Bobbili Copper-plate Inscription of Achandavarman. -Regnal Year 4.
Achandavarman was another Pitrbhakta ruler, who bore the title Kalinga-dhipati. He was a devotee of lord Vishnu. Rudra.
datta, the Matṛ-vara’s son served his empire as desaksa-patala-dhikṛta.
Provenance: Bobbili., vishakhapattanam district, Andhra Pradesh. Now in Indian Museum, Calcutta.
Maharaja Pedda Rayudu, founded this ancient town, and built.the famous Pedda Puli fort in this town.
The fort is connected with a historic battle, fought between the king of Bobbili and the Zamindar of Vizianagaram. In the battle, the zamindars were aided by the French.
With the passage of time, the name was corrupted to Pebbuli, Bebbuli and finally Bobbili. This town is located 60 kms away from Vizianagaram Town.
Script: Late Brahmi of the southern class of about the 5th century AD.
Language: Sanskrit with one Prakritism excepted.
Metre: vv1-3: अनुष्टुभ (श्लोक)
References: R.K. Ghosal, Ep.Ind, XXVII, pp-33ff, D. C. Sircar, I.H.Q, XXIX, pp-299-300, Select Inss, I, pp-483-484.
Footnote 1.
1. From the facsimile in Ep Ind,.XXVI facing pp.35.
2 Represented by the spiral symbol.
3. Simha-pura may be identified with the modern singupuram, lying between chicacole and Narasannapeta.
4. Formerly read as chandavarma, as was done in the case of his salankayana nane sake. See Ep.Ind., XXXVI, pp.1 ff., detailed discussion.
5. Tiritthana may be identified with the modem village of Tirida, in the Kudala taluk of Ganjam district, 0rissa.
Footnote 2.
1. षटत्रिशत (Lit thirty-six) is conventionally used
in the sense of all. The line would mean, Having fixed 200 with one pana, added as the amount annually
payable for the free-holding (agrahara) in common with all the agraharas. “The prefix agra in agra-hara itself indicates advance payment. cf. similar phrase
in the Brihatproshtha grant (Ep.Ind.. XII, pp.5, 11.5-6) दन्तयवागु भोगादुदृत्य षटत्रिशदग्रहार सामान्यडकृत्वा भोग
सम्बन्ध निव्र्चनी यम्प्रत्त
i.e having separated it (the gift land)
From the Dantayavagu division and having put it on par with all the agraharas, is given in such a way that it’s present relation to the division should always be declared. Pana here may be of cowries or the small
coin called fanam.
Footnote 3.
1. A small curve indicates the punctuation. Hence the visarga like marks in 11.13-14 may also stand for danda.
English Translation of the inscription.
Om ! Hail !
From the victorious (city of) simhapura,
the illustrious Maharaja Achanda-varman, the Lord of Kalinga, and a devout worshipper of vishnu, a
devotee of his father’s feet, commands all the house-holders assembled in the village of Tiritthana and the tenants
(bhojakas) For the increase of our religious merit, longevity and fame. We heve granted this village to the
Brahmanas of tiritthana-vataka, agrahara, and of various
gotras and students of (various sakhas) making it an agrahara to endure as long as the ocean, the mountains, the moon, the stars and the sun do, immunising it from all the
tax-immunities, and having fixed two hundred and one panas, as the amount annually payable for the free-holding (agrahara) in common with thirty six (i.e. all the) agraharas. Knowing
thus, you should make all presentations according to the previously continuing proper customs, and should pay measurable commodities (food-grains etc.) and gold, etc. And I also
request the future kings while ruling over the earth having obtained it through right, inheritance or valour you should maintain this initiated gift, this agrahara, keeping the true
dharma in view. And also in this context reference is made
to the verses sung by Vyasa:
Here are quoted three of the customary imprecatory verses)
Executed by (the king) himself.
written by the Desaksha-
Pataladhikrita (superintendent of Local Accounts) Rudradatta,
the son of Matrivara, in the year fourth, 4, the summer month 2nd, on the 5th day.
Footnote 4.
This Matrivara is evidently identical with his namesake, who wrote the Temburu charter of Kalingadhipati Maharaja Umavarman. So Achandavarman, the patron of Matrivara’s son, must have succeeded Umavarman.
2. According to Sircar,, this date equals
चैत्र शुकल पञ्चमी दिवस chautama is a Prakritism for sanskrit chaturtha.