Metadata

Support
Five copper plates; h. 2" ×  w. 6 1/4" ×  d. unavailable inches. On the ring is a seal with an indistinct image, but Subba Rao 1926 evokes the possibility of a Nandi image.
Text
Sanskrit language, Southern Brāhmī script. h. unavailable ×  w. unavailable cm .
Date
Tenth regnal year of the king Nandivarman II of the Śālaṅkāyana dynasty, of the first half of the 5th century.
Origin
Peda-Vēgi, Eluru taluk, Krishna district.
Provenance
Discovered near Peda-Vēgi. The precise date of discovery is unknown. Suspected transfer to National Museum in New Delhi confirmed on 02/01/2020 by Ryosuke Furui, who informs that the acc. no. is 56.121/1(a–e).
Visual Documentation
Photo(s) of estampage(s):
  • Subba Rao 1926
    • Editors
    Emmanuel Francis and Arlo Griffiths.
    Publication history
    First published by M.S. Sarma, Bharathi, August 1924 (in Telugu), and then by Subba Rao 1926 , of which there is a 1948 printing, which is not a faithful reprint. The text is re-edited here from Subba Rao’s facsimiles. The original printing of Subba Rao 1926 does not represent any of the doubled consonants that are a systematic feature of the spelling of this grant after r; both printings of this edition also show word breaks where there should not be any, and suffer from numerous deficiencies regarding the use of diacritics — although on the whole the second printing clearly represents an effort to improve the first. Only significant variant readings are recorded here, and none is reported when one of the two printings of Subba Rao 1926 gives the correct reading.

