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No. 40.) SONEPUR PLATES OF MAHA-BHAVAGUPTA(II)-JANAMEJAYA.
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of which 11 are on the first face, 12 on the second, 13 on each of the third and the fourth and only 2 on the fifth
The alphabet is of the same northern type as is usually found in the records of Somavamsi rulers of Kõsala. The language is Sanskrit. The record is composed in prose, except that twelve of the customary verses and a eulogistic one occur at the end. Of orthography the following points may be noted : (1) As a rule, s is used for $; $udhyati (1. 33) and sulao (1. 37) being exceptions. However, ø is correctly used in those conjunct consonants where it appears as the first member, e.g., éri, éva, écha, etc. (2) B is invariably represented by the sign for r. (3) The consonant after r is doubled in most cases. (4) An anu svāra takes the place of a final m. (5) The sign for avagraha is employed twice (1. 21 and 1. 45). (6) Sandhi is not observed in a few cases. Besides, the inscription contains various mistakes, such as wrong spelling, incorrect grammar, omission of letters and words, etc. They, too, have been pointed out partly in the text and partly in the notes below.
The inscription belongs to the Sõmakuli P. M. P. Maha-Bhavaguptarājadēva(II)-Jana. mējayadēva, the successor of the P. M. P. Sivaguptadēva. It records the donation of a village, called Gottalkāla, included in the Luputurā-khanda in Kösala. While the king himself is the donor, the donee is Kamalavana-vanik-sthāna, by which term possibly a merchants' association is meant. This vanik-ethana is described to have migrated from Khadirapadra and to be resident in Suvarnapura. It is further stated that the Kamalavana Merchants' Association transferred the same gift, as a registered grant, to Sri-Kēšava-bhattāraka-devakula and Sri-Adityabhattārakadēvakula (i.e., two temples, one of Vishnu and the other of Surya) for defraying the costs of offerings to the deities and of repairs to the shrines.
The charter was issued from Arāma on the 5th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Ashadha in the 17th year of the king Janamējayadēva's reign. It was written by Kailäsa's son, Alava, the Māhākshapatalin (attached to the Mahāsandhivigrahin Rünaka Malladatta. and engraved by Haradāsa, son of Sivrilla. The writer Alava is undoubtedly identical with Kailāsa's son, Allava, the Kāyastha, who wrote the Nāgpur Museum Plates of the 8th year, in which he is explicitly mentioned to be connected (pratibaddha) with the Mahäsandhirigrahin Ränaka. Malladatta, son of Dhäradatta. This Malladatta appears to have served for a long time as Minister of War and Peace under Maha-Bhavagupta(II)-Janamējaya, for he figures in his Pātņā Plates of the 6th year on the one extreme and in his three Katak Grants of the 31st year on the other. As may appear from the above references, several copper-plate grants of Maha-Bhavagupta(II)Janamējaya have already been published, from which we know the 3rd-6th8th, 13th and 31st years of his reign. The record under discussion now adds the 17th year to that list.
The king had a minister, named Sadhāraņa, who is highly extolled in a stanza towards the close of the present inscription. He is described there to be a profound scholar and an able administrator, in whom the king reposed great reliance. The same person acted as Dütaka in the Nagpur Museum Plates referred to above, wherein his father's name is stated to be Sobhana and he himself is styled Mahāmahattama Bhata(tła), but is not mentioned as Mantrin. Probably he was raised to ministership sometime subsequent to the 8th year of the king's reign. Evidently he, too, remained long in service, enjoying royal favours all along. He received a munificent gift of four villages from his master in the latter's 31st regnal year, as is recorded in the
Above, Vol. VIII, p. 143; Bhandarkar's List of Inpriptions of Northern India, No. 1600. : J. P. A. S. B., Vol. I (1905), p. 13; Bhandarkar's List, No. 1558. * Above, Vol. III, p. 350 and note 5; Bhandarkar's Lixl, Nos. 1562-64. • Bhandarkar's List, Nos. 1687-1564.
