PART-I

SANSKRIT INSCRIPTIONS

II.-COPPER-PLATE GRANTS OF THE EASTERN CHALUKY DYNASTY

The subjoined five grants belong to the kings Narendra-mrigaraja or Vijayaditya II, Amma I. Or Vishuvardhana VI, Chalukya-Bhima II. Or Vishnuvardhana VII, Amma II. Or Vijayaditya V. and Vira-Chola or Vishnuvardhana IX.  The place, which is occupied by each of these princes in the genealogy of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty, will be seen from the annexed table, for which all hitherto published Eastern Chalukya grants have been consulted, and in which numbers are prefixed to the names of those princes who really reigned, in order to mark their succession.[1]

The relation of the two usurpers (18) Talapa and (21) Yuddhamalla to the direct line of the family is established by three inscriptions : - a. Tadapa is called the son of Vikramaditya’s brother (Ind. Ant. Vol XIV, p.56) ; b. Tala is called the son of Yuddhamala, who was the paternal uncle of Chalukya-Bhima I.  (Ind. Ant. Vol. XII, p.249, where Pitrivya has to be read for Pitrivyo) ; c. Bhima II, the son of Kollabhiganda Vijayaditya, is at the same time called the son of Yuddhamalla (Ind. Ant. Vol. XII, p.92).

Thee of the last kings, who are shown in the annexed table viz., (28) Vijayaditya VI, (29) Rajaraja II. and (30) Vira-Choda, are only known from the subjoined inscription No.39.

No.35. A GRANT OF NARENDRA-MRIGARAJA

This grant belongs to the Sir W. Elliot Collection of the British Museum, and was made over to me for publication by Dr. Burgess.  It consists of five copper-plates with raised rims.  Each place measures 9 by 3 inches.  The first and fifth plates are inscribed only on their inner sides, while the three middle ones bear writing on both sides.  The preservation of the plates is tolerably good. They are strung on an elliptic ring, which is ½” thick and 47/8” by 3 ½” in diameter.  The Well-preserved circular seal, which is attached to the ring, measures 2  5/8” in diameter.

The document is a grant of the parama-mahasvara  Narendra-mrigaraja, alias Vijayaditya II., the son of Vishnuvardhan IV. and grandson of Vijayaditya I.  The name of the district (Vishaya), to the inhabitants of which the king addresses his order, is lost.  On the occasion of a lunar eclipse (chandra-grahana-nimitte) the king gave the village of Korraparru to twenty-four brahmanas.  Of these, six adhered to the Hiranyakesi-Sutra and eighteen to the Apastamba-sutra. They belonged to the following gotras :- Agnivesya, Kaundiya, Kausika, Gautama, Parasara, Bharadvaja, Vatsa, sandilya, Samkriti and Harita.  According to the colophon of the grant, “the excellent prince

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TABLE:-  Click here to...Pedigree of the Eastern Chalukya Dynasty

TRANSLATION

Hail! The grandson of the illustrious Vijayaditya-maharaja, who was adorned with a multitude of blameless and noble virtues, who had acquired the splendour of victory by his own arm in many warlike encounters, and who adorned the race of the glorious Chalukyas, who belong to the gotra of the Manavyas, who are praised in the whole world; who are the sons of Hariti ; who have acquired the kingdom by the favour of (Siva) the husband of Kausiki ; who are protected by the assemblage of (divine) mothers ; who are meditating at the feet of the lord Mahasena (Skanda) ; who have subdued the territories of their enemies in an instant at the (mere) sight o the sign the boar, a boon which they had obtained through the favour of the blessed Narayana (Vishnu) ; and whose bodies are purified by bathing at the end of horse-sacrifices ; -

The beloved son of Vishnuvardhana-maharaja, who subdued the surrounding territories of his enemies with the edge of his flashing sword, who surpassed by his deeds Nriga, Nala, Nahusha, Ambarisha and Yayati, and who rejoiced in his sovereignty, just as Vishnu in his discus; -

He whose commands are cherished by the diadems of all vassals who bow affectionately to (his) majesty, who is a receptacle of the three powers[2] which are suitable to the warrior-caste, who is resplendent with the strength which has acquired by victories in many battles, Narendra-mrigaraja, who has cut the temples of the elephants of his foes with the sword (that resembles) a claw[3] in his arm which is as fierce as Yama’s rod, who has subdued the six (internal) enemies[4] who has acquired the four branches of royal science, who knows how to employ the four expedients,[5] who chastieses the wicked and shows favour to the good, who has conquered the world by his valour, just as (Vishnu) the destroyer of Madhu by his (three) steps, who is assisted by terrible and splendid courage, just as Yudhishthira was assisted by the courage of Bhima and Arjuna, who, just as (Rama)  the son of Dasaratha, gives pleasure to Sita,[6] who knows the right course, just as Manu, who disperses the crowd of his foes, just as the sun disperses the mass of darkness in a lotus-group, the most pious one, the devout worshipper of Mahesvara (Siva) the asylum of the whole world, the illustrious Vijayaditya, the king of great kings, the supreme master, the lord, thus issues his commands to all householders, (viz.) heads of provinces &c., who inhabit the district of . . .

