Senavurabu grant of Viṣṇuvardhana IV

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2025-01-21Z

Editor: Dániel Balogh.

DHARMA Identifier: INSVengiCalukya00094

Hand Description:

Halantas do not occur.

Original punctuation does not occur, except for the opening symbol which is a slightly misshapen concentric circle looking rather like a @ sign.

Other palaeographic observations. Anusvāra is normally above the character to which it belongs, but occasionally to the right of it at head height, and sometimes (e.g. l17 goṁbaṟṟu, but also in Sanskrit, e.g. l18 vedaṁga) it is over the next character.

Additional Metadata

No metadata were provided in the table for this inscription

Edition

Seal

¹śrī-viṣamasiddhi

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}¹circleConcentric svasti[.] śrīmatā⟨ṁ⟩ sakala-bhuvana-sa⟨ṁ⟩stūyamāna-mānavya-sagotrāṇā⟨ṁ⟩ hāriti-
²putrāṇā⟨ṁ⟩ kauśikī-vara-prasāda-labdha-rājy¿a?⟨ā⟩nā(ṁ) mātr̥{i}-gaṇa-paripālit¿a?⟨ā⟩¿ṇa?⟨nā⟩⟨ṁ⟩
³svāmi-mahāsena-pādānudhyātānāṁ bhagavan-nārāyaṇa-prasāda-samāsādi-
⁴ta-vara-va◯rāh¿ā?⟨a⟩-lāñ¡chch!anekṣaṇa-kṣaṇa-vaśīkr̥tārāti-maṇḍal¿a?⟨ā⟩nā⟨ṁ⟩ Aśvame-
⁵dh¿a?⟨ā⟩vabhr̥tha-sn¿a?⟨ā⟩na-pavitr¿i?⟨ī⟩kr̥t¿ā?⟨a⟩-vapuṣāṁ cālukyānā⟨ṁ⟩ kulam ala⟨ṁ⟩kar¿i?⟨a⟩ṣṇoḥ naya-
⁶vinaya-vikramopā⟨r⟩jjita-cāru-bhūri-kīrtteḥ śrī-⟨⟨vi⟩⟩ṣṇuva(r)ddhana-mahārājasya pau-
⁷traḥ Aneka-tulā-dhr̥ta-sva⟨r⟩ṇṇa-¿dānāṁvatāmpatteḥ? śrī-vijayāditya-mahārājasya
^{⎘ plate 2r}⁸ priya-tanayaḥ sva-pratāpāv¿ā?⟨a⟩nata-samasta-s¿a?⟨ā⟩manta-cakraś cakrava⟨r⟩ti-lakṣa¿n?⟨ṇ⟩o-
⁹p¿a?⟨e⟩taḥ śā¿jgi?⟨rṅgā⟩yudha I+va lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩-vallabhaḥ nr̥ga-⟨na⟩huṣa-m¿a?⟨ā⟩ndhāt¿rā?⟨r̥⟩-pratimo [’]pratih¿ā?⟨a⟩ta-śa-
¹⁰k(t)i⟨ḥ⟩ śakti{ḥ}-trayopetaḥ sva-bhuja-balākrānta-samasta-bhuvana-talaḥ parama-bra-
¹¹hmaṇyaḥ ◯ parama-māheśvaraḥ mātā-pitr̥{i}-pādānudhy¿a?⟨ā⟩taḥ catur-ud¿ā?⟨a⟩-
¹²dhi-velā-v¿i?⟨a⟩layita-viśada-yaśās sakala-kalā-kalāpa-jña⟨ḥ⟩ meru⟨r⟩ iva kalyāṇa-
¹³-prakr̥tiḥ dha⟨r⟩mmaja Ivā⟨r⟩juna-pratāpa-va⟨r⟩ddhanaḥ ravir ivāhita-tamo-nikara-nirā-
¹⁴kariṣṇuḥ samasta-sāmanta-makuṭa-ghaṭṭita-caraṇa{ṁḥ}s sarvva-lokāśraya-śrī-viṣṇu-
^{⎘ plate 2v}¹⁵ va⟨r⟩ddhana-mahār¿a?⟨ā⟩j¿a?⟨ā⟩dhirāja-parameśvara-bhaṭṭ¿a?⟨ā⟩rakaḥ paḷḷi-rāṣṭra-viṣaye sena-
¹⁶vurabu nāma grāme rāṣṭrak¿u?⟨ū⟩ṭa-pramukhā⟨n⟩ kuṭu⟨ṁ⟩bin¿ā?⟨a⟩⟨ḥ⟩ sa⟨r⟩vv¿a?⟨ā⟩n ittham ā¡ña!⟨jñā⟩payati

