________________
APRIL 1911.)
PIVE BANA INSCRIPTIONS AT GUDIMALLAM
111
c.-or the time of Vinavijjādara-Mahāvali-Vanarays:
dated in the 34th year of Nripatunga. This inscription is engraved on the four faces of a slab of stone, the left half of the upper portion of which is broken and lost. Therefore the last few letters of each lino of the upper half of one of the sides, and the first few letters of each line of the upper half of the back, are lost. But the inscription can be made out easily as far as line 17, after which the reading becomes fragmentary Hence that portion of the inscription beyond line 17 has been omitted in the transcript and translation
Excepting the Bāņs introdaction beginning with sakala jagatrayao and the few Sanskrit words that occur here and there, the alphabet of the inscription is Tamil. The Sanskrit Bāņa introduction and the words prithvirajyam, sabhai, and dharmma" are in the Grantha characters. The language of the record is Tamil.
The inscription seems to make some provision for feeding Bräbmaņas, and is dated the twenty-fourth year of the reign of Nripatunga. His feudatory, Vāņa-Vijjadhara-Mahārali-Vanariyar is represonted as ruling over the western portion of the Vadugavali.
Text.19 Front of the slab
1. Sva[eti sri][I] 2. Npi(patun] 3. garku [yān]4. du iruba[ttuna)8. lāvada [l*] (Sakala)6. jagattra[y-ābhi]. 7. vandita-(sarāsurā]8. dbisa-Param@[áva]9. ra-pratihārikrita10. éri-Mahābali11. kul-otbhava12. bri-Vāņavi13. jjadhara-Maba14. bali-Vāņa
15. rāyar VadugaSide of the slab
16. Valiyin mērku prithvi-rājyañ=jeyya=t-Tiruvèngada=k17. kötfattu=chChilaināțgu = t-Tiravir(P)piramapettu sabhai....
Translation. Hail ! Prosperity! The twenty-fourth year of the reign) of Nripatunga (being current) :(Line 5.) (The translation of this passage is the same as of lines 1-7 of 4).
(Line 12.) When Sri-Vāņavijjādhara-Mahāvali-Vanarayar as ruling the western portion of the Vadagavali (country), the assembly of Tiruvir(p)piramapēdu, belonging to the Silainādu, (a subdivision of the Tiravëngadakkottam.......
D. or the time of Vikkiramāditta Māvali-Vinariya :
dated in the 23rd year of Nandipõttaraiya. This inscription is engraved on the front and down the side of a slab of stone, and is in an 'xcellent state of preservation. The language and the alphabet of the inscription is, with but a few exceptions, Tamil The words prithvirajyam, Agnisarmman, drävaņai, parafurāmēívarattu, mahādēvar,
11 From impression prepared by me.
