174 Pratapachandra Ghosha— Three Copper-plate Inscriptions. [No. 2, 
seal with a thick border. The legend on it is unclear. It has been 
much affected by age, and the faint but rough relief impressions lead 
me to surmise that it had at one time a figure of Bamachandra seated on a 
lotus, and surrounded by lotus leaves and flowers. At the foot of the lotus 
throne there appears to be a kneeling figure, evidently of Hanumdna , for 
it has a tail. 
The character of the inscription is