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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XII.
the beneficent nature of such gifts, or proclaimed the number of blessings which accrued to those who made such gifts and those who scrupulously respected them, or denounced the inequity of those who deprived grantees of the land given and declared the punishment which awaited such evil doers. In our record there are no less than 16 verses of this class, but this method of guaranteeing the enjoyment of the grant by the grantee was not only confined to India but is spread over a wide territory and is found even in the documents of grants made by the early Anglo-Saxon kings. My attention was first drawn to this by Mr. C. E. Low, C.1.E., who kindly translated for me one of the documents in Latin issued by Ethelbert King of Kent, granting land and right of fishing to the Abbot of Liminge, who was at the time of granting (740 A.D.) Cuthbert, now Archbishop.
The following which is a free translation of an extract1 shows the spirit of the age :-"But because care must be taken that no one may presume in future to deny our donation of this day's date and call it doubtful, it is my pleasure to execute this document, by which I forbid not only all my successors and heirs, but even myself, that they should not dare to act in any way at any time other than has been arranged by me: which if by chance they neglect to observe, and fill the days of the present life without worthy satisfaction, let them know that they are incurring the wrath of the Almighty and are cut off from the fellowship of all the saints, since they have attempted to dishonour the most holy place of the most blessed virgin. But those who take care to increase this (grant) and demand nothing contrary to it, let them hear the voice of the most merciful Judge saying to the righteous: "Come, ye blessed of my father, receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you since the beginning of the world." Verses 25, 29, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39 and 40 of our inscription express similar ideas, in an oriental style.
TEXT,"
First Plate,
1 च नमो व (ब) चे (:) ॥
'जयति जलजभा (ना) भरतस्य नाभीसरोजं जयति जयति ताणापान (अ)चूतिः । पथ जयति स तस्यापत्यमत्रिस्तदश्यत (स्त) दनु जयति जन्म प्रा[ १"] 'अथ वो (बो) धनमादिराजपुत्रं तनय (यं) जनयांव (ब) भूव राजा
2 तवानविवन्धुः ॥
[भ]वस्य'
1
हंसः । [
२" ] 'पुत्रं पुरूरवस
मनबान्धव.
गृहजामातरमजवागगनाभोगतडागराज
1 The original is as follows:-Ueram quis cauendum est ne hodiernam donationem nostram fatari temporis abnegare ualeat et in ambiguum deuocare presumptio, placuit mihi hanc paginem condere per quam non solum omnibus meis successoribus atque heredibus set etiam mihimet ipsi interdico ne aliter quam a me constitutum est allo tempore quippiam agere audeant. Quod si qui forte obseruare neglexerint et absque digna satisfactione presentis uitae impleberint dies, sciat se omnipotentis domini iram incurrere et a socitate sanctorum omnium segre gatum. Quoniam sanctissimam beatissimae uirginis Mariae locum deonestare conatus est. Qui uero hace Lugenda custodierint nihilque inrogarent, aduersi auribus percipiant nocem clementissimi iudicis inquientis ad pios: Uenite benedicti patris mei percipite regnum quod uobis paratum est ab origine mandi. (See Earle's Handbook to the Land charters and other Saxonic documents, p. 35, Kemble, No. 86 B. i, 8.)
1 From impressions supplied by Dr. Vogel and the original plates.
Expressed by a symbol.
• Bead far.
Metre: Malini
Metre Aupachchhandasika. "Metre: Vasantatilaka.
