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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[Vol. IV.
(L. 45)-In (accordance with) the intention of Bhujjabbarasi, Kannapayya, with pleasure (and) in a very proper manner, caused to be made, so as to endure, the tank of (the god) Bhujjabbêsvara, together with a reservoir; was he not indeed devoted to (his) mistress ? (May there be) auspicious and great good fortune! Two mattars of ......cultivable land (were given to Kammara-Ketoje.
No. 51.- DONEPUNDI GRANT OF NAMAYA-NAYAKA;
SAKA-SAMVAT 1259.
By F. KIELHORN, PH.D., LL.D., C.I.E.; GÖTTINGEN. The plates which contain this inscription were received by Dr. Holtzsch from the Collector of the Godavari district, and are deposited now in the Madras Museum. There is no information as to where or by whom they were discovered. I edit the inscription from excellent impressions, supplied to me by Dr. Haltzsch..
These are five copper-plates, the first and last of which are inscribed on one side only, and each of which measures 8" broad by 4" high. They are numbered in Telugu figures, which are engraved near the proper right margin of the first inscribed side of each plate. The plates have raised rims, and are strung on a plain, unsoldered ring, which is f" thick and from 4 to 41" in diameter. The writing is boldly and carefully engraved, and is well preserved throughout. The characters are Teluga. As regards individual letters, bh is distinguished from b only by the top-stroke (talakaftu), except when (as in bhd, bhi, bhi, bhô, and bhy) following vowel leaves no room for it. Where this is the case, bh sometimes is distinguished from b by a small opening in the lower part of the sig for ph, but just as often there is no difference at all between the two letters. The sign for d, also, differs from that for dh only by a slight opening on the right side, and the latter, in consequence, is several times employed by the writer instead of the former. Similarly, there often is very little, if any, difference between the signs for the medial i and . The size of the letters is about It" -The language is Sanskrit, except in the description of the boundaries of the village which was granted by this inscription, and in the signature of the donor, in lines 42-54, where it is Telugu The Sanskrit portion, with the exception of the first words in line 1, is entirely in verse. In line 34 it contains, as an epithet of the donee, the compound praśndshfaka-vid, about the meaning of the first part of which I am doubtful;5 and in line 28 the Telugu biruda Pagamechchuganda, the meaning of which is expressed in Sanskfit by pratyarthi-garv-ápaha. As regards orthography, the vowel ', which is correctly used in -akritiḥ, 1. 14, and W[jo]jrimbhatë,7 I. 16, is six times represented by the syllable nu, e.g. in kruta-, 1.2, and -frungam, 1. 9; the dental *is employed instead of the lingual on in the word karnna, twice in line 3, and in paurnnamásyari, 1. 32, and instead of aan in nishanna-,
The meaning of sadirdļa or alivdla, line 48, is not known. Instead of dbh we bave dhe in ydvadhabúmir, 1. 89, and ideadh-belydda, 1. 40.
In the words Nami-Neni eralu,the signature of Nami-Neni (NAmaya-Nayaka), in line 54, the engraver apparently has tried to imitate the actual writing of the donor.
• For a transcript and translation of the Telugu passage I am indebted to Dr. Haltzsch's Assistant, Mr. Krishna Sastri.
. The epithet perbapo bas reference to the donee's knowledge of astronomy or astrologs. • The Telugu word paga means 'an enemy and mechche 'praine, applause.
1 The manner in which this word is written in the original (with j instead of 35) appears to indicate that the vowel ri here sleo was pronounced as n; compare the very common wvala for rala.
