Metadata

Support
Four copper plates found with a ring and an obliterated seal; furnished with original plate numbering inscribed vertically in the left margin; h. 5.5 ×  w. 19.4 ×  d. 0.2 cm.
Text
Middle Indo-Aryan, Southern Brāhmī script. Sanskrit language, Southern Brāhmī script. h. unavailable ×  w. unavailable cm .
Date
Thirty-fifth regnal year of an unnamed king, possibly Nandivarman I, who, according to EIAD 164, 165 and EIAD0166, is the father of Acaṇḍavarman. The latter, as crown prince, is the issuer of the present grant, which may be dated approximately to the second half of the 4th century.
Origin
Unknown.
Provenance
The plates were discovered under unknown circumstances and at an unknown location at a date before June 1954. Sircar says “In June 1954, a set of copper plates was received for examination in the Office of the Government Epigraphist for India from Shri M. Somasekhara Sarma of the Telugu Encyclopaedia Office, University Buildings, Madras” ( Sircar 1965-66: 1 ). Identified in January 2017 at the Multipurpose Cultural Complex, extension of TSM, Madhapur, Hyderabad, acc. no. P-6410.
Visual Documentation
Photo(s) of estampage(s):
  • Sircar 1965-66: pl. I
    • Editors
    Emmanuel Francis and Arlo Griffiths.
    Publication history
    First edited by Sircar 1965-66: 1-7 . Re-edited here from Sircar’s facsimiles and our photos.

