Community: Śālaṅkāyana epigraphy

This set of four copper plates were originally secured together with a ring and a damaged seal. The exact location where the charter was found is unknown.

The charter records the donation of twenty nivartanas of land and a site for a house and servants quarters in the village of Ēlūra to Gaṇaśarman. The donation was made by Vijaya-Devavarman who is described in the inscription as a devotee of Chitrarathasvāmin and as a performer of ‘horse sacrifices’.

The charter was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi. The Ēlūra mentioned in the inscription has been identified as the modern town of Ellore/Eluru.

The grant is dated to the 10th day of the dark fortnight of Pausha in the 13th year of Devavarman’s reign.

This set of 5 coppers plates were found near Pedavegi and are secured together with a ring and seal. The image on the seal is indistinct.

The charter records the donation by Nandivarman of four plots of land in different villages to the cow-herders of Arutore, to support the god Vishnugrihasvāmin ‘the lord of the three worlds’. The details of the donation are:
– 10 nivartanas in Prālura
– 10 nivartanas in Munduru
– 6 nivartanas in Chencheruvu
– 6 nivartanas in Kambuvancheruvu

The charter was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi on the day of Sukla Pādyami in the month of Srāvana in the 10th year of Nandivarman’s reign.

In the inscription, Nandivarman is referred to as the great grandson of Hastivarman, the grandson of Nandivarman and the eldest son of Chaṇḍavarman.

Subba Rao states that Munduru is the modern village of Mundūr and that Kambuvancheruvu is located in the modern village of Kamburan Cheruvu.

This set of four copper plates was unearthed alongside a second Śālaṅkāyana charter in the village of Kantēru. The plates were secured together with a ring and seal which are both damaged.

The charter records the donation of a piece of land measuring 12 nivartansa in the village of Kuruvāḍa in Kudrahāra vishy to Svāmi Chandra of the Maudgalya gōtra. The donation was made by Nadivarman and was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi.

The charter was issued on the new moon day.

The charter records the donation of the village of Chinnapura in Kudrahāra vishaya to Śivārya, a resident of the village of Lēkumārī and a member of the Maudgalya gōtra. The donation was made by Vijaya-Skandavarman and was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi.

The grant was issued on the full moon day of Vaiśākha in the 1st year of Skandavarman’s reign.

Working edition by Francesco Bianchini (01/2021).

FACE 1 

vasantatilakā 

1) siddham (symbol) _

(śaśv)at sa va[+ḥ] śiśuśaśāṅkamarīcimālā- /

māṇi(kya)(X X X) (2) (tani) X X ǂǂ (m)uṇḍamālā[sic!] //

ya[+ḥ] sambhavasthitivināśanim(i)ttahe(3)tu[+ḥ] /

(su/sra) (gyā) Xlāni kali(kā)la(bha)vāni śarvva(ḥ / | ?) // svasti jaya

4) purā ⃝ paramamāheśvaro mātāpitṛpādā(nu)dhyāto

5) (na)la ⃝ vaṅśasamudbhavaḥ śrīmān vi(rū?)parājadevaḥ

6) kuśalī (Antarnāla?)kaviṣayāntaḥpāti (saba?)X

7) (va.ri?)padrakagrāme brahmaṇā(ṅ p)ūjya itarajanapa-

FACE 2 

8) d(ā)[+n] sa(mā)diśati viditam ast(u) bhavatā[+ṃ] yathāsmābhi

9) r aya([+ṃ]) (grā)mo ācāryavinītarāśer abhya[+r]thita na (bha)

10) (gavataḥ) s tṛbhuvanaguro vinīt[!a!]{=e=}śvarabhaṭṭarakāya kha

11) (ṇḍasphu) ⃝ titasa[+ṃ]skārā(va)licarusatrapravarttanāya mā

12) tāpitror ātmanaś ca pun[sic!]yābhivṛddhaye dattaraXXX

13)Xgamy(e) samucita(bha)ga(bhāga)karahiraṇyapratyā[+yā] (ny a-)

14) smai panayadbhi[+ḥ]  sukha[+ṃ] prativa_sty(?)avyam iti

FACE 3 

anuṣṭubh 

15) va(hu)bh(ir) vasudhā dattā rājabhiḥ sagar(ā)dhibhi(ḥ)

16) yasya yasya yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phala[+ṃ]

anuṣṭubh 

17) __ ⃝ yathā gaur bharat[!a!][=e=] vatsaṃ

kṣīra{ancient correction?}m u(cchri)jya Xri (18) (gau)

(e)vaṃ dattvā sahasrā(n ca?)

(bhū)mir bhārati bhūmi(19)da(ṃ) (//)

anuṣṭubh 

ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bhū(mi)- 20)daḥ [+|]

ācchettā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vase[+t] /@

FACE 4 

anuṣṭubh 

21) sva(da)ttāṃ __ paradattām vā yo hareta vasundha-

22) rāṃ sa viṣṭhāyāṃ kṛ(mir) bhūtvā pitṛbhi saha pacyate

metre? āryā 

23) iX⃝ kamalada(lāmbub)indulolā śrīyam anu-

24) ci ⃝ ntya manuṣyajīvi X (ca) sakalam idam udāhṛtaṃ

25) (śe)XX na hi puruṣena parakīrttayo [+‘]vilopyā (/)

samva(T)

26) Aśvina (di) 1 pratham(y) AXXcā(smi)XXXXX

Barcelona, Cataluñya. CosmoCaixa.

Barcelona copper-plate charter. Trois plaques de cuivre, gravées.