________________
258
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. III,
(Vv. 119-123.) Let them all be victorious as long as the moon and the stars (exist), those chiefs of the twice-born who obtained as a tax-free gift (sarvamdnya) the above-mentioned excellent village, adorned by trees growing on the bank of the prosperous Karnataka canal, excluding the shares of learned Brahmanas (Bhafta), including all the gifts to temples (dévaddya), with the kapafd-jdlo, with the tirutuvalaya, with the matappara, with the kilekkalippala, with five and a halt mdousl in Kårukurchi, with its boundary (stones) on all sides marked with the image of the blessed Vamana (aratdra), situated on the western bank of the canal which flows to the south, and to the east of a small garden which is on the east of Kárukurchi.
(Line 249.) Half a field (kshétra) was purchased and given to the village deity (grámadévata).
(V. 124.) This is an edict of the best of kings, the famous (and) glorious Venkatapatiraya, who is a moon to the lotuses (which are) learned men, (and) a Mahendra on earth.
(V. 125.) At the command of Vira-Venkataraya, the poet Råma, the son of Kamakoti (and) grandson of Sabhapati, composed the text of (this) edict.
(V. 126.) The excellent Achyutarya, the son of Ganaparya (and) grandson of the illustrious (and) oxcellent ViranAcharya, correctly wrote the fine verses of the edict of Venkata, the diadem of kings.
[Verses 127-131 contain the usual imprecations.]
(Line 266.) Sri-Venkatesa.
No. 35.-DUDIA PLATES OF PRAVARASENA II.
BY F. KIELHORN, PE.D., LL.D., C.I.E.; GÖTTINGEN. These plates were sent to Dr. Hultzsch by Mr. H. Cousens, Superintendent of the Archeological Survey of Western India, who had received them from Mr. W. Montgomerie, Settlement Officer, Chhindwara, Central Provinces. They belong to "Bharatga and others, Gonds, at Dudia in the Ager pergans of the Chhindwara district." I edit the inscription which they contain from excellent impressions, supplied by Mr. Consens and Dr. Hultzsch.
These are four well preserved copper-plates, each of which measures 7" long by 3 broad. The second and third plates are inscribed on both sides, the first plate is so on one side only, and the fourth is blank and merely serves to protect the writing on the second side of the third plate. The plates are quite smooth, their edges having been neither fashioned thicker nor raised into rims; but the writing, nevertheless, is in an excellent state of preservation throughout. About 1' distant from the middle of the proper right margin, each plate has & hole, about to in diameter, for a ring on which the plates were strung. This ring is between 4 and thick, and 37" in diameter. The two ends of the piece of copper of which it is formed are flattened off, and contain holes for a rivet, which has been lost. On the ring slides & copper band, t' broad, which is bent into a ring of by 1}' in diameter, and the two ends of which are soldered together. Through the soldered part a hole is drilled, which corresponds to a hole in the centre of a circular seal; and a rivet, which also is lost now, must have held the copper band and the seal together. Owing to the loss of the two rivets, the ring, the copper band and the seal are now quite loose. The seal is 341" in diameter, and has across its surface & legend in four lines, which will be given below. The weight of the four plates is 31 lbs.,
I The Tamil word maps or md means "one twentieth (of the land-mensare called cli).' . Compare Dr. Fleet's description of the Siwanl plates; upta Ingriptions, p. 94.
