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JULY, 1883.] A GRANT OF DHARANIVARAHA OF VADHVAN.
certain magnanimity, an exceeding respect for the sons of noble-born kings through which, alas! the pure understanding of poets is frequently confused.
7. This prince, proud of his liberality, bravery and beauty, easily puts to shame, as it were, Karna, Pârtha and the god with the flowery arrows by his exploits that surpass
theirs.
And he, though he gained immutable prosperity, reflected thus with innate discernment: "Life, health and so forth resemble the flame of a lamp that has been placed in a courtyard and is struck by the wind. Since, lo! of the former kings of my own and other families, though they were endowed with such power, nothing is left but their fame, renown and names, in consequence of such a wonderful play of fate, therefore it is preferable to set (one's) heart on (the acquisition of) spiritual merit alone. And while spiritual merit may be acquired by liberality, virtuous conduct, austerities and abstract meditation, ruling princes have usually made gifts or had recourse to meditation."
Therefore, considering that a gift of land and the like is a ladder to heaven, that illustrious Dharanivarâh a, the lord of the great feudal barons, who possesses unmeasurable virtues, who has obtained all the great titles, who resides at Vardha mâna, who rules through the favour of the feet' of the king of kings and supreme lord, the illustrious Mahipaladeva, the Addan aka country which is called after the name of his own grandfather and a great many other (districts), has made a gift in such a manner that he issues (the following) orders to all future kings, (both to those) connected with himself, and to (those of) other (dynasties) to the lords of provinces, the lords of villages, the Inâmdârs, the head-men, the villagers, the scribes, the policemen, the middle-men and so forth. "Be it known to you that I have given with greatest devotion, on the day of the winter-solstice (confirming the gift) by a libation
I translate pañchakulika by 'scribe,' relying on the statement of Mr. Haribhal, Divån of Rådhanpur, who himself bears the name Pânchall (pañchakulika) and assured me that Pañcholl, now a common family name of kayasthas, who immigrated from Central India, meant, according to the Mahatmya, a karkun or scribe, because such a person must possess the wisdom of five races, Brahmans and so forth. Whatever the origin of the word may be, the meaning assigned to it by Mr. Haribhal seems to be correct. For Merutunga uses its simples pañchakula in a similar manner. In the history of Va
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of water, for the increase of my parent's and my own merit and fame, likewise in order to obtain the (due) reward in the next world, to Śri-Mabesvaracharya the son of SriŚiva de vacharya of the famous A mardda ka line, as a reward for his learning, the village, called Vim kala, which is connected with the sthali of Kanthika, up to the extremity of its boundaries, together with the dán, the bhoga" and the share (of the produce), together with the (right of) punishing and (deciding suits arising out of) the ten faults, together with its rows of trees, together with the immunity from interference by royal officials and from obstraction. And its boundaries (are): to the east the village called Uttarakkaka to the south the village called Kikkhriâ na ka, to the west the village called Kurala, to the north the village called Sanâi chânaka. Nobody must hinder Sri-Mahesvaracharya, when, in accordance with the maxim regarding sons, grandsons and (remoter) descendants, he enjoys or causes to be enjoyed this village called Vimkala, which is defined by the above four boundaries, which is not to be entered by the regular or irregular soldiers, which (has been granted) together with the right of forced labour resting thereon, but with the exception of former grants to gods and Brahmans, in accordance with the reasoning from the familiar instance of the ground and the clefts therein, for as long (a period) as the moon, the sun, the ocean, the earth, the rivers and hills endure. For it has been declared by the divine Vyâsa, the compiler of the Vedas
On the day of the winter-solstice, on the fourth of the bright half of Pausha, Saka-samvat 836. And as this is, even so the donor of the village attaches his sign-manual. This is the signmanual of the illustrious Dhar anîvaraha. And this has been written by the minister for peace and war, Mahindaka, the son of Pârtthila.
naraja, he narrates that Bhupati of Kalyana sent pañchakula in order to collect the taxes in Gujarat.Madhyaga has been rendered by 'middleman,' on account of its etymological meaning. I am not aware what its technical force is.
Bhoga corresponds to the modern haks, the small gifts of betel etc., due to the proprietor.
The verses from the Mahabharata have been left
out.
i. e. agreeing to everything that has been set forth
above.