    Edition

    1b 1 (1) svasti vijayaveṅgīpurān naikasamarāvāptavijayino (2) ◯ hastivarmmamahārājasya prapautraḥ vividhadharmma(3)pradhānasya nandivarmmamahārājasya pautraḥ 2a 2 (4) pratāpopanatasāmantasyācaṇḍavarmmamahār⟨ā⟩ja(5) ◯ sya putro jyeṣṭhaḥ bhagavaccitrarathasvāmi(6)pādānuddhyāto bappabhaṭṭārakapādabhaktaḥ 2b (7) paramabhāgavataś śālaṅkāyano mah⟨ā⟩rāja[ś]rīnandi(8) ◯ varmmā prāluragrāme mutuḍasahitān grāmeya(9)kān sam⟨ā⟩jñāpayati °asti °asmaddharmmayaśobhi3a 3 (10)vr̥ddhyartthan trilokanāthasyav viṣṇugr̥hasvāmina[ḥ] °aṟu(11) ◯ toṟe vrajapālakānāṁ kraṣṭuṁ devahalaṅ kr̥tvā (12) °asmābhir bhūminivarttanāni daśa 10 tathaiva 3b (13) muṇḍūragrāme bhūminivarttanāni daśa 10 ceṅceru(14) ◯ vagrāme bhūmīnivarttanāni ṣaṭ· 6 tathai(15)va kamburāñceruve bhūminivarttanāni ṣaṭ· 6 4a 4 (16) dattāni tad avagamya deśādhipatyāyuktakavalla(17) ◯ bharājapuruṣādibhih pariharttavyāni || (18) pravarddhamānavijayarājyasaṁvatsarasya daśa4b (19)masya 10 śrāvaṇamāsaśuklapakṣasya pratipa(20) ◯ di paṭṭikā dattā °ājñāptir mūlakurabhojaka⟨ḥ⟩ (21) likhitaṁ rahasyādhikr̥tena kāṭikuriṇā
    IAnuṣṭubh
    a 5a 5 (22) bahubhir vvasūdha dattā ◊ b bahubhiś c⟨ā⟩nupalitā
    c (23) ◯ yasya yasya yadā bhūmi⟨ḥ⟩ ◊ d tasya tasya tadā phalam·
    IIAnuṣṭubh
    a (24) ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi ◊ b svargge krīḍati bhūmidaḥ
    c 5b (24) °ākṣeptā cābhimantā ca ◊ d tāny eva narake vased itiḥ ||
    plate 1b 1
    (1) svasti vijayaveṅgīpurān naikasamarāvāptavijayino
    (2) ◯ hastivarmmamahārājasya prapautraḥ vividhadharmma-
    (3)pradhānasya nandivarmmamahārājasya pautraḥ plate 2a 2
    (4) pratāpopanatasāmantasyācaṇḍavarmmamahār⟨ā⟩ja-
    (5) ◯ sya putro jyeṣṭhaḥ bhagavaccitrarathasvāmi-
    (6)pādānuddhyāto bappabhaṭṭārakapādabhaktaḥ plate 2b
    (7) paramabhāgavataś śālaṅkāyano mah⟨ā⟩rāja[ś]rīnandi-
    (8) ◯ varmmā prāluragrāme mutuḍasahitān grāmeya-
    (9)kān sam⟨ā⟩jñāpayati °asti °asmaddharmmayaśobhiplate 3a 3 -
    (10)vr̥ddhyartthan trilokanāthasyav viṣṇugr̥hasvāmina[ḥ] °aṟu-
    (11) ◯ toṟe vrajapālakānāṁ kraṣṭuṁ devahalaṅ kr̥tvā
    (12) °asmābhir bhūminivarttanāni daśa 10 tathaiva plate 3b
    (13) muṇḍūragrāme bhūminivarttanāni daśa 10 ceṅceru-
    (14) ◯ vagrāme bhūmīnivarttanāni ṣaṭ· 6 tathai-
    (15)va kamburāñceruve bhūminivarttanāni ṣaṭ· 6 plate 4a 4
    (16) dattāni tad avagamya deśādhipatyāyuktakavalla-
    (17) ◯ bharājapuruṣādibhih pariharttavyāni ||
    (18) pravarddhamānavijayarājyasaṁvatsarasya daśaplate 4b -
    (19)masya 10 śrāvaṇamāsaśuklapakṣasya pratipa-
    (20) ◯ di paṭṭikā dattā °ājñāptir mūlakurabhojaka⟨ḥ⟩
    (21) likhitaṁ rahasyādhikr̥tena kāṭikuriṇā     plate 5a 5
    (22) bahubhir vvasūdha dattā ◊     bahubhiś c⟨ā⟩nupalitā
    (23) ◯ yasya yasya yadā bhūmi⟨ḥ⟩ ◊     tasya tasya tadā phalam·
    (24) ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi ◊     svargge krīḍati bhūmidaḥ plate 5b
    (24) °ākṣeptā cābhimantā ca ◊     tāny eva narake vased itiḥ || 
    <ab xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0">
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					          <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
                  <num value="1">1</num>
               </fw>
					          <lb n="1"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5391">svasti</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5392">vijayaveṅgīpurān</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5393">naikasamarāvāptavijayino</w>
					          <lb n="2"/>
					          <space type="binding-hole"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5394">hastivarmmamahārājasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5395">prapautraḥ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5396">vividhadharmma<lb n="3" break="no"/>pradhānasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5397">nandivarmmamahārājasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5398">pautraḥ</w>
					          <pb type="plate" n="2a"/>
					          <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
						            <num value="2">2</num>
					          </fw>
					          <lb n="4"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5399">pratāpopanatasāmantasyācaṇḍavarmmamahār<supplied reason="omitted">ā</supplied>ja<lb n="5" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/> sya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5400">putro</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5401">jyeṣṭhaḥ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5402">bhagavaccitrarathasvāmi<lb n="6" break="no"/>pādānuddhyāto</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5403">bappabhaṭṭārakapādabhaktaḥ</w>
					          <pb type="plate" n="2b"/>
					          <lb n="7"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5404">paramabhāgavataś</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5405">śālaṅkāyano</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5406">mah<supplied reason="omitted">ā</supplied>rāja<unclear>ś</unclear>rīnandi<lb n="8" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/> varmmā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5407">prāluragrāme</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5408">mutuḍasahitān</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5409">grāmeya<lb n="9" break="no"/>kān</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5410">sam<supplied reason="omitted">ā</supplied>jñāpayati</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5411">°asti</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5412">°asmaddharmmayaśobhi<pb type="plate" n="3a"/>
                  <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
                     <num value="3">3</num>
                  </fw>
                  <lb n="10" break="no"/>vr̥ddhyartthan</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5413">trilokanāthasya</w>v
					<w xml:id="tok5414">viṣṇugr̥hasvāmina<unclear>ḥ</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5415">°aṟu<lb n="11" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/>
					toṟe</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5416">vrajapālakānāṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5417">kraṣṭuṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5418">devahalaṅ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5419">kr̥tvā</w>
