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136
EPIGRAPHIA IN LICA.
[Vol. VI.
with pouring out of water given, in the way of & perpetual endowment and free from taxes, the village of Villa (1. 29) which belongs to this vishaya- with the uparikara, with the uddesa, with its weavers, gôkutas (?), distillers of spirituous liquors and other artisans (?), with its hamlets (?), landing places (or steps on the river-side), ferry-places* etc. and thickets, exempt from all molestation, not to be entered . . . . ., in accordance with the maxim called bhumichchhidra and for as long as the moon, the sun and the earth endure- to the door-keeper Dhavala (1. 34), the son of V&s[u ?] . . and grandson of A pratid åg hosha, an immigrant from Vingipätaka (R), belonging to the Vißvåmitra gôtra, with the pravara Dêvarsta and anupravara Audala, and student of the Kaņva-sakha. Wherefore, out of respect for what is right, you should preserve this our gift!"
This order is followed in line 35) by the date, the 5th (P) of the dark half of MÅrgasirgha of the year 180; and (in lines 36-38) by benedictive and imprecatory verses. Lines 38-40 repeat that this is a charter of Dandimahadevi; give the name of the author of the prasasti, the poet Jambhala, son of the great poet Jayatman (?); and record the names of certain officials, vis. the Ránaka D&ņålaya who was the dútaka (?) of the grant, the Mahakshapatalika Nfi[simha ?], the Mahdsandhivigrahin Ugråditya, and the Mahapratihdra (?) Prahåsa.
Line 41 adds that a quarter (P) of the village of Villa on the occasion of a samkranti was given by Dhavals to the Brahmans; lines 42 and 43, in which the names of the villages of Hôņdala and Khairapata occur, apparently state the boundaries of the village granted ; and the inscription ends with the name of the engraver, Sambhaka.
Beyond saying that, judged by the writing, this inscription could hardly be older than the 13th century A.D., I do not venture at present to express any opinion regarding its age. I do not know to what era the year 180 of its date and the year 288 of the date of Ranabhanja's grapt should be referred, and can only trust that other inscriptions, similarly dated, will be obtained from the same part of the country, which may both help us to fix definitely the dates of these grants and throw more light on the general question of the employment of numerical symbols in Eastern India.
The place Gabèsvarapataka from which the grant was issued, the villages mentioned in it, and the vishaya in which they were situated, I hawe not found on the mape. The name Kóngôda of the mandala to which the vishayas of both the grants A and B belonged I have from the first ventured to identify with the name Kong-u-t'o (Kong-yu-t'o) of Hinen Tsiang (Beal's Si-yu-ki, Vol. II. p. 206), and I am assured by Professor S. Lévi that from a linguistic point of view this identification is in every respect anobjectionable. As stated by
· The phrases akaratodna and akarlkritys are very common in grants from the fame part of India.
1 Above, Vol. IV. p. 254, I have translated 8dddfa by with all their localities, but udalia has probably s more specific meaning. Sparikaraḥ a6dddías (which apparently is the proper reading also in Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. LXIV. Part I. p. 125, 1. 4 from the bottom) may be equivalent to the drangah aparikarah of other inscriptions.
In the phrase which commences bere the reading of the word gókuta appears to be certain, but its meaning is not apparent. For some expressions (the exact morning of which is uncertain), in which the word prakriti occurs, see Ind. Ant. Vol. XXV. p. 183, note 82. For the general import of the pbrase bere used I would compare above, Vol. V. p. 112, lines 66 and 66, where the village-artisans are stated to be included in the grant; also Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 58, 1. 52, and above, Vol. IV. p. 296, "We (also) gave the oil-mongers and the five (olassos e) artisans ms (his) slaves." For taxes on looms alo. see South-Ind. Inger. Vol. I. pp. 88, 89, 109, 156 oto.
• Compare above, Vol. V. p. 62, last line of the text ("ferry-boato" ato.).
The phrase commencing with 18k hanf(?)- I am unable to explain. It recalls, of course, svob well. known expressions as achafabhataprardia, achdtabhataprardiya, akinehitpragrdhya, ahastaprakahpaniya, etc.
According to the grant B the Kongda-mandala (or-mandalaka) was in Dakabiņa-Kobal.- Por a village or town named Kaingád a spe above, Vol. IIT. p. 44.
