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258
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(VOL. XXVIII
153 py=arddham-angulam haran-narakam=āpnóti ýävad=ābhūta-sa[*)plavam || [86] Sat
ruņ=āpi kļito dharmmaḥ pā[la]nī[yö] manishibhiḥ | Satrur=ēva hi satru[h*) syād=dharmmah 154 satrur=nna kasyachit || (87*] Mad-vamsajāḥ para-mahipati-vamajā vă păpăd=apēta-me
[nasõ] [bhuvi) bhāvi-bhūpāḥ | yē pālayanti mama 155 [dha]rmmam=ida(ma) samastan=tēshäm=mayā virachito=ñjalir-ēsha müddhni(rddhni) ||
[88*] Tasy=ājñayā yathā-jñānam Gang-anvaya-ganan=prati prasasti-ra156 [cha]nā-slökä[n*) Nappanaḥł ksitavān=kriti || [89*]
No. 41-RUSSELLKONDA PLATES OF NETTABHANJA ; REGNAL YEAR 26
(1 Plate)
D. C. SIRCAR, OOTACAMUND About the beginning of May 1950, & copper-plate inscription was kindly sent to me for examination by Sriyukta Chintamani Acharya, M.A., LI.B., Vice-Chancellor of the Utkal University. The inscription was discovered at a place near Russellkonda in the Ganjam District, Orissa, and reached the hands of Mr. Ananta Rath, B.A., Headmaster of the Russellkonda High School. Mr. Rath lost no time in presenting the record to the University which has recently made arrangements for collecting materials for the reconstruction of the early history of Orissa under the guidance of its learned Vice-Chancellor. I am extremely thankful to Sriyukta Acharya for his kindness in allowing me to publish the document. The Headmaster of the Russellkonda High School should also be congratulated for the interest he has taken in bringing the scription to the notice of students interested in the past history of Orissa.
The set consists of three plates, rather thin, each measuring about 9.2' in length and about 3.4" in height. They are strung together on a copper ring about .3" in thickness and about 3.7" in diameter. The ring passes through a hole, nearly .5" in diameter, about the middle of the left end of the plates, leaving a margin of about .4'. The two ends of the ring are secured in a small oval seal (about 1" in length) which is of copper. No trace of any emblem or legend can now be found on the surface of the seal. The plates are not in a very good state of preservation and show signs of corrosion and also of the peeling off of a layer of metal here and there. But fortunately the preservation of the writing is on the whole satisfactory. The inscription is written on both sides of all the three plates. All the inscribed faces of the plates are serially numbered in the left margin towards the top, although the figure 6 on the second side of the third plate cannot be seen clearly owing to the peeling off of the metal from the area in question. There are altogether 40 lines of writing. Both the sides of the first plate and the reverse of the second plate have each 6 lines engraved on them, while the first sides of the second and third plates have each 7 lines. The second side of the third plate has as many as 8 lines. The weight of the three platos is 55 tolas, while the ring together with the seal weighs 15 tolas.
The characters belong to the Kalinga script influenced by the northern alphabet. They may be compared with the script employed in the early charters of the Sailodbhava and Bhauma-Kara dynasties, such as the Ganjam plates (dated in the Gupta year 300=619 A. C.), the Neulpur plate
1 The name may also be read Nayyana or Napyana.
1 About the end of November 1950, I visited Russellkonda and learnt on enquiry that the plates had been received from Sri Raghunatha Rauta of Banatumbu about four miles from the town. They were preserved in Raghunatha's family m an heirloom for long time.
• Above, Vol. VI, pp. 143 f., with plates • Ibid., Vol. XV, pp. 3-8, with plates.