					          <lb n="12"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5420">°asmābhir</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5421">bhūminivarttanāni</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5422">daśa</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok5423" value="10">10</num>
					          <w xml:id="tok5424">tathaiva</w>
					          <pb type="plate" n="3b"/>
					          <lb n="13"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5425">muṇḍūragrāme</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5426">bhūminivarttanāni</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5427">daśa</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok5428" value="10">10</num>
					          <w xml:id="tok5429">ceṅceru<lb n="14" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/>
					vagrāme</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5430">bhūmīnivarttanāni</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5431">ṣaṭ·</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok5432" value="6">6</num>
					          <w xml:id="tok5433">tathai<lb n="15" break="no"/>va</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5434">kamburāñceruve</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5435">bhūminivarttanāni</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5436">ṣaṭ·</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok5437" value="6">6</num>
					          <pb type="plate" n="4a"/>
					          <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
						            <num value="4">4</num>
					          </fw>
					          <lb n="16"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5438">dattāni</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5439">tad</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5440">avagamya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5441">deśādhipatyāyuktakavalla<lb n="17" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/>
					bharājapuruṣādibhih</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5442">pariharttavyāni</w>
					          <pc>||</pc>
					          <lb n="18"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5443">pravarddhamānavijayarājyasaṁvatsarasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5444">daśa<pb type="plate" n="4b"/>
                  <lb n="19" break="no"/>masya</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok5445" value="10">10</num>
					          <w xml:id="tok5446">śrāvaṇamāsaśuklapakṣasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5447">pratipa<lb n="20" break="no"/>
                  <space type="binding-hole"/>
					di</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5448">paṭṭikā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5449">dattā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5450">°ājñāptir</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5451">mūlakurabhojaka<supplied reason="omitted">ḥ</supplied>
					          </w>
					          <lb n="21"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5452">likhitaṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5453">rahasyādhikr̥tena</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5454">kāṭikuriṇā</w>
				        </ab>
    <lg xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xml:id="seq3027" met="Anuṣṭubh" n="I">
					          <l xml:id="seq2524" n="a">
						            <pb type="plate" n="5a"/>
						            <fw type="pageNum" place="marginleft">
							              <num value="5">5</num>
						            </fw>
						            <lb n="22"/>
						            <w xml:id="tok5455">bahubhir</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5456">vvasūdha</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5457">dattā</w>
						            <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2525" n="b">
						            <w xml:id="tok5458">bahubhiś</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5459">c<supplied reason="omitted">ā</supplied>nupalitā</w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2526" n="c">
						            <lb n="23"/>
						            <space type="binding-hole"/>
						            <w xml:id="tok5460">yasya</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5461">yasya</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5462">yadā</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5463">bhūmi<supplied reason="omitted">ḥ</supplied>
						            </w>
						            <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2527" n="d">
						            <w xml:id="tok5464">tasya</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5465">tasya</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5466">tadā</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5467">phalam·</w>
					          </l>
				        </lg>
    <lg xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xml:id="seq3028" met="Anuṣṭubh" n="II">
					          <l xml:id="seq2528" n="a">
						            <lb n="24"/>
						            <w xml:id="tok5468">ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi</w>
						            <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2529" n="b">
						            <w xml:id="tok5469">svargge</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5470">krīḍati</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5471">bhūmidaḥ</w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2530" n="c">
						            <pb type="plate" n="5b"/>
						            <lb n="24"/>
						            <w xml:id="tok5472">°ākṣeptā</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5473">cābhimantā</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5474">ca</w>
						            <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2531" n="d">
						            <w xml:id="tok5475">tāny</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5476">eva</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5477">narake</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5478">vased</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5479">itiḥ</w>
						            <pc>||</pc>
					          </l>
				        </lg>

