Current Version: draft, 2024-05-22Z
Editor: J. Ramayya Pantulu.
DHARMA Identifier: INSTelugu00011
Summary: The inscription refers to a donation that was given by Lōkama, daughter of (Kū)japōṟēru and grand-daughter of Gōyindapōṟēru.
Hand Description:
Alternative identifier:
Origin:
Classification: donative
Languages: Telugu
Corresponding Artefact: ARTTelugu000011 inscription on On the top of a niche containing a liṅga in front of the Bhairava temple in the same place [i. e. cave temples at Bhairavakōna in Bhairabakoṇḍa]
Layout: 3-4 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.
1 goyindapoṟēri • K. M. Sastri enumerates this name in the list of orthographical errors in the inscriptions. He regards gōyindapōṟēri to be the correct spelling (Sastri 1969: page 277).
The gift endowed by Lōkama, daughter of ..japoṟēri, and grand-daughter of Śrī Goyindapoṟēri.
The place (stānaṁbu) (was) established by Lōkama, the daughter of (Kū)japōṟēru (and) grand-daughter of Gōyindapōṟēru.
It is not entirely clear whether the spelling kuntuṞ lōkama in Ramayya Pantulu’s edition represents a halanta ‹Ṟ› or is a simplified visual representation of a compound character. Although there is no picture of the inscription in the edition and K. M. Sastri’s republication the reading could be altered on the grounds of attested forms in other inscriptions. If the element gōyinda is a variant of skt. govinda the length of the ‹ō› is probable. The reading pōṟēri may be correct due to 1) similar attestations and 2) the etymology. Because of the absence of a graphemic differentiation between/o/ and/ō/ the spelling is ambivalent. 1) The element appears as part of names in vasantipōṟi (1947-1948: page 235, № 42 G), maṁkhipoṟṟiyāru (1947-1948: page 239, № 42 I), and kūcapōṟiyāri, kūcapōṟiki (1947-1948: page 244, № 42 K). Via Zvelebil’s rule the spelling poṟṟi indirectly points towards pōṟi as well. 2) The word pōṟi means ‘young’ (probably originally gender neutral) and corresponds to forms with long vowel in modern Telugu (like pōṟigāṁḍu ‘young man, boy’(Sītārāmācāryulu 1922: page 534). The incomplete name -japōṟēri could perhaps be complemented as *kūjapōṟēri; confer Nilakanta Sastri and Venkataramayya 1947–1948: page 244, lines 8–9, № 42 K. The female donor’s name is lōkama with the suffix -ama, probably from amma ‘mother’. The inscription was found [o]n top of a niche containing a liṅgaARIE 1921-1922, page 79. This niche is probably referred to by stānaṁbu. The inscription is one of the fewer that mention a woman as donor.
The inscription was noted in the Annual Report and first published by J. Ramayya Pantulu without translation and picture. K. M. Sastri republished the inscription based on Ramayya Pantulu’s edition together with a translation.