Varppoṁgu grant of Vijayāditya II

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2025-01-30Z

Editor: Dániel Balogh.

DHARMA Identifier: INSVengiCalukya00065

Hand Description:

Halantas. Final M is shaped like a tick mark (l20).

Original punctuation marks.

Other palaeographic observations. Anusvāra is normally to the right of the character to which it belongs, above head height, but occasionally atop the next character (e.g. l7 śātakuṁbha). The old cursive form of lo is used in l8. Some consonants are doubled before r, e.g. l9 cakkra; l14 varppoṁgu.

Additional Metadata

No metadata were provided in the table for this inscription

Edition

Seal

¹tribhuvanāṁkuśa

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}¹svasti[.] śrīmatāṁ sa(ka)la-bhuvana-saṁ{(j)i}stūyamāna-mānavya-¿(ś)?⟨s⟩(agot)r(āṇāṁ) hāriti-
²-putrāṇāṁ kau¿s?⟨ś⟩ikī-(vara)-p(r)asāda-labdha-rājyā¿ṇ?⟨n⟩āṁ māt¡ri!⟨r̥⟩-gaṇa-paripālitā¿ṇ?⟨n⟩āṁ svā-
³mi-mahā(se)na-pādānudhyātā¿ṇ?⟨n⟩(ā)ṁ bhagav¿ā?⟨a⟩n-nārāyaṇa-prasāda-sa-
⁴māsā¿dh?⟨d⟩i◯ta-(va)r¿ā?⟨a⟩-varāha-lāñ¿c?⟨ch⟩anekṣa(ṇa-kṣaṇa-va)¿s?⟨ś⟩¿i?⟨ī⟩k¿ra?⟨r̥⟩tārāti-maṇḍal(ā)¿ṇ?⟨n⟩ā(ṁ) A¿s?⟨ś⟩va-
⁵medhāvabh¡ri!⟨r̥⟩¿t?⟨th⟩a-snāna-pavitrīkr̥ta-vapuṣ¿a?⟨ā⟩m ca(ḷu)¡kh!⟨k⟩yānāṁ kulam alaṁkariṣṇo⟨ḥ⟩ svāsi-dhārā-
⁶-pra(bh)āvopalabdha śrī-vij¡e!⟨a⟩yāditya-mahārājasya p¡avu!⟨au⟩tra⟨ḥ⟩ sakala-(bhū)pāla-mauli-mā-
^{⎘ plate 2r}⁷lā-makaran¿dh?⟨d⟩a-raja⟨ḥ⟩-pu⟨ṁ⟩ja-pi⟨ṁ⟩jarita-cara¿n?⟨ṇ⟩āravinda-dvandvasyātma-tulye dh¡ri!⟨r̥⟩ta-śātakuṁbha-vita-
⁸ra¿n?⟨ṇ⟩a-pūta-prakhyāta-yaśasa⟨ḥ⟩ vilāsinī-ja¿ṇ?⟨n⟩a-nayanābhirāma-vapuṣa⟨ḥ⟩ ¿ś?⟨s⟩arvva-lokā-
⁹śraya-śrī-vi◯ṣṇuvarddhana-mah¿a?⟨ā⟩rājasya priya-tana⟨yaḥ⟩ pratāpānurāgāvanata-samasta-
¹⁰-sāmanta-cakkra⟨ḥ⟩ cakkravartti-lakṣaṇopeta⟨ḥ⟩ prat¿i?⟨ī⟩todāra-niravadya-guṇ¿ā?⟨a⟩-gaṇālaṁkr̥ta⟨ḥ⟩
¹¹samasta-bhuvanāśraya-śrī-vij¡e!⟨a⟩yāditya-mahārājādhirāja-parameśvara-bh¿ā?⟨a⟩ṭṭāra⟨ḥ⟩ sa-
¹²n-mānayati

Iṇḍupuṟevu-va¿k?⟨s⟩tavy¡aṁ!⟨asya⟩ kā¿s?⟨ś⟩y¿ā?⟨a⟩pa-gotr¡āṇāṁ!⟨asya⟩ veda-vedāṁga-pāra-
^{⎘ plate 2v}¹³¿k?⟨g⟩a-revaśa(r)m(maṇ)¡asya!⟨aḥ⟩ p¡avu!⟨au⟩tr¡a⟨⟨ḥ⟩⟩!⟨āya⟩ ṣa¿ṣ?⟨ṭ⟩-ka(r)mma-nirat¡āya!⟨asya⟩ potaśa(r)mmaṇ¡asya!⟨aḥ⟩ putr¡a!⟨āya⟩ c¿ā?⟨a⟩tu(r)vv¿a?⟨e⟩-
¹⁴din¿ā?⟨e⟩ canda(na?)(śarmmaṇ)¡(a)!⟨e⟩ (pi)ṣṭapura-viṣaye varppoṁgu nāma grāma⟨ḥ⟩[.] tasya grāmasya pūrvva-
¹⁵ta⟨ḥ⟩ śrīvāḍa nāma grāma⟨ḥ⟩[.] dakṣiṇata⟨ḥ⟩ narāva nāma grāma⟨ḥ⟩[.] paścimata⟨ḥ⟩ pulkuṇ(ṟ)a nāma
¹⁶grāma⟨ḥ⟩[.] Uttarata⟨ḥ⟩ kāravāḍa nāma grāma⟨ḥ⟩[.] Evaṁ catur-avadhi[.] trikoṭī¿s?⟨ś⟩varasya
¹⁷s¿t?⟨th⟩āne candra-grahaṇa-nimitte sodaka{ṁ}-pūrvvaṁ datta⟨ḥ⟩[.] ¿yaściT dvā?⟨na kaiścid b⟩ādhā karaṇīy¿a?⟨ā⟩[.] ka-
¹⁸roti ya¿sya?⟨ḥ sa⟩ pañca-mahā-pātaka-saṁyuk(t)o bhavati[.] vyāsenā¿t?⟨p⟩y uk(t)a⟨ḥ⟩ ślo-
^{⎘ plate 3r}¹⁹ka¡ṁ!⟨ḥ⟩

I. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vva¿ś?⟨s⟩udhā datt¿a?⟨ā⟩

bahubhiś cānupālitā{ṁ}

yasya yasya ²⁰ya¿t?⟨d⟩ā bhūmi⟨ḥ⟩

tasya tasya ta¿dh?⟨d⟩ā phalaM

II. Anuṣṭubh

s⟨v⟩a-dattā⟨ṁ⟩ para-datt¿a?⟨ā⟩¿(bva)?⟨m vā⟩

yo ha²¹ret¡u!⟨a⟩ ◯ vasundharā⟨ṁ⟩

ṣaṣṭi-va¿ruṣa?⟨rṣa⟩-saha¿ś?⟨s⟩rāṇ¿ī?⟨i⟩

v{r}iṣ¿ṭ?⟨ṭh⟩āyāṁ jāya²²(te) k¡ri!⟨r̥⟩mi⟨ḥ⟩

III. Anuṣṭubh

bhūmi-dān¿a?⟨āt⟩ para⟨ṁ⟩ dānaṁ

na bhūt¡o!⟨aṁ⟩ na bhavi¿s?⟨ṣ⟩yati

tas¿s?⟨y⟩ai(va ha)²³(raṇā)⟨t⟩ pāpaṁ

na bhūt¡o!⟨aṁ⟩ na bhavi¿ś?⟨ṣ⟩yati

Apparatus

Seal

¹ tribhuvanāṁkuśa NV • This is how NV reports the seal legend, but I expect that it begins with śrī- as in related grants. The only available photo is NV’s "general view of the plates" where the seal is out of focus and at an angle to the lens; tribhu is more or less recognisable there, but nothing else. The seal is also atypical in lacking the boar emblem, so perhaps śrī- is also missing.

Plates

³ bhagav¿ā?⟨a⟩n- ◇ bhagavan- NV
⁵ ca(ḷu)¡kh!⟨k⟩yānāṁ ◇ ¿cālkukhyānam?⟨cāḷukyānāṁ⟩ NV • Some of the strangeness in NV’s reading may be typographic. The subscript part of the second character does resemble k (though not ku), but I assume it must have been meant for u.
⁶ -pra(bh)āvopalabdha • This word was probably not meant to be in compound to the following, and something has been omitted here. In related inscriptions, svāsi-dhārā is normally the beginning of the long compound in which the ruler’s feet are illuminated by gems in the crowns of kings paying homage. The Tenali plates of Vijayāditya I describe Vijayāditya I as sva-prabhāvopalabdha-prājya-rājyaḥ, so perhaps that phrase was combined with asi here. A conjectural restoration might be śrī-vijayasya here, omitted due to eyeskip. — ⁶ -(bhū)pāla- ◇ -n¿u?⟨r̥⟩pāla- NV — ⁶ -tulye • While the intended meaning is clear, I am not sure what wording the composer may have intended.
⁸ -ja¿ṇ?⟨n⟩a- ◇ -jano- NV
^11–12 sa/n-mānayati • This may be an idiosyncratic spelling of sammānayati, or it may be a deliberate way of emphasising the word sat perceived in that word. The same form (also without the addition that the king informs or commands) occurs in line 7 of the Kopparam plates of Pulakeśin II.
¹² -va¿k?⟨s⟩tavy¡aṁ!⟨asya⟩ ◇ -¿vaktavyam?⟨vastavyaḥ⟩ NV • Here and throughout the ancestry of the donee I normalise the case endings to what I believe the composer wanted to express. NV makes only straightforward emendations, without restoring the flow of the text.
¹⁴ canda(na?)(śarmmaṇ)¡(a)!⟨e⟩ ◇ canda(śarmmaṇ)¡(a)!⟨e⟩ NV • The ARIE reports the name as canda(ya)śarman. There is certainly something engraved before śa, but the badly damaged character is not wide enough for ya.
¹⁸ ya¿sya?⟨ḥ sa⟩ ◇ ya¿sya?⟨ś ca⟩ ⟨sa⟩ NV — ^18–19 uk(t)a⟨ḥ⟩ ślo/ka¡ṁ!⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ uktaM ślo/ka¡ṁ!⟨ḥ⟩ NV • While the meaning is clear, the exact wording the composer may have had in mind is uncertain and may also have been uktam| ślokaḥ or uktāḥ ślokāḥ. The corresponding reading in the Zulakallu plates of Vijayāditya I is uktaM śloka, likewise inexact.
²⁰ datt¿a?⟨ā⟩¿(bva)?⟨m vā⟩ ◇ datt¿a?⟨ā⟩¿dvo?⟨m vā⟩ NV
²² tas¿s?⟨y⟩ai(va) ◇ ¿(tassa Eva)?⟨tasya Iva⟩ NV • I do not know whether there are typos in both the reading and emendation of NV, or if he perhaps did not read the clear ai attached to ss, read the following va as E, and assumed the expected characters to follow thereafter. His facsimile is quite clear, and the characters I indicate as unclear are also quite unambiguous. — ^22–23 (ha)/(raṇā)⟨t⟩ ◇ (ha)/(raṇe) NV • Nothing can be made out in V’s facsimile at the beginning of line 23, but vestiges are discernible in the ASI estampage.