    Apparatus

    • (1) veṅgīpurān naika- veṅgīpurāneika- RSR .
    • (2) prapautraḥ prapautrāḥ RSR .
    • (4–5) -sāmantasyācaṇḍavarmmamahār⟨ā⟩jasya -sāmantasya candavarma mahārājasya RSR .
    • (5) jyeṣṭhaḥ jyeṣtah RSR .
    • (7-8) mah⟨ā⟩rāja[ś]rīnandivarmmā The reading from the facsimile available is maharājagrīnandivarmmā, but one wonders if the enhancement was correctly done.
    • (8) mutuḍasahitān munudasahitān RSR .
    • (9) sam⟨ā⟩jñāpayati samājñāpayati RSR . The facsimile available might not be faithful or the plates damaged, but comparison with the shape of <jñā> in line 20 suggests strongly that <-ā> was forgotten here after <m>.
    • (14) bhūmīnivarttanāni bhūminivarttanāni RSR .
    • (17) -puruṣādibhiḫ pari- -puruṣādibhiṟ pari- RSR .
    • (20) paṭṭikā pattikā RSR . Possibly a deficiency of romanization scheme.
    • (21) rahasyādhikr̥tena kāṭikuriṇā rahasyādhikrutena kātikuriṇā RSR .
    • (22) c⟨ā⟩nupalitā cānupalitā RSR .
    • (23) bhūmi⟨ḥ⟩ bhūmi RSR .
    • (25) itiḥ Emend iti.

    Translation

    (1–9) Hail! From the victorious city of Veṅgī, the great-grandson of the great king Hastivarman, who has been victorious in many battles; the grandson of the great king Nandivarman, to whom the various dharmas were essential; the eldest son of the great king Acaṇḍavarman due to whose splendor the neighboring kings prostrated; the glorious great king Nandivarman, who is favored by the feet of the lord Citrarathasvāmin, devoted to the feet of his lord father, supreme devotee of the Lord, the Śālaṅkāyana, orders the villagers along with the headmen in the village of Prālura:
    (9–17) “There is, for the sake of increasing our merit (dharma) and fame, given by us, after having made them a divine plow [of land] for Trilokanātha, the lord of the temple of Viṣṇu, in Aṟutoṟe, for the cow-herds to plow them, ten 10 nivartanas of land. So also ten 10 nivartanas of land in the village of Muṇḍūra. Six 6 nivartanas of land in the village of Ceñceruva. So also ten 10 nivartanas of land in Kamburāñceruva. The governors, appointees/officers, courtiers/those dear to [us], and royal servants, etc., having taken notice of that, are to exempt them.”
    (18–21) In the tenth 10 year of the prosperous and victorious reign, in the waxing fortnight of the month Śrāvaṇa, on the first day, the charter has been given. The executor was Mūlakurabhojaka. Written by the secretary Kāṭikuri.
    I.

    By numerous [kings], 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.

    II.

    The giver of land revels sixty thousand years in heaven; the one who confiscates [land] as well as the one who agrees [to the confiscation] will reside as many [years] in hell.

    Secondary bibliography