Inscription number 63. Godachi Plates of Katti-Arasa ( Kirttivarman 1) A.D. 566-598, Regnal Year 12 (578 A.D.) Kirttivarman 1 was an emperor of the chalukya dynasty. He had ruled parts of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. He was son of Pulakesin 1, the first sovereign ruler of the dynasty. He defeated Nalas, the Mauryas Kadambas, and the Gangas. Some Inscriptions credit him victories over several other kingdoms. According to Aihole inscription of Pulakeshin 2, Kirttivarman was “the night of doom” for Nalas, the Mauryas, and the kadambas. Provenance: Godachi village, Torgal Taluk, Maharashtra. Script: Southern Brahmi of the 6th century A.D. Language: Sanskrit, influenced by Kannada. References: Dr Nandimath, “Journal of the University of bombay” History, Economics and sociology series, Vol. V. pp.165 ff, “Prabuddha Karnataka”, Vol. XXIII, No.1, pp. 25 ff, P. B. Desai, Ep.Ind., XXVIII, pp. 59-62. Footnote 1. 1. Katti-Arasa introduces himself as the favourite son of, Western chalukya, Rana-vikrama Dharma-Maharaja, i.e. Pulakesin 1, and hence can easily be recognised as the latter’s son Kirttivarman 1, who is frequently referred to by several other names or titles, such as Kirtiraja (Bombay Gazzet, I, Pt.II, pp.345), Puru-Ranaparakrama (Ind.Ant., XIX, pp.14), and Srivikrama (Ibid., XXVII, pp.37) the Badami Vaishnava cave Inscription (Ibid. X, pp.57) of Kirtivarman 1, mentions the same details of the date as recorded in the present inscription, with the addition of the saka year 500 (578 A.D.)which there fore is the date of the present inscription. 2. From tne facsimile in Ep.Ind, XXVIII, facing pp.62. Footnote 2. 1. The anusvara is wrongly engraved over kta. 2. The mark of puncuation is not required here. 3. Better read 4. This appears to be a cursive form of na. Footnote 3. 1. The initial ma looks like va. The meaning of the word marunannam is not known. It appears along with another word unchhamanna in the records of a slightly later period (Ind.Ant, XI, pp. 66, J.B,B.R.A.S, XVI, pp.244 etc.) R S. Panchamukhi’s suggestion that -manna here may be equated with man meaning land and that marunanna waste land, is not plausible, since here it qualifies a cultivable farm. 2. The mark of punctuation is superfluous. 3. Expressed by the usual spiral symbol. English Translation of the inscription. Peace! The favourite son of the pious (dharma) Maharaja Ranavikrama, whose body had been purified by ritual baths taken on the occasion of Agnishtoma, Agnichayana, Vaja-peya, Bahusuvarna, Paundarika and Asvamedha Sacrifices, (and) who was (a scion) of the Hariti-putra Chalukyas of Manavya lineage, anointed through their devotion to Lord Karttikeya and the group of (His) Mothers named Katti Arasa, whose intellect is adept in understanding, memorising and absorbing the depth and expanse of the meaning of all the sastras who has uprooted all the (rival) kinsmen (dayadah) by his wisdom, diplomacy and prowess, who has earned the love of all his subjects by protecting the (four) varnas and (four) asramas justly has, in the twelfth Year of his reign, on the full moon day of (the month of) Karttika granted a farm (measuring) twenty five nivarttanas, according to the standard royal measurement, in Nulgala village inclusive of marumanna, of all the produce, along with garden cultivation (sa-tottam) along with cummin seed (cultivation) (sa. jirakam) along with water resources, along wi th housing property (sa-nivesa to Krishnasvamin of Kaundinya gotra, who has fully mastered the Vedas and the Vedangas (and) who maintains the two (sacred) fires, on the recommendation of the great brahmana, Vyaghrasvamin, who bears the responsibility of all the assets of the empire, who is the past-master of the Vedas and the Vedangas, who is an expert in the discipline of politics, (and) who possesses an uncommon power of exposition on the Puranas music, itihasa, drama, poetry, logic and grammar together with word analysis and therefore is the modern brihaspati. He who revoked it, will join with the five great sins. He who protects it will share the fruit of the religious merit. (Here follows one of the usual imprecatory verses)
Footnote 4. 1. The western chalukyas who succeeded the Kadambas to the sovereignty of Karnataka appear to have adopted in the beginning much of their prasasti, including the title Dharma-Maharaja. This title was not used again in their inscriptions. It was borne by many of the earlier rulers of the western Ganga, Kadamba and Pallava dynasties. The distinct conventional chalukya prasasti seems to have evolved into final shape in the Hyderabad grant of Pulakesin 2. 2. Desai thinks Ep.Ind, XXVIII, pp.61) that jiraka here includes all the crops of cummin family. Footnote 5. 1. has to be analysed as T along with two atithis. Atithi, in the Vedic context, means fire. Agni is frequently addressed as atithi in the vedic hymns. see Macdonell Vedic Mythology, pp.95) The two fires are the srauta – agni and the smarta – agni, which every house-holder is expected to maintain, according to the injunctions of Vedic ritualism. 2. It appears, he was the Prime Minister. 3. i.e. the bath taken at he end of a sacrifice.
