Hīrahaḍagaḷḷi copper plates, time of Śiva-Skandavarman, year 8

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-04-22Z

Editor:   Emmanuel Francis.

DHARMA Identifier: INSPallava00003

Summary: Confirmation of the grant, with exemptions, of a garden in Cillarekakoḍuṁka to 24 Brahmins, and further grant of lands, seemingly in Āpiṭṭī.

Hand Description:

See Bühler 1892 (EI 1, no. 1, p. 2).

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Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier:

Origin:

Classification: religious land grant

Languages:

Corresponding Artefact:

Layout:

Edition

Seal

¹[śivaskandavarmmaṇaḥ]

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1r 01}diṭhaṁ

^{⎘ plate 1v 01}siddhaM |

^1v1=1k¿o?⟨ā⟩ṁcīpurā Aggiṭ¿th?⟨ṭh⟩oma-vājapeyassamedha-yājī dhamma-mahā-
^1v2=2rājādhirājo bhāraddāyo pallavāṇ¿a?⟨ā⟩⟨ṁ⟩ sivakhaṁdavamo
^1v3=3Amhaṁ visaye savattha rājakumāra-senāpati _
^{⎘ plate 2r 2r1=4}raṭṭh(i)ka-māḍabi(ka)-desādhikatādīke gāmāgāmabhojake
^2r2=5vallave govallave Amacce Ārakhādhikate gumike tūthike
^2r3=6neyike Anne vi ca Amha-pesa(ṇa)-ppayutte saṁcaraṁtaka
^2r4=7bhaḍamaṇusā ṇa[3×]

parihāraṁ vitarāma Ettha dāṇi
^{⎘ plate 2v 2v1=8}Āpiṭṭ(i/ī)-vatthavāṇa cillareka-koḍuṁka-bhojaka-bamhaṇān¿a?⟨ā⟩ṁ Appa-
^2v2=9ṇa kula-gottasa dhamāyu-bala-yaso-vadhanike vijaya-vejayīke
^2v3=10ca kātūṇam Appatihata-sāsaṇassa Aneka-hirogo-koḍi-
^2v4=11go-hala-sata-sahassa-ppadāyino mahārāja-bappa-sāmīhi 3
^{⎘ plate 3r #33r1=12}vāṭaka cillareka-koḍuṁke puvvadattaṁ golasamajasa patībhāgo 1
^3r2=13Ātteya-sagottasa Agisamajassa patībhāgā 4
^3r3=14māḍharasa patībhāgā be 2 jāmātukasa Agillasa patī-
^3r4=15bhāgo 1 hārita-sagotasa kālasamasa pat{t}ībhāgā 3
^{⎘ plate 3v 3v1=16}bhāradāya-sagottassa kumārasamasa patībhāgā 2 kosik¿ā?⟨a⟩-
^3v2=17sagotasa kumāranaṁdi-kumārasama-koṭṭasama-sattissa ca
^3v3=18catuṇhaṁ bhātukāṇa cattāri pat{t}ībhāgā 4 kasava-sagotta-
^3v4=19sa bhaṭisa patībhāgo 1 bhāradāyasa khaṁdakoṁḍisa 4
^{⎘ plate 4r #44r1=20}(pa)tībhāgā be 2 khaṁdaḍhasa patībhago 1 bappasa
^4r2=21pat{t}ībhāgo 1 dattajasa patībhāgā be 2 naṁdijasa
^4r3=22patībhāgā 3 vatsa-sagotasa rudasamasa patī-
^4r4=23bhāgo 1 dāmajasa patībhāgo 1 sālasamaja(sa) patī
^4r5=24bhāgo 1
^{⎘ plate 4v 4v1=25}parimitasa patībhāgo 1 nāga-naṁdisa patibhāgo 1 golisa
^4v2=26patībhāgo 1 khaṁdasamasa patībhāgo 1 sāmijasa patībhāgo 1

^4v3=27Etesi bamhaṇāṇ(ā)ṁ Agisamaja-pamukhāṇaṁ sātāhaniraṭṭhe
^4v4=28gāme cillarekakoḍuṁke dakhiṇasīmaṁ puvvadattaṁ _ 5
^{⎘ plate 5r #55r1=29}Amhehi vi Ā-canda-tāra-kālika kātūṇaṁ Udakādiṁ saṁpa-
^5r2=30datto

