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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[Vol. XXVIII visarga in line 6 where सु० गाः stands for सुवर्ण गद्याणकाः; and it is interesting to see that the word preceding the visarga is lengthened as TT. In line 6 od: appears to be the abbreviated form of सुवर्ण. The doubling of consonants is seen in the words सर्व्वरी ( line 1), मार्गसिर (line 2), and (lines 5 and 9).
From the linguistic point of view the following peculiarities may be noticed. There is a distinct tendency towards nasalisation in certain words as in fefagfeft in line 2, in line 3, of in line 5 and of in line 6. The anusvära is used to denote the plural in the case of in line 3; but in the words it indicates the subject in the instrumental case. The use of redundant visarga is noted twice, TT: in line 5 and : in line 6. Certain nouns have u endings as in संवतु in line 1, योगक्षेमु in line 7 and देवलु in line 9. These and other peculiarities characterise this early record in the Marathi language.
The date of the inscription is given as Saka Samvat 982, Sarvari, Paurņņamāsi of Märgasirsha, Friday. This date1 regularly corresponds to Friday, 10th November, A. D. 1060.
A short one-line inscription carved at the base of the colossal statue of Gomatesvara at Sravana Belgola, in the Mysore State, is supposed to be the earliest record in the Marathi language discovered so far. Though not precisely dated, this inscription is attributed to about A. D. 983 from the mention of Chavunḍaraya, a minister of the Ganga king Rachamalla, -found in this inscription. Comparatively very few records in Marathi have been handed down to us till about the Silähära-Yadava period, whose language is a mixture of Sanskrit and early Marathi. After about A. D. 1200 inscriptions in Marathi become a regular feature in Maharashtra, but great difficulty is experienced in deciphering them because of the bad preservation of the stone on which they are generally found incised. Only a few amongst these have been critically edited, though their readings are not free from doubt. For want of accurate data the development of the Marathi language through its successive stages therefore still remains a desideratum and our knowledge of early Marathi records before the 12th century does not extend beyond about six or seven inscriptions published so far. In view of this the present charter in Marathi which is fairly lengthy and sufficiently well preserved will be found to be much useful.
The inscription records a private deed. It states that on the aforementioned day, two sasanas (charters) regarding (the village) Sthitipuri were kept with one Mavala-bhaṭṭa by the village assembly (sthana) headed by Vasudeva-bhaṭṭa, Vaye Shaḍangavi, Risiyappa Ghaisāsa and Sidhu Shadangavi. Further, one hundred and twenty seven suvarnas (-Gadyanaka coins) were kept with Davōdara; (which was the expense) for the maintenance ((yoga-kshēmu) of the assembly. This (deed) was known to Risiya-pai, Paumva-deva Shaḍangavi, Tikai Shaḍangavi, Jivanai, Nagarudra-bhaṭṭa, Madhuvai Shaḍangavi and Madhuvaya Devalu, of Dive. The inscription ends with a sentence stating that whatever suvarna (i.e., the amount in gold) was specified, it was along with a kantha. The exact meaning of the last word cannot be construed satisfactorily.
Though the inscription does not furnish any information of historical interest, it throws valuable light on the administration of the local village assemblies; and how certain important transactions were recorded in the period. It will be seen from it that two important charters
1 Pillai, Indian Ephemeris, Vol. III, p. 123.
Ep. Carn., Vol. II, No. 179; above, Vol. VII, p. 109..
The Marathi text of these inscriptions consists of a few words or sentences in that language; the major portion is mainly Sanskrit.
[See below, p. 123, n. 5.-Ed.]
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