    Edition

    1b (1) vijayaveṁgīpurā bhagavato ◊ cittaratha(2) ◯ssāmipā[d]āṇ[u]j[jh]āto ◊ pa[ra]madevata(3)bappabhaṭṭāraka[p]ādabha[t]to ◊ [sā]laṅkāyanasa2a 2 (4)gotto ◊ yuvama[h]ārā[ja]śri°acaṇḍavarmmā [dh]āri[k]ā(5) ◯ṭūre gāmeyakā savvasama[ggā] ◊ samāṇa(6)peti ◊ °atthiḍāṇi ◊ °amhadhammāyubalavā2b 3 (7)hanavibhavissariyappavaddhanatthaṁ ◊ kulagottassa ya (8) ◯ satthi[sa]t[th]iyaṇappāyaṇattham· [ve]māṇa(9)kassapasagottāṇa doṇṇampibhatukāṇam· 3a 4 (10) bhavaskandasammajjabhaṭṭisammajjānaṁ ◊ bamhaṇaṇaṁ (11) ◯ °ag[g]ahāram· °ācanda[s]ūratāraka[t]thāyī(12)kātūṇa ◊ °am[he]hi saṁpadattam· tam evaṁ 3b 5 (13) nātūṇa tāṇaṁ puttānupputtakāṇaṁ suṅgu[v]āṇa(14) ◯vātacayaṇa sadiseta ◊ saṁ[bheṭṭa] [ho]nti (15) ve ca ◊ bādhapī[ḍ]ā karaṁti sav[v]apa[r]i[hā]rehi 4a 6 (16) [°enaṁ] ca parihara[ṁ]ti ◊ te ◊ °amhehi ya naṁdaṁ deta[v]vā tti (17) ◯ saṁvaccharāṇi pacatīsa 30 5 vāsa(18)pakkhaṁ cha[ṭha]ṁ 6 divasa tetiyāyaṁ ti 3
    IAnuṣṭubh
    a 4b [7] (19) bahu(bhir) (vasudhā) (dattā) b (bahubhiś) (cā) [nupāli]tā
    c (20) yasya yasya yadā [bhūmi] d tasya (tadā) (phalam)
    plate 1b
    (1) vijayaveṁgīpurā bhagavato ◊ cittaratha-
    (2) ◯ssāmipā[d]āṇ[u]j[jh]āto ◊ pa[ra]madevata-
    (3)bappabhaṭṭāraka[p]ādabha[t]to ◊ [sā]laṅkāyanasaplate 2a 2 -
    (4)gotto ◊ yuvama[h]ārā[ja]śri°acaṇḍavarmmā [dh]āri[k]ā-
    (5) ◯ṭūre gāmeyakā savvasama[ggā] ◊ samāṇa-
    (6)peti ◊ °atthiḍāṇi ◊ °amhadhammāyubalavāplate 2b 3 -
    (7)hanavibhavissariyappavaddhanatthaṁ ◊ kulagottassa ya
    (8) ◯ satthi[sa]t[th]iyaṇappāyaṇattham· [ve]māṇa-
    (9)kassapasagottāṇa doṇṇampibhatukāṇam· plate 3a 4
    (10) bhavaskandasammajjabhaṭṭisammajjānaṁ ◊ bamhaṇaṇaṁ
    (11) ◯ °ag[g]ahāram· °ācanda[s]ūratāraka[t]thāyī-
    (12)kātūṇa ◊ °am[he]hi saṁpadattam· tam evaṁ plate 3b 5
    (13) nātūṇa tāṇaṁ puttānupputtakāṇaṁ suṅgu[v]āṇa-
    (14) ◯vātacayaṇa sadiseta ◊ saṁ[bheṭṭa] [ho]nti
    (15) ve ca ◊ bādhapī[ḍ]ā karaṁti sav[v]apa[r]i[hā]rehi plate 4a 6
    (16) [°enaṁ] ca parihara[ṁ]ti ◊ te ◊ °amhehi ya naṁdaṁ deta[v]vā tti
    (17) ◯ saṁvaccharāṇi pacatīsa 30 5 vāsa-
    (18)pakkhaṁ cha[ṭha]ṁ 6 divasa tetiyāyaṁ ti 3     plate 4b [7]
    (19) bahu(bhir) (vasudhā) (dattā)     (bahubhiś) (cā) [nupāli]tā
    (20) yasya yasya yadā [bhūmi]     tasya (tadā) (phalam) 
    <ab xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xml:lang="pra-Latn">
					          <pb type="plate" n="1b"/>
					          <lb n="1"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5720">vijayaveṁgīpurā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5721">bhagavato</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5722">cittaratha<lb n="2" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/>ssāmipā<unclear>d</unclear>āṇ<unclear>u</unclear>j<unclear>jh</unclear>āto</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5723">pa<unclear>ra</unclear>madevata<lb n="3" break="no"/>bappabhaṭṭāraka<unclear>p</unclear>ādabha<unclear>t</unclear>to</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5724">
                  <unclear>sā</unclear>laṅkāyanasa<pb type="plate" n="2a"/>
                  <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
                     <num value="2">2</num>
                  </fw>
                  <lb n="4" break="no"/>gotto</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5725">yuvama<unclear>h</unclear>ārā<unclear>ja</unclear>śri°acaṇḍavarmmā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5726">
                  <unclear>dh</unclear>āri<unclear>k</unclear>ā<lb n="5" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/>ṭūre</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5727">gāmeyakā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5728">savvasama<unclear>ggā</unclear>
               </w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5729">samāṇa<lb n="6" break="no"/>peti</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5730">°atthiḍāṇi</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5731">°amhadhammāyubalavā<pb type="plate" n="2b"/>
                  <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
                     <num value="3">3</num>
                  </fw>
                  <lb n="7" break="no"/>hanavibhavissariyappavaddhanatthaṁ</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5732">kulagottassa</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5733">ya</w>
					          <lb n="8"/>
					          <space type="binding-hole"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5734">satthi<unclear>sa</unclear>t<unclear>th</unclear>iyaṇappāyaṇattham·</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5734bis">
                  <unclear>ve</unclear>māṇa<lb n="9" break="no"/>kassapasagottāṇa</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5735">doṇṇampibhatukāṇam·</w>
					          <pb type="plate" n="3a"/>
					          <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
						            <num value="4">4</num>
					          </fw>
					          <lb n="10"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5736">bhavaskandasammajjabhaṭṭisammajjānaṁ</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5737">bamhaṇaṇaṁ</w>
					          <lb n="11"/>
					          <space type="binding-hole"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5738">°ag<unclear>g</unclear>ahāram·</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5739">°ācanda<unclear>s</unclear>ūratāraka<unclear>t</unclear>thāyī<lb n="12" break="no"/>kātūṇa</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5740">°am<unclear>he</unclear>hi</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5741">saṁpadattam·</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5742">tam</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5743">evaṁ</w>
					          <pb type="plate" n="3b"/>
					          <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
						            <num value="5">5</num>
					          </fw>
					          <lb n="13"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5744">nātūṇa</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5745">tāṇaṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5746">puttānupputtakāṇaṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5747">suṅgu<unclear>v</unclear>āṇa<lb n="14" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/>vātacayaṇa</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5748">sadiseta</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5749">saṁ<unclear>bheṭṭa</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5750">
                  <unclear>ho</unclear>nti</w>
					          <lb n="15"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5750bis">ve</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5751">ca</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5751bis">bādhapī<unclear>ḍ</unclear>ā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5753">karaṁti</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5754">sav<unclear>v</unclear>apa<unclear>r</unclear>i<unclear>hā</unclear>rehi</w>
					          <pb type="plate" n="4a"/>
					          <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
						            <num value="6">6</num>
					          </fw>
					          <lb n="16"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5755">
						            <unclear>°enaṁ</unclear>
					          </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5756">ca</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5757">parihara<unclear>ṁ</unclear>ti</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5758">te</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5759">°amhehi</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5760">ya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5761">naṁdaṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5762">deta<unclear>v</unclear>vā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5763">tti</w>
					          <lb n="17"/>
					          <space type="binding-hole"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5764">saṁvaccharāṇi</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5765">pacatīsa</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok5766" value="30">30</num>
					          <num xml:id="tok5767" value="5">5</num>
					          <w xml:id="tok5768">vāsa<lb n="18" break="no"/>pakkhaṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5769">cha<unclear>ṭha</unclear>ṁ</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok5770" value="6">6</num>
					          <w xml:id="tok5771">divasa</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5772">tetiyāyaṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5773">ti</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok5774" value="3">3</num>
				        </ab>
    <lg xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xml:id="seq3033" met="Anuṣṭubh" n="I" xml:lang="san-Latn">
					          <l xml:id="seq2546" n="a">
						            <pb type="plate" n="4b"/>
						            <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
							              <num value="7">
								                <unclear>7</unclear>
							              </num>
						            </fw>
						            <lb n="19"/>
						            <w xml:id="tok5775">bahu<supplied reason="lost">bhir</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5776">
							              <supplied reason="lost">vasudhā</supplied>
						            </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5777">
							              <supplied reason="lost">dattā</supplied>
						            </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2547" n="b">
						            <w xml:id="tok5778">
							              <supplied reason="lost">bahubhiś</supplied>
						            </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5779">
							              <supplied reason="lost">cā</supplied>
						            </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5780">
                     <unclear>nupāli</unclear>tā</w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2548" n="c">
						            <lb n="20"/>
						            <w xml:id="tok5748bis">yasya</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5781">yasya</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5782">yadā</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5783">
							              <unclear>bhūmi</unclear>
						            </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2549" n="d">
						            <w xml:id="tok5784">tasya</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5785">
							              <supplied reason="lost">tadā</supplied>
						            </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5786">
							              <supplied reason="lost">phalam</supplied>
						            </w>
					          </l>
				        </lg>

