Epigraphia Indica Vol 06

Author(s): E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 30

No. 2.]
TWO KADAMBA GRANTS.
17 of the Uravapalli plates, nd in line 3 of the plates of the Pallava Simhavarman (Ind. Ant. Vol. V. p. 155, Plate), and ná in line 3 of the Halsi plates of the Kadambe Kakusthavarman (ibid. Vol. VI. p. 23, Plate). The usual test-letters, kh (in dukkham, I. 22), j, bo and I, are all of the earlier type; but some other letters, such as the subscript of shfi in lines 2 and 24, the sh of freshthind, 1. 19, and some forms of y (as in Kaiköya, 1. 7, samayachára, 1. 18, yo, 1. 24, and Sriya, 1. 11), seem to me to present so late an appearance that, in my opinion, this inscription can hardly be placed earlier than the seventh century A.D. The Dravidian occurs in the names Vallavi and Koļa-Nallúra, 1. 16; the sign of the jihvámúliya in dukkham, 1. 22; and the sign of final m, the only final consonant which occurs, in opdlanam, II. 22 and 23.The language of the inscription is Sansksit. After the words or svasti, the text opens with a verse eulogizing the god Hari (Vishņu), and in lines 20-26 it contains four benedictive and imprecatory verses, ascribed to Manu; otherwise it is in prose. The main part of the text, 11. 3-17, forms & single sentence, the construction of which is not quite correct, and which, except for the phrases with which it commences, reminds one of Pallava grants rather than of other Kadamba inscriptions. The orthography does not call for any particular remarks.
The inscription is one of the Kadamba Maharaja Krishṇavarman (II.), the son of the Maharaja Simhavarman, who was & son of the Dharmamaharaja Vishnuvarman, who was begotten by the Dharmamaharaja Křishņsvarman [I.] on a daughter of Kaikeya. It records (in 11. 13-17) that, on the fifth tithi and under the nakshatra Jyêshtha in the waxing half of the month Karttika, in the seventh year of his reign, the king granted the village KolaNallûrs in the Vallavi-Vishaya to a Brahman of the Kausika gôtra, named Vishņuśarman; and adds (in 11. 17-20) shat the king was advised (to make this donation by the Srêshthin Haridatta of the Tuthiyalla gôtra and pravara.
I consider it very probable that the Krishnavarman I. of this inscription is the Dharmamaharaja Krishnavarman who in the Dêvagere plates of the Yuvarája Dêravarman (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 33) is mentioned as the father of this Dévavarman. Judging from the writing, the Devagere inscription' undoubtedly is earlier than the present inscription; the Krishnavarman who is mentioned in it, like Krishnavarman I. of this inscription, is described as afvamadha-ydjin, 'the performer of a horse-sacrifice;' and the (in these inscriptions unusual) statement of the present grant that Vishộuvarman was Krishnavarman's son from the daughter of Kaik@ya,' seems pointedly to indicate that Krishnavarman I had one or more sons from another wife, and would thus agree with the fact that the Devagere grant is by a son of Krishnavarman named Dévavarman.-The names of the Kadamba Maharajas Vishņuvarman and Simhavarman do not occur in other inscriptions of the same family.
Of the localities mentioned, the name of the Vallavi rishaya appears to survive in Ballavi,' the name of a town in the Tumkûr district of Mysore, Constable's Hand-Atlas of India, Plate 34, Co; the village Kola-Nallura I am unable to identify.
The date does not admit of verification. Judging from a number of native calendars, the nakshatra Jyêshtha is joined more frequently with the 4th than with the 5th tithi of the bright
In the Hirabadagalli plates of the Pallava Sivaskendavarman (Ep. Ind. Vol. I. p. 5, Plates) the d of is denoted by line attached to the foot of, on the proper left side: compare the word bamhandran, in line 8. Practically the same way of writing nd we have eg. in lines 1 und 9 of the Devagere plates of the fourth year of the Kadamba Mrigesavarman (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 37, Plates). And the same sign for occurs in line 6 of the Halal plates of the same king (ibid, Vol. VI. p. 24, Plste), there, however, a separate downward stroke originally was wrongly adiled to nd, and subsequently cancelled again. (In Prof. Bühler's Indische Palaographie, Plate VII. Col. xiii No. 48, the uncorrected wrong form is given; the correct sign for d is given ibid. No. 31). In obe Halot plates of the fourth year of the Kadamba Harivarian (Ind. ant. Vol. VI. p. 30, Plato) the sige for ad which is used in the present inscription is employed once, exceptionally, in line 1.
• The sign of bin bala, I. 1, apparently is open on the proper right; see above, Vol. V. p. 119.