Inscription number 72.
Palitana copper-plates of Dharasena 2,
(Gupta-Valabhi) year 252 (571-72 AD.).
Provenance: Exact spot not known. The plates were acquired from a gardner of Palitana. They now belong to
Mohanjodaro, A New Delhi firm.
Script: Western variety of Brahmi of the Southern Class.
Language: Sanskrit
Reference: G. S. Gai and P.R sinivasan, Ep.nd, XXXVIII, pp-170-74.
Footnote 1
1. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind, XXXVI, Plate.B, between pp-168-69. The impression is not very satisfactory.
Hence the anusvara, even if not legible, is being restored wherever required,
2. This portion of the plate which must have borne the usual symbol for OM is broken and missing.
3. Sub-script of sri in the previous line was obstructing the line 5 here, So Dharmma is engraved after leaving some space here.
3. E. S. Gai धरपट्टस्तस्य मुज: आत्मज: is legible
here. In the Palitana Plate. of the year 252 of Dharasena 2,
the reading: आत्मज: is absolutely clear.
Footnote-2
This tatha seems to be superfluous. It was presumably required after tatakam, giving the sense that twelve
padavartas, instead of being the measure of the tank,
were the dimension of another piece of land granted.
Madasarasthali is also mentioned in the Jesara Plates of Siladitya 3, (Ep.Ind. XXII, pp-114 ff). It is the
same as Madasara in another record of Dharasena 2,
(Ind.Ant, VIII, pp-302-3, 11,23-24). chachcharakagrama
seems to be the same village that was granted to the
Brahmana chachchhara through Jhar Plates of Dharasena 2,
(Ind.Ant., XV, pp-187) Their location, however, is not known.
English Translation of the inscription
L1-1-21: (see the translation of 11.1-16 of his Mota Machiala
Plates, which virtually are identical, except for omitting the adjective, प्राथनाधिकार्थ प्रदानानन्दित विद्वत्सुर्ह्त्र्पणयि ह्रदय:
which is invariably used with Guhasena in Maitraka charters translated above).
L1.21-29: Maharaja Sri Dhruvasena being in good health,
commands all the Ayuktakas, viniayuktakas, drangikas,
mahattaras, chatas, bhatas, dhruvadhikaranikas,
dandapasikas, rajasthaniyas, kumaramatyas and others
so connected:
Be it known to you that for the increase of merit of my mother and father, and for the attainment of desired reward in the world and the next for myself I
have granted the libation of water as a pious gift, the Pitika farm on the middle eastern boundary in the Bhandavataka village and to its north ( have
granted) along with Bitamana, ninety padavartas of land and to the south of the very same, forty
padavartas enjoyed by Sangama, further on the northern
boundary of the village, chachaharaka in Madasara sthali,
a tank (now) enjoyed by Kadhika-kambhara and in the
Pathaka village, to the south a stop-well where there are twelve padavartas (of land) attached further on the eastern boundary of the same fourteen
Padavartas in Bharivikandapadraka, thirty padavartas (of Land) in three locations (all this has been
granted) together with major permanent and minor
temporary taxes together with levies in cash and food-grains and on the produce from winds and other
elements together with casual free labour with inter-ference
from all state officials, banned and in
accordance with the bhumi-chhidra maxim, to the brahmana Puvanaga of Kausika gotra and a student
of Maitrayaniya school for the performance of the constituent rites of the five great sacrifices, namely
bali, charu, vaisvadeva, agnihotra, and
atithi-yajna, to be enjoyed by his sons, grandsons and further progeny to endure or the same time as
the moon, the sun, the oceans, the rivers and the earth do.
L1 29-34: (Including the three customary verses, are an exact
copy of 11.23-30 of the Mota Machiala Plates of Dharasena 2, translated above.
L1.34-35: written by Sandhi-vigrahika skandabhata. The year 252,
15th dark fortnight day of Valsakha. My own hand of Maharaja Sri Dharasena, The executor is chibira.
Inscription number 73.
Palitana Plates of Dhara-sena 2,
–(Gupta-Valabhi) year 252 ( 571 A.D.)
Provenance: Palitana, Kathiawar Peninsula, Saurashtra.
Script: Brahmi, Western variety of the Southern Class.
Language: Sanskrit.
In the earlier records Prakrít form भन्टक्क iwas invariably used.
References: A.M.T. Jackson, Ind.Int. XXXIX, pp-130, No.5, E.Hultzesch, Ep.Ind, pp.80-85.
Footnote-1
1. आत्मज: is very clear here. The reading तस्यानुज: after the name of Dharapatta in some inscriptions is evidently wrong.
2. द of र्तणवद was corrected by the engraver from व.
Footnote 2
1. The mark of punctuation is not required.
2. या in आप्यायनायात्म was left out and later inserted between ना and त्म in small fine letters, Which Hultizsch missed.
Footnote-3
1. The mark of punctuation is not required.
2. Hultizsch: दे व रक्षितपाटके
3. Hultizsch: कोधक
4. Hultizsch: अवतर
English Translation of the inscription
L1.1-21 (see the translation of 11.1-16 of Mota Machiala Plates of
Dharasena 2, which is identical except for the omission of the adjective of Guhasena The phrase is transalated in earlier Maitraka charters.
