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JUNE, 1879.)
GRANT OF THE PALLAVA KING NANDI VARMA.
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thus far at least, thu same as it is now : for instance, (1) ita intolerance of compound con- sonants, as shown by the forms 'mariyada' for
maryada', twice over, aruhatya' for 'arhatya,' saloka' for sloka,' 'virdh' for 'vriddh,' four times, "aisvariya' for 'aišvarya'; (2) its confused use of the three Sanskrit sibilants, since the Tamil alphabet bas but one form to represent them, viz., the palatal surd 'ch'; which ch', again, the plate substitutes for ' in the word 'chartma' for 'sarmma'; (3) in the substitution of current Tamil consonants for some Sanskrit consonants which the Tamil alphabet does not contain, as shown in the words 'Vappa' for 'Bappa', 'lavda' for 'labdha',
vals' for 'bala', 'pivati' for pibati', 'kilrisha' for kilbişha'; (4) and similarly perhaps with the vowels, as shown by the substitution of the vowel 'o' for 'an', which is not in the Tamil alphabet, in the word 'Kosika' for Kansika'; (5) its employment of Singha' for Simha'.
There is an instance in line 3 of this grant of the mode of correcting errors, which is perhaps worth noting. For the words vasudhdtalaikavirasya, the plate had originally vasudhalaivikarasya. To correct these mistakes, a small ta has been written at the right foot of the dha, a small ka under the vi, and a short stroke, as a mark of erasure, has been drawn above the ka of vika; but the short vi remains ancorrected.
In the Tamil endorsement, the word 'sabhai' (Modern Tamil chapai', Sanskrit sabh&',) occurs twice, and is both times spelt with an *s' and a 'bh'; Sanskrit consonants which have no place in the Tamil alphabet. The word *Kesari' is also spelt with the palatal 's' of the Grantha alphabet. This is worth noting, inasmuch as it shows, in common with other instances occurring elsewhere in other grants of this period, that letters of the Grantha alphabet were sometimes introduced into Tamil writing to spell Sanskrit words, when the Tamil alpha- bet has no equivalent letters.
Translation. Health. The worshipful king is pre-eminent. From the rich and victorious Kanchipura, Sri Nandi Varma, the Dharma-mahârâja of the Pallaves, who are of the ancestral family of Bharadvaja; who, by his piety towards God, has secured every kind of prosperity for himself and
of happiness for his subjects; who is always ready to perform his vows, to offer sacrifices, righteously undertaken; who is radiant with victory obtained by the daring punishment of his enemies in many battles; who is always ready to uphold righteousness marred by the corruptions of the Kaliyuga; who constantly meditates on the mercy of God; who is a disciple of Bappa Bhattaraka, and an eminently religious man ;--the son of the Maharaja Sri Skanda Varma, who reverenced the gods, the brahmans, the religious superiors, and aged men; who was willing to be directed by his elders; whose abundant righteousness was increased by his gifts of good kine, gold, land, and other gifts; who was skilled in the protection of his subjects, and was himself very truth ;--the grandson of the Maharaja Sri Simha Varma, who obtained success by his celebrated might; before whose majesty the assembly of kings bowed down; the unrivalled hero of this earth ;-the great grandson of the Raja Sri Skanda Varna, the great patron of the Brahmaņs; by whom all the divinely appointed rules of right conduct were collected and confirmed by the might of his own arm ;-have given four pieces of forest land in the village of Kanchi-vậyil, in the district of Adeyår, to be enjoyed in the same manner as heretofore, to Kula Sarma, a Brahman residing in Kanohi-váyil, belonging to the ancestral family of Kausika, to the Taittiriya division of the Veda, and to the Pravachana school, together with all immunities, except the temple plough-land, in accordAnce with the usual custom of gifts made to the Brahmans, for the prolongation of our lifetime, and the increase of our power, glory, and riches. Knowing this, yield ye up the four pieces of forest land in the tax-free village of Kânchi-váyil, together with the tax-immunities. He who shall disregard our royal grant, is fit for a sin-born body. Moreover, there are verses to that effect uttered by Brahma : The gift of land is the best of gifts: there has neither been any greater in times past, nor shall there be hereafter. Neither has there ever been a greater sin than the resumption of that gift, nor shall there be hereafter. Whoever shall resume land, whether given by himself or by others, partakes of the sin of the slayer of a hundred thousand cows.
This grant was delivered on the 6fth day of the bright half of the month of Vaisakha,
