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No. 24.]
CHENDALUR PLATES OF SARVALOKASRAYA.
237
Butterworth, 1.C.S., to Mr. Venkayya. They are now edited from two sets of inked estampages received from Mr. Venkayya, who supplies the following description of the original :
“The copper-plates are five in number and have no rims. The first and the last plate bear writing on the inner side only. In the upper and lower borders the plates are not so broad as in the middle; their breadth accordingly varies from 910" to 97 The height too gradually decreases from either margin to the middle of the plate it being roughly 2,7" in the margins and 2}" in the middle. At a distance of " from the middle of the left margin of each plate is bored a circular hole, also y" in diameter ; and through these holes passes an oval ring (cut by me for the first time with permission and soldered), measuring 2)" by 3", and " thick. Its ends are secured in the base of an almost circular seal, which measures about 18". It bears, in relief on a plane surface, the legend Sri-Vijayasiddh[i] in the middle; below the legend is a sevenpetalled lotus in relief; and above the legend is the crescent of the moon between two symbols which may be taken to be daggers pointing upwards. The total weight of the plates with ring and seal is 84 tolas. The originals have been returned to Mr. Suryanarayana Rao."
The inscription is carefully engraved and on the whole well preserved. The alphabet resembles that of the two published copper-plate grants of Sarvalókågraya's father Vishsuvardhana II. A final form of t occurs in 11. 2, 33 (twice), 37, and one of m in l. 41. The lingual ! is used in Chalukyanam (1.5), lalita (1. 22), Koļļi" (1.29) and Kalabava (1. 29 f.), and the Telugu r in 11. 25 and 29. The first plate bears on the left margin the numerical symbol 'I'; but the remaining plates are not numbered.
The language is Sanskțit prose; two Sanskrit slókas sung by Brahman' are quoted in 11. 37-39. The rules of Sandhi are disregarded in the two compounds bhagavat-sri- (1.2) and asmat-sasanam (1. 33), and frequently between two words (11. 4, 6, 9, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 30, 31, 35).
The inscription records a grant of land by the Mahurija Sarvalókásraya (1. 24), son of the M. Vishnuvardhana (II.) (1. 16), grandson of the M. Indrabhattarakavarman (1. 10 f.), and great-grandson of the M. Vishnuvardhana (I.), 'who adorned the family of the Chalukyas' (1.5 f.). Some of the laudatory epithets bestowed on Indrabhattârakavarman and Vishnuvardhana II. were evidently copied from inscriptions or office records of the Pallavas,' who had been supplanted by the Eastern Chalukyas. Indrabhattárakavarman seems to have borne the sur. name Simhavikrama (1. 8), and Vishņuvardhana II. that of Makaradhvaja, Sarvalókåéraya's valour and royal splendour are praised in two compound words which fill five lines (16-21), but which contain nothing of any historical interest. His surname Vijayasiddhi, which occurs also on the seal of this grant, is alluded to in the next compound :* . he who has obtained the accom. plishment of victory (vijaya-siddht) by crushing the daring (of enemies) in many battles' (1.21 f.).
In later inscriptions of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty this king Vijayasiddhi or Sarvalokábraya is named Mangiyuvaraja. To his reign has to be referred the date at the end of the Bubjoined inscription (1. 39 f.): “(This) set of copper-plates (paffiká) was given to the donees) on the occasion of an eclipse on the full-moon tithi of Vaisakha in the second
See the Plates in Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 191, and Vol. VIII. p. 320.
. For the epithets अभ्युचित' and प्रतापीपनत in 1.6 f., अनेकगी' in 1.9t., खवा and विधिविहित in 1. 11t., see e.g. tho Pikira grant of Simhavarman, above, p. 161, text II. 4, 5 f. and 2.
Le.the god of love. The inscription justifies this surname by asserting that the king had seized the countries, earrings (P makara) and banners (dhuaja) of many mighty (tunga) enemies (1. 18 f.) :' compare above, Vol. VI. p. 345 and note 2
• The first part of this compound is found also in Pallavs grants; see e.g. above, p. 235, text 1. 9. * See above, Vol. VII. Appendir, p. 93, cote 6.
