Current Version: draft, 2024-05-22Z
Editor: Jens Christian Thomas.
DHARMA Identifier: INSTelugu00084
Hand Description:
Alternative identifier:
Origin:
Classification: commemorative-memorial-hero memorial
Languages: Telugu
Corresponding Artefact: ARTTelugu000077 inscription on On a slab set up near the Śiva temple, west of Madanapalle
Layout: 7 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.
1svasti śrī mahārājula dha(r)mmuvuna brāhmaṇuḷ
2vē[di]ki (pā)ṟā candrādityunṟu pasulaku
3(po)ḍici meṟāsi (vī)-
4ralōkaṁ(bu)
5saniye
6ta[?2*]
7gāṭa[ya vrāse]
2 vē[di]ki ◇ ve[?1*]ki
3 meṟāsi ◇ Eṟāsi
7 gāṭa[ya vrāse] ◇ gāṭa
Hail! Candrāditya, the brahmin of Ve . ki fought for (the sake of) the cattle given as gift to the brahmins by the illustrious king, and went to the world of heroes.
Svasti! The vaidika brahmin Candrāditya of the brahmins in religious service of Śrī Mahārāja got into close combat for the sake of (defending (?)) cattle, excelled (in bravery) and proceeded to the world of heroes. Ta(xx)gāṭa(ya wrote this).
The text follows the edition of J. Ramayya Pantulu in 1948: page 338, № 622 in absence of a picture. Changes have been made due to grammatical probability and parallel readings. The dots used in the edition to indicate lost or unintelligible characters can not clearly be attributed to a certain quantity of characters (one dot may indicate one or more lost or unintelligible characters). The attribute vēdiki (line 2) comes from skt. vaidika-. The converb Eṟāsi has to be read meṟāsi (i. e. meṟasi); this was considered by K. M. Sastri as well (1969: page 354). There is a parallel reading in Panchamukhi 1937–1938: page 192, line 9, № 26 B: kayyambuna meṟesi. Graphemically, th overall shape of inital ‹E› and ‹me› can be very similar. If the condition of preservation is not very good a confusion can easily occur. The verb meṟayu literally means ’to shine’. Radha Krishna on the other hand gives the meaning of Eṟāsi as ’having pounced upon’ and regards it to be a converb of an unattested verb *eṟayu ’to destroy, plunder’ the causative of which can be found in eṟapir (1971: pages 244–245). Yet, there are several problems connected with this viewpoint. In several inscriptions the scribe is mentioned at the end. Lines 6-7 also seem to contain a name. While the first element in line 6 cannot be reconstructed without consulting the original (it could be a place name or a proper noun part), the second element appears to be the name gāṭaya which is attested as kāṭaya in Krishna Sastri 1925: page 411, № 1116, line 3.
The inscription seems to mention a raid on a brahmin establishment in service of Śrī Mahārāja for the purpose of stealing the cows that were kept there. Cattle raids like this one are mentioned in a lot of inscriptions. The brahmin Candrāditya seems to have tried to fend off the raiders and rescue the cows in the course of which he was killed.
The inscription was noted in A. R. No. 288 of 1905 and was first published by J. Ramayya Pantulu in 1948: page 338, № 622 with few metadata and without translation. K. M. Sastry 1969: page 337 provides a translation while relying on J. Ramayya Pantulu’s edition (and omitting lines 6-7).