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273
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA,
(VOL. XVI.
in style. The i (in idans, 1. 16) is of the old style, two curves with two dots beneath, as described by Dr. Fleet above, Vol. XI, p. 7. The & and 8 are written in both the earlier and the later manner. The k is of the old knife-shaped type, but somewhat broad. The j, b, and y approach the later types; the b has a large rounded top. In ni of Annigana (1. 12) there is a somewhat unusual variety of 1). The sometimes has the archaic inward curl, and sometimes appears to be without it, in the later fashion. The f occurs in pañcha (1. 5) and pa încha (1. 18).-The language is old Kanarese prose, but not of the most archaic type. The word bidisidor (1. 15) is worth noting; cf. above, Vol. XI, p. 6, 1. 17.
The record opens by giving its date (11. 1-4), and then refers itself to the reign of the Mahasamantadhipati Kannara-vallaha (11. 4-6), who seems to be the Rashtrakūta Krishna II Akālavarsha. The title Mahasāmantādhipati however raises some difficulty, for already in the Batgere inscription of A.D. 888, eight years previous to our record (see above, Vol. XIII, p. 189), Kannara is given the full regal titles; and it would hence seem that, as he had for some years before his accession reigned as Yuva-raja, or Heir Presumptive, jointly with his father, and had then borne the title of Mahāsāmantadhipati, he was still locally described as such. The alternative inference is that this Kandara-vallaha is an otherwise unknown viceroy of the same family; but the predicate "reigning over the earth" practically bars this possibility.
The inscription then states that at this time the Banavåsi Twelve-thousand was under the government of Lökade (11. 6-7). This Lökade is the same as Lokåditya, of the Chellaketans or Sellakētana family, on whom see Dr. Fleet's notes in Ind. Ant., Vol. XXXII, pp. 221-26, and Dynast. Kanar. Distr., p. 411 and n. 3. Next it mentions Omkara-Siva-bhatara, of the temple of Dindēšvara, as administrator of Palabor, and, as it would seem, two or three persons as county-sheriffs of "Anniga's Hundred of Pānungal” (11. 7-12). This last-named district must be a part of the Panungal (Hangal) Five-hundred, and it would be interesting to know who Anniga was from whom it took its name; possibly he is the Pallava or Nolamba-Pallava Aupiga of the records (above, Vol. IV, p. 289, V, p. 191, X, pp. 58, 63 n., Dynast. Kanar. Distr., p. 420). Finally in 11. 12-15 the inscription mentions two other local officials and a person who induced Omkara-Siva-bhatara to grant remission to Dautavor or Dautavura. This seems to mean that the village was granted some liberty or immunity from payment of taxes to Palasur; perhaps Palastr was a church-property, administered together with some neighbouring villages for the benefit of a local Saiva temple, and by the present act Dautavör became released from this service.
The date is specified in 11. 1-4 as Aaka 818 current, the cyclio yoar Banu (sic!); Jyaishţha gu. 13; the nakshatra Uttare. This is altogether irregular. Saka 818 current corrásponded to Rakshasa in all systems, and in that year the tithi mentioned was connected, according to the Sarya-siddhanta, with Saturday, 10 May, A.D. 896, ending abont 14 h. 44 m. after mean sunrise (for Ujjain), and corresponding to the nakshatra Svati (or Visakha according to Garga on the Brahma-siddhanta). What nakshatra our inscription means by "Uttare" is obscure. Nor is the difficulty solved by assuming that Saka 818 expired wag intended; for Mr. R. Sewell, who with his usual kindness has investigated the dates in this paper, has pointed out to me that in accordance with the Sürya-siddhanta the date would be
1 In this connection I may note that in the Adär inscription of Sake 826 expired (oce Dynast. Kanar. Distr, p. 411, n. 3) the k is written with a rounded body.
? In tho Bagamra grant, a few days earlier, he is still called maharamantadhipati. * See Dynast. Kanar. Distr., p. 411. + [In Tamil the nakshatra Uttiram corresponds to the Sanskrit Uttara-Phalguni.-H. K. 8.)
