________________
No. 10)
GODACHI PLATES OF KATTI-ARASA; YEAR 12
present charter which falls within this transitional period, is not only in accord with the Kadamba prasasti, but retains the characteristic title Dharmamahārāja which was dropped in the Chalukya records of subsequent date.
Kirtivarman I carried on extensive expeditions against the enemies and consolidated the kingdom founded by his father. According to the implications of the statement in the Chiplun grant of the time of Pulakösin II, he rebuilt and made improvements in the capital of Bādāmi." The conditions conducive to an undertaking of this nature would have prevailed after he had completed his conquests and established internal peace in the country. Such a state of affairs appears to have been in existence by A.D. 578, the date of the present record which expressly &vers (lines 6-8) that he had vanquished all the foes by virtue of his diplomacy and valour and kept all the subjects contented by protecting them according to the rule of the varnas (four-fold classes) and asramas (four-fold orders of life)'.
Vyaghrasvāmin who figures in this record for the first time, appears to have been a very eminent and versatile personality. He was learned in the Vēdas and Vēdāngas; he was well-versed in the science of polity; he owned exceptional mastery in grammar, logic, poetry, drama, historical literature, music and Purānas. He is styled Maha-Brāhmana and Brihaspati (the preceptor of the gods) of the present age (lines 9-11). Lastly he is described as holding the foremost responsibility of the entire kingdom (räjya-sarvasva-dhurandhara, 11. 11-12). From this description we might infer that he was the chief minister and head of the administrative affairs of the Chālukya kingdom.
The donee Kțishnasvāmin, we are told, belonged to the Kauņdinya götra, was proficient in the Vēdas and Vēdāngas and was sa-dvätithi. The last expression consists of three words (sahita, dvi and atithi) and means 'along with two guests. This sounds like a queer epithet of the dones and does not afford proper sense by literal interpretation. In the Vedic context atithi means' fire' and Agni is familiarly addressed as atithi in the Vedic hymns. This metaphorical sense of the word atithi fits in the context. Thus the expression connotes he who possessed or maintained two fires'. The two fires are the Srauta-agni' and the 'Smärta-agni', which every householder is expected to maintain according to the injunctions of Vedic ritualism.
The gift land comprised twenty-five nivartanas measured by the royal standard (rājamāna) and belonged to the village Nulgāla. The gift was inclusive of all the produce (sarva-jätakam), garden cultivation (sa-lottam), jiraka, water, and house-site (nivēša). Jiraka need not be interpreted literally as cumin seed. It may be taken to represent any wild or cultivated crop of the cumin variety; or equating it with jirnaka or jirna it may mean 'whatever is inured in the soil'. Another expression figuring in the context is marumanna. This word along with another ufichhamanna is met with in the records of slightly later period. The interpretation of this word is still & puzzle. This is the earliest occurrence of the word so far known. The village Nulgāla cannot be identified.
1 Above, Vol. VI, pp. 4-5 and Ind. An., Vol. XIX, p. 7 : Above, Vol. III, p. 50. • Macdonell: Vedic Mythology, p. 95.
Compare The Institutes of Vishnu, pp. 190-91 (Sacred Books of the East, Vol. VII).
* Dr. Nandimath construes that the gift was made by pouring water along with the cumin seed. This is unwarranted. (Bomb. Uni. Nl., Vol. V, p. 170.)
• This interpretation compares well with the familiar expression, nidhi-nikahépa-pashana-aahitan.
Ind. Ant., Vol. XI, p. 66; J. B.B. R. A. 8., Vol. XVI, p. 244, eto.
• For a discussion on the interpretation of these terms see Journal of Oriental Research, Vol. XI, pp. 186-7. Mr. R. S. Panchamukhi suggests that manna may be equated with man meaning 'land' and maru-waste or dry. This suggestion is invalid partioularly in the context of the present passage which shows that the gift land was neither waste nor dry. Further, little credit will redound to the donor of a waste land.
