Tenali plates of Vijayāditya I Encoding Dániel Balogh intellectual authorship of edition Dániel Balogh DHARMA Berlin DHARMA_INSVengiCalukya00017

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Halantas. M in l20: indistinct, but apparently a very small and simplified subscript ma.

Original punctuation. The opening symbol, transliterated by Gai as "siddham", looks rather like a circle in the scanned estampage, but is probably a a sinistrorse spiral with a tail on the left. The double dots used copiously for punctuation resemble visargas, but in my perception they are more widely spaced (the lower one is below the baseline). They were read as visargas by Hultzsch where they occur at a point where a visarga would be expected. But since they also occur at many points where an anusvāra would be expected, and never in conjunction with an actually written anusvāra, I think it is more likely that when the same glyph occurs at a point where a visarga is normally expected, but a punctuation mark is also expected by the logic of this inscription, then it is a punctuation mark, and the visarga is omitted. Since many of these glyphs occur at points where neither an anusvāra nor a visarga is expected, we can be certain that they can function as punctuation marks, and it is most parsimonious to assume that all their instances between phrases are such. However, at some points the same glyph does occur within a phrase, and at such points I do read it is a visarga, e.g. l15, devaśarmmaṇaḥ pautrāya; l16 kumāraśarmmaṇaḥ putrāya; the directions in ll20-22, e.g. pūrvvataḥ. A particularly problematic spot for punctuation is stanza 1, the boundary of lines c and d, where we have bhūmiḥstasya. In other circumstances I would see a superfluous visarga here; but here, we have the same glyph at the end of each non-final pāda. However, interpreting this one as a punctuation mark leaves me with no choice but to supply a visarga and suppress the s. The punctuation mark at the end of v1 is a single dot at median height.

Other palaeographic observations. Anusvāra is frequently moved to the right, so it is on top of the consonant before which it is to be understood. This is not indicated in the edition. Examples: l5 alaṁkariṣṇo, l10 °ālaṁkr̥taḥ; l25 sva-dattāṁ para. In l7, cakra-vikramasya, both the subscript r-s start to the right of the descender of their k, so that the curve of the subscript r resembles a bowl below the main character.

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Seal śri-tribhuvanāṁkuśa
Plates

svasti. śrīmatāṁ sakala-bhuvana-saṁstūyamāna-mānavya-sagotrāṇāṁ. hāriti-putrāṇāṁ. kauśiki-vara-prasāda-labdha-rājyāṇnāṁ mātr̥-gaṇa-paripālitānāṁ. bhagavan-nārāyaṇa-prasaāda-samāsādita-vara-varaāha-lāñchaṇnekṣaṇa-kṣaṇa-vaśīkr̥tārāti-maṇḍalaānāṁ. Aśvamaedhāa-yājināṁ. calukyānāṁ. kulam alaṁkariṣṇoḥ. catur-udadhi-jala-vilaṁghitāa-yaśaso vijayasiddhi-śrī-maṁgi-yuvarājasya pautraḥ. nija-bhuja-niśīitaāsi-dhāraā-praśamita-para-cakra-vikramasya. sarvva-ḷlokāśrayasya jiṣṇoḥ. śrī-viṣṇuvarddhana-mahaārājasya pr̥riya-tanayaḥ. sva-prabhaāvaopalabdha-prājya-rājyaḥ. kaunteya Iva duḥśāsana-kṣaya-karaḥ. kārttikeya Ivaāpratihata-svaāmi-ṣśabdaḥ. śakti-trayālaṁkr̥taḥ. parama-brahmaṇyaḥ parama-maāheśvaro. maātā-pitrur̥-paādānudhyātaḥ. samasta-bhuvanāṁśrayaḥ. śrī-vijayaādityo mahaāraājaādhiraājaḥ. parameśvaraḥ.

viditam astu vo yatthāsmaābhiḥ. kārāñceḍu-vaāstavyāya Āpastambhba-sūtrāya. veda-vedāṁgetihāsa-purāṇopaniṣad-arttha-tatva-jñāya. hāritia-gotrāya devaśarmmaṇaḥ pautrāya pitus samāna-guṇasya. śrī-kumāraśarmmaṇaḥ putrāya. satdānuṣṭṭhiīyamāna-pañhca-mahāyajajña-kriyāya. sadātithy-aārādhana-tat-parāya. bhaṭṭaārakaāya devaśarmmaṇe. viḷānāṇḍu-viṣaye. savitiur udag-ayane. candra-grahaṇa-nimitte. Asmad-aāyur-aārogyaābhivr̥ddhaye sarvva-bādhaā-parihāreṇa. śañcaraṁbuṁ nāma grāman dattaM

tasya pūrvvataḥ kāvurī-sīmāvaddhiḥ. dakṣiṇataḥ goṭṭimuka-sīmāvaddhiḥ. paścimataḥ sannavṟoli-sīmaāvaddhiḥ. Uttarataḥ Iṁṭuri-sīmaāvaddhiḥ.

