu to Vikramaditya, the
younger son of Chalukya-Bhima I. The ensuing reign of Yuddhamalla, the son of Talapa, is left
out. This omission is
probably due to the fact, that Chalukya-Bhima II. considered his
predecessor, whom he conquered, as an usurper and ignored him
purposely. The grant consists of an order addressed by Chalukya-Bhima
II. alias Vishnuvardhana
VII. to the inhabitants of the Kanderuvati-vishya
and issued at the request of a vassal of the king, the Panara prince
Vajjaya. On the
occasion of a winter-solstice (uttarayana),
Bhima II. gave the village of Kodhatalli as an agrahara to
Kommana, who knew the kramapatha (kramavid) and adhered to
the Apastamba-sutra. The
donee was the son of Deniya, who knew the Krampatha (kramaka), and
of Kandamavva, and the grandson of Revasarman, an inhabitant of
Abharad-vasukalmadi.
TRANSLATION
(Verse
1.) The primeval lotus-flower, which rises from a tank (that
consists of) the
navel of Hari (Vishnu), which is enlarged by a stalk (that
consists of the mountain) Meru, and which is the birth-place of
Aja (Brahman), is victorious for ever.
Hail
! Kubja-Vishnu, the brother of Satyasaraya, who adorned the race of
the glorious Chalukyas, etc.,
(ruled) for
eighteen years.
His
son Jayasimha (ruled) for thirty-three (years).
Vishnuvardhana,
the son of his brother Indra-raja, (ruled) for nine (years).
His
son Mangi-yuvaraja (ruled) for twenty-five (years).
His
son Jayasimha (ruled) for thirteen (years).
Kokkili,
his younger brother fro a different mother, (ruled) for six
months.
His
elder brother Vishnuvardhana (ruled) for thirty-seven (years).
His
legitimate son Vijayaditya-bhattaraka (ruled) for eighteen (years).
His
son Vishu-raja (ruled) for thirty-six (years.)
His
son Narendra-mrigaraja (ruled) for forty (years.)
His
son Kali-Vishnuvardhana (ruled) for eighteen months.
His
son Gunakenalla-Vijayaditya (ruled) for forty-four (years.)
Chalukya-Bhima,
the sun of his younger brother Vikramaditya, (ruled) for
thirty (years).
His
son Vijayaditya (ruled) for six months.
His
son Amma-raja (ruled) for seven years.
His
son Vijayaditya (ruled) for (one) month.
Having
conquered him, Vikramaditya, the son of Chalukya-Bhima, ruled for (one)
year over the country of Vengi together with Trikalinga.
(Verse
2.) Chalukya-Bhima, the son of Vijayaditya and brother of Amma-raja
by a different mother, ties the (royal) tiara
for as long a time as the moon and stars shall endure.
Having
conquered in a battle with his arm Tata-Bikyana (?) . . . , this
Raja-martanda
(i.e.,the sun amoung kings) causes his fame to be sung by the
people.
|
He
who, like Meru, is possessed of insurmountable greatness, and who
knows all arts (Kala), just as the (full) moon possesses all digits (kala),
this asylum of the whole world , the illustrious Vishnuvardhana,
the king of great kings, the supreme master, the supreme lord, the
most pious one, thus issues his commands to the householders, (viz.,)
heads of provinces, etc., who inhabit the district of
Kanderuvati : -
âBe
it known to you that, at the request of king Vajjaya, who purifies
the Panara princes,
who is a treasure-house of truthfulness, liberality, pride and
heroism, and whose strong arm (is able) to protect my kingdom
;â â
(Verse
3.) From Revasarman, who dwelt at Abharadvasukamadi, there sprang
the lord Deniya, who knew the krampatha , the Vedas
and Vedangas.
(Verse
4.) His son was the noble Kommana, a follower of t he Apastamba-sutra,
who adorned his race and was resplendent with holiness ;
(Verse
5.) The son of Kandamavva, (who resembled) Kama in beauty and
who fulfilled the desires of suppliants.
Having approached his abundance, those brahmanas are
resplendent with holiness ;
(Verse
6.) His sons and grandsons, youths who are clever in assembles of
eminent men, obtain a succession of agraharas and of highest
marks of reverence.
âTo
this Kommana, who knows the Krampatha, we gave, with
exemption from all taxes, the village called Kodhatalli, making it
an agrahara, with a libation of water, on the occasion of the
winter-solstice.â
The
boundaries of this (village are) ; on the east. . . .