Etaṁ bamhaṇāṇaṁ cil⟨l⟩erekakoḍuṁka-vāṭakam
^5r3=31Akūra-yollaka-vinesi-khaṭṭā-vāsaṁ A-dūdha-dadhi-gahaṇaṁ
^5r4=32A-raṭṭha-saṁvinayikaṁ A-loṇa-(gu)la-cchobhaṁ A-kara-veṭṭhī
^{⎘ plate 5v 5v1=33}koṁjallaṁ A-paraṁpara-balivadda-gahaṇaṁ A-taṇa-kaṭṭha-gaha-
^5v2=34ṇaṁ A-haritaka-sāka-pupha-gahaṇaṁ Evamādīkehi Aṭṭhā-
^5v3=35rasa-jāti-parihārehi visaya-vāsīhi Api-
^5v4=36ṭṭī-vāsīhi cillerekakoḍuṁka-vāsīhi ca pariharitavaṁ 6
^{⎘ plate 6r #66r1=37}parihāpetavva ca tti

Api ca Āpiṭṭīyaṁ Agisamaja
^6r2=38pamukhāṇa bamhaṇāṇaṁ khalasa nivataṇaṁ gharassa nivata-
^6r3=39ṇaṁ Addhikā cāttāri 4 kolikā be tti 2

Eva nātūṇaṁ
^6r4=40Atha koci vallabhamadena pīlā bādhā kareyya kāravejo
^{⎘ plate 6v 6v1=41}vā tasa khu Amhe nigaha{ṁ}vāraṇa kareyyāma ti

bhūyo ca
^6v2=42varisa-sata-sahassātireka-samakāle Amhaṁ pallava
^6v3=43kalamahaṁtte bhavissabhaḍe Anne ca no 7
^{⎘ plate 7r #77r1=44}vasudhādhipataye Abhatthemi jo sakakāle Upari
^7r2=45likhita-majātāye Aṇuvaṭṭhāveti tasa
^7r4=46vo sammo ti yo ca si vigghe vaṭṭeja
^{⎘ plate 7v 7v1=47}sa ca khu pañca-mahāpātaka-saṁjutto narādhamo
^7v2=48hoja ti

dat⟨t⟩ā paṭṭikā vāsa-satasahassāya

^7v3=49saṁva 8 vāsa 6 diva 5

sayam āṇataṁ

8
^{⎘ plate 8r #88r1=50}kolivāla-bhojakasa rahasādhikata-bhaṭṭisa-
^8r2=51mmasa sa-hattha-likhiteṇa paṭṭikā kaḍa tti

^8r3=52svasti go-brāhmaṇa-lekhaka-vācaka-śrotṛbhya Iti

Apparatus

Translation by Bühler 1892

^1-7Success!^↓1 From Kāṁcīpura—the righteous^↓2 supreme king of great kings of the Pallavas Sivakhaṁdavama (Śivaskandavarman), a Bhāraddāya^↓3 (Bhāradvāja) an offerer of Agniṣṭoma, Vājapeya and Aśvamedha (sacrifices) [issues the following orders]:

^7-26"In our whole territory [we send greetings]^↓4 to the royal princes, generals, rulers of districts, custom-house officers,^↓5 prefects of countries and others, to the freeholders of various villages,^↓6 to herdsmen, cowherds, ministers, foresters, gumikas, tūthikas, neyikas,^↓7 and all others employed in our service, to roaming [spies] and warriors, ^↓8 and we grant here an immunity [viz.] the garden in Cillarekakoḍuṁka, which was formerly given by the great king, the lord Bappa,^↓9 a giver of many krors of gold and of one hundred thousand ox-ploughs,^↓10—while he made [the gift] a means of the increase of the merit, longevity, power and fame of [his] own family and race—to the Brāhmans, free-holders of Cillarekakoḍuṁka [and] inhabitants of Āpiṭṭi, [viz.] to Golasamaja (Golaśarmārya) one share of the produce, ^↓11 to Agisamaja (Agniśarmārya) of the Ātteya (Ātreya) gotra four shares of the produce, to Māḍhara (Māṭhara) two shares of the produce, to (his) son-in-law (?) Agilla (Agnila) one share of the produce, to Kālasama (Kālaśarman) of the Hārita gotra two (?) shares of the produce, to Kumārasama (Kumāraśarman) of the Bhāradāya (Bhāradvāja) gotra two shares of the produce, to the four brothers Kumāranaṁdi (Kumāranandin), Kumārasama (Kumāraśarman), Koṭṭasama (Koṭṭaśarman) and Satti (Śakti) of the Kosika (Kauśika) gotra four (4) shares of the produce, to Bhaṭi (Bhaṭṭi) of the Kassava (Kāśyapa) gotra one share of the produce, to Khaṁdakoṁḍi (Skandakoṭi?) the Bhāradāya (Bhāradvāja) two shares of the produce, to Khaṁdaḍha (Skanda-ṛddha) one share of the produce, to Bappa one share of the produce, to Dattaja (Dattārya) two shares of the produce, to Naṁdija (Nandyārya) three shares of the produce, to Rudasama (Rudraśarman) of the Vātsya gotra one share of the produce, to Dāmaja (Dāmārya) one share of the produce, to Sālasama (Śyālaśarman?) one share of the produce, to Parimita^↓12 (?) one share of the produce, to Nāganaṁdi one share of the produce, to Goli (?) one share of the produce, to Khaṁdasama (Skandaśarman) one share of the produce, to Sāmija (Svāmyārya) one share of the produce."