Asyopari na kaiścid bandhābādhā karaṇīyā| yaḥ karoti sa pañcabhir mmahapatasaṁtyommahā-pātakais saṁyukto bhavati. Atra vyāsa-giītau śoḷoślokau.

bahubhir vvasudhā dattā. bahubhiś cānupālitā. yasya yasya yadā bhuūmiḥ. stasya tasya tadā phalaṁ. sva-dattāṁ para-dattāṇṁ vā yo hareta vasundhāarāṁ. gavāṁ sśata-sahasrasya haṁtuḥ pibati kilvbiśṣaṁ. Ājñaptir asya dharmmasya nirmmalo dharmma-saṁgrahaḥ. Eṟayavarmma Iti vikhyātaḥ. Unnata-citto vicakṣaṇaḥ.

itīyasi Arjunasya putra Īśānavarmmaṇā

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Plates mātr̥- The vowel marker for r̥ is below mā, because the space below t is occupied by the hole. -dhāraā- The charater ra may be a subsequent insertion, as it is spaced very closely and it touches the subscript r of the following character. -brahmaṇyaḥ -brahmaṇyaḥ pautrāya pitus samāna- Hultzsch notes that the letters ssamā are engraved over an erasure. I cannot make out any meaningful vestiges of the deleted text, but from the background noise it seems possible that the preceding pitu, and perhaps even pautrā, is likewise a correction. -yajajña- The engraver begun jña, but then realised that the subscript component would not fit next to the hole, and re-engraved the character a little to the right. śañcaraṁbuṁ The name of the donated village was read as śekharaṁbu in ARIE. eṟayavarmma Iti vikhyā With this unmetrical line, compare Eṟeyamma Iti khyātaḥ in the Peravali plates of Viṣṇuvardhana IV, probably referring to the same person. itīyasi Gai tentatively emends to likhitam. While the ultimate intent here may have been to record the name of the scribe, I feel certain that iti should not be disregarded. Gai further emends putra to putreṇa, and prints °varmmaṇā as clear, though the final ā is not visible at all in the scanned rubbing. We cannot exclude the possibility that Arjunasya putra Īśānavarmmaṇa was meant for a nominative. It may be the name of the scribe (restore e.g. ity asya lekhakaḥ), or it may be the true name of the executor whose popular name is Eṟayavarmma (restore e.g. iti yasya nāma). Compare e.g. the Ciṁbulūru plates of Vijayāditya III, where the name of the executor is stated after a similar stanza describing him.
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Plates

Greetings. The grandson of His Majesty Maṅgi Yuvarāja Vijayasiddhi, whose fame has passed beyond the waters of the four oceans and who was eager to adorn the lineage of the majestic Caḷukyas—who are of the Mānavya gotra which is praised by the entire world, who are sons of Hāriti, who attained kingship by the grace of Kauśikī’s boon, who are protected by the band of Mothers, to whom the realms of adversaries instantaneously submit at the mere sight of the superior Boar emblem they have acquired by the grace of the divine Nārāyaṇa, and who perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice—; the dear son of His Majesty King mahārāja Viṣṇuvardhana III, the champion who repressed the onslaught of enemy armies para-cakra-vikrama by the sharp swordblade wielded by his own arm and who was the shelter of all the world sarva-lokāśraya; His Majesty the supremely pious Emperor mahārājādhirāja and Supreme Lord parameśvara Vijayāditya, shelter of the entire universe samasta-bhuvanāśraya, supreme devotee of Maheśvara, who was deliberately appointed as heir by his mother and father, who earned his extensive kingdom by his own might, who eradicates abusive governance duḥśāsana as Bhīma the son of Kuntī who killed Duḥśāsana, whose title “Lord” is as unchallenged as that of Kārttikeya,There may be a bitextual meaning here that I fail to catch; or the text may be garbled: compare kārttikeya Ivāpratihata-śaktiḥ in line 12 of the Pr̥thivipallavapaṭṭana grant. and who is adorned by the three powers śakti-traya, commands as follows:

Let it be known to you that on the occasion of an eclipse of the moon at the sun’s passage into its northward course udag-ayana, in order to augment our vitality and health, we have given the village named Śañcaraṁbuṁ in Viḷānāṇḍu district viṣaya, with an exemption from all burdens, to the Master bhaṭṭāraka Devaṣarman of the Hārita gotra, a resident of Kārāñceḍu who follows the Āpastamba sūtra and who continuously performs the five great sacrifices and is continuously engaged in worshipping his guests, an expert in the meanings of the Veda, the Vedāṅgas, Itihāsas, Purāṇas and Upaniṣads, grandson of Devaśarman and son of the Reverend Kumāraśarman who equalled his father in virtue.

Its boundary on the east is the perimeter of Kāvurī. Its boundary on the south is the perimeter of Goṭṭimuka. Its boundary on the west is the perimeter of Sannavṟoli. Its boundary on the north is the perimeter of Iṁṭuri. Let no-one pose an obstruction to his enjoyment of his rights over it. He who does so shall be conjoined with the five great sins. There are two verses sung by Vyāsa pertinent to this:

Many kings have granted land, and many have preserved it as formerly granted. Whosoever at any time owns the land, the fruit reward accrued of granting it belongs to him at that time.

