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No. 32.]
the labial ph is rather peculiar to this inscription. The language is Sanskrit; and the text is in prose with the exception of thirteen lines at the beginning and seventeen at the end containing 11 and 15 verses (numbered), respectively, although the numbers of the last two are omitted. In respect of orthography the following may be noted: (1) the sign for v is also used for b; (2) there is an indifference about the doubiing of the consonants after r, e.g. -karmāṇau in 1. 52; (3) rules of parasavarna have in some places been violated; (4) and s have been confounded, e.g. -yasaskarāņi (1. 53), -sahaśrāņi (1. 58).
SEVADI COPPER-PLATES OF CHAHAMANA RATNAPALA.
305
The object of the inscription is to record a grant of a village named Gumdakürchcha (the modern Gündoch as we shall see later on) to Brahmanas residing in the same village, by a Chahamana king named Ratnapaladēva, the son of Prithvipāla, in V. S.
1176.
The inscription opens with obeisance to the god Brahman. The introductory verse extols the word svasti. A person came out of the eye of Indra, lord of the east, while looking; and from this person sprang the Chahamana dynasty (v. 2), which is extolled in the succeeding verse (v. 3). The next eight verses unfold the following Chahamāna genealogy. There lived a king named Lakshmana, whose son was Śōhita, who is here called lord (pati) of Dhara. His other name is Sobhita. From him sprang Baliraja, who was succeeded by his paterual unclel Vigrahapala. Vigrahapala's son was Mahendra whose other name is Manindu to whom the Rashtrakuta king Dhavala lent a helping hand against Muñjaraja. Mahendra's son was Anahilladeva, who was blessed with two sons named Balaprasāda and Jesaladeva, whose (latter's) other name is Jendrarajal or Jindaraja. Jēsala's son was Prithvipāla. Then comes the prose portion of the inscription. Prithvipala's son was Ratnapaladēva, who is styled a Maharajadhiraja. He issues the following order after having called together all his ministers, civil and military officers, the headmen as well as the leading persons among his subjects and all the resident Brahmanas of the Saptasata-vishaya (of 700 villages) :
"Be it known to you that, the seat of our Government being in Naḍula (Nāḍōl) and the head-quarters of our armies in the village Nahura, after having bathed and put on two cleaned clothes, setting aside such faults as vehement desire, hatred, jealousy, moral decline, and others of like nature; being in the state of absolute goodness; realising the instability of the world; holding tila (sesamum), unhusked grain (barley), kusa (grass) and water in our right hand; having satisfied gods and pitris with water; remaining true to our duty; comprehending (the fact that) life is more unsteady than the drop of water on the petal of the day-lotus; having worshipped the consort of Parvati (i.e. the god Mahadeva), who is the ruler of both the moveable and the immoveable; having adored Vishnu (who is) the greatest in the world and is skilful in destroying heaps of sins and is able to save from (the pains of) birth, old age and death; having restrained the totality of the senses for a moment; having realised (the fact that) wealth (would) collapse in a moment and such other inconstancies (of the world); having satisfied Brahmanas and other venerable persons by gifts of gold, food, and clothes; favouring (i.e. following) the right path; recalling (mentally) the fear of the next world; accepting the fruit of (actions in both) this and the next world; having seen that the lettering of the charter formerly issued by the Maharaja Jindaraja has disappeared, and (having) & mind to renew the same in its former state; for the increase of our religious merit and fame; and for our well-being in the next world; with a pure mind inspired by great devotion; our sins vanishing far (from us) and we being conscious of self (i.e. being in our right senses), we havc, with libations of water, granted this charter according to the former state of things on Thursday, the 8th of the dark half of the month of Jyeshtha, when 1176 years, reckoned (in the
1 See above, Vol. IX, p. 83.
Above, Vol. X, p. 68.
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