    Apparatus

    • (1) vijaya vijasa DS . The akṣara <ya> sometimes has a peculiar form in this charter, resembling <sa>, but not identical to it.
    • (2) -pā[d]āṇ[u]j[jh]āto -pā[d]āṇu[j]jhāto DS .
    • (2) pa[ra]madevata- DS . We prefer to emend pa[ra]madevato, as this compound more probably directly qualifies °acaṇḍavarmmā. Admittedly, the attribute with parama- in the Śālaṅkāyana corpus normally follows after bappabhaṭṭārakapādabhatta or its Sanskrit equivalent. See e.g. EIAD 159, ll. 3-4.
    • (3) -[p]āda- -vāda- DS . We consider that the <pā> was carelessly engraved.
    • (3) -bha[t]to The conjunct <tt> is very peculiar.
    • (4) -śri- Emend -śrī-.
    • (4-5) [dh]āri[k]āṭūre DS . The name of this village was originally read [Ga]rikā[ṭuka] in ARIE 1954-55 .
    • (5) savvasama[ggā] savvasama[ggrā] DS . The akṣara <ggā> is very hard to recognize, but the reading seems to be the most likely one, in the light of EIAD 161, l. 5.
    • (5-6) samāṇapeti savā [°āna]peti DS .
    • (6) -dhammāyu- -dhammoyu DS . With correction to -dha(mm-ā)yu-.
    • (6) -vāhana- -vāhane- DS . With correction to -vāhana-.
    • (8) satthi[sa]t[th]iyaṇappāyaṇattham· Emend santisatthiyanappāyaṇattham·. Cf. EIAD 161, l. 9.
    • (8) [ve]māṇa- bh[e]māṇa- DS . Sircar notes “The expression Bhemāṇa-Kāśyapa-sagotra probably suggests that the family in question belonged to the Kāśyapa gotra and had a person called Bhemāṇa as its progenitor.” ( Sircar 1965-66: 4 ) We tentatively read veṃāṇa-, as the initial akṣara is unlike the one in saṁbheṭṭa (line 14).
    • (11) °ag[g]ahāram· °ag[g]ahāra DS .
    • (14) sadiseta DS .
    • (16) [°enaṁ] °e ta DS . He notes: “A letter like <ch> was originally engraved for <e> ” ( Sircar 1965-66: 6 ).
    • (20) [bhūmi] [bhūmī] DS .

    Translation

    (1–6)From the victorious city of Veṅgī, the illustrious crown prince Acaṇḍavarman, who is favored by the feet of the Lord Citraratha, supreme devotee of the Lord (paramadevato), and belong to the gotra of the Śālaṅkāyanas, orders in [Dh]āri[k]āṭūra all the villagers, all complete:
    (6–12)‘There is now, in order to increase our merit (dharma), longevity, strength, vehicles, wealth and sovereignty and in order to increase the peace and prosperity of (our) lineage and gotra, to the Brahmins Bhavaskandaśarmārya and Bhaṭṭiṣarmārya, who belong to the gotra of Bhemāṇa-Kāśyapas and are brothers (residing in) Doṇṇampi, an agrahāra, given by us, after having made it remaining as long as moon, sun and stars.
    (12–16)Knowing this so, let one order the collection of the multitude of taxes and presents in favour of their sons and descendants. Those who do annoyance or harm (to this donation) are to be roasted. Those who exempt this (village) with all exemptions will be given joy by us.’
    (17–18)Thirty-five 35 years, sixth 6 fortnight of the rainy season, third 3 day.
    I.

    By many land has been given; and by many it has been protected. Whoever holds land at a given moment, to him does the fruit then belong.

    Secondary bibliography

    • bookmark ARIE 1954-55: 11 (no. A.11)
    • bookmark IAR 1954-55: 26
    • bookmark Gai 1969: no. 857