(Line 17.) “Be it known to you, (that 1) gave on the occasion of luna eclipse, with a libation of water, the village called Korraparru, making (it) exempt from all taxes, to (the following) twenty-four brahmanas, who are engaged in (the study of)  the Vedas and Vedangas and intent on (the performance of) the six duties, (Viz.) to Venama-sarman, who dwells at Abhipendanduru, belongs to the Kausika-gotra, the follows the Hiranyakesi-sutra and is well versed in the Vedas and Vedangas ; to Chati-sarman, who dwells at Nalucheri, belongs to the Kausika-gotra and follows the Hiranyakesi-sutra ; to Vida-Sarman who dwells t Podengu, belongs to the Gautama-gotra and follows the Hiranyakesi-sutra ; to Mavindi-Sarman, who dwells at Podangu,[7] belongs to the Samkriti-gota and follows the Hiranyakesi-sutra ; to Yajna-sarman. who dwells at Podengu, belongs to the Harita-gotra and follows the Hiranyakesi-sutra ; to .. sarman, who dwells at Podengu, belongs to the Samkriti-gotra and follows the Hiranyakesi-sutra; to Kama-sarman, who dwells at Krovasiri[8], belongs to the Harita-gotra and follows the Apastamba-sutra ; to Vishnu-sarman, who dwells at Urputuru, belongs to the Bhadra-sarman, who dwells at Vangiparru, belongs to the Sandilya-gotra and follows the

Apastamba-sutra ; to Vishnu-sarman, who dwells at Vangiparru, belongs to Kaudinya-gotra and follow the Apastamaba-sutra ; to Narayan-sarman, who dwells at Chanturu, belongs to the Bharatvaja-gotra and follows the Apastamba-sutra ; to Madhava-sarman, who dwells at Krovasiri, belongs to the Haritha-gotra and follows the Apstamba-sutra ; to Vennamma-sarman, who dwells at Kovasiri, belongs to the Parasara-gotra and follows the Apstamba-sutra  ; to Arudi-sarman, who dwells at Krovarsiri, belongs to the Vatsa-gotra and follows the Apstamba-sutra ; to Nandi-sarman, who dwells at Uruputuru, belongs to the Bharadvaja-gotra and follws the Apastamba-surta ; to Vishnu-sarman, who dwells at Karahaidu, belongs to the Bharadvaja-gotra and follows the Apastamba-sutra ; to Bharama-sarman, who dwells at Karahaidu, belongs to the Bharadvaja-gotra and follows the Apastamba-sutra ; to Yanja-sarman, who dwells at Karahaidu, belongs to the Bharadvaja-gotra and follows the Apastamba-sutra ;  to Badadi-sarman, who dwells at Chanturu, belongs to the Bharadvaja-gotra and follows the Apastamba-sutra ; to Venna-sarman, who dwells at Kraja, belongs to the Kaundinya-gotra and follows the Apastamba-sutra ; and to Rompaya-sarman, who dwells at Rayuru, belongs to the Agnivesya-gotra and follows the Apastamba-sutra ;” (Line 43.) (There follows) the description of the boundaries of this (village.)[9].. ..  .. (Line 45.) Nobody shall cause obstruction to this (grant) ; he, who does it, becomes possessed of the five great sins.  Vyasa also has said : [ Here follow three of the customary imprecatory verses, which it is unnecessary to translate.] (Line 49.) Rama also has said : [Here follows another verse.] (Line 51.) The executor (ajnapti) of this charity (was)  the excellent prince Nripa-Rudr, who was the brother of Narendra-mrigaraja and a descendant of the Haihaya race. (Line 52.) (This edict) was written by Aksharalalitacharya, who dwelt at Vijayavada. [1] For previous lists of Eastern Chalukya dyansty, see Sir Walter Elliot’s Numismatic Gleanings, No.2, in the Madras Journal, New Series, Vol.IV, pp.81 f. and the same scholar’s Coins of Southern India, p.87 ; Dr. Burnell’s South-Indian Palaography, pp.21 f. and Sewell’s Lists of Antiquities, Vol.II, p.152. [2] The three saktis are prabhava, visaha and mantra. [3] The king’s sword is compared  to a claw and consequently Narendra-mrigaraja (i.e., the lion among princes) himself to a lion or to Narasimha. [4] These are Kama, Krodha, lobha, harsha, mama and mada. [5] The four upayas are saman, duma, bheda and danda. [6] In the case of the king, this seems to mean, that he was a favourite of Lakshmi, with whom Sita is identified. [7] This place is elsewhere called Podengu. [8] Elsewhere called Krovasiri. [9] This is left out in the translation, because the reading of the proper names is very uncertain owing to the bad preservation of this part of the grant.

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