vi-
¹⁷ditam astu vo [’]smābhiḥ dveda-goṁbaṟṟu v¿a?⟨ā⟩stavyāya ¿A?⟨Ā⟩treya-gotrāya Āpastam¡bh!⟨b⟩a-
¹⁸-sūtrāya ◯ viṣṇubhaṭṭa-pautrā⟨ya⟩ veda-ved¿a?⟨ā⟩ṁga-pārag¿a?⟨ā⟩ya Eṟukamma-tredi-bhaṭṭa-
¹⁹-putrāya ⟨ya⟩jan¿ā?⟨a⟩-y¿a?⟨ā⟩jan¿a?⟨ā⟩dhy¿ā?⟨a⟩⟨ya⟩n¿a?⟨ā⟩dhyāpana-ṣaṭka⟨r⟩mma-nirat¿a?⟨ā⟩ya yajñamāṇḍa-tredi-
²⁰-bhaṭṭa-śa⟨r⟩mma¿nā?⟨ṇe⟩ sū⟨r⟩yy¿ā?⟨a⟩-graha¿nā?⟨ṇa⟩-nimitte Udaka-p¿u?⟨ū⟩⟨r⟩vva⟨ṁ⟩ dat⟨t⟩a⟨ṁ⟩ sa⟨r⟩vva-k¿ā?⟨a⟩ra-parihāra(ṁ) kr̥-
²¹tvā[.] pū⟨r⟩vvataḥ ceṁgalavaḥ[.] dakṣiṇataḥ pañjiṇiḥ[.] paścimataḥ vedrukalkaḥ[.] Utta-
^{⎘ plate 3r}²² rataḥ bodanaṁbuḥ[.] Eteṣā⟨ṁ⟩ madhya-pariva⟨r⟩ttiḥ

I. Anuṣṭubh

Asya ⟦mma⟧⟨⟨dha⟩⟩mmasya guṇavā¿ṇṇ?⟨n⟩

¿a?⟨ā⟩ ²³jñapti⟨r⟩ vinayā⟨n⟩vitaḥ

jay¿ā?⟨a⟩r¿u?⟨ū⟩pa Iti khyāto

loke [’]smi⟨n⟩ dha⟨r⟩mma-va²⁴⟨t⟩salaḥ

II. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhi⟨r⟩ vvasu¿da?⟨dhā⟩ d¿ā?⟨a⟩t⟨t⟩ā

bahu⟨bhi⟩ś c¿a?⟨ā⟩nupālit¿a?⟨ā⟩

yasya yasya ya¿ta?⟨dā⟩ ²⁵bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mi⟨s⟩

