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MAY, 1876.]
TWO CHERA GRANTS.
133
eye of ignorance, however, cannot perceive it, I 67. Whoever undertakes the pilgrimage of just as the blind cannot see the shining sun. himself, regardless of the region of the heavens,
65. Aglow with the fire of knowledge which place, or time, &c. &c., passing through all :has been kindled by the study of the Vedas, &c. having overcome cold, heat, and all other varie&c., the Living-Soul, free of all impurity, shines ties of opposition-obtains eternal happiness, and forth of itself, like the gold (refined in the fire). is free from all toil-as one without works
66. The self, rising in the Æther of the activity: i.e. as one who does not seek his happiheart,--the sun of Wisdom, scatters the dark ness in the ceremonies of the popular belief, or ness, and pervading all, bearing all, it appears. in any activity whatever-and becomes omIt illumines all.
niscient, all-pervading, immortal.
TWO KONGU OR CHERA GRANTS, OF A.D. 454 AND 513.
BY LEWIS RICE, BANGALORE. Two grants were produced in court here by | In the second of our present grants, however, a resident of Mallohalli, about 25 miles the Sanskrit is of a decided character and more north-west of Bangalore, and referred to me accurate. Other evidence deduced from these for a knowledge of their contents. They will inscriptions renders it probable that towards be found of considerable importance in throw- the end of the 5th century Sanskpit and Brahing light upon the history of the Kongu maņical influence were, in the south of Maisur, kings. One dates, as I shall show, from A.D. gradually displacing ancient Kanarese, and with 454, and the other from 513: the former is it the power of the Jains, its most eminent protherefore 12 years older, and the latter 47 years fessors. later, than the Merkâra plates..
The first of the inscriptions now published The first is engraved in small characters on records a grant by Kongani Maharaja three thin narrow plates of copper (7} in. X to a Brahman named Tippur Kida Svami 1} in.), which are strung together on a metal of certain land under the Melûr tank, in the ring secured with the stamp of an elephant, and year Jaya, the 29th of his reign. The second are a good deal worn. The second is well and is the record of a grant by Kongaņi Vriddeeply cnt in bold characters on five stout plates dha, named A vinita or Durvvinita, (9 in. X 3 in.) which are in good preservation. the son of the foregoing, of a village named It exhibits with great distinctness the forma- Kelale and of certain lands east and west tion of the letters of the Hale Kunnada alphabet of the river Penna to a Brahman named Deva at the opening of the 6th century. Whether Sarmmaņa or Mahadeva, in the year Vijaya, due to superior skill in the engraver or to a the 35th of his reign. Assuming that the inregular process of development, the characters, scriptions are genuine, which I see no reason which in the two earlier grants seem to be in & to question, there was an interval of 59 years transition state, have here acquired a more between them, for in the Ilindu cycle of 60 settled formst which, again, in the Nagaman- years Vijaya immediately precedes Jaya. It gala platest of the 8th century attains to some therefore follows that Koigan i II. ruled for degree of elegance.
58 years. But this extreme period does not in. The language, likewise, employed in the older validate the accuracy of the dates, as might hasti. of these two grants, as in the Merkâra plates, ly be supposed, fo# the second of the grants dis. seems to be transitional in style, veering between closes the interesting fact that Kongaại II. Sanskrit and Hale Kannada, with an evident was crowned either immediately on, or soon after, effort atter the former, but powerfully, if not his birth. The period of 58 years does not, ander predominantly, under the influence of the latter. such circumstances, seem an exaggerated length
• Ind. Ant. vol. I. p. 883. + The signs of panotaation are deserving of notice.
Ind. Ant. vol. II. p. 165.
Regarding the different former in which this name is found, I regrot that I have yet had no opportunity of re.
ferring to the original inscription to confirm my reading of Kodrini. Bat at Nirganda I stone in which it in written Konguli, and the Ber.. Kittel has painted out to me that the latter in the fore in the Kavydvelobana 8, 86: cf. Introd. Nagu Varmmi's Canare Prosolly, wxvi.
