Inscription number 47.
Kurud Plates of Narendra, Regnal year – 24.
Sarabhapura dynasty was known consequent to discovery of many copper-plate grants, which were issued from Sarabhapura and Sripura (modern Sirpur). .Gold coins belonging to a ruler of this dynasty were also found. All the grants made by this dynasity were written in Sanskrit using box-headed variety of the Central Indian alphabet.
The name of the dynasty is taken as Sarabhapura or Sarabhapuriyas because their earliest grants were issued from Sarabhapura however there is no mention of any family members, was made in their grants.
These grants are dated in their own regnal years and therefore can not be linked with Gupta era or any other known era.
Genealogical information, about this dynasty, is found on the seals, which inform us about various reigning kings
Provenance: Kurud, 43 km. North East of Raipur, tehsil and district, Raipur, Madhya Pradesh.
Script: Box-headed variety of central Indian Brahmi, assignable to the 5th century AD.
Language: Sanskrit.
References: M.G. Dikshit, Ep.Ind., XXXI, pp – 263-66.
Footnote-1,
1. Kurud is about 5 km from Sirpur, which has been identified with the ancient Sripura, from where most of the characters of sarabhapura kings were issued. Sarabhapura has been identified with Sharabhagarh in the
former Gangapur state in Orissa.
2. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind, , XXI, between pp.264-65.
3. As Narendra’s father, Sarabha, is apparently identical with the homonymous maternal grandfather of Goparaja, who died in fighting for the Gupta monarch Bhanugupta
at Eran in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh in the Gupta year 191 = 510 AD (See C.I.I., III, pp.92 ff.and Supra no II,48) Sarabha and his son Narendra, may be roughly assigned respectively to the last quarter of the fifth and the
first quarter of the sixth century A D.
Second plate
Footnote-2.
1. Expressed by the spiral symbol.
2. Kesavaka probably is represented by the existing hamlet Keshwa, on a nullah of the same name, about 8 km. south-east of Mahasamund, the tehsil head-quarter. Charoda, a village 11 km, due east of Keshwa, may be the ancient chulladasima bhoga.
Tilakesvaravasaka cannot be identified.
Second plate second side.
Footnote-3.
1. I agree with D.C. sircar (EP.Ind. XXXI.pp-267) that
Paramabhattarakapada here refers to Narendra’s sovereign, who could about this time be only one of the Imperial Guptas. It appears from the two
references to him that he was reigning both at the time of the original grant and at confirmation, though
the original donee died in the interval Dikshit has, no doubt, erred in taking Paramabhattarakapada as
referring to Narendra’s father and identifying the Ganga in the text with the Mahanadi. The sovereign
in question appears to have been Budhagupta, who alone among the last of the Imperial Guptas, had a
long reign covering the whole of the last quarter of the 5th century A.D. and perhaps the first five or six years of the 6th century as well.
2. This sentence should be read after the next.
English Translation of the inscription
This is the command, (or charter) that is the tamer of enemies, of the illustrious king Narendra, who
conquered the earth with the (sharp edge of his sword and who was begotten of Sarabha.
Plates
Om Hail!
From the victorious camp at Tilakesvara- vasaka, the illustrious Maharaja Narendra who is a devout
Worshipper of Bhagavat and is favoured by his revered
mother and father, commands the householders headed by
Brahmanas residing in (the village of) Kesavaka in the district bhoga of Chulladasima.
Be it known to you that this village was granted for the increase of his own religious merit, by his Supreme
Majesty on the occasion of a religious bath in the Ganges
to Bhasrutasvamin of Dharani gotra, through an instrument of a palm leaf charter. And that palm-leaf charter was burnt in a conflagration of his house. It has been established by official investigation (adhikarana avadha-ranaya) that this
village is being enjoyed by the donees without a break.
So now it has been Confirmed by a copper-plate charter, for
the increase of religious merit of his supreme Majesty, in favour of Sankhasvamin, the son of Bhasrutasvamin. Having learnt thus, you shall offer to him lawful revenue (bhoga) and share in cash (hiranya) and kind (dhanya) on due occasions,
remaining attentive and obedient to his orders. The executor (dutaka) is the secretariat (itself). And to the future kings. He (i.e. Maharaja Narendra) points out the beneficial course
(kusalopetam = what is combined with their well-being. And in this context the verses sung by Vyasa are usually quoted.”
(Here three of the customary verses are quoted).
On the fourth day of Vaisakha, in the twentyfourth, 24th, year of the flourishing and victorious reign.
Engraved by Sridatta.