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298
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
(VOL. XXIV.
Several wrong forms, evidently due to oversight, are noticeable : e.g., grama for grāma and gräka for grāsaka in l. 15, sumukhājñāptyā for svamukhao in l. 30 and vasundhärā for vasundharā in l. 25. The expression kshetram in l. 14 appears to be used in the sense of a 'department' or committee' in charge of the village. We may compare in this connection the expression Orgodu-grāmas-cha vaktavyäh used in the Omgõdu grant of Vijaya-Skandavarman.'
The grant was issued from Vijaya-Paddukkar-adhishthana by Mahäräja sri-Simhavarman, son of Yuvamahārāja sri-Vishnugopa, grandson of Sri-Skandavarman and great grandson of bri-Viravarman, who belonged to the Bhäradvāja-götra and the family of the Pallavas that had performed several Asvamēdha sacrifices. It registers the gift of the village Vilavatti in Munda-rashtra together with its hamlet (sa-grāsakah), with the several taxes (specified below) which were the property of the king, to (the Bräbman) Vishnusarman of the Gautamagotra and the Chhandöga(- sākhā).',
The inscription is dated in the tenth year of the king's increasingly victorious reign (samedhamāna-vijaya-rajya), on the fifth tithi) of the bright fortnight of Srāvana (Srävanyan).
The main interest of the record is in the enumeration of the several taxes wbich the king was entitled to collect from the village and which are now given away by him. Attention may be drawn in this connection to the eighteen kinds of parihāras (ashtāda sa-jätibhih parihāraih) mentioned but not enumerated in the Uruvupalli grant. As regards the taxes the king's command runs thus :-" whichever taxes are payable in this village by metal-workers and leather-workers (loha-charmakāra), the shop-keeping cloth-dealers (apana-patta-kāra), licensed spies () going about in loose masks or garments (prāvārañchara'), rope-jugglers or dancers (rajjupratihāra), shops (in general) (āpana)', Ajivikas (a class of Jaina mendicants), the taxes payable by barbarians and outcastes (nähala), mukhadharakas* (mask-actors), water-diviners (kūpa-darsakas'), weavers (tantravāya), taxes on gambling (dyuta), marriage (vivāha) and barbers (nãpita), and the taxes or tithes payable by the artisans enjoying the privileges of sarvaparihara (?) and such other taxes that belong to me, have been given to this (Brāhman) as brahmaděya. The officers of the ratagrāmas shall accordingly do my bidding. Others shall (duly) render and cause the dues to be rendered unto the donee. Whoever transgresses this charter of mine, that sinner will undergo corporal punishement." The order for the gift was issued orally by the king and committed to writing by the Private Secretary (Rahasyādhikrita) Achyuta.
1 Above, Vol. XV, p. 251, Text, 1. 10.
These probably represent the begging budu-bukkis who go about in loose and heavy garments. *If rajju-pratihar-apana be construed as one compound, it would indicate 'booths of rope-jugglers or dancers'.
. Alternatively we might understand this expression to refer to a particular class of self-mortifying devotees known as mukhēnādāyin.
Many of the terms in 11. 18-19 are met with here for the first time and are difficult to explain. It appears to me that tax levied for the maintenance of certain offices is indicated in I. 18. Accordingly, I would prefer to take pattakāra not in the sense of silk-weaver' but in that of patalekhin or writer of official documents. Pra. våraichara is probably the same as Saicharantaka of the Uruvupalli grant and Saichárin of other early records. I am not certain whether rajju is to be taken separately or to be compounded with the preceding or succeeding word. Rajju and chorarajju are found in the Artha sastra as fiscal terms. Rajjuka As an official designation occurs not only in the edicts of Asöka but also in such later records as belonging to the Andhra and Vakataka rulers (see above, p. 54). A pan-ajivika has probably to be taken as one word meaning those who live by shops', i.e., shop keepers in general as distinguished from smiths and leather-workers (loha-charmakar-apana). Kapa-darkaka may be an inspector of wells ',-Ed.]
If vatta is a Präkrit form of ranta the expression would mean bhaga-grāmēyakas, i.e., officers of the sabsidiary villages. Cf. also the Telugu expression Onfudaru.