^27-30"By Us also the formerly-given [garden]^↓13 [situated] on the southern sīm, in the village of Cillarekakoḍuṁka [and] in the province (raṭṭha) of Sātāhani, has been granted to the above-mentioned Brāhmans, chief among whom is Agisamaja (Agniśarmārya), [the gift] being confirmed by a libation of water and being made [valid] as long as the moon and stars endure."

^30-37"This garden in Cillarekakoḍuṁka, which belongs to the Brāhmans, [is to be] free from taxes ... ... ..., free from the taking of sweet and sour milk,^↓14 ... ... ... ...^↓15 free from troubles about salt and sugar,^↓16 free from taxes, forced labour ... ... ... , free from the taking of the oxen in succession,^↓17 free from the taking of grass and wood, free from the taking of vegetables and flowers; with these and other immunities of the eighteen kinds it must he exempted and caused to be exempted by the inhabitants of the province, by the inhabitants of Āpiṭṭī and by the inhabitants of Chillerekakoḍuṁka."

^37-39"Moreover, in Āpiṭṭī [one] nivartana [has been given] to the Brāhmans, chief among whom is Agisamaja (Agniśarmarya), for a threshing-floor, [one] nivartana for a house, four labourers^↓18 receiving half the produce (addhikā), two Kolikas.^↓19"

^39-52"Now [if] anybody, knowing this, proud of [being] a favourite [of the king], should cause or cause to be caused a small obstacle [to the donees] him, forsooth, we shall restrain by punishment. And further I pray both the future great warriors of our Pallava race, [who may rule] within a period exceeding one hundred thousand years, as well as kings, differing from us [in descent], saying [unto them]: ’To him among you blessings, who in his time makes [the people] act according to the rule, written above.^↓20 But he who acts contrary to it shall be the lowest of men, loaded with [the guilt of] the five mortal sins.’ A charter [valid] for one hundred thousand years has been given on the fifth day, in the sixth [fortnight] of the rainy season, in the year eight. [My] own order. ’The charter has been prepared in his own handwriting by the privy councillor Bhaṭṭisama (Bhaṭṭiśarman), the Kolivāla freeholder.’ ’Welfare to cows, Brāhmans, the writer, the readers and the hearers.’"

Translation into French by Emmanuel Francis

Commentary

For a description of the Prakrit language of this grant, see Bühler 1892 (EI 1, no. 1, p. 2-4), Mehendale 1948, Pischel 1965.

About the seal, see Bühler 1892: page 9: "The plates are still held together by a single ring to which a nearly circular, somewhat battered, seal about an inch in diameter is attached. This seal shows as emblem an animal, facing the proper right, which may be intended for a deer or a horse. Below there stands the word Śivaskandavarmaṇaḥ, the last three akṣaras of which are much defaced and doubtful. The first four akṣara are perfectly plain and leave no doubt thut this part of the grant was in Sanskrit, just like the maṅgala at the end."

Bibliography

Edited in Bühler 1892 (EI 1, no. 1) with facsimile and English translation; corrections in Leumann 1894 (EI 2, no. 40); corrections in Bühler 1894 (EI 2, no. 40); text and sanskritised text in Sircar 1965: pages 461–466 with facsimile; text and summary in Mahalingam 1988 (IP no. 3); re-edited here for DHARMA (ERC n° 809994) by Emmanuel Francis (2023), based on published estampages and photos of the original plates in the Chennai Government Museum (2008).

