Inscription number 57.
Mallar Plates of Pravara 2— Regnal Year 3.
Provenance: Mallar village, 26 km. from Bilaspur in Madhya Pradesh.
Malhar is a small town, of historical importance, located in Chhattisgarh.
It is known for the discovery of some ruins of an ancient fort, two restored Shiva temples and a museum with the ruins of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples.
An ancient sculpture of Vishnu with four-arm figure holding shankha, chakra and gada, was also found in Malhar, Chhattisgarh. It is about 30 kilometers southeast from Bilaspur.
In Hindu religious scriptures like Ramayana, Purana and Mahabharata, there are several references of ancient kosala kingdom.
Surya Vanshi i.e ikshavaku dynasty kings ruled kosala Kingdom. Lord Ramachandra was a king of this dynasty.
Script: Box-headed Brahmi of central India.
Language: Sanskrit.
Pravara 2, was another son of Manamatra. He moved his kingdom from Sharabhapura to Shripura. There’s no evidence available as regards successors of Pravara 2. This inscription of Pravara was discovered at village Malhar.
Metres:
V.1 वसन्ततिलका ; V.2 इन्द्रवज्रा
References: G. Bhattacharya, Ep.Ind., XXIX, pp.51-52.
Footnote-1.
Pravara 2, who flourished during the second half of the sixth century A.D, was probably the last of the dynasty. After him the throne passed on to the Panduvamsis of south Kosala.
(cf, The Classical Age, pp.220).
2. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind., XXXIX.
English Translation of the inscription.
Om ! Peace! Issued from Sripura. The great devotee of Bhagavat (i.e Vishnu), the giver of wealth, land and cows, the cause of cessation of hairdo by the ladies of his enemies, the illlustrious Maha-Pravara-raja, who is always
in the thoughts of his parents and whose two feet are washed by the sprinkling of water that is the splendour of the crest Jewels in the crowns of the feudatory chiefs, subdued by his valour, commands the residents of Mitragramaka, situated in the Sankhachakra.
Be it known to you that we have granted through this Copper-plate charter, thi s village, designed to bestow happiness and stability in heaven, to be enjoyed as long as
the world lasts with its darkness dispelled by the rays of the
sun the moon and the stars, along with major and minor treasures (deposits) not to be entered by the chatas (begar officers) and bhatas and exempt from all taxes, for the increase of religious
merit of my parents and myself, to Subha-chandra-svamin the
son of Damodaragana of Bharadvaja gotra and an expert in the Rigveda. So learning thus, you should live on happily
offering him proper share in produce and listening and obeying
his orders. He points out to the future kings:-
Here follows a usual versical exhortation to protect this gifted land
And verses sung by Vyasa are quoted:-
(Here follow our of the traditional benedictory and imprecatory verses).
Increasingly victorious year 3 the 2nd day of Pausha.
Engraved by Gola-simha.