No.38,
A Grant of Amma II
Like
the preceding inscription, this one was received from Mr.R.Sewell,
who found it lying in the Huzur Treasury attached to the
Collectorâs Office, Masulipatam, and was made over to the Madras
Museum. The document
consists of three copper-plates with raised rims.
Each
plate measures 7 ¾ by 3 ¾ inches.
The first and third plates are inscribed only on their inner
sides, while the second one bears writing or both sides.
They are all much worn, and of third plate one entire half is
lost. The plates are
strung on a ring, which is 3/8 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter.
The circular seal, which is attached to the ring, rests on an
expanded lotus-flower and measures 2 7/8 inches in diameter.
It is much corroded, but still shows distinct traces of a
standing boar, which faces the right, at the top, of the legend
across the centre, and of a lotus-flower with eight petals [birdâs
eye view] at the bottom â all in relief on a counter-sunk
surface.
The
document opens with the usual vamsavali of the Eastern
Chalukyas from Kubja-Vishnuvardhana.
The donor is Amma-raja II. alias Vijayaditya V.
(who began to reign in Sakha 867). The king addresses
his order to the inhabitants of the Gudravara-vishaya, which must be
identical with the Gudravara-or Gudrahara-vishaya of other
inscriptions. The donee, whose name is
lost, was the family priest (kulabrahmana) of the king and
belonged to the Kaundilya-gotra (sic). The object granted
seems to have been a field, which had formerly belonged to the donee
(etadiya-praktana-kshetra), but had been taken away from (vilupta)
and was probably restored to him by the present document.
The other details of the grant are lost.
TRANSLATION
Hali
! Kubja-Vishnuvardhan, the brother of Satyasrya-Vallabhendra, who
adorned the race of the glorious Chalukyas &c.,
ruled over the country of Vengi for eighteen years. His son
Jayasimha (ruled) for thirty-three (years).
|
>
|
|
Vishnuvardhana,
the son of his younger brother Indra-raja, (ruled) for nine (years).
His
son Mangi-yuvaraja (ruled) for twenty-five (years).
His
son Jayasimha (ruled) for thirteen (years).
His
younger brother Kokkili (ruled) for
six months.
His
elder brother Vishnuvardhana, having expelled him, (ruled)
for thirty-seven (years).
His
son Vijayaditya-bhattaraka (ruled)for eighteen (years).
His
son Vishuvardhana (ruled) for thirty-six (years).
His
son Vijayadiya-Narendra-mrigaraja (ruled) for forty-eight (years).
His
son Kali-Vishnuvardhana (ruled) for one and a half (years).
His
son Gunaga-Vijayaditya (ruled) for forty-four (years).
The
victorious son of his brother, prince Vikramaditya (who wore) on
his neck a glittering necklace, -
(Verse
1.) That handsome Chalukya-Bhima enjoyed for thirty years the earth
protecting (it) like a
mother (her child), and granting the fruits of their desires
to the distressed, helpless and sick, to the association o the best
of twice-born, to beggars, t ascetics, to clever youths, dancers,
excellent singers and poets, who had come from various countries, to
his relatives and to the blind.
His
son Vijayaditya (ruled) for
six months.
His
(son) Amma-raja (ruled) for seven (years).
After
him, Talapa-raja (ruled) for (one) month.
Having
expelled him, Vikramaditya, the son of Chalukya-Bhima (ruled) for
(one) year.
After
him Yuddmalla (ruled) for seven (years).
(Verse
2.) Having conquered and expelled fro the country this haughty one,
and having made the other heirs to assume the appearance of stars,
which are absorbed in the rays of the sun, the younger brother of
king Amma, (viz.) Bhima, who resembled Arjuna, and who was
possessed of terrible, enjoyed for twelve year the earth, just
bearer of the thunderbolt (Indra) does the great heaven.
(Verse
3.) Just as Kumara to Mahesvara from Uma, Amma-raja was born to him
from Lokamahadevi.
(Verse4.)
While this king was ruling, the country produced an abundance of
well-ripened grain of various kinds, possessed cows that were
continually yielding milk, and was fee from fears, calamities,
diseases, and thieves.
This
asylum of the whole world, the illustrious Vijayaditya, the king of
great kings, the supreme master, the supreme lord, the most pious
one, having called together the house-holders, (viz.) heads
of provinces, &c., who inhabit the district of Gudravara,
thus issues his commands : -
|
>
|
Home
Page
|
|
