________________
VALABNI DYNASTY.
the sun, the ocean, the carth and mountains endure and are to be enjoyed by bis heirs and successors. As this is a proper religious grant le my cultivate the land himsell or may cause it to be cultivated or muy inake a grant of it to any other person; and nono of the future meritorious kings and our descendants should come in their way; because greatness is inconstant, human life is unstable, and the fruit of the grant of land is common to us all. Those who know this will respect and continue this grant. Those who will resume the land or will allow it to be resumed will be guilty of committing the five great sins along with other minor ones. It is said by Bhagavan Veda Vyasa "he who makes a gitt of land lives sixty-thousand years in Sintya while he who resumes it or allows it to be resumed lives the same number of years in Varetlen. He, who resurnes land granted by himself or any one else, is guilty of committing the sin of killing hundred thousand cows." Thus this is in our own hand slys Maharaja Dliurasena. The Suchaka is Chirbira and this is written by Skandablata, an officer in charge of peace and war, Sainvat 252, Chaitra Vadi 5.
III. Copper-plate grant of King Dharasena 11. of Valabhi found at Kutapur, a vil.
lage near Mahuvd under Bhavnagar. Daled Valabhi Samvat 252.
The village of Katapur where these plates were found is about two miles east of the small town of Mahuva, a sea port on the southern coast of Kåthiavåd, under Bhavnagar. They are in the muscum at Bhâvnagar with the usual seal of the Valabhi kings attached to it, and the rings passed through both the plates to keep them together. They are in a good state of prescrvation, ilough a few letters in the second plate have become illegible on account of rust; but this in no way affects its deciphering. They measure 10' x 7" and contain sixteen and seventeen lines, respectively, written on one side only.
The grant is issued to certain Brahmachåris named Fishikha and Bappå giving thern a field is consideration for the performance of certain Yajnas, within the eastern boundary of the village of Danaripatuka. It is dated Valabhi Samvat 252 (A. D. 571-72).
It is written in Sanskrit prose, the character being Valabbi.
TRANSLITERATION.
PLATE I., १ स्वस्ति विजयस्कंधावारात् भद्रपत्तनकवासकात् प्रसभप्रणतामित्राणां भैत्रकाणामतुलवलसंपन्नमण्डलाभो
गसंस
Ahol Shrutgyanam