ta◯sya tasya tad¿a?⟨ā⟩ ¿pālaḥ?⟨phalaṁ⟩

III. Anuṣṭubh

bhūmi-dānā{ṁ}t para⟨ṁ⟩ dāna⟨ṁ⟩

na bh¿u?⟨ū⟩t¿o?⟨aṁ⟩ na bhavi²⁶ṣyati

ta¿yyo?⟨syai⟩va hara¿na?⟨ṇā⟩t p¿a?⟨ā⟩paṁ

na bh¿u?⟨ū⟩t¿o?⟨aṁ⟩ na ¿b?⟨bh⟩aviṣyati{ḥ}

IV. Anuṣṭubh

sva-dat⟨t⟩āṁ para-da¿d?⟨tt⟩āṁ v¿a?⟨ā⟩

²⁷yo hare¿stu?⟨ta⟩ vasu⟨n⟩dhar¿a?⟨ā⟩ṁ

ṣaṣṭ¿a?⟨i⟩-va¡ruṣa!⟨rṣa⟩-¿ś?⟨s⟩aha¿ś?⟨s⟩rā¿n?⟨ṇ⟩i

viṣ¿ṭ?⟨ṭh⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩yā⟨ṁ⟩ j¿a?⟨ā⟩yate kr̥miḥ

Apparatus

⁵ kulam ala⟨ṁ⟩kar¿i?⟨a⟩ṣṇoḥ • There is a dot at the bottom left corner of ma here, but no evidence of correction. Compare the similar dots further on.
⁶ -⟨⟨vi⟩⟩ṣṇuva(r)ddhana- • Here, vi is a correction, probably written over ṣa, implying that the scribe first omitted vi and began inscribing ṣṇu, but noticed the error before completing that character. The following (post-correction) ṣṇu overlaps the right-hand edge of the pre-correction ṣa. — ⁶ -mahārājasya • There is a dot at the bottom left corner of ma, but no evidence of correction. Compare the similar dots further on.
⁷ -¿dānāṁvatāmpatteḥ? • The intent may have been -dāna-varddhitāvadāta-kīrtteḥ as in the Nemmaḷūru and Dinakādu grants of Vijayāditya I (both preceded by Aneka-tulā-dhr̥ta-suvarṇa-). The word sampatteḥ may also have been intended, but I know of no exact parallel for this; the Tāṇḍivāḍa grant of Vijayāditya II has °āneka-tulā-dhr̥ta-śrātakumbha-viśrāṇanāvadāta-śarīra-sampado. The only other charter with Aneka-tulā-dhr̥ta-suvarṇa- is the Sātalūru plates of Vijayāditya III, which continue with -dāna-dhārā-santarppaṇāni kurmmaḥ (em. kurvan?).
⁹ śā¿jgi?⟨rṅgā⟩yudha • Compare śārggāyudha in the same phrase in the Peravali plates of Viṣṇuvardhana IV.
¹³ ghaṭṭita • The word is contextually appropriate, but as far as I know, this is the only occurrence of ghaṭṭita in variations of this vignette, while ghaṭita (said of gems in the crowns of subordinates) is common.
¹⁵ paḷḷi-rāṣṭra- • The ARIE reads pañji-rāṣṭra, but paḷḷi-rāṣṭra is certain and attested in the Koṇeki grant of Viṣṇuvardhana II. Compare ñji in line 21. — ^15–16 sena/vurabu • The ARIE reads senāvuramu, which seems to be a silent emendation.
¹⁸ -ved¿a?⟨ā⟩ṁga-pārag¿a?⟨ā⟩ya Eṟukamma-tredi- • There is a dot below the da of vedaṁga, which is probably a proofreader’s mark that the character needs correction. There is an identical dot below the second next character, pā, which may well have been corrected from pa by adding a vowel marker (which is rather compressed), and a third below the di of tredi near the end of this line, where there is no indication of correction, but the vowel marker may perhaps be a subsequent addition.
¹⁹ -y¿a?⟨ā⟩jan¿a?⟨ā⟩dhy¿ā?⟨a⟩⟨ya⟩n¿a?⟨ā⟩dhyāpana- • compare yajanayajanādhyānadhyāpayanā (as corrected by the scribe) in the Permmañcili grant of Viṣṇuvardhana IV.
²⁰ Udaka-p¿u?⟨ū⟩⟨r⟩vva⟨ṁ⟩ dat⟨t⟩a⟨ṁ⟩ sa⟨r⟩vva- • There are correction dots below U, vva, da, and the second vva. Of these, U may be a subsequent inline addition in the space after tte, and this space may have been widened by re-engraving the body of the following da in a narrower form. The other dotted characters have not been corrected.
²¹ pū⟨r⟩vvataḥ • There is a dot to the right of vva, which may be a mark that this needs correction to rvva.

