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A NEW YADAVA DYNASTY.
MAY, 1883.]
belonging to Sindi village and a banyan tree and to the north-east the Nigudiyâlâ pond of the Mahu y a village and Sevai (?). The village marked with these eight boundaries should be reserved, crowded with rows of trees with its boundary and borders, with its wood, grass and water, with all its means productive of wealth, devoid of all such injuries as the destruction of vidula" and other things made by his own or foreign armies, akaravátottarah," and with all its enjoyments.
Râmabhadra repeatedly solicits all future kings, that this is a bridge for merit common (to all kings) and should at times be continued by them. He respectfully and with folded hands says all this, that all virtuous kings, whether of my own or other dynasties, shall continue this my charitable gift. The gifts conferring merit, happiness and glory made by former kings are like something enjoyed (i. e., remains of offerings), and no good man takes them back. The earth has been enjoyed by numerous kings, Sagara and others; but the merit of the gifts goes to him in whose possession it is (at a particular time). All religious merit that is attained by (making) gifts at Gayâ, Godavari Prayaga and other places, can be also attained by continuing (a gift of) land. There is no more happy provision for the next world than a gift of land; therefore one should continue a gift of land with all respect. Land contains jewels, corn, water and cowpens; therefore by making a gift of land one becomes a giver of all (these). Those men who, regardless of hell, take away the property (assigned to) gods, and who through stupidity take away the property of Brahmanas, are tormented in hell. He who confiscates land assigned by himself or by others grovels a worm in dung for a thousand gods' (divya) years.
He who confiscates land does not become pure by (building) step-wells and reservoirs, not by hundreds of Vájapêya sacrifices nor by giving crores of cows. Both the receiver and the donor of land do what is meritorious and certainly go to heaven. The (divine) witnesses at day and at night to a gift are the Moon and the Sun, the Earth, the Sky, Wind, Stars, Fire,
81 The meaning of this expression is not clear. fa means. Probably fager was one of the articles levied from every village in times of war, and the grant allows the donee an exemption from this taking away of arrows and other ammunition in times of war,
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Dharmaraja, the three Sandhyas, the three Védas, the three gods and the three Fires. He who resumes land assigned to gods or to a Brahmana preceptor, whether by himself or by another, goes to hell. Undoubtedly confiscation of land means the confiscation of everything; therefore any one who confiscates land lives in hell for an endless period. A village (grant) should by the best of kings be continued to sons, grandsons, &c., as long as the Sun and the Moon, Mountains and the Ocean exist. A village should be continued by kings always pleased, with all grants made to Brahmanas and gods by previous men. Grant finished. Written by Prekaryya, a writer of Bhanayaka, the Pâtala Karani. Engraved by Sekareyanâyaka, son of Stambu. Welfare and great prosperity.
Remarks.
This being the first inscription hitherto known of this dynasty, and the language of the copperplate very inaccurate we are not able to derive from it much satisfactory information. Still what it gives, so far as I can interpret it, is of importance in bringing to light a Yadava dynasty of which we had previously no knowledge, and should the Nasik zilla yield us more copper-plates of this dynasty, we may be able to extend our knowledge of the subject.
This inscription records the gift of Chincholi in the Sinhi petty division of twelve villages by king Se unachandra to the royal family priest Sarvadê vâcharya, the pupil of Somadevâcharya. The Acharya appears to have been a Pasupata as he is described in the plate as 'acquainted with the numerous principles of Saiva lore.' The grant is dated Saka 991, on Thursday the bright half of Sravana in the Saumya samvatsar. About the first king Dridhapra håra the inscription. says, Dvárávatipattanadáyátah 'arrived from the city of Dvârâvati' and Chandradityapuram prasiddhamakarot práksambhavam yo bhuvi who made famous the already existing Chandrâdityapura.' It would appear from this that he was the first king of this dynasty, and that he made Chandrâdityapura his capital.
s Exempt from कर and वातोत्तर. The sense is not clear, but exemption from taxes is intended. T is need in other inscriptions. Compared. Ind. Ant. Vol. IX., p. 239.
