IN00162 Camak Charter of Pravarasena II

The Seal

A charter of king Pravarasêna, the

ornament of the Vâkâṭakas, who has

attained royal dignity by inheritance, (is)

a charter for (the observance of even his)

enemies!

The Plates

Sight has been attained! Hail! From the town of Pravarapura;—(Line 17.)—At the command of the most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara, the Mahârâja of the Vâkâṭakas, the illustrious Pravarasêna (II.), who was begotten on Prabhâvatiguptâ, the daughter of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Dêvagupta; who, through possessing the favour of (the god) Śambhu, is (as virtuous as) one belonging to the Kṛita age;—

(Line 13.)—(And) who is the son of the Mahârâja of the Vâkâṭakas, the illustrious Rudrasêna (II.), who acquired an abundance of good fortune through the favour of the divine (god) Chakrapâni;—

(L. 9.)—Who, was the son of the Mahârâja of the Vâkâṭakas, the illustrious Pṛithivishêna, who was an excessively devout worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara; who was endowed with an excess of truthfulness, straightforwardness, tenderness, heroism, prowess, political wisdom, modesty, and high-mindedness, and with devotion to worthy people and guests, and with the condition of being victorious through religion, and with purity of mind, and with other meritorious qualities; who belonged to an uninterrupted succession of sons and sons’ sons, whose treasure and means of government had been accumulating for a hundred years; who behaved like Yudhishṭhira;—

(L. 4.)—Who was the son of the Mahârâja of the Vâkâṭakas, the illustrious Rudrasêna (I.), who was an excessively devout devotee of (the god) Svâmi-Mahâbhairava; who was the daughter’s son of the illustrious Bhavanâga, the Mahârâja of the Bhâraśivas, whose royal line owned its origin to the great satisfaction of (the god) Śiva, (caused) by (their) carrying a linga of Śiva placed as a load upon (their) shoulders, (and) who were besprinkled on the forehead with the pure water of (the river) Bhâgîrathî that had been obtained by (their) valour, (and) who performed ablutions after the celebration of ten aśvamêdha-sacrifices;—who was the son of Gautamîputra;—

(L. 1.)—(And) who was the son of the son of the Mahârâja of the sovereign Vâkâṭakas the illustrious Pravarasêna (I.), who celebrated the agnishṭôma, aptôryâma, ukthya, shôḍaśin, âtirâtra, vâjapêya, bṛihaspatisava, and sâdyaskra sacrifices and four aśvamêdha-sacrifices, (and) was of the Vishṇuvṛiddha gôtra;—

(L. 18.)—The village named Charmânka, on the bank of the river Madhunadî, in the Bhôjakaṭa kingdom, (measured) by eight thousand bḥûmîs, (or in figures) 8000, according to the royal measure, is, at the request of Koṇḍarâja, the son of Śatrughnarâja, given to one thousand Brâhmaṇs of various gôtras and charaṇas.

(L. 21.)—Wherefore Our obedient and high-born officers, employed in the office of general superintendents, (and Our) regular soldier and umbrella-bearers, should be (thus) directed with a command preceded by (the words) ‘O illustrious one’:— “Be it known to you, that, in order to increase Our religion and life and strength and victory and dominion, (and) for the sake of (Our) welfare in this world and in the next, (and generally) for Our benefit, this (village) is granted, in (Our) victorious office of justice, as a grant not previously made, with libations of water.

(L. 25.)—“Now We grant the fixed usage, such as befits this (village), (and) such as has been approved of by former kings, of a village which belongs to a community of Chalurvêdins; namely, it is not to pay taxes; it is not to be entered by the regular troops or by the umbrella-bearers; it does not carry with it (the right to) cows and bulls in succession of production, or to the abundance of flowers and milk, or to the pasturage, hides, and charcoal, or to the mines for the purchase of salt in a moist state; it is entirely free from (all obligation of) forced labour; it carries with it the hidden treasures and deposits, and the klṛipta and upaklṛipta; it is (to be enjoyed) for the same time with the moon and the sun; (and) it is to follow (the succession of) sons and sons’ sons. No hindrance should be caused by anyone to those who enjoy it. It should be protected and increased by all (possible) means. And whosoever, disregarding this charter, shall give, or cause to be given, even slight vexation, We will inflict on him punishment, together with a fine, when he is denounced by the Brâhmans.”

