Candavolu plates of Vijayāditya III

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2025-01-14Z

Editor: Dániel Balogh.

DHARMA Identifier: INSVengiCalukya00068

Hand Description:

Halantas. Final N in line 21 is essentially identical to a na, raised above normal height.

Original punctuation marks.

Other palaeographic observations. Anusvāra is above the character to which it belongs, or above headline to the right of that character; occasionally atop the next character, e.g. l13 kuṭuṁbinaḥ within the i marker. Short and long i/ī are not clearly distinguishable, but i seems to be a closed circle while ī appears to be open on the left, with a little hook at the opening; e.g. sti and śrī side by side in line 1; śī in line 5 is good example of the long ī. Headmarks are large horizontal lines with small horns on each side. According to Sampath’s discussion, the dependent ā is in most cases indicated by a thick dot. I see no dot identifiable as an ā in the plates (only dots that seem to function as ornamental serifs at the ends of some lines), but do read an (incorrect) a in several spots where Sampath reads a (correct) ā. He does not, however, seem to be consistent in this: he reads e.g. svāmi in l2 where I read svami and a dot is present at the top right; however, he - like me - reads paripalitānāṁ earlier in the same line (though an identical dot is present on both instances of pa), and he reads pādanudhyatānāṁ (where I read padanudhyatānāṁ) in the next line, where a dot is present on both pa and dhya.

Additional Metadata

No metadata were provided in the table for this inscription

Edition

Seal

¹śrī-tribhuvan(āṁ)kuśa

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}¹svasti[.] śrīm¿ā?⟨a⟩tāṁ sakala-bhuvana-saṁst¿u?⟨ū⟩yamāna-mā-
²navya-sagotrāṇāṁ h¡a!rīti-putrāṇāṁ k(au)śikī-vara-pra⟨sā⟩da-la-
³bdha-r¿a?⟨ā⟩◯jy(ā)nāṁ ¿rmma?⟨mā⟩tr̥-gaṇa-p(a)rip¿a?⟨ā⟩litānā⟨ṁ⟩ sv¿a?⟨ā⟩mi-mahā-
⁴sena-p¿a?⟨ā⟩d¿a?⟨ā⟩nudhy¿a?⟨ā⟩tānā⟨ṁ⟩ bhagavan-nārāyaṇa-pras(ā)da-sa-
⁵māsādita-vara-varāha-lāñ¿c?⟨ch⟩anekṣaṇa-kṣaṇa-vaśīkr̥-
^{⎘ plate 2r}⁶tārāti-maṇḍalān¿a?⟨ā⟩m aśvamedh¿a?⟨ā⟩vabhr̥tha-snā⟨na⟩-pavitrīkr̥-
⁷ta-vapuṣāṁ caḷ(u)kyānāṁ kulam a¿ṁla?⟨laṁ⟩kariṣṇoḥ Aneka-sama-
⁸ra◯-saṁghaṭṭano⟨pa⟩(la)bdha-vijayasya vi(ṣṇ)uvarddhana-mah(ā)-
⁹rājasya priya-tanayaḥ vijay¿a?⟨ā⟩ditya-mahārājasya pau(t)ra⟨ḥ⟩
¹⁰merur iva śaṁsita-mitro(d)ayaḥ (śā)¿ggiḥ?⟨rṅgī⟩(vā)rā(t)¿ī?⟨i⟩-(bh)¿i?⟨ī⟩(t)ī-(kr̥ta)-
^{⎘ plate 2v}¹¹-cakraḥ jalanidhir iva lakṣmī-(p)r(abha)v(aḥ) vijay(ā)di(t)ya-mahārā-
¹²jādhirāja-parameśvara-bhaṭṭ¿a?⟨ā⟩rakaḥ gudrav¡a!ra-viṣ¿e?⟨a⟩ya-v¿a?⟨ā⟩sin¿a?⟨o⟩
¹³(rā)◯ṣṭrak¿u?⟨ū⟩ṭa-pramu(kh)ān kuṭuṁbinaḥ sarvv¿a?⟨ā⟩n ittham (ājñā)paya-
¹⁴ti ◯

