Support: Five copper plates, not furnished with original plate numbering; h. 7 × w. 22-23 cm. The left side of every plate is pierced by a hole through which runs a ring, to which is soldered “a roughly oval seal, which is worn out completely” (Ramachandra Murthy 1999: 114).
Text: Sanskrit, Southern Brāhmī script. Middle Indo-Aryan, in the same script. 25 lines of text beginning on face 1b, 3 lines per face except the last line which stands alone on face 5b.
Date: Unspecified regnal year of Siri-Ehavalacāntamūlavamma, i.e., approximately between 250 and 300 CE.
Origin: Original place of preservation unknown.
Provenance: Discovery at a hamlet called Patagandigudem reported in the Indian newspaper The Hindu in March 1998. Identified at Telangana State Museum (acc. no. 98-15) in January 2016.
(1) siddham· || namo bhagavatos sarvvajñāyā || vijayakkhaṁ-
(2)dhāvārā ◊ dhaṁṇakaḍāto ◊ māhārājā ◊ °asamedha-
(3)yāji°akkhayahiraṁṇakoḍippadāyiḥ °ikkhākūṇaṁplate 2a
(4) raṁño sirī°ehavalacāntamūlavaṁmmā °aṇavetī
(5) °ettha pithuṁḍe ◊ sābhittāṇehi ◊ mahāvihārasa °ava-
(6)raddāre ◊ cātusāle °amhehi kāritaṁ ◊ °etassa ya ◊ khaṇḍaplate 2b –
(7)pullasaṇṭhappasa cātusāle ◊ °āgaṁtukavatthavvāṇa pavva-
(8)yitāṇaṁ ◊ vissāmaṇatthaṁ ◊ rañ[o] °ehalavatthamāṇavattha-
(9)vehi ◊ pavvayitehi avaraddāraseliyehi ◊plate 3a
(10) °aryyayakkhapamuhehi °aṇuṭṭhiya ◊ sāsanaṁ
(11) kāritaṁ ◊ °akkhayanivviṁ ◊ kātūṇaṁ ◊ raño °appaṇo
(12) puṇṇappāyaṇāyubalavaddhaṇatṭhaṁ °ayandatāraka⟨ṁ⟩plate 3b
(13) kātūṇa ◊ pithuṇḍe ◊ mahāvihārasa ◊ nagarassa ◊ °uttaradi-
(14)sāye ◊ mahāsetīye ◊ mahācelakasa °eṭṭhassa ◊ k[ū]la-
(15)tthapaddaggāmapatthe ◊ halaṁkkhettasa niyattāṇā bat[t]ī(sa)plate 4a
(16) 30 2 nidejaṁ ◊ nipoli || pithuṇḍassa ◊ °uttaradisāye va
(17) hatthivārī ◊ pachimadisāye ◊ pupphakalase ha-
(18)laṁkkhettasa niyattaṇacatusaṭṭhi 60 4 ◊ nidejaṁ nippoliplate 4b
(19) °avaraddārī ◊ cātusālassa ◊ halo bhikhubhogaṁ ◊ kātūṇa
(20) samyadattaṁ °āṇattī ◊ mahātalavara °aggasūro ◊ saṁvacharaṁ
(21) himā 4 divasaṁ 3 jeca ◊ °ettakā ◊ rājāṇo ◊ raja-
(22)mattā plate 5avā ◊ talavaramahātalavarā vā jo ◊ °etassa ◊ halaṁbhi⟨kkhu⟩ –
(23)bhogassa ◊ rāgeṇa kodhena vā ◊ lobheṇa ◊ moheṇa vā ◊
(24) harati harāveti vā ◊ haraṁntaṁ vā °aṇuvattati so ◊plate 5b
(25) [paṁ]ca[ma]ha[pāta]k[e]ṇa sa[ṁy]ujyatītt[i]
(2)dhāvārā ◊ dhaṁṇakaḍāto ◊ māhārājā ◊ °asamedha-
(3)yāji°akkhayahiraṁṇakoḍippadāyiḥ °ikkhākūṇaṁplate 2a
(4) raṁño sirī°ehavalacāntamūlavaṁmmā °aṇavetī
(5) °ettha pithuṁḍe ◊ sābhittāṇehi ◊ mahāvihārasa °ava-
(6)raddāre ◊ cātusāle °amhehi kāritaṁ ◊ °etassa ya ◊ khaṇḍaplate 2b –
(7)pullasaṇṭhappasa cātusāle ◊ °āgaṁtukavatthavvāṇa pavva-
(8)yitāṇaṁ ◊ vissāmaṇatthaṁ ◊ rañ[o] °ehalavatthamāṇavattha-
(9)vehi ◊ pavvayitehi avaraddāraseliyehi ◊plate 3a
(10) °aryyayakkhapamuhehi °aṇuṭṭhiya ◊ sāsanaṁ
(11) kāritaṁ ◊ °akkhayanivviṁ ◊ kātūṇaṁ ◊ raño °appaṇo
(12) puṇṇappāyaṇāyubalavaddhaṇatṭhaṁ °ayandatāraka⟨ṁ⟩plate 3b
(13) kātūṇa ◊ pithuṇḍe ◊ mahāvihārasa ◊ nagarassa ◊ °uttaradi-
(14)sāye ◊ mahāsetīye ◊ mahācelakasa °eṭṭhassa ◊ k[ū]la-
(15)tthapaddaggāmapatthe ◊ halaṁkkhettasa niyattāṇā bat[t]ī(sa)plate 4a
(16) 30 2 nidejaṁ ◊ nipoli || pithuṇḍassa ◊ °uttaradisāye va
(17) hatthivārī ◊ pachimadisāye ◊ pupphakalase ha-
(18)laṁkkhettasa niyattaṇacatusaṭṭhi 60 4 ◊ nidejaṁ nippoliplate 4b
(19) °avaraddārī ◊ cātusālassa ◊ halo bhikhubhogaṁ ◊ kātūṇa