He who would seize land, whether given by himself or by another, imbibes the sin of the slayer of a hundred thousand cows.

The executor ājñapti of this provision dharma is the immaculate, lofty-minded and discerning superintendent of justice dharma-saṁgraha,I assume that dharma-saṁgraha is synonymous to dharmādhyakṣa or dharmādhikaraṇika, but it may be the title of a different official, or it may be used in a non-technical figurative sense as “storehouse of justice”. known as Eṟayavarma.

itīyasiSee the apparatus on line 28. Īśānavarman, the son of Arjuna.

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Plates

Prospérité ! le petit-fils de l’illustre VijayasiddhiAutre biruda de Maṁgi Yuvāraja, alias Sarvalokāśraya. Maṁgi Yuvarāja, dont la gloire s’étend jusqu’aux quatre océans, ornement de la lignée des Calukya, illustres, du même gotra que les descendants de Manu, honorés par tout l’univers, fils de Hārīti, qui obtinrent leur royaume grâce à l’excellente faveur de Kauśiki, dont les cercles ennemis furent soumis en un instant à la vue du signe du sanglier illustre, faveur octroyée par le bienheureux Nārāyaṇa, qui accomplirent l’aśvamedha, le cher fils du grand roi illustre Viṣṇuvardhana, refuge de tous les hommes, vainqueur, fils dont la vaillance subjuga l’armée ennemie par la lame acérée d’une épée que tenait son propre bras,ce fils doté d’un immense royaume qu’il acquit grâce à sa puissance, qui causa la mort des rois qui mènent une politique néfaste comme Kaunteya causa la mort de Duḥśāsana, tel Kārtikeya, à qui nul ne conteste le titre de seigneur, paré des trois pouvoirs, très pieux, excellent dévôt de Maheśvara, méditant aux pieds de sa mère et de son père, refuge de l’univers entier, l’illustre Vijayāditya, roi suprême des grands rois, illustre seigneur, ordonne :

qu’il soit connu de vous que, nous donnons au petit-fils de Devaśarman, habitant à Kārāñceḍu, adepte du sūtra Āpastambha, qui connaît le sens véritable des Veda,Vedāṁga, Itihāsa, Purāṇa et Upaniṣad, du gotra de Hārita, au fils de l’illustre Kumāraśarman dont les vertus égalent celles de son père, à lui qui accomplit constamment les cinq grands sacrifices, qui se consacre constamment à l’exécution des rites d’hospitalité, noble seigneur, à Devaśarman, dans le viṣaya de Viḷānāṇḍu, pendant l’ascension du soleil vers le Nord,Cette expression désigne la « remontée » du soleil vers le Nord entre le solstice d’hiver et celui de l’été. à l’occasion de l’éclipse de lune, en vue de l’accroissement de notre durée de vie et de notre santé, exempté de toute charge, le village nommé Śañcaraṁbum.

A l’est la limite de celui-ci est la frontière de Kāvurī, au sud la limite est la frontière de Goṭṭimuka, à l’ouest la limite est la frontière de Sannavṟoli, au nord la limite est la frontière de Iṁṭuri. Aucune charge ne doit lui être imposée, celui qui en impose est lié aux cinq grands crimes. Voici deux stances chantées par Vyāsa :

beaucoup ont donné une terre, beaucoup l’ont protégée, celui qui possède la terre en possède le fruit.

Qu’elle soit donnée par lui ou par un autre, celui qui prend une terre boit le crime du meutrier de cent mille vaches.

L’exécuteur de cette donation, immaculé, trésor du dharma, est le nommé Eṟayavarman, à l’esprit élevé, sagace.

Celle-ci a été gravée par le fils d’Arjuna, Iśānavarman.

There being no image of the seal, its text is shown as cited by Gai in his discussion.

The metrical anomaly in the last two quarters of stanza 3 may be resolved by the following assumptions: aya in pāda c is pronounced as a single syllable as in epical licence (it probably helps with this if eṟaya is pronounced with a short e); °varmma Iti is recited as °varmmeti and the hiatus was only used in writing to make the name very clear; Unnata is joined in sandhi to the preceding vikhyāta, creating enjambement, which too was resolved only in writing to allow the insertion of a punctuation mark. Gai suggests "eṟayavarmmā vikhyāt-onnata-citto", but I think epical licence is far more likely than a superfluous iti, and understanding the hypothetical vikhyātonnata as non-standard sandhi is better than understanding it as a compound.

Reported in 9A/1916-191722 with a description at 114. Edited from estampages by G. S. Gai (297-300A), without translation, with estampages of the plates, no image of the seal. The present edition by Dániel Balogh is based on a collation of Gai's text with his facsimiles.

297-300 9A/1916-191722