viditam astu (v)o [’]sm¿a?⟨ā⟩bhir dv¿a?⟨i⟩ja-(v)¡ri!⟨r̥⟩(nd)āra(ka){ḥ}sya kr(o)va-
¹⁵(śi?)ri-(vāsta)vyā(ya ku)ppaśarmmaṇaḥ pautrāya bandh¿a?⟨u⟩śarmmaṇa(ḥ) pu-
¹⁶t(r)¿a?⟨ā⟩(ya) [bh](āra)dv¿a?⟨ā⟩ja-gotrāya yajñaśarmmaṇe Āpastam¡bh!⟨b⟩a-s(ūtrā) -
^{⎘ plate 3r}¹⁷ya [A](dh)īt(a-ve)(dā?)(ya) magā(va?)(ḍ)u (nāma g)r¿a?⟨ā⟩me (daśa-ka)(ṇḍ?)(ika)-(vrī?)[hi-]
¹⁸-[bī](ja?)-(vāpa-pramāṇaṁ kṣe)⟨traṁ⟩ (p)radatta(ṁ)

tasyāvadhaya⟨ḥ⟩[.] p(ū)rvvataḥ kapp(u)-
¹⁹-(ṟe?)◯(ni-ce)nu[.] dakṣiṇata⟨ḥ⟩ ceṟu(ka)ni-cenu[.] (paś)c(i)ma(taḥ) b)o(ḷ)u-
²⁰[?1×]◯na-bo(y)u-cenu[.] Uttarata(ḥ) raṭṭoḍi-cenu[.] Eteṣ¿a?⟨ā⟩m madhya-
²¹[va](rttī)

I. Śālinī

(sar)vv(ā)n eva⟨ṁ⟩ bh¿a?⟨ā⟩vina(ḥ p)¿(a)?⟨ā⟩(r)t¿t?⟨th⟩(i)vendr¿a?⟨ā⟩N

bh¿u?⟨ū⟩(yo) bh¿u?⟨ū⟩(y)o y(ā)⟨ca⟩(te) r(āmabha)²²draḥ

sām¿a?⟨ā⟩nyo [’]ya(ṁ) dharmma-(s)etu(r) nr̥p(ā)¿na?⟨ṇā⟩(ṁ)

k(āle kāle pālanī)⟨yo⟩ (bha?)va(dbhi?)⟨ḥ⟩

I. Anuṣṭubh

^{⎘ plate 3v}²³(Ājñaptir a)sya dha(r)mmasya

pa(ṇḍa)ra(ṁ)go (g)u(ṇā)¿(kh)?⟨k⟩(araḥ)

(vijayāditya)²⁴-(bhūpa)⟨sya⟩

(pāda-padma-śilīmu)¿(k)?⟨kh⟩(aḥ)

