Peugonda Plates of Hastivarman

Inscription number 36.
Peugonda Plates of Hastivarman 2, Regnal, Year 2.
As we are aware that consequent to demise of Nandivarman, his brother Devavarman, occupied
the throne. He performed a horse
sacrifice and declared himself as
Vijaya-deva-varmman After 15 years of
his rule, the throne was again
occupied by Achanda-varman the
eldest son of Nandivarman, namely
the Hastivarman 2, who was earlier
over looked in succession to the
throne, for which no definite cause
could be established.
His son Skandavarman seems to have placed him on the throne, most probably as a collateral line at Jayapura, their
headquarters. Since Hastivarman 2, was yery old he could be assigned
only a couple ot years He was
succeeded by Skandavarman, whose
rule too might have got lost after a few years.
We have discussed earlier that consequent to internal war of succession for the throne, within the family that is between Scandavarman and Nandivarman 2, the latter succeeded to the throne and
Due to these internal conflicts, the Salankayanas power waned.
Provenance: Penngonda, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh,
Penugonda is a town West Godavari district. Narasapuram to Nidafavoli main line passes through Penugonda.
Script: Brahmi southern class, of the fourth century A.D.
Language: Prakrit admixed with Sanskrit, concluding verses in Sanskrit.
References: D.C. Sircar, Ep.Ind.. XV,
pp.145 to 150.
Footnote 1.
1. This Hastivarmans, should be a king of the Salan-kayana dynasty, known to have been ruling the country between
the Krishna and Godavari rivers about this time. Of the two Hastivarmans known of this dynasty, the first
was a contemporary of samudragupta (340-76 A.D.). The second Hastivarman was a son (probably the eldest)
of Nandivarman 1, the donor of Kanu kollu plates(Supra, IV, 34)
(which, wth the exception of the imprecatory verses, are in Prakrit) and the grandson of Hastivarman 1, and
is known from the Kanukollu plates (which are in sanskrit) of his own son, Skanda-varmàn Thus the
mixed Prakrit and sanskrit of his present plates, places him between Nandivarman 1 and Skandavarman.
(Infra IV,38) It is note-
worthy that Hastivarman 2, was already 100 year old in his second regnal year. Thus he mounted the throne at
the age of 98.
2. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind. XXXV.
3. Represented by the Spiral symbol on top of left margin.
Footnote 2.
1. The serial numbers of the plates are engraved in the.left margin of the first side of each plate. The number on the fifth plate seems to have worn out.
The first plate is not numbered.
The passage from appano to nimitte is misplaced. It should properly go with the next sentence beginning
with एतं गामं
1. An a- matra was engraved originally after  but was erased later.
Footnote 3.
1. Sircar devat-attha (tthe) na.
2. sa is incised in the left margin to the left of the ring hole.
3. The metre of the two verses is: श्लोक  अनुष्टुभ
In the second verse better read:        आच्छेत्ता चानुमन्ता च to keep the number of syllables eight as required by the metre.

English Translation of the inscription.
Om !  From the victorious Jayapura.
The village (i.e. the villagers) of Mulukuli in the Kanira district, headed by the Mutuda be addressed at the command of the illustrious  Maharaja Hastivaman, who is hundred year old, and whose is head is covered with the pollen of the lotus that is the feet
of Lord Narayana, For the sake of increasing of virtues, longevity and strength and for our passage to heaven and also for our attainment of religious merit, this village is granted by us as the reward (dakshina) for performing the first kalyana ceremony, to the sixty Bramanas of various gotras and charanas, engaged in penance, recitation of sacred text offering of oblations to gods, observance of vows and religious restraints, who are experts in the vedas, the vedangas, traditional history, Purana, medical science, metrical science and the exposition of texts and who are
also engaged in the six duties of the Brahmanas, namely, offering and supervising sacrifices, study and teaching and Offering and accepting gifts . Therefore, exempt (them) for
the sake of the god (Narayana) the exemptions from all the legal restrictions. Let them enjoy as long as the moon and the stars endure. It is my oral order. Issued on the dark
eighth (the eighth of the dark fortnight) of the month of jyeshtha, in the second regnal year. Drafted under the
Bhadrapada constellation.
Here follow two of the traditional imprecatory and benedictory verses written by the minister Jayasvamin.Footnote
1. The phrase is not clear Sircar translates it as, the Villagers of Mulukuli in Kanira district, headed by
(their) mududa after inserting the word
  ग्रामे after मुलुकुलि by way of emendation. He takes mududa (emended to mutuda) in the sense of headman. Plural ending पमुहा qualifies the next two words, which should also be in plural. Mulakalapal in in Nugur taluk in East Godavari district may represent the ancient Mulukuli grama.