________________
No. 15.]
TWO PILLAR INSCRIPTIONS AT AMARAVATI.
147
(v. 1 f.). Dhányakataka is the old name of the present Amaråvatt;' the temple of Amarèsvara is the one in which the inscription is preserved; and the Chaitya of Buddha is the famous Amaravati Stậpa, which at the time of the inscription must have been still in good preservation. In that city, the inscription continues, was a royal family which claimed descent from the feet of the Creator (v. 3 f.), i.e. which belonged to the sidra caste. Four generations are mentioned, vie. Bhima I. (v. 6), Keta I. (v. 24), Bhima II. (v. 28) whose wife was Sabbamadevi (v. 32), and Keta II. (v. 33). Nothing of historical importance is related of any of these princes in the 43 Sanskrit verses with which the inscription opens. The first passage in Telugu (1. 108 ff.) gives a list of the birudas of Kota II. He was styled the Mahamandalákvara Kota-Kotaraja, - in which the word Kóta, 'the fort, perhaps refers to the fort of Dharapikotanear Amaråvati, -
the lord of the district of six-thousand (villages) on the southern (bank) of the Krishnavenna river, obtained through the favour of the glorious Triņayana-Pallave,' and 'the lord of SriDhanyakațaka, the best of cities. Two farther generations of the same family are known from the Yenamadala inscription of Gapapåmba, which mentions Kåta (identical with Kota II.), his son Rudra, and the latter's son Beta who became the husband of the Kakatiya princess Gapapåmba.
The grants recorded in the inscription were all made on Thursday, the tenth tithi of the bright fortnight of M&gha in Saka-Samvat 1104,6 The grants are five in number. The 1st, 2nd and 5th are specified both in Sanskfit verse and Telugu prose, while the 3rd and 4th are only worded in Telugu :-(1) Keta II. granted to Buddha the village of Kranteru in the district of Kandravidi, and the villages of Medukonduru and Donkiparru in the district of Kondapadumati (v. 44 and 11. 121 to 124); (2) Keta II. granted to Buddha 110 sheep, the milk of which had to be used for ghee to feed two perpetual lamps (v. 46 and the subsequent Telugu passage); (3) Gasevi-Suramadevi, one of the king's concubines, gave to Buddha 55 sheep for & perpetual lamp (1. 141 ff.); (4) & similar gift was made by Prolamadevi, apparently another of the king's favourites (1. 145 ff.); and (5) Keta II. himself granted to Brahmaņas the following villages for the merit of his mother Sabbamadevi,7 of his father Bhimaråja,8 of his elder brother Chôdorája, and for his own merit :- Kökallu (v. 48) in the district of Gondanâtavadi (1.173); Giñjipadu, Challagard and Tâțivaya (v. 49) in the same district (1. 176); Ammalapúņdi (v. 50) in the same district (1. 179 f.); Kuņțimaddi and Uppalapaļu (v. 51) in the same district (1. 182); Sattenapalli, Chintapalli (v. 51), Ketepalli and Erragunta (1. 184 f.) in the district of Kondapadumati (1. 183 f.); and Onkadona (v. 51) in the district of Doddikaņdravadi (1. 185). The names of these villages were changed, respectively, into Sabbambikapuram (1. 174) after the name of his mother; Bhimêvuram (1. 177 f.) after that of his father ; Chôdávuram (1. 180 f.) after that of his elder brother; and Jagamechohugandapuram (1. 185 f.) after one of his own surnames.
1 See above, p. 85 and note 4 The village of Viripera (loc. cit.) is perhaps the modern Vipparla (No. 95 on the Madras Surey Map of the Sattenapalli taluks), 12 miles west of Amaravati.
Four of these are not Telugu, bat Kanarese, vis. Kaligala-mogada-kai, Bddvarig-fva-kai, Gandara-ganda and Nanni-martanda.
See Mr. Sewell's Lists of Antiquities, Vol. I. p. 64. • The same diruda occurs in the Yeonmadala inscription ; above, Vol. III. p. 96. . Above, Vol. III. p. 94.
6 This date is given five times: v. 44, II. 119 to 121, v. 46, 1. 133 f., Aod v. 47. Professor Kielhorn kindly contributes the following remarks: The date is incorrect. It would correspond, for S. 1104 current, to Saturday, the 16th January A.D. 1182; for S. 1104 expired, to Wednesday, the 6th January A.D. 1188, when the 10th tithi of the bright half ended 10 h. 65 m. after mean sunrise, and for 8. 1105 expired, to Tuesday, the 24th January A.D. 1184. I am of opinion that the year intended is S. 1104 expired, and that either the week-day or the tithi has been quoted incorrectly." 7 Identical with SabbamAdbyt (v. 82).
Identical with Bhima II. (v. 28). • The same person is mentioned in No. 267 of 1897 as (bio) elder brother Kota Chodaraja' (anna G6fa. Chodards).
