Book Title: Epigraphia Indica Vol 30
Author(s): Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Previous | Next

Page 239
________________ 174 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA [VOL. XXX is found in the Midnapur plates of Sasanka,' while the word chhatra is used in the above sense in several inscriptions. It seems that there was no excuse for the absence of the värikas of the Uttarakulika class when thrice summoned to court by a court peon. The fine for the offence was two and one-fourth silver coins even if there was any good reason for absence. 30. Vyavahar-abhilekhitaka-karana-sevakasy-a-madhyāhnād-ürdhvam nirupasthitasya vinayo rūpakāḥ shat-sa-pādās-saha dharmikēna. If the clerks who had to write down the statements of cases in the law-court were absent from the court after mid-day, they were liable to a fine of six and one-fourth silver coins. 31. A-madhyāhnād-ürdhvam-Uttarakulika-värikānāṁ chhalō n-asti. No pretext of the Uttarakulika-värikas, absent from the court after mid-day, was to be accepted. For chhala, see Nos. 6, 7 and 9 above. The ordinary meaning of the word seems to suit the present context better. 32. Arggha-vañchaně rūpaka-trayaṁ sa-pādam saha dharmikēņa. This may refer to the Pětavikavärikas (cf. No. 27 above). In cases of fraud in regard to the delivery of raj-ärgghikā, the officers concerned were liable to a fine of three and one-fourth silver coins and the fine could not be reduced even when there was a reasonable excuse. Arggha-vañchana may, however, also refer to the flouting of the prices fixed by the authorities (cf. No. 27 above). 33. Mudr-apachārē vinaye rūpakāḥ shat-sa-pādāḥ saha dharmmikena. Mudr-apachāra is the crime of using counterfeit coins (or, the misuse of official seals), the fine for which was six and one-fourth silver coins and no excuse for reduction of the fine was allowed. 34. Sthavara-tya(vya)vahārē sāmantaiḥ avasitasya vinayo rūpaka-satam-asht-ottaram 108. Samanta possibly means a subordinate ruler (cf. No. 11 above). The meaning of the achāra may be that a subordinate ruler was liable to pay a fine of 108 silver coins if he disposed of a case involving landed property without informing his overlord (cf. No. 35 below). If the word samanta may be taken in the sense of men from neighbouring villages who had to settle boundary disputes, the meaning of the achāra may possibly be that the defeated party in a boundary dispute had to pay a fine of 108 silver coins. But the fine seems to be rather heavy for a case like this. 35. Samvadaně rūpakaḥ chatushpañchasat. Taking samanta in the sense of a subordinate ruler (cf. No. 34 above), this seems to mean that the fine was only 54 silver coins (i.e. half the amount prescribed in No. 34 above), if information had been later given to the overlord about the case. In case the alternative interpretation of the word samanta is preferred, the achāra may refer to the party that had itself invited arbitration in a boundary dispute but was defeated. 36. Jayikê bhasha; phālāvane cha(cha) rūpaka-trayam sa-padam. This is probably connected with Nos. 34-35 above. This achara is difficult to explain. But it may mean that the winning party (jayika) in a boundary dispute was to be granted a written declaration (bhasha) in its favour although it had to pay 3 silver coins for the protection of his ploughed field (phal-avana) from the encroachment of the defeated party in this dispute. We may also take cha as a combination of cha and a. In that case, a-rupaka-trayam sa-padam would mean 'any amount upto 3 silver coins'. 37. Ullambanë karnna-tropane cha vinayo rūpakāḥ saptavim sat(satih). The word ullambana is recognised in the lexicons in the sense of 'leaping over someone'; but the Kauțiliya Arthasastra, 1 Vide Pranasi (Bengali), Sravana, B.S. 1350, pp. 291 ff.; JRASB, Letters, Vol. XI, 1945, pp. 3-9. 1 Cf. Select Inscriptions, p. 414 and note 5. Cf. adhikarana-lekhaka, an official recorder', in the Rajalarangini, VI, 38. Vido Yajnavalkya Smriti, p. 268 (verse 240): tula-basana-mänānāṁ kufakrin-nanakasya cha | ebhib-cha vyaoahartta yah sa dapyo damum-uttamam . Cf. also quotation from Katyayana: pramaņēna tu kujëna mudraya väpi küjaya | käryan-tu aadhayed-yö vai sa dapyo dandam-uttamam ||. See Yajnavalkya Smariti, II, 152.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490