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246
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1883.
guests, ability of making righteous conquests, should be given the following) order preceded and purity of mind, who was an ardent by (the word) visrutat (famous): devotee of Maheśvara (and) the son of the Be it known to you that, in order to increase illustrious Rudrasena, the great king of our spiritual merit, life, strength, conquests the Vâ kât a kas (who was) the son of and rulo, for the sake of our welfare in this Gautamiputra (and) the daughter's son and the next worlds (in fact) in order to of Bhavanaga the great king of the benefit ourselves (the above mentioned village) Bhârasivas-who bathed after the celebra- has been given, at our victorious office of tion of ten horse-sacrifices, whose heads were justice, as a new donation, the act of giving) sprinkled with the pure water of the Bhagi- being preceded by a libation of water. rathi, obtained by their valour," and whose | Now we grant, (as) appropriate for this royal line was produced by Siva exceedingly (village) the charter of a village inhabited by pleased with their carrying in a procession Brahmanas versed in the four Vedas, such as his linga that had been placed as a burden has been approved of by former kings. That on their shoulders-who (viz. Rudrasena) is as follows: "(The village) shall be free from was exceedingly devoted to the Lord Maha- taxes, it shall not be entered by soldiers or bhairava (and who was)" the son's son" parasol-bearers ... it shall not furnish flowers of the illustrious Pravaragena, the great and milk ...., it shall be free from all obligaking of the V&katakas, a universal ruler, tion of furnishing forced labour, it is granted who belonged to the gotra of Vishņu. the rights of treasure-trove and of (keeping vsiddha, and offered an Agnishtoma sacrifice, unclaimed) deposits ..... it.(has been granted) an Aptoryâma, an Ukthya, & Shodasin, an for as long a time as the moon and sun endure, Ātirâtra, a Vájapeya, a Bțihaspatisava, a and shall descend to the sons and grandsons (of Sådyaskra and four horse-sacrifices," at the the donees). Nobody shall cause hindrance to request of prince Koņdaraja, the destroyer them while they enjoy it. It shall be protected of his foes, the village called Charmman ka by all means and be made to prosper. And (situated) in the kingdom of Bhoja kata on him, who disregarding this ediet, even slightly the bank of the river Madhu (and containing) annoys (the donees) or causes them to be aneight thousand (8,000) bhúmises measured by noyed, we will fine and otherwise) punish, if the royal measuring-rod, has been given to one he is denounced by the Brâhmana (proprietors)." thousand Brahmaņas belonging to various "And in this document which procures at families and schools.
least spiritual merit we do not mention the care Wherefore our obedient noblemen and our and protection bestowed (by w on grants made officers who are appointed to the office of general by various former kings, in order to avoid boastoverseers, (our) soldiers and umbrella-bearers, ing of meritorious actions performed (by ws)."
compound patra gatabhaktitva may either be translated
devotedness to worthy guests, or as ras been done above. To offer hospitality to distinguished BrAhmanas is a duty of kings, which the Smritis inculcato repeatedly, Hee e. 8., Apastamba Dharmashtra, II. 10, 25, 4, 8-9.
50 Prinsep'e transcript of the Seoni plates omits by mistake the end of Pl. II a, l. 1, and the whole of 1.2. His translation is one series of mistakes.
31 The correctness of the translation of the beginning of the compound amsabharasannivefita fivalingodvahanativasuparitusfasamutpáditardjavamanam is attested by the various readings of the facsimile of the Seoni plates musa (area) sannivesita. Prinsep's transcript gives-wrongly indusanibhasita and sivasya paritushta. » Prinsep's transcript gives wrongly stháneathane.
Prinsep's transcript gives wrongly ukta for ukthya, vishnurudra for vishnuuriddha and Katarkandm for Vakatakandm.
3. For analogous cases of grants being made at the request of a third person, & feudal baron, see Inscr. from Nepal No. 9 (Ind. Ant. vol. IX, p. 172).
35 Bhsimi must here be a technical term, and denotes particular measure of land.
It is just possible that the construction in this passage is ungrammatical, and that the king means to Bay "All our overseers, officials, obedient noblemen, persons in authority," eto. --Chhattraumbrella-bearer includes probably the whole host of menial servants attached to the court.
31 I am unable to refer to any passage where the title vifruta is given to Rajputa. for Brahmapss the titlo vichakahana, 'learned' is prescribed.
* Dharmasthana is, more accurately speaking, not only the ministry of justice, but the office where all busiDers relating to justice, spiritual matters and charities is transacted.
30 The right of treasure-trove is guaranteed to learned Brahmanas by the Smriti, see e. 8. Vasishtha, III, 14. Deposits, the owner of which cannot be found, go sooording to the Smriti like all unclaimed property to the king. From the above passage it would appear that kings usually relinquished this right in Agraharas.
I také karata in the sense of doonment' and think that the king means to say that, if the grant does not produce the many rewards enumerated above, it will, at least, procure spiritual merit. The Beoni plates have a
