1840.] 



Note on an Ancient Hindu Grant. 



803 



though old, and some of the terms obsolete. A transcript in Nagari is 

 given, the translation of which is as follows: 



" Salutation ! 



** From the victorious Vengipur, Maha-raja-sri-vijaya-Nandi Varma, 

 *' bound up in meditation on the feet of the Lord Chitra Ratha Swami— 



devoted to the feet of the saints (Bhaturakas)— the most pious — the 

 ** eldest son of Maha Rajivacha Varma and of Kulanka — commands the 

 *' villagers, and the head inhabitants of the village of Vidanurpalli, in the 

 ** district (Vishaya) of Kuduhara — flail !— On account of the virtue of 



my imperishable Kula and Gotra, and for the increase of my personal 

 *' reputation,' the village is bestowed (vrittaha) on the Bramins re- 

 " siding in the excellent agraharam of Chinnapakurvaka, of various 

 ** gotrams, readers of the vedas, who are in number 157 — knowing this, 

 " let all that is proper to be relinquished, be given up, by the Rajah's 

 " public officers, who have authority over the land (desadipati), and let 

 " it be maintained, 



** On tlje eighth day of the decreasing moon, in the month of Poushya, 

 ** in the 7th year of the prosperous reign, this grant [pattikaj is made. 

 *' Let the grantees enjoy it in virtue of this order. 



*' Land has been given by many, and it has likewise been continued by 



many. Whosoever possesses the land shall enjoy the fruits for the 



time being. 



*' The giver of land rejoices in heaven for 60,000 years. He who takes 

 " it away, or consents to its resumption, shall remain for the same period 

 " in hell." 



This ancient deed though unfortunately destitute of an ascertained 

 date, is possessed of considerable interest, from the indication it affords 

 of the dynasty which ruled in the tract now known as the Northern 

 Circars, but anciently as the Venga, Kalinga, or Andhra Desams, an- 

 terior to the Chhlukya family. 



The earliest grants of the latter race occur in saca 528, corresponding 

 to A. D. 606, and I have lately had opportunities of examining copper 

 sasanams, given by different princes of this house, in sacas 897 and 

 1001, which clearly show by the more modern form of the writing, 

 the superior antiquity of that of Nundivarma. 



In these documents the genealogy of the Chalukyas is brought down 

 to the union of the family with that of the Cholas of the south, about 

 the close of the lOih century of the Salivahana «ra, without the men- 

 tion of any names, bearing the least resemblance to Rajivaksha Varma 

 or Nundivarma, and as the country over which they reigned is invari- 



