________________
116
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXVII, the text of 11. 1-24 containing information about the four rulers as well as the king's encampment and the date is similar to that of the Gadvāl plates.
The object of the record is the grant, by Vikramāditya at the request of one Amgipõdi, of the village Kuddhanapāyu' (?) which was situated at a distance of two gavyūtis (16 miles) to the east of Parukandaru, to Kauthiya, the son of Madisarman, the grandson of Vishņusarman, and of the Kämakāyana götra. Of these the first two were well-versed in the Rigvēda only and the third in the four Vēdas. Then follow the usual appeal to continue the grant and the benedictory-imprecatory verses. The record was drafted by the Mahāsāndhivigrahika Jayasēna who also drafted the Gadväl plates. The record ends with a salutation to god Nārāyaṇa.
The details of the date are mentioned thus : Saka 597, regnal year 20, Vaisakha-paurņima. The date of the Gadväl plates is also the regnal year 20, Vaisakha-paurnimā; but Saka 596. Both the grants were issued when Vikramaditya was encamping at Uragapura on the southern bank of the river Kāvēri, after entering the territory of the Chöļas. It is possible that he might have encamped at Uragapura on a similar date in two successive years. But it is not possible to cite the same regnal year for a similar date in two successive years. It is therefore obvious that the Saka year 597 of the present grant should be taken as current and corresponding to Saka year 596 expired, the year of the Gadväl plates. Besides, the Talamanchi and other plates of Vikramaditya show that Saka 577 expired was the initial year of his reign and Saka 597 expired will be naturally his 21st regnal year. Hence Saka 597 of this grant cannot but be regarded as a current year. The corresponding English date is 25th April 674 A. D.
Of the localities mentioned in this grant Vanavāsi and Kāñchi do not require any identification. Uragapura was situated on the southern bank of the Kävēri and hence it had been identified by the late Rai Bahadur V. Venkayya with Uraiyūr, which is near Trichinopoly and on the southern bank of the Kāvēri. But the late Dr. Hultzsch would not accept this identification. He preferred to identify Uragapura with Neyapatam which is a coastal town about 40 miles to the south of the mouth of the Kāvēri." I agree with the former view. The remaining two villages remain unidentified for the present.
TEXT
First Plate 1. Rafa [*] ispucalfaronai facunt: ari sifwarovja (94) [*] afetandeta -
fastrerojaa (ai) ay: [180*] 2 श्रीमतां सकलभुवनसंस्तूयमानमानव्यसगोत्राणां हारितीपुत्राणां सप्तलोक3 मातृभिस्सप्तमातृभिरभिवर्द्धितानां कार्तिकेयपरिरक्षणप्राप्तकल्याणपरम्पराणां भग
[See notes 4-6 on p. 118 and postscript-Ed.]
? He was also responsible for the draft of the Honnür plates of Vikramaditya I, dated Saka 592 and regnal year 10 (Annual Report of the Mysore Archaeological Department for the year 1939, p. 133).
Above, Vol. IX, p. 98 ; Ind. Ant., Vol. VII, p. 163. The initial day of the first year of his reiga must have llen between Asvina siddha 2 of "aka 576 and Vaisakha suddha 15 of Saka 577, both expired.
For a discussion on this point, vide above, Vol. X; p. 102 and The Pallavas of Kanchi by Gopalan, p. 104, not 4.
See postscript. . From the original plates.
Motre : Anushubh. . Read facultater