________________
No. 24.]
KHAIREA PLATES OF YASAHKARNADEVA.
205
No. 24.-KHAIRHA PLATES OF YASAHKARNA DEVA;
[KALACHURI] SAMVAT 823.
BY RAI BAHADUR HIRA LAL, B.A., JABALPUB. The Director-General of Archeology in India having asked me to edit this inscription I do so from a set of estampages kindly supplied by him. Dr. Vogel further used his good offices to secure the original plates from the Rewah Darbār for my inspection. They were found in Khairhā (230-12' N., 810-30' E.) by a Kotwār named Bhajnā, while digging for earth to build his house. Khairhā or Khairā, as it is marked on the topographical maps, is a village in the Rēwah State about 8 miles south-west of the Burhār Ry. Station on the Katni-Bilāspur Branch of the Bengal-Nāgpur Ry., and about 14 miles south-east of Sohāgpur, the head quarters of the tahsil of the same name. The plates, two in number, were found with a bellshaped seal attached to a ring in a large stone chest, and their excellent condition is due to this fact. The total weight of the plates and seal, all made of copper, is as much as 14 seers 5 ch hittāks (nearly 29 lbs.).
The ring of the seal, a huge mass of 3 seers, was found out at one end but all green with oxidation, which shows that the cat was not made recently. The ring is so stout and thick that it cannot be bent without applying some mechanical force, and it appears that the cut which was originally made for stringing the plates provided with suitable holes was never soldered. The bottom of the seal is circular and bears the legend Srimad-Yasahkarnadevah in a single line running over the diameter, which is surmounted by the figure of Gaja-Lakshmi with two elephants, one on either side, pouring water on her with their trunks. Below the legend there is a figure looking like a Nandin (bull) with a bushy tail and a hump and two other figures of what appear to be incense-burners. Letters and figures on the seal are raised instead of being sunk as on the plates, each of which is inscribed on one side only.
The characters are Någari neatly engraved, the average size of letters being *". The language of the record is Sanskrit. As regards orthography the letter b is not distinguished from v at all, and the dental sibilant is employed for the palatal almost universally, there being two instances where the reverse has been done, viz., in the words -bhāśi (1. 19) and salila- (1. 38). The old form of i somewhat resembling inverted commas in 11. 8 and 30 is noticeable.
The inscription records the grant of a village and consists of three parts. The first portion in a variety of metres eulogizes the donor and his ancestors, the second, in prose, announces the grant, and the third gives the usual quotations of benedictive and imprecatory verses. The donor is king Yasahkarpadēva of the Kalachuri dynasty. In this record he grants the village Déula Parchēla in the Dēvagrāma pattalā to & Brāhmaṇa named Gamgādharasarman, at the time of the Sankrānti on Sunday the 14th of the bright fortnight of the Phålguna month in the year 823.
The genealogy of the king commences from Vishņu and rapidly passes through the moon and Kärttavirya of the Haihaya lineage to Yuvarējadēva of the Kalachuri family, the fourth ascendant of the donor. Yuvarājadēva is mentioned as having made the town of Tripuri like Indra's city. His son was Kökalla, who was enthroned by his ministers. His son Gangéyadēva is stated to have restored Kuntala to its people. After his death at Prayāga with his 100 wives his son Karnadēva succeeded him. He erected & golden temple at Kasi called Karnamēru and founded the city of KarņĀvati. Karna is recorded to have abdicated the throne in favour of his son Yagahkarpadēva, hiinself taking part in his coronation. Yaśaḥkarpadēva is said to have rivalled Parafurāma in destroying his enemies. He defeated