Translation by Dániel Balogh

Seal

Plates

^1-12Greetings. The grandson of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Vijayāditya (I), who was eager to adorn the lineage of the majestic Caḷukyas—who are of the Mānavya gotra which is praised by the entire world, who are sons of Hāriti, who attained kingship by the grace of Kauśikī’s boon, who are protected by the band of Mothers, who were deliberately appointed (to kingship) by Lord Mahāsena, to whom the realms of adversaries instantaneously submit at the [mere] sight of the superior Boar emblem they have acquired by the grace of the divine Nārāyaṇa, and whose bodies have been hallowed through washing in the purificatory ablutions (avabhr̥tha) of the Aśvamedha sacrifice—and who (Vijayāditya I) had obtained ⟨his extensive kingdom⟩ by the might of his own swordblade; the dear son of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Viṣṇuvardhana (IV), the shelter of all the world (sarva-lokāśraya), whose pair of lotus feet are engilded by a mass of stamen dust (i.e. pollen) from the garlands on the brows of all [other] kings, whose celebrated reputation was purified by the distribution of gold weighed in the balance against his body and whose physique was a delight to the eyes of flirtatious women; [namely] His Majesty the Supreme Lord (parameśvara) of Emperors (mahārājādhirāja), the Sovereign (bhaṭṭāraka) Vijayāditya (II), the shelter of the entire universe (samasta-bhuvanāśraya), who has the complete circle of peripheral rulers (sāmanta) bowed down [both] through prowess and through [winning their] loyalty (anurāga), who possesses the bodily marks of a universal sovereign (cakravartin), and who is adorned by a host of recognisedly noble and irreproachable (niravadya) virtues, duly honours ⟨and informs everyone as follows⟩.

^12-19The village named Varppoṁgu in Piṣṭapura district (viṣaya)—To the east of that village is the village named Śrīvāḍa. To the south is the village named Narāva. To the west is the village named Pulkuṇṟa. To the north is the village named Kāravāḍa. Thus are its four boundaries.—[this village Varppoṁgu] has been granted [by us, Vijayāditya II] at the (holy) site of [the god] Trikoṭīśvara, on the occasion of an eclipse of the moon, [the donation being] sanctified by (a libation of) water, to the caturvedin Canda¿na?śarman, son of Potaśarman who was engaged in the six duties (of a Brahmin) and grandson of Revaśarman, who was thoroughly versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas and was a resident of Iṇḍupuṟevu of the Kāśyapa gotra. Let no-one pose an obstacle [to his enjoyment of his rights] over it. He who does so shall be conjoined with the five great sins. Vyāsa too has uttered [these] verse[s].

Many [kings] have granted land, and many have preserved it [as formerly granted]. Whosoever at any time owns the land, the fruit {reward} [accrued of granting it] belongs to him at that time.

II.

He who would seize land, whether given by himself or by another, shall be born as a worm in faeces for sixty thousand years.

III.

There has never been and will never be a gift surpassing the gift of land, nor has there ever been or will ever be a sin [surpassing] the seizing of the same.

Commentary

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1963-1964: page 41, appendix A/1963–64, № 1 without discussion of details. Edited by N. Venkataramanayya (1974), perhaps from the original, with a photograph of the set and estampages of the plates;^↓1 without translation. The present edition by Dániel Balogh is based on a collation of Venkataramanayya’s edition with his visual aids and with estampages preserved at the ASI (Mysore). Only significant typographic mistakes are shown in the apparatus here, and others are assumed to have been correctly read by the original editor.

Primary

Venkataramanayya, N. 1974. “Varppoṁgu Plates of Vijayāditya II.” Epigraphia Āndhrica vol III, by N. Venkataramanayya, edited by P.V. Parabrahma Sastry, 5–7. Epigraphical Series 7. Hyderabad: Govt. of Andhra Pradesh.

[siglum NV]

Secondary

ARIE 1963-1964. Page 41, appendix A/1963–64, № 1.

Notes

↑1. Some of the images may in fact be photos rather than estampages, especially the one showing 1v.