(20) samyadattaṁ °āṇattī ◊ mahātalavara °aggasūro ◊ saṁvacharaṁ
(21) himā 4 divasaṁ 3 jeca ◊ °ettakā ◊ rājāṇo ◊ raja-
(22)mattā plate 5avā ◊ talavaramahātalavarā vā jo ◊ °etassa ◊ halaṁbhi⟨kkhu⟩ –
(23)bhogassa ◊ rāgeṇa kodhena vā ◊ lobheṇa ◊ moheṇa vā ◊
(24) harati harāveti vā ◊ haraṁntaṁ vā °aṇuvattati so ◊plate 5b
(25) [paṁ]ca[ma]ha[pāta]k[e]ṇa sa[ṁy]ujyatītt[i]
- (1) bhagavatos Understand bhagavatas or bhagavate. Cf. same form in EIAD 54.
- (1) sarvva- sarva- HF .
- (3) hiraṁṇakoḍi- hiraṇakoḍi- HF .
- (4) raṁño rāñāṁ HF .
- (5) cātusāle cātusālaṁ HF .
- (8) vissāmaṇatthaṁ vissamaṇatthaṁ HF .
- (10) sāsanaṁ sāsaṇa HF .
- (12) °ayandatāraka⟨ṁ⟩ °ayandatārakaṁ HF .
- (14-15) k[ū]latthapaddaggāmapatthe kulatthapaṭṭaggāmapanthe HF .
- (15) bat[t]ī(sa) batī[sa] HF .
- (16) nidejaṁ ◊ nipoli ti dejaṁ ◊ ti poli HF .
- (17) puppha- puppa- HF . Cf. puppa- in EIAD 53, l. 1. But it seems possible to read puppha- here.
- (18) nidejaṁ nippoli ti dejaṁ ti ppoli HF .
- (21) raja- rāj[ā]- HF .
- (22-23) halaṁbhi⟨kkhu⟩bhogassa HF . The restoration of akṣara <kkhu> is imposed by halo bhikhubhogaṁ in l. 19.
- (24) harāveti hārāveti HF .
- (24) haraṁntaṁ haraṁttaṁ HF .
- (25) [paṁ]ca[ma]ha[pāta]k[e]ṇa + + mahāpātareṇa HF .
- (25) sa[ṁy]ujyatītt[i] + ujjati ti HF . The last akṣara might also be read <ttī>. We in fact expect ti.
(1) Success! Homage to the Bhagavant, the Omniscient One!
(1–4) From the victorious royal headquarters, from Dhaṇṇakaḍa (Dhānyakaṭaka), the King Siri-Ehavalacāntamūlavamma of the Ikṣvākus, Great King, sacrificer of the Aśvamedha, giver of unperishing tens of millions of (pieces of) gold, gives (the following) order:
(5–11) “Here in Pithuṇḍa we caused to be made by sābhittānas (?) a quadrangular compound at the western gate of the Great Monastery. For its repair of broken and shattered (parts), for the repose of renunciants who (will) arrive and who (presently) reside in the quadrangular compound, the (following) royal order was issued, to be carried out (anuṣṭheya ?) by the Avaraddāraseliya renunciants residing in the plot of King Eha[va]la, headed by Aryayakkha (Āryayakṣa):
(11–20) ‘Having made a permanent endowment, having made (it permanent) as long as moon and stars, in order to expand the king’s own merit and to increase his lifespan and power, to the Great Monastery in Pithuṇḍa 32 nivartanas of plowable land are to be given (nideya) (and) registered (?), in the northern direction of the town, at the Great Shrine of the mahācelaka Eṭṭha, on the road (leading to) the village Kulatthapadda. North of Pithuṇḍa, west of the elephant grove, in Pupphakalasa, sixty-four — 64 — nivartanas of plowable land are to be given (and) registered (?). Having made (this) plowable land (hala) the revenue of the monks of the quadrangular compound at the western gate, the gift is completed (samyagdattam).’
(20–25)The executor is the Great Talavara Aggasūra (Agraśūra). In the year, in the 4th (fortnight) of winter, on the 3rd day. Who (among) the local kings and king’s officers, or Talavaras and Great Talavaras, out of passion, anger, greed or delusion, takes away or causes to be taken away plowable land from this monks’ revenue, or accepts one who takes away, is endowed with the five great sins.”
- bookmark ARIE 1997-98: no. A.1
- bookmark IAR 1997-98: 206 (4)
- bookmark Raghunath 2001: 152-3 (no. 37A)
Commentary