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MAY, 1876.]
TWO CHERA GRANTS.
135
influence was evidently by this time paramount Maisur royal family), about ten miles south of in the state. It is Avinita, however, regard- Maisur city. The others I am unable to idening whom most information that is new is obtain- tify, though they were doubtless in the Maisur, ed. His names of Avinfta and Durvvinita evi- somewhere between the Nîlagiris and Nandidently conveyed no disagreeable associations, but durga, the neighbourhood of the gift. Besides we find that he had also the royal title of Kon- Pun-nad he is described as ruling a country gaại Vsiddha. Another interesting fact is whose name I have read Pånna d, though it that he was married to the daughter of the is not clear. It looks like Påkhad. Punnad raja, Skanda Varmma. This Some of the places connected with the donais the name of two Pallava kings mentioned tions may, I think, be identified. In the first in Sir Walter Elliot's grants examined by Prof grant, land under the Melur tank is preEggeling it and, in connection with the known sented to Tippûr Kåda Svâmi. Tippar is in proximity of the Pallava kingdom to that of the north of the Dodda Ballapura tâlnka, whence the Kongus, it would be important to ascertain the grant bas been produced, and there is a whether we have here a clue to the period of Melur in the neighbouring tâluků of Devanhalli. any of the Pallava kings. The locality of Pun- The mention of the river Penna in the second nad was certainly the south of Maisur, for it grant fixes the land given as in the same lois clearly the same as the Puna dt of the Mer- cality. This river is the Northern Pennar of kâra plates, in a sub-division of which, named European geographers, úr being the Tamil for Edenad, was situated the village of Bada! river, as in Pâlâr (Kshira-nadi). The Norneg appe, still known by that name, and about thern and Southern Pennår are generally 30 miles south-south-east of the city of Maisur. known in the Maisur country by the Puråņic This is farther south, I fear, than we have any names of Uttara Pinakini and Dakevidence of the Palla vas; and had this prin-shiņa Pina kini. But the latter, below cess who conceived such a romantic attachment the Ghâts, is called the Ponnar or Poni-ar for Avinita,-whether at a svayamvara or as her (golden river'). captor in war (for he is afterwards described as Referring to the lineage of the grantee in the ruler of Pun-nå d), and, throwing off the the second inscription, it would be interesting to husband intended for her, asserted her own know who the Valmiki was that is so highly choice-been of a distinguished royal line, it praised. There is a tradition of a Valmiki at would probably, under the circumstances of her Avani (Avântika Kshetra) near Kolar, and introduction here, have been mentioned. But from the name he is declared to have been the if this S.kanda Varmma was not the author of the Ramayana, and of course in consePalla va king of that name, he may have been quence the protector of Sità and teacher of her a feudatory who adopted his patron's name by sons Kusa and Lava, &c. The Canarese Rama. way of compliment; as we, find in the Naga- | yaņa is by a Kumara Valmiki, but this is mangala plates Prithivi Nirgunda a much later composition | than the period Raj A named after Prithuvi Kongani, and of this grant. in more modern times Sad â siva Nayak of In conclusion the information obtained from Keladi after Sadasiva Raya of Vija- the four grants that have now been published of yanagar. The kingdoms subdued by Avinita this line of kings may be summed up as folare the same as those mentioned in the Nagaman- lows : gala inscription, but here the names are more Kings of the Gangå vam sa and Kân vâdistinctly recognizable. It is very possible that yanasa gotra. Alan tür or Alattûr is the present village Konga ni Varmma Dharmma, reignof that name in H a dinad (the cradle of the ing from 188 ? to 239 A.D. ?
+ In l. Ant. vol. III. p. 152.
I A "Ten-thousand country," as Dr. Burnell has pointed out: 8. Ind. Pal. 51.
& It would be great convenience were geographers to agree opon different names for the two streams, say, Penn&r for the northern, and Ponn-ár for the southern. There is at present much confusion regarding their names, and I
have seen attempts made to distinguish between them by calling one Pennaur and the other Pennair. The latter is the Telugu form (eru, river), and therefore belongs to the northern stream.
Jl Mr. Kittel assigns it to the 16th century; Introd. to Nága Varmma's Canarese Prosody, lxiv.
The dates marked ? are from the Kongudesa Rajakal,
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