L1.21-23: Sri Maharaja Dharasena 2, in good health commands all the ayuktakas Viniyuktakas Drangikas, mahattaras chatas bhatas dhruvadhikaranikas, dandapaakas,
choroddharanikas, rajasthaniyas, kumarámatyas and others,
so concerned.
L1.23-32 “Be it known to you that in order to increase the spiritual merit of my mother and father, and in
order to attain rewards in this (world) and in the next, I have granted:-
In the district (Prapiya) Bamvu-
vanaka-sthali, in the village Natyotaka, on it’s north-eastern boundary and in the Ekalika village, to the west of Daraka’s own field and to the north of the field of Aditya (a total of) one hundred and eighty padavartas of pasture lands further, on the north-western boundary (of the same) to the east of the road, one
hundred and twenty padavartas (along with) the Nimba-Vapi (i.e. a step-well surrounded by Nim trees) with a
periphery of thirty two padavartass further in the district of Nimbakupasthali in the Udarakshitapataka
(village), on (its) south-western boundary, on both the banks of the Vatsavahaka (river) and within the fore-
part of the Khandabhedaka pond, one hundred and thirty
Padavartas held by Goksha in trust, further in the Kadamba-padra-sthali district in the chitrakasthalya
village on (its) northern boundary, a hundred padavarttas held by Dharmika in trust further in (the village) ground of Kadambapadrasva on the eastern boundary another step-well held by Kauska in trust. This (Land)
has been granted as a pious gift (brahma-daya) with libation of water, along with udranga, and upari-kara
along with levies in cash and foodgrains and on the
produce from winds and other elements with (the right to)
eventual forced labour, not to be meddled with by any
royal officer, according to the maxim of Bhumichchhidra, to the two Brahmanas Rogha and syena, of Vajasanaya
Madhyandina school (of the Yajurveda) and of Kausika gotra, or the performance of the rites of the five
great sacrifices, (viz.bali. charu, vaisvedeva, agnihotra and atithi yajna, to last as long as the moon
the sun, the ocean, the rivers and the earth shall exist,
to be enjoyed by (their) sons, grandsons and (Further) progeny.
L1. 32-35 (See translation of 11.23-27 and 1.29 of his Mota Machiala Plates. of the year 252, which have identical text).
L1.36: This is the sign manual of myself Maharaja Sri Dhruvasena written by the officer in charge (Minister) of peace and war, Skandabhata. The executor is Chirbbira. The year 252, the 15th day of the dark fortnight of Vaisakha.
Inscription number 74
Bantia Plates of Dharasena 2, (Valabhi) Samvat 254. (573 A.D.)
Provenance: The find-spot of the plates as also their present whereabouts are not known. The impressions, from
which the text was deciphared by DB Diskalkar, were given by a school master of the village Bantia, in Bantwa taluka in the south-west of
Kathiawar in 1904 to Vallabhji H, Acharya, Curator of the watson Museum, Rajkot, where the former found them.
Script: Brahmi of the type used in other Valabhi grants.
Language: Sanskrit.
References: D. B. Diskalkar, Ep.Ind, XXI, pp-179-81.
Footnote 1
As reproduced by Diskallkar, EP.Ind. XXI, pp-180-81.
Unfortunately he has neither supplied a facsimile, nor reproduced the text. He states, ‘As the text is practically identical with that of the Palitana grant
of Sam 252 (Ep.Ind.pp- 80 ff) only the most important portion is given.
2. Modern valabhipura, near bhavnagar, Gujrat.
3. Kaundinyapura has been identified with Kodinar in south Kathiawar.
Summary
The grant was issued from Valabhi. Then follows the genealogy of the Maitrakas rom Bhatarka to Dharasena-2, with m each ruler receiving the same adjectives as given in the latter’s other grants,
Brahmana Devadatta of Sandilya gotra and Maitrayaniya sakha is granted the village Bhattakapadra in the northen balt of Kaundinyapara in Surashtra for the maintenance of the five Sacrificial rites. The designation of the officers
addressed to and the privileges accompanying the grants are the
same as in the other gants of Dharasena 2, of Sam 252. The
grant was Written by skandabhata, the Minister for Peace and War. The Dutaka was Chirbbira. It was issued on the 15th of the dark half of Vaisakha of (the Gupta Valabhi) Samvat 254, when there was a solar eclipse.
1. Here the usual imprecatory and benedictory verses follow.
2. For English and Hindi translation see Palitana Plates of Dharasena 2, of the year 252( Supra, II, No. 73) As regards the date, the Valabhi and Gupta eras (commencing in 319-20 AD.) are considered to be identical.
Accordingly, the Vaisakha, the first month of the year 254 should fall in 573 AD. According to L.D Swamikannu
Pillai. Indian ephemeris, Vol. I, Pt-I, pp.220 ) there was a solar eclipse as mentioned in this plate, in the
month of chaitra (i.e.. Vaisakha according to the Purnimanta calculation) on the 19th March 573 AD.
which settles the exact date of the grant.