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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XVIII
No. 30.--THE MUNGIR PLATE OF DEVAPALADEVA: SAMVAT 33.
BY LIONEL D. BARNETT. This charter was first published in the year 1788, in Vol. I of the Asiatick Researches, p. 123 ff. where a lithographic reproduction and an attempt at translation were presented. About that time the plate disappeared. In 1892 the late Professor Kielhorn republished the text with a corrected translation in the Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXI, p. 254 ff., on the basis of the edition in the Asiatick Researches ; as will be seen, he accomplished the task with his wonted skill and success. But no trace of the original plate could be found.
Recently, while repairs were being made in Kenwood House, a dirty and discoloured metal plate inscribed with Indian characters was found hidden away between a beam and the roof. It was brought to me for identification, and I at once recognised it as the long-lost charter of Dēvapaladēva. Then Mr. Plenderleith, of the Science Laboratory attached to the British Museum, came to my aid and skilfully removed the accumulated grime and rust of many generations, so that it is now restored to its original condition, a fine and almost perfectly preserved specimen of medieval Indian metal-work. It seemed desirable to publish a photographic facsimile with an emended transcription of the text, and I have been permitted to do this by the kindness of the Right Honourable the Earl of Iveagh, G.C.V.O., Senior Trustee of the Kenwood Estate.
The plate is of thick copper, measuring 184 inches in height and 137 inches in width. On the top of it is soldered & seal, 64 inches high and at the base 7 inches wide; in the central panel of this is the well-known Särnāth device, the dharma-chakra with two antelopes at the sides, under which is the royal name, Sri-Dévapāladēvasya. It is in excellent preservation : with the exception of a very few unimportant syllables, the characters are as cleanly cut as when the plate came from the engraver's hand. The script is typical of the region and date; the letters are about to of an inch in height. It is needless to treat of the contents, as they are fully discussed in Kielhorn's paper.
The main part of this document, scil. from the beginning to kārya iti, 1. 46, is duplicated in ll. 1-42 of the Nalanda plate published in Ep. Ind., Vol. XVII, p. 310 ff. The divergences are few and slight, and I have only noticed the more important.
TEXT.
First Side. 1 Om svasti Siddhārthasya par-artha-susthira"2 matēh san-margam-abhyasyatas-siddhis-siddhim-&3 nuttarām-bhagavatas-tasya prajāsu kriyāt | yas-traidhātuka-sat[t*]va-siddhi-padavir
atyugra-viry-odayāj-jitvă nirvșiti4 m-asasāda sugataḥ san=s&ryva-bhūm-isvaraḥ+ || [1] Sawbhagyan=dadhad=atula
briyas-sapatnya Gopalaḥ patir-abhavad-vasu. ndhariyah | drisht-antē sati kritināṁ surajñi yasmin-braddheyāḥ Pțithu-Sagar-ādayo.
py-abhuvan || [28] Vijitya yên-a jaladhēr-Vasundha6 ram vimochitā mögha-parigrahā iti 88-vāshpam-udvāshpa-vilochanān=punar-vvanēshu
vaba)ndhūn-dadfishu(bu)r-mmatanga-jāḥ || [3*] Cha7 latav=anantēshu va(ba)lēshu yasya vigvambharaya nichitann rajobbih pada-prachaca
kshamam-antariksham=vihanganlānāṁ suchiram-va(ba)bhūva || [48] From the original plate.
* Denoted by & symbol. • The letter looks more like ta then na-Ed.] • The Nälandā plate (Ep. Ind., Vol. XVII, p. 318) has sarv-drtha-bhim-idvaras, which is probably right.
