Current Version: draft, 2025-01-09Z
Editors: K. A. Nilakanta Sastri and M. Venkataramayya.
DHARMA Identifier: INSTelugu00017
Alternative identifier:
Origin: Written in 625-675.
Classification: donative-religious land grant
Languages: Telugu
Corresponding Artefact: ARTTelugu000016 inscription on Engraved on three sides of a stone in front of the Chennakēśava temple at Veludurti
Layout: 7-9232 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.
A A1svasti śrī Erikalmu(tu)rājul priti[vīrājyaṁ cēyam] puṇyakumārunṟu
A2Atiśayaraṭṭakūṭṭan arkup[amayya]raṭṭakuṭṭa[N] B
B1[rācamānaṁbuna] Ēbhadi ma[ṟuntuṟlu]
B2nēla kāri[tika]māsapurṇṇa(mi) [nāṇḍu]
B3[?4* pāṟa] pālaśarmmāri(ki) [Icciri] C
C1dīni kāci kuḍipinavāru (bhū)midānaṁbu palaṁbu
C2vakra[ṁ] palkinavāru pañcamahāpāta⟨⟨(kaṁ)⟩⟩bu paḍu
A1 ◇ °priti[?4*]m • According to the edition there is no gap after puṇyakumārunṟu. As to my knowledge there is no inscription in which the information about the ruler
does not contain a verbal form, i. e. it does not appear as asyndeton. That means
that the verbal form must come before the name although this would be a rare case.
The other possible match, pritivīvallava, would exclude a verbal form.
A2 Atiśayaraṭṭakūṭṭan arkup[amayya] raṭṭakuṭṭa[N] ◇ Atiśayaraṭṭakūṭṭana rkup[?6*]raṭṭakuṭṭa • The second proper noun may have been Kup(p)amayya. The element kup- appears as part of names in several inscriptions. If the repha was just a scratch one could perhaps expect AtiśayaraṭṭakūṭṭaN kup°.
B1 [rācamānaṁbuna] Ēbhadi ma[ṟuntuṟlu] ◇ [?4*]Ēbhadi ma[?4*]
B2 nēla kāri[tika]māsapurṇṇa(mi) [nāṇḍu] ◇ [?4*]ri[?2*]māsapurṇṇa(mi)[?2*]
B3 [?4* pāṟa] pālaśarmmāri(ki) [Icciri] ◇ [?6*]pālaśarmmāri(ki)[?2*] • The gap before the tentatively restored pāṟa probably contained a place name that cannot be restored of course.
C2 vakra[ṁ] palkinavāru ◇ vakrapalkinavāru
ll. 6-7. Those who protect and maintain (this charity) will acquire the merit of an endowment of land. Those who obstruct (it) will incur the five great sins.
Svasti. When Śrī Erikal-Muturāju Puṇyakumārunṟu (ruled over the world), Atiśaya-Raṭṭakūṭṭa and Kup(amayya)-Raṭṭakuṭṭa (gave) fifty (maṟunturs of land in royal measure) to (the brahmin) Pālaśarmmāru of [village.name] at the full-moon day of (Kārtika). Those who protect and let enjoy this (will get) the benefit of a land grant. Those who speak malignantly (about this grant) will get the (outcome of the) five great sins.
The basic text follows the edition in absence of a picture. The number of characters in a gap reflects the numbers of dots in the edition (the precision of which is not clear). The line numbering (starting anew on each face) was adopted from the edition. K. M. Sastri who provided a translation of the third face numbered the lines continuously. He summarized the content of the first and second face thus: The inscription furnishes the information that a gift was made by (or to) a certain Atiśaya Raṭṭakuṭṭa in the time of Erikal-Muturāju Puṇyakumārunṟu. The donee’s name is given as Pālaśarmma.Sastri 1969, page 285.
The editorial additions in the text are purely based on similar inscriptions and on the gap width and the remnant characters and were done without being able to consult a picture or the original. They are therefore speculative.
The inscriptions was noted in A. R. No. 298 of 1937-1938 and first published by K. A. Nilakanta Sastri and M. Venkataramayya with annotations but without picture and translation (1947-1948: pages 230–231, № 42 E). Based on this edition K. M. Sastri re-edited the text and provided a partial translation (1969: page 285, № 8).