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48
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1880.
Translation.
trees, with areca-palm and other groves, ..... May the substance of the three-fold Veda which is the primeval brightness of the four This grant affords the following items of faced god, be to you for riches.
historical information :Marichi was the great mind-born son of 1. It was issued in the reign of Parak. that Vid hát â: and the great Muni Ka syapa esari Varma, who is described as the Chola was the son of Marichi.
Mahipati (vv. 26, 28); for whose complete The bright Ravi was the son of the Muni identification we may as well wait patiently a Kaśyapa; the dispeller of the darkness of all little longer until more of the grants of the the worlds.
Chôļas have been published. M&n, learned in the doctrines of the Vedas. 2. Vira Cho!a, the grantor, was appaand Vedangas, was the son of Vivasvat*: he rently his Yuva-raja. In what blood-relationship was the first of kings, as the sacred syllable he stood to his sovereign does not here appear: was the seed of the Vedas.
but, from other information about the Chola
princes, I think we may safely regard him as and the worshipper of Garuda-dhvaja,' was the his son. son of Manu : as a protector of the earth he 3. Vira Chola had at this time a definite was the equal of Akhandala.'
portion of the Chôļa kingdom under his separate Very many Kshatriyas, burn of the race of government; as appears from the words madIksh vâk a having ruled the fruitful earth, and dese in v. 27: and his district or province lay having set out on their heavenward journey, on some portion of the banks of the Kåvert,
The pre-eminent king Sagara was born in as is shown in v. 29. The expression “ little that race. In that race also Bhagiratha river" of v. 29, if svalpa is the proper then was born, lord of men.
correction of the svatpa of the plate, is inRaghu by name. .............. sufficient for any identification of the confluence While Vira Cho! a, lord of kings, was referred to in the description of the village. ruling the whole earth, the Brahmaņ Nila There is a tributary of the Kaveri called the became his religious teacher.
"Chinnar," which is the Tamil equivalent of He taught him thus :-"Bestow religious "Svalpanadi," as may be seen in Maps 60 and endowments on distinguished Brâhmens, in | 61 of the Great Trig. Survey, which rises in the order that all your ancestors may reach the hills to the south of Anaikaland Hosûr: but heaven of Indra."
much weight cannot be put upon that circumWhen the king heard that precept, he went stance. The plates were found at N A ma ka l, in to the Chola monarch, and having bowed down the Salem district: but even this circumstance before him, he stood in his presence, and made affords but an uncertain clue to the identification this speech, saying, "I am proposing to make a of the agraharam. The expression chaturvedidonation of a large village in my district to the 1 mangalam is a mere title which was borne in Brahmaņs, and to call it by your name: grant common by several other known Brâhman settleme your assent in that matter."
ments: and there are other instances, similar to Having received a command from Parake. the present one, of the names of the reigning sari Varmâ, saying, "Do so speedily;" kings, and other public functionaries, being given Vira Chola, lord of kings, [gave] to one hun. to new foundations of " chaturvedi-mangalams." dred and fifty persons, the whole [village] But though the plate affords no certain clue to named Parakesari-chaturvedima ng &- the identification of Vara Chola's desa, considerlam, well situated between the Kaveri and ing that the immediate neighbourhood of the the little river, abounding with all the signs of capital was probably under the direct govern prosperity, and adorned with fields of rice and | ment of the sovereign, it sends ns to look for other grains, with jack, mango, and other fruit- the province of the subordinate king somewhere
Chutar nada, & name of BrahmA. • A name of Brahma. 3 A name of Sdrys. • A Dame of Surya.
• Pranaus. . A name of Vishna. - A name of Indra.