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

¹ -saṁst¿u?⟨ū⟩yamāna- ◇ -saṁstūyamāna- MDS
³ ¿rmma?⟨mā⟩tr̥- ◇ mātr̥- MDS — ³ sv¿a?⟨ā⟩mi- ◇ svā(mi)- MDS
⁴ p¿a?⟨ā⟩d¿a?⟨ā⟩nudhy¿a?⟨ā⟩tānā⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ pād¿a?⟨ā⟩nudhy¿a?⟨ā⟩tānā⟨ṁ⟩ MDS — ⁴ aśvamedh¿a?⟨ā⟩vabhr̥tha- ◇ aśvamedhāvabhr̥tha- MDS
⁷ caḷ(u)kyānāṁ ◇ calukyānāṁ MDS • MDS’s l must be a typo. The vowel of ḷ may be ū, or the engraver may have started engraving ḷya and then corrected.
⁸ -saṁghaṭṭano⟨pa⟩(la)bdha- • In the script of the plates, ṇa is practically indistinguishable from no. I accept MDS’s reading (and the associated emendation) in preference of my earlier reading of saṁghaṭṭaṇa-labdha (for saṁghaṭṭana-).
¹⁰ śaṁsita- ◇ śaṁstita- MDS • Probably a typo in MDS. — ¹⁰ (śā)¿ggiḥ?⟨rṅgī⟩(vā)rā(t)¿ī?⟨i⟩-(bh)¿i?⟨ī⟩(t)ī- ◇ śārṅgīvārāti-bhīti- MDS • MDS’s reading appears to be a silent emendation. At the beginning, śā is clearer in his estampage than in the photos, from which alone I was unable to offer a meaningful reading for this locus. Any of the i-s in this stretch may be either short or long; I read long ī where the loop is open on the left, but this may be random variation. The superfluous visarga may have been intented for an initial I, but if so, it is very narrow and extremely malformed.
¹¹ -cakraḥ ◇ -cakro MDS • The visarga is clear, though not well formed, in the photo. — ¹¹ -(p)r(abha)v(aḥ) ◇ -pra(bhā)vaḥ MDS — ¹¹ vijay(ā)di(t)ya- ◇ vijay¿a?⟨ā⟩ditya- MDS — ¹¹ v¿a?⟨ā⟩sin¿a?⟨o⟩ ◇ vāsin¿a?⟨o⟩ MDS
¹³ (rā)◯ṣṭrak¿u?⟨ū⟩ṭa- ◇ rāṣṭrakūṭā- MDS
¹⁴ -(v)¡ri!⟨r̥⟩(nd)āra(ka){ḥ}sya ◇ -b¡ri!⟨r̥⟩ndārakasya MDS — ^14–15 kr(o)va/(śi?)ri- ◇ krova/(cū)ri- MDS • I cannot exclude MDS’s reading, but I believe the spelling krovaśiri, as read for ARIE and as attested in the Koṟṟapaṟṟu grant of Vijayāditya II, is more likely.
^15–16 pu/t(r)¿a?⟨ā⟩(ya) ◇ pu/trāya MDS
¹⁷ magā(va?)(ḍ)u ◇ maṁgaveḍu MDS • The ARIE report also records the name of the village as Maṅgaveḍu. There is definitely no ṅ here, though an anusvāra may be present. The vertical vowel marker between g and v in my opinion bends to the left at the top, and is thus probably associated with g rather than with the next character. — ¹⁷ (g)r¿a?⟨ā⟩me ◇ grāme MDS — ¹⁷ (daśa-ka)(ṇḍ?)(ika)- ◇ daś¿ā?⟨a⟩-kaṇṭikā- MDS
¹⁸ -[bī](ja?)-(vāpa-) ◇ -(bī)jāvāpa- MDS • MDS’s reading is entirely possible. — ¹⁸ (kṣe)⟨traṁ⟩ (p)radatta(ṁ) ◇ kṣetra⟨ṁ⟩ dattaṁ MDS • I cannot exclude MDS’s reading, but pra seems more likely to me.
^19–20 (b)o(ḷ)u/[?1×]◯na-bo(y)u- ◇ bolu/(camā)na-boyu- MDS • The damaged writing before the hole seems insufficient for two characters.
²¹ (p)¿(a)?⟨ā⟩(r)t¿t?⟨th⟩(i)vendr¿a?⟨ā⟩N ◇ (p)¿(a)?⟨ā⟩(r)tth¿a?⟨i⟩vendr¿a?⟨ā⟩N MDS — ²¹ bh¿u?⟨ū⟩(yo) bh¿u?⟨ū⟩(y)o ◇ bhūyo bhūyo MDS
²² sām¿a?⟨ā⟩nyo ◇ sāmānyo MDS — ²² nr̥p(ā)¿na?⟨ṇā⟩(ṁ) ◇ nr̥pā¿n?⟨ṇ⟩āṁ MDS

Translation by Dániel Balogh

Seal

Plates

^1-14Greetings. The dear son of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Viṣṇuvardhana (V)^↓1 who attained victory in the clash of many a battle and 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 Harīti, 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—; grandson of King (mahārāja) Vijayāditya (II); [namely] the Supreme Lord (parameśvara) of Emperors (mahārājādhirāja) and Supreme Sovereign (parama-bhaṭṭāraka) Vijayāditya (III)—who desires the exaltation of his allies as Mount Meru {which indicates the rising of the sun}; whose army has become the terror of his enemies, like (Viṣṇu) the wielder of the Śārṅga (bow) {whose discus has become the terror of his enemies}; and who gives rise to prosperity as the ocean {produced Lakṣmī}—commands all householders (kuṭumbin)—including foremost the overseers (kūṭaka)— who reside in Gudravara district (viṣaya) as follows:

^14-18Let it be known to you that to Yajñaśarman of the Bhāradvāja gotra and the Āpastamba sūtra—a resident of Krovaśiri who has studied the Veda, and who is the grandson of Kuppaśarman, a principal of the twiceborn,^↓2 and son of Bandhuśarman—we have given a field of an extent (sufficient) for sowing ten kaṇḍikas of paddy seed at the village named Magāvaḍu.