(L. 34.)—And in this document, which has at least (the merit of) religion,—in order to avoid boasting of (other) meritorious actions performed (by Us),—We do not recite (Our) care and protection of grants made by various kings who are dead and gone.

(L. 36.)—And two verses, sung by Vyâsa, are to be cited as an authority on this point:—Whosoever confiscates land that has been given, whether by himself, or by another, he incurs the guilt of the slayer of a hundred thousand cows! The giver of land enjoys happiness in heaven for sixty thousand years; (but) the confiscator (of a grant), and he who assents (to an act of confiscation), shall dwell for the same number of years in hell!

(L. 39.)—And this condition of the charter should be maintained by the Brâhmaṇs and by (future) lords; namely (the enjoyment of this grant is to belong to the Brâhmaṇs) for the same time with the moon and the sun, provided that they commit no treason against the kingdom, consisting of seven constituent parts, of (successive) kings; that they are not slayers of Brâhmaṇs, and are not thieves, adulterers, prisoners of kings, &c.; that they do not wage war; (and) that they do no wrong to other villages. But if they act otherwise, or assent (to such acts), the king will commit no theft in taking the land away.

(L. 44.)—And the recipients, appointed for the occasion in this matter, (are):—Gaṇârya, of the Śâṭyâyana (gôtra). Dêvârya, of the Vâtsya (gôtra). Kumâraśarmârya, of the Bhâradvâja (gôtra). Guhaśarman, of the Pârâśarya (gôtra). Dêvârya, of the Kâśyapa (gôtra); Mahêśvarâya, (and) Mâtrârya. Rudrârya, of the Kauṇḍinya (gôtra); (and) Sômârya, (and) Hariśarmârya. Kumâraśarmârya, of the Bhâradvâja (gôtra). Mâtṛiśarman, of the Kauṇḍinya (gôtra); (and) Varaśarman, Gôṇḍaśarman, (and) Nâgaśarman. Śântiśarman, of the Bhâradvâja (gôtra); (and) Rudraśarman. Bhôjakadêvârya of the Vâtsya (gôtra); (and) Maghaśarman, (and) Dêvaśarman. Môkshaśarman, of the Bhâradvâja (gôtra); (and) Nâgaśarman, Rêvatiśarman, (and) Dharmârya. Śarmârya, of the Bhâradvâja (gôtra); and Nandanârya, Mûlśarman, Îśvaraśarman, (and) Varaśarman. Skandârya, of the Vâtsya (gôtra). Bappârya, of the Bhâradvâja (gôtra); (and) Dharmârya. Skandârya, of the Âtrêya (gôtra). Sômaśarmârva of the Gautama (gôtra); (and) Bhartṛiśarman, Rudraśarmârya, Maghârya, Mâtṛiśarmârya, (and) Îśvaraśarmârya. Mâtṛiśarmârya, of the Gautama gôtra. Dêvaśarmârya, of the Kauṇḍinya (gôtra); (and) Varaśarmârya, (and) Rôhârya. Svâmidêvârya, of the Gautama gôtra; (and) Rêvatiśarmârya, (and) Jyêshṭhaśarmârya. Kumâraśarmârya, of the Śaṇḍilya (gôtra); (and) Svâtiśarmârya. (And) Kâṇḍârya, of the Śaṭyâyana (gôtra); and so forth.

(L. 59.)—(This) charter has been written, while Chitravarman is the Sênâpati, in the eighteenth year, (or in figures) 10 (and) 8, on the thirteenth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month Jyêshṭha.