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78
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XVIII.
TRANSLATION.
(Lines 1 to 5.) May success attend. May welfare accrue. While the Mahārājādhiraja (the supreme lord of kings), Samachara-deva, who is without a rival on this earth and who is equal in prowess to Nriga, Nahusha, Yayati and Ambarisha,-is (ruling) in splendcur, Jivadatta, of the intimate class of servants (of his Majesty), master of the bullion market, (flourished as governor) in Navyavakaś ikā through paying court to the twin lotus-like feet of that monarch (Samachara-deva) and the district officer in (the district of) Varaka-mandala, approved of him (Jiva-datta),. (was) Pavittruka.
5
(Lines 5 to 11.) While he (Pavittruka) was administering, whereas his District Court presided over by the Chief Judge (Jyeshthadhikarapika) Damuka, as well as the Elders Vatsa-Kunda, the Elder Suchi-Palita, the Elder Vihita Ghosha, (the Elder) Sara-Da[tta], the Elder Priya-Datta, the Elder Janárddana-Kunda and others in charge of affairs? (of the village in question), and many other leading gentlemen (of the village) skilled in Laws were apprised by Supratika Svāmi (thus): I wish through your honours' favour for a piece of waste land which has long lain neglected, for the establishment of Bali, Charu and Sattra", (thus) getting it to be of use to a Brahmana; do ye favour me (with it) by issuing a copper-plate deed.
For this explanation of the symbol at the beginning see my remarks, above, Vol. XVII, p. 352. *This phrase expresses the force of the word seasti better than the usual Hail'.
Suvarnnagithyadhikrita is in all probability a title, bonerary or otherwise. Vithi means a market, a stall a shop in the market; and hence I have translated the phrase literally as above. The real title, however, may have been 'Master of the Mint or Treasury'.
Navyävakäsikä was, without doubt, the Divisional head-quarters.
The name of the district was Varaka-mandala. The expressions such as Varaka-mandale vishayapatiPavittrukah, Värakamaṇḍalavishayadhikaranasya suggest that the name of the vishaya itself was Varaka-mandala. From a study of the Bengal plates, it appears that bhukti was the largest territorial division of a kingdom; it was divided into a number of vishayas or districts. These were again divided into mandalas or ejrcles, which were again sometimes sub-divided into khandalas or parts.
Mahattara is a title, something like the Honourable of the present day. It is of frequent use in the epigraphs of this period and survives in the term Mähäto applied to village Elders down to the present day. It carries with it the idea of dignity and superior worth and may adequately be translated by the term Elder. [In Tamil Chola inscriptions of the 11th Century, we have the corresponding title perundanam or perundaram conferred on officers and other private persons (S. I. Insors.) Vol. II, p. 98, 141, etc.-Ed.]
1 Vishaya-Mahattara has nothing to do with the territorial division Vishaya. Vishaya here means affairs. Compare the phraseology of this part of the present deed with the second plate of Dharmmaditya, vis. Jyeshtha-kayastha-Nayasenapramukhamadhikaranam Mahattara Sömaghosha-parabsaras-cha Vishayapam Mahattara vijñäptäh. These deeds were the issues of a District Court, namely that of the district of Väraka-mandala, and the Mahattaras cannot reasonably be supposed to have jurisdiction in districts other than the district of Varaka-mandala as vishayānām, used in the plural number, would indicate, if, vishaya were to mean, a district', here. Thus vishaya- here becomes a plain word meaning 'affairs'. [In the first plate of Dharmaditya a very large number of vishaya-mahattaras the leading men of the district' are mentioned in connection with a grant in the very same Varaka-mandala. Perhaps vishaya-mahattara like mahattara was a title without any particular reference to a function. In our inscription Vatsa-Kunda may have been a District Elder (Vishaya-Mahattara) in this sense, while the others were only ordinary Mahattaras (Elders) that formed a sabha for the occasion, being the leading men' of the village, they were not necessarily men of law (eyavahāriṇaḥ).-Ed.]
"
The technical term eyavahara is ordinarily used to mean law, and Vyavaharins are these who are experts in law and legal procedure.
Manu (Chap. III, verses 67ff.) enjoins on all householders the performance of the five great sacrifices (Pancha-maha-yajñas), viz. :-(i) Study and teaching, which together is called Brahmayajña or Rishiyajña; (ii) offering oblations to departed ancestors-Pitriyajña; (ii) giving food to all creatures- Bali or Bhutayajua (iv) entertaining guests-Nrigajña; (v) Homa or ascrifice-Divayajña. Of these, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th (which are equivalent to Charu, Bali and Sattra) appear to have been the most important, and the term Bali-Charu-Sattraprovarlanam (i.e. establishment of Bali, Charu and Sattra) came to mean the establishment of a householder.
