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No. 14) THREE CHANDELLA CHARTERS
119 determining the value of a sign which may be taken to be either as the ā-mätrā of the preceding consonant or the e-mätră of the following letter. The subscript r often resembles the subscript v. The sign for v indicates b as well; but the sign for b seems to be used in Ambarisha in line 26 of Madanavarman's grant. Subscript g in rgg looks like n. As regards orthography, it may be noticed that often the class nasal is used for anusvāra and vice versa. Some consonants have been redoubled in conjunction with r. The spelling of sankrānta (for sankranta) and purassara respectively in lines 7 and 15 of Madanavarman's grant is interesting.
1. Plates of Madanavarman, V. S. 1192 This is a set of two plates which are rather thick and heavy and have writing only on the inner side. Each of the plates measures about 17.6" by 16". For the protection of the writing, copper bands are fixed with copper rivets on the margins of the inscribed sides of the plates. There is a hole in both the plates apparently to hold them together by means of a ring. But the ring seems to be lost. The figure of seated Gajalakshmi is engraved in a space measuring 2.1" by 1.7" about the middle of the upper part of the inscription on the first plate, thereby disturbing the continuity of the writing in lines 1-3. This was the royal emblem, by which the Chandēllas used to authenticate their oharters in lieu of a regular seal. There are altogether 43 lines of writing, 22 on the first plate and 21 on the second. The two plates together weigh 600 tolas.
The charter was issued by the Chandölla king Madanavarman on Tuesday, Chaitra-vadi 8, Vishuva-sankranti, in V.8. 1192. The date corresponds to the 24th March 1136 A.D. if the month is regarded as Amānta.
The record begins with a variant of the symbol for siddham followed by the word svcsti. Then follows the stanza generally used in Chandella grants to introduce the family of the Chandrātrēya (Chandēlla) kings. This is followed by a passage in prose which introduces the reigning monarch, Paramabhattāraka Mahārājādhiraja Paramēsvara Madanavarman who was a devout worshipper of the god Mahësvara (Siva) and the lord of Kalajara. The king is described as the successor of Paramabhatļāraka Mahārājädhiraja Paramèévara Prithvivarman who himself succeeded Paramabhattāraka Mahārāja dhiraja Paramëkvara Kirtivarman and as belonging to the family rendered famous by the birth of suoh heroes as Jayasakti and Vijayasakti. The above is followed in lines 4-7 by two stanzas eulogising king Madanavarman. The first of these, already known from the Semra plates' of Paramardin, says how the creator endowed the king with a multitude of good qualities. The second verse says how the king's liberality put the mythical wish-fulfilling trees on the golden mountain (Sumēru) to shame.
The grant portion begins in line 7 and records the king's order addressed to the Brāhmaṇas and other people including officials, agriculturists, scribes, messengers, physicians, mahattaras (heads of villages), Mēdas and Chandālas, assembled at Valahaudā-grāma in the vishaya or district of Mahisinöha. The order was in respect of the grant of 23 padas out of 8 padas of cultivated land in the said village, which was made by the king on the date discussed above from his camp at Parēyi-gräma. The donee was the Brāhmana, Pandita Sömēšarman, who belonged to the Kautsa gotra and the Angirasa, Ambarisha and Yauvanāśva pravaras. He was the son of shakkura sri-Śrīpāla, grandson of Dvivěda Sabărana and great-grandson of Avasathin (probably meaning 'the teacher of a school') Dévadha. His family hailed from the Bhatt-ägrahāra of Păţaliputra. Whether the gift land was made a rent-free holding is not clearly stated in the inscription.
The record of the above grant is followed by that of others made in favour of two other Brahmaņas," the first of whom was Dikshita Nārāyaṇaśarman who belonged to the Gautama götra
Above, Vol. IV, p. 167.
They received the grants in the same village in exchange for other lands in their possession apparently for the sake of convenience.
