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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[Vol. XXIX The importance of the epigraph lies in its being unique. Inscriptions mentioning the joint rule of the two brothers, Sivacbitta Permāļi and Vijayāditya II, and also those that refer to the rule of the former only who was the elder of the two, have been discovered. But no inscription referring to Vijayāditya as an independent ruler, has come to light so far. No doubt the second part of the Halsi inscription contains a reference to the regnal year possibly of Vijayāditya; but it is clear from the earlier portion that his brother Permādi was ruling at the time. Hence the present happens to be the first and the only inscription so far discovered, attributing independent rule to Vijayāditya, dissociated from his brother. The reason for this appears to be that Permāļi was no longer living by this time. According to the Halsi inscription, Vijayāditya was a devotee of the god Vishnu and bore the epithet Vishnuchitta. But it is revealed from the seal of the present plates that he preferred to describe himself as Vishnudāsa, i. e., 'an humble servant of Lord Vishnu.'
The inscription contains two place-names. One is the region called Marruvattugadalu or Maruvattugadalu, and the other the village Aruvige situated therein. It is interesting to note that Mapuvattugadalu is a purely Kannada expression made up of the words maru, paffu or mafu and kadalu. It means "the coastal region adjoining the sea. I am, however, unable to identify this tract. Aruvige appears to be identical with the present day Arage, a village about 4 miles to the south-east of Karwar, on the road to Ankola. The village Arage contains a shrine dedicated to a female deity named Durga. This deity probably represents the goddess Arya Bhagavati of the epigraph.
TEXT
(Metres : Verses 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 13 Sārdülavikridita; vv. 3, 7 Upajāti; vv. 4, 8, 9, 14-18
Anushfubh ; v. 11 Mandākrāntā ; v. 12 Vasantatilakā.]
First Plate 1 * 77[:] forara [1*] fucicroagogayat : ] iteract2 gradeceri rasaailfafaha] – -u - [Tra} 3 at [1* ] 4219[fa]aren (sit) [a] - --U - -u4 eftcialfafuanfaat geftat gate [four 1 (118*] 916 aviaferer forinfeca - U - - u - - 6 स्रोन्नम्रफणींद्रि]सुंदरफणप्रोल्लासिरला][लीं।] 7 पागच्छत्सुरसिंधुमंगलविधी नीराजनाविर्भवत्रिो 8 ढाहंकृतिदीपराजिविकसल्लक्ष्मी दधात्युच्चकैः ।।२*] पुरा पुराणां विजये 1 J. B. B. R. A. 8., Vol. IX, pp. 279-80 ; compare George M. Moraes, Kadamba Kula, p. 199. * Compuro Kadamba Kula, p. 201. . From the original plates and impressione. • In the end fow more instances that follow, the final is changed to an undra.