The original of the subjoined inscription was kindly placed at my 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 digging a mound near the temple at Kolavennu, Bezvāḍa Tālluqa. The document consists of three copper-plates with raised rims. Each plate measures 9 1/4 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 there is no trace of any letters after the words: yasyāvadhayaḥ pūrvataḥ, “the boundaries of which (are), to the east,” 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 1/2 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 1/4 inches in diameter. It bears at the top a standing boar, which faces the right, with the sun and the moon over it, a chaurī and an elephant-goad on its left and a chaurī on its right; the centre of the seal is occupied by the legend bird's-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 maṅgala, which mentions the lotus-flower that rises from Vishṇu's navel,vaṁśāvali of the Eastern Chalukyas from Kubja-Vishṇu to Vikramāditya, the younger son of Chālukya-Bhīma I. The ensuing reign of Yuddhamalla, the son of Tāḻapa, is left out. This omission is probably due to the fact, that Chālukya-Bhīma II. considered his predecessor, whom he conquered, as an usurper and ignored him purposely. The grant consists of an order addressed by Chālukya-Bhīma II. alias Vishṇuvardhana VII. to the inhabitants of the KaṇḍeṟuvāṭivishayaInd. Ant. Vol. XIII, page 56.Pānara prince Vājjaya. On the occasion of a winter-solstice (uttarāyaṇa),uttarāyaṇa and dakshiṇāyana, and that in reality the former means “the winter-solstice,” the latter “the summer-solstice.” See Vienna Oriental Journal, Vol. II, page 90.Koḍhatalli as an agrahāra to Kommaṇa, who know the kramapāṭha (kramavid) and adhered to the Āpastamba-sūtra. The donce was the son of Deṇiya, who know the kramapāṭha (kramaka), and of Kandamavvā, and the grandson of Revaśarman, an inhabitant of Ābharadvasukālmādi.
harinābhisarojanmā merunālaviśālitaḥ
śvataṁ
trāṇāṁ kauśikīvaraprasādalabdharājyānāṁ mātṛgaṇapariṁpālitānāṁ svāmimahāse
napādānudhyātānāṁ bhagavannārāyaṇaprasādasamāsāditavaravarā
halāṁcchanekṣaṇavaśīkṛtārātimaṇḍalānā
vitrīkṛtavapuṣāṁ cālukyānāṁ kulamalaṁkariṣṇoḥ
bhrātā kubjaviṣṇuraṣṭādaśa varṣ
nd
jo jayasiṁh
nassaptatriṁśataṁ
ṭtriṁśataṁ
māsaṁ
mādityātmajaścālukyabhīm
tattanujommarāja
kṣaṁ
yo vikramāditya
jasya vijayādityanandana
nair
rassa sarvvalokāśrayaśrīviṣṇuvarddhanamahārāj
rakaparamabra
bina I
śauryyanidhiḥ
na
ṇiyakramako jajñe ved
ṇaḥ
maḥ kāmadhugartthināṁ
yatputrapautrāḥ paṭavo vaṭavo v
pn
lli nāma grāmaḥ Agrahār
ti viditamastu vaḥ
(Verse 1.) The primeval lotus-flower, which rises from a tank (that consists of) the navel of Hari (Vishṇu), 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-Vishṇu, the brother of Satyāśraya, who adorned the race of the glorious Chālukyas, etc.,ruled) for eighteen years.
His son Jayasiṁha (ruled) for thirty-three (years).
Vishṇuvardhana, the son of his brother Indra-rāja, (ruled) for nine (years).
His son Maṅgi-yuvarāja (ruled) for twenty-five (years).
His son Jayasiṁha (ruled) for thirteen (years).
Kokkili, his younger brother from a different mother, (ruled) for six months.
His elder brother Vishṇuvardhana (ruled) for thirty-seven (years).
His legitimate son Vijayāditya-bhaṭṭāraka (ruled) for eighteen (years).
His son Vishṇu-rāja (ruled) for thirty-six (years).
His son Narendra-mṛigarāja (ruled) for forty (years).
His son Kali-Vishṇuvardhana (ruled) for eighteen months.
His son Guṇakenalla-Vijayāditya (ruled) for forty-four (years).
Chālukya-Bhīma, the son of his younger brother Vikramāditya, (ruled) for thirty (years).
His son Vijayāditya (ruled) for six months.
His son Amma-rāja (ruled) for seven years.
His son Vijayāditya (ruled) for half a month.
After him Tāḻapa-rāja (ruled) for (one) month.
Having conquered him, Vikramāditya, the son of Chālukya-Bhīma, ruled for (one) year over the country of Veṅgi together with Trikaliṅga.
(Verse 2.) Chālukya-Bhīma, the son of Vijayāditya and brother of Amma-rāja 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 Tāta-Bikyana(?) . . . . ., this Rājamārtaṇḍabiruda of Chālukya-Bhīma II.the sun among kings) causes his fame to be sung by the people.
He who, like Meru, is possessed of insurmountable greatness, and who knows all arts (kalā), just as the (full) moon possesses all digits (kalā), this asylum of the whole world, the illustrious Vishṇuvardhana, 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 Kaṇḍeṟuvāṭi:—
“Be it known to you that, at the request of king Vājjaya, who purifies the Pānara princes,I.e., who belonged to the Pānara race.is able) to protect my kingdom;”—
(Verse 3.) From Revaśarman, who dwelt at Ābharadvasukālmādi, there sprang the lord Deṇiya, who knew the kramapāṭha, the Vedas and Vedāṅgas.
(Verse 4.) His son was the noble Kommaṇa, a follower of the Āpastamba-sūtra, who adorned his race and was resplendent with holiness;
(Verse 5.) The son of Kandamavvā, (who resembled) Kāma in beauty and who fulfilled the desires of suppliants. Having approached his abundance, those brāhmaṇas are resplendent, just as swans which have entered a tank.I.e., he was liberal to brāhmaṇas.
(Verse 6.) His sons and grandsons, youths who are clever in assemblies of eminent men, obtain a succession of agrahāras and of highest marks of reverence.
“To this Kommaṇa, who knows the kramapāṭha, we gave, with exemption from all taxes, the village called Koḍhatalli, making it an agrahāra, with a libation of water, on the occasion of the winter-solstice.”
The boundaries of this (village are): on the east . . . . . . . . . .
Digital edition of SII 1.37 by
See also edition by Daniel Balogh (Kolaveṇṇu plates of Bhīma II).