Primary

Secondary

Notes

↑1. Errata and corrigenda (EI 1, p. 479) taken into account.
↑2. Compare Mr. Fleet’s grant, Indian Antiquary, vol. V, p. 155, line 17 of the transcript.
↑3. Compare Mr. Fleet’s grant, Indian Antiquary, vol. V, p. 51, line 15 of the transcript, and ibidem, page 155, line 14 of the transcript, as well as vol. IX, p. 101, line 2 of the transcript, where bhāraddāyassa has to be read for bhāraṭṭāyaṇa.
↑4. Two verbs have been left out, one in the third person singular after sivakhaṁdavamo, and one in the first person plural, or in the absolutive at the end of the list of officials. For the pronoun amhaṁ ’our’ shows that a new sentence begins with line 3, and the words vitarāma cattha dāṇi prove that it must have stood in the first person plural or in the absolutive. The first verb was probably āṇaveti or some equivalent. The second may either have been a word expressing command, or, what I consider more likely, some expression implying greeting, such as are found in many other inscriptions.
↑5. I consider the correction māṇḍabika as certain and take the word maṇḍaba or maṇḍapa, from which it has been derived, in the sense of the māṇḍavī, ’custom house’—see Molesworth, Marāṭhī Dictionary, sub voce. The śaulkikas are frequently mentioned in Sanskrit inscriptions.
↑6. That bhojaka does not mean’ temple priest,’ but ’ināmdār,’ or ’freeholder,’ seems to follow from its use in line 8, where the donees are called cillarekakoḍumkabhojakas, who lived in Āpiṭṭī, and in line 50, where the privy councillor Bhaṭṭisama receives the title kolivālabhojake. Such a despised personage as a temple priest could hardly become a minister. Professor Fausböll points out to me that gāmāgāmabhojaka may be rendered as above, as repetitions of the same word with a lengthening of the final vowel of the first are commonly used in Pāli in order to indicate the vīpsā.
↑7. The first of the three words left untranslated corresponds to Sanskrit gaulmika. As gulma means both ’a thicket’ and ’a picket of soldiers,’ the derivative may denote either a kind of forest official or the leader of a gulma of warriors. Tūthika may be connected with Prākrit tūha ’a Tīrtha,’ and means ’overseers of fords’ or ’of bathing places.’ With neyika compare naiyokāḥ in Mr. Fleet and Elliot’s grant, Indian Antiquary, vol. V, p. 62, line 28 of the text. Mr. Fleet changes it to niyuktāh, which now seems a rather doubtful emendation. I suspect that naiyokāḥ is a mistake for naiyikāḥ, which would exactly correspond to neyika, and that both words are corruptions of Sanskrit nāyaka, commonly pronounced nāick. If this is correct, the term denotes a military officer of the rank of a corporal or a sergeant.
↑8. Saṁcarantaka occurs also in Mr. Fleet’s grant, loc. cit., line 29 of the text, and Mr. Fleet has translated it by ’travellers.’ I believe that royal servants are meant, and that the word refers to the spies whom the Indian kings sent into the provinces to explore the behaviour of their officials,—see Manu, VII, 122.
↑9. The great king Bappa is probably the donor’s father,—see Mr. Fleet’s article, Indian Antiquary, vol. XV, p. 272ff.
↑10. This may, of course, mean also ’one hundred thousand cows and [the same number] of ploughs [of land],’ Regarding the various kinds of the measure of land, called ’a plough,’ see Kullūka on Manu, VII, 119.
↑11. Pattī, patti, patī, and pati I take to be the representatives of Sanskrit prāpti, which means āya, ’produce,’ or ’income.’ It is of course possible that the garden was let and the rent divided among the donees.
↑12. This name does not seem to be correct; perhaps it should be Harimita, i.e, Harimitra.
↑13. The word vāṭakam has been left out by mistake.
↑14. Milk, grass, firewood, vegetable, and so forth had to be furnished gratis by the villagers to royal officers and their servants. The custom still prevails in many native states.
↑15. I do not venture to translate araṭṭhasaṁvinayikaṁ. The phrase is, of course, identical with that used in the Andhra inscriptions (Archaeological Report, West. Ind., vol. IV, pp. 104-106, Nos. 13, 14)—araṭhasarinayika, my former explanation of which cannot stand.
↑16. In Sanskrit alavaṇaguḍakṣobham. Digging for salt was a royal monopoly.
↑17. I suppose this refers to the obligation of furnishing by turns draught-cattle for the progress of the royal officers.
↑18. The addhikā i.e., ardhikāḥ, appear to have been slaves,—see also Āpastamba’s Dharmaśūtra, II, 28, 1.
↑19. Kolikā corresponds to Sanskrit kaulikāḥ, and may mean ’weavers.’ But it is also possible to think of the well-known tribe of the Kolīs, who were slaves.
↑20. I transliterate and complete this,— yaḥ svakakāla uparilikhitamaryādayā (janān) anuvartaye tasya vaḥ śarmeti.
↑21. C’est-à-dire « Vérifié ».