^18-21Its boundaries [are as follows]. To the east, the kappu-ṟeni field (cenu).^↓3 To the south, the Ceṟukani field (cenu). To the west, the Boḷu[?1×]na boyu^↓4 field (cenu). To the north, the field (cenu) of the overseer (raṭṭoḍi). It is situated in the midst of these [boundaries].

Over and over again, Rāmabhadra begs all future rulers thus: “Each in your own time, you shall respect this bulwark of legality that is universally applicable to kings!”

II.

The executor (ājñapti) of this provision (dharma) is Paṇḍaraṅga, the storehouse of virtue, a bee at the lotus feet of King Vijayāditya.

Commentary

The ARIE report reads the name of the donated village as Maṁgaveḍu, and identifies it with modern Maṅginapūḍi in Bandar taluk of Kistna district. The reading seems doubtful to me, and I therefore prefer to name the charter after its findspot. The report identifies Krovaśiri with modern Krōsūru in Sattenapalle taluk of Guntur district.

ARIE talks about “early angular characters” in attributing the plates to Vijayāditya II. Then, without skipping a breath, it states that the ājñapti of the grant is Paṇḍaraṅga, “the bee at the lotus-feet of Guṇagāṅka-Vijayāditya” (i.e. Vijayāditya III). Neither the name nor the description appear anywhere in the photos available online, but face 6 verso is not documented among the photos. Sampath confirms that 6v bears an anuṣṭubh stanza mentioning Paṇḍaraṅga. Pāṇḍarāṅga (as his name is more often spelt) is closely associated with Vijayāditya III, and is not known to have been associated with that king’s father Viṣṇuvardhana V or his grandfather Vijayāditya II. Thus, the present plates were in all likelihood issued by Vijayāditya III.

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1938-1939: page 7, appendix A/1938–39, № 2 with discussion at ARIE 1938-1939: pages 71–72, §4. Edited from estampages by M. D. Sampath (1975-1976) with facsimiles, without translation. The present edition was initially prepared for DHARMA by Dániel Balogh on the basis of photos published by the Indian Museum (Kolkata),^↓5and has been subsequently collated with Sampath’s edition.

Primary

Sampath, M. D. 1975–1976. “Chandavōlu Plates of Vijayāditya (III).” EI 41: 114–17.

[siglum MDS]

Secondary

ARIE 1938-1939. Page 7, appendix A/1938–39, № 2.

ARIE 1938-1939. Pages 71–72, §4.

Notes

↑1. I do not know of any other Eastern Cālukya grant that mentions the reigning king’s father before his grandfather. It seems likely that starting out with Viṣṇuvardhana is a mistake in the composition, which was corrected by adding Vijayāditya afterward. This may have been simple oversight, or perhaps the text of the charter was based on a grant of the king’s father Viṣṇuvardhana V, which would have mentioned that king’s grandfather Viṣṇuvardhana IV first. The composer of the present charter may have mechanically reproduced Viṣṇuvardhana here, and then set it up so that it referred to the reigning king’s father.
↑2. The composer’s intent may have been to describe the donee, rather than the grandfather, as a principal of the twiceborn.
↑3. According to an editorial note to MDS (Sampath 1975–1976: page 116, note 1), kappu-ṟeni-cenu ‘obviously’ means black cotton soil.
↑4. This reading is uncertain; see the apparatus to line 19. The word boya is probably involved.
↑5. http://museumsofindia.gov.in/repository/record/im_kol-11358-19. The photos show the seal, four inscribed faces and one blank face which must be 1r; Sampath’s estampage is the only available visual documentation of 3v, which is badly damaged.