1874. J Prannath Pandit —Note on the Chittagong Copperplate. 321 
grants, at p. 27G, of tlie same volume; in the Ujjayini grants, at pp. 302, 
311, Colebrooke’s Miscellaneous Essays, Yol. II; in the Nagamangala 
copperplate, at p. 159 of the Indian Antiquary, Yol. II; in the Benares 
inscription, at p. 451 of the Asiatic Researches, Yol. XY ; and in the Chat- 
tisgarh grant, p. 511 of the same volume. In the last instance, the 
reading is exactly the same as in the present plate. The translation which 
I have given, differs slightly from those previously given, hut I hope mine 
is the nearest approach to the original. 
The tenth sloka occurs in the Benares plate, p. 451 of the Asiatic 
Researches, Yol. XY, and we are told in a note that the same is quoted 
anonymously in the Mitdcshard. 
I do not remember whether the eleventh sloka occurs in any other grant, 
but the same ideas variously expressed are to be found in many. The first 
part of this sloka as engraved reads and I was at first inclined 
to supply an ikara and read it i. e., “ unstable as a swarm of 
bees in motion” ; but considering the frequency of the comparison of human 
life to a drop of water on a lotus leaf, I thought it better to take the 
second to be a mistake of the engraver for I think, we are to ascribe 
to want of space the fact of the details of the date and the engraver’s name 
being omitted. 
Babu Oomachurn Roy # conjectures on the supposed ground of the title 
of Deva ascribed to the kings in this plate that the grant might have been 
made by a king of Tipara. This conjecture is in itself as slender as that 
based on the similarity of the character employed to that in the Tipara 
inscription translated by Colebrooke. Moreover only one of the kings, 
Maclhusudana, has that title in the inscription. Mr. J. Long’s analysis of 
the Rajamala, or Bengali History of the Tipara Royal family throws no 
light on the present subject, and we must postpone observations on this point 
till we succeed in securing a copy of the original MS. 
I cannot conclude this note without acknowledging the great help I 
received from Pandit Iswara Chandra Vidyasagara in decyphering the con¬ 
tents of the plate. 
* He says in a letter to Mr. Clay —“ I liope I have been able to gather the substance 
of the inscription. It is to this effect that in ancient times there was in Chittagong a 
Hindoo king about the year 1166 Salcabda, named Purusliatliam Del). His son was 
Madliooshoodan Deb, his son Basudeb Deb, and bis son Damudar Deb. This last named 
Damudar seems to have made a gift of 5 drons of land within certain boundaries to a 
brahman, this copperplate containing the deed of gift. 
“ We are told that Chittagong was under the sway of the Tipperah kings and they 
bore the title of Deb and even now they bear that very title. 
“ From this it may be fairly concluded that this deed of gift was executed by a king 
of the Tipperah royal family.” 
