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No. 42.)
FOUR GANGA COPPER-PLATE GRANTS.
263
Third Plate; First Side. 26 ņ=ā-chandr-ārka-kshiti-sama-kālamrakari(rī)ksitya dato(tto) 27 smābhish I*] Etad=bhavatāḥ pālaniyēti || Uktam 28 cha dharma-śāstrē [I]. Vē(Ba)hubhih?r=vasudha datā(tta) 29 rājabhiḥ Sagar-adibhi(bhiḥ) [*] yasya yasya 30 yada bhubhū)mita(8=ta)gya tasya tada phalam(lam) || Mä bhu(bhū). 31 d=aphala-bankā vaḥ para-da[tt=ē]ti pārthivā[hl*] sva32 dânāt=phalam=ā[nantyam] para-datt=ānupāla
Third Plate; Second Side. 33 nam(nam) || Iti kamala-dal-ā=dal-āmvu(bu)-vi(bi)ndu-lölām briya34 m-anuchintya manushya-ji(ji)vita cha sakalam=idam=udā. 35 hțitañ=cha vu(bu)dhvā(ddhvā) na hi purushaih para-ki(ki)rttayo vilopya(pyāh) (11*]* 36 Iti fdūta*]kö-dh[i]krita-prāpta-pancha-mah-lavda(bda)-sri-ma37 hāsāmanta-[Pūrona]dēva[h *] Likhitam mahasandhivi38 [gra]hi-Srisämanta-[sū]nuna(na) Khandēna [l*] Utki(tki)rynam sri-Vi39 chittrahastēna [*] Vyā(vya)vahāriņo dēva-sprajtiha40 (riņaḥ II*]
B.-Plates of Dānārņņavadēva, The inscription is incised on three copper-plates, each measuring about 54" long by 39" broad. The plates are strung on & copper ring about 3" in diameter. The two ends of the ring are soldered below a circular seal, which measures about it" in diameter. The seal is much damaged and broken on one side. It bears in relief on countersunk surface the figures of a crescent at the top, a seated bull in the centre and an indistinct emblem at the bottom. The three plates, with ring and seal, weigh 118 tolas. The first and the third plates are inscribed on one side only, while the second plate has inscription on both the sides. There are altogether thirty-four lines of writing. Though the plates have no raised rims, the writing on them is well-preserved. The engraving has been carelessly done. Wrong spelling and omission of syllables are common mistakes.
The record is not dated but on palæographic grounds may be assigned to the 10th century A.D. The language of the inscription is Sanskrit. With the exception of five of the customary stanzas in lines 23-31, the record is written in prose. In respect of orthography we may note the following points : The letter b is throughout denoted by the sign for v. The consonant after r is, as a rule, doubled, e.g., chandr-ārkka- (1. 18), svargga- (1. 27); but m has not been doubled in -hător=Mahendr-āchala- (1. 2). Anusvāra has been used instead of the dental n in vimdu (11. 29-30). The dental e represents the palatal é in some cases, e.g., -sasänka- (11. 1-2), -sikhara(11. 2-3). The sign for avagraha has been used in-grāmõ= 'yam (1. 15) and pratipādikā='smābhiḥ (1. 21). The final t has been used in anyat (1. 14).
The inscription is of Prithvivarmman's son, the devout worshipper of Mahēšvara, the Paramēsvara Paramabhattāraka Mahārājādhiraja, the ornament of the spotless family of the Gangas, the Ränaka Dānārņpavadēva, who had obtained a store of merit by worshipping the lotus-feet of the holy lord Gökarņņēsvara, dwelling on the summit of Mount Mahendra and who
1 Read étad-bhavadbhih palaniyam=iti. * The visarga is superfluous. • Metre : Anushubh. • The two syllables dala have been wrongly repeated. Metre : Pushpitagră.