Translation by Dániel Balogh

Seal

Plates

^1-16Greetings. The grandson of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Viṣṇuvardhana (III) who earned his great good reputation by his political acumen (naya), discipline (vinaya) and valour and who was eager to adorn the lineage of the majestic Cālukyas—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—; the dear son of His Majesty King (mahārāja) Vijayāditya (I), ¿whose resplendent fame was heightened by?^↓1 gifts of gold weighed in many a balance (against his body): [namely] His Majesty the the supremely pious Supreme Lord (parameśvara) of Emperors (mahārājādhirāja) and Sovereign (bhaṭṭāraka) Viṣṇuvardhana (IV), shelter of all the world (sarva-lokāśraya), the supreme devotee of Maheśvara—who was deliberately appointed [as heir] by his mother and father, who has the complete circle of peripheral rulers (sāmanta) bowed down through his own prowess, who possesses the bodily marks of a universal sovereign (cakravartin), who is the beloved of Royal Fortune (lakṣmī) as (Viṣṇu) the Wielder of the Śārṅga (bow) {is the beloved of Lakṣmī}, who is a likeness of (the ancient kings) Nr̥ga, Naḥuṣa and Māndhātr̥, whose power is irresistible, who is equipped with the three powers (śakti-traya), who has conquered the the entire universe’s (samasta-bhuvana) area by the strength of his own arms, whose bright fame is bounded [only] by the shores of the four oceans, who is versed in the whole bundle of practical arts (kalā), who has a generous disposition like (Mount) Meru {which is of auspicious nature}, who thrives through bright valour as (Yudhiṣṭhira) the son of Dharma {who prospered thanks to the valour of Arjuna}, who is fit to dispel the darkness of enemies like the sun {which is fit to dispel unpleasant darkness}, whose feet are rubbed by the crowns of all peripheral rulers (sāmanta)—commands all householders (kuṭumbin)—including foremost the territorial overseers (rāṣṭrakūṭa)—who reside in the village named Senavurabu in Paḷḷi-rāṣṭra district (viṣaya) as follows.

^16-22Let it be known to you that on the occasion of an eclipse of the sun we have given [this village],^↓2 rendered exempt from all taxes and sanctified by (a libation of) water, to the grandson of Viṣṇu-bhaṭṭa and son of Eṟukamma-tredi-bhaṭṭa, [namely] Yajñamāṇḍa-tredi-bhaṭṭa-śarman, resident of Dveda-Goṁbaṟṟu, of the Ātreya gotra and the Āpastamba sūtra, who has completely mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas^↓3 and who is engaged in the six duties (of a Brahmin) [such as] sacrificing and being commissioned to perform sacrifices, learning and teaching. To the east is Ceṁgalava. To the south is Pañjini. To the west is Vedrukalka. To the north is Bodanaṁbu. It is located in the midst of these.

The virtuous and disciplined executor (ājñapti) of this provision (dharma) is known in this world as Jayarūpa and is fond of lawfulness (dharma).

II.

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.

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.

IV.

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

Commentary

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1990-1991: page 24, appendix A/1990–91, № 10 with a description at ARIE 1990-1991: 5–6. No previous editions known. The present edition was created for DHARMA by Dániel Balogh, on the basis of photographs taken by myself in February 2023 at the ASI Archaeological Museum, Amaravati.

Primary

Secondary

ARIE 1990-1991. Page 24, appendix A/1990–91, № 10.

ARIE 1990-1991. 5–6.

Notes

↑1. The text is corrupt here; see the apparatus to line 7. I translate the phrase found in the in the Nemmaḷūru and Dinakādu grants of Vijayāditya I.
↑2. The object being granted is not specified in the text.
↑3. This qualification follows the name of the donee’s father and may have been meant to describe him, but it is in the dative case, so I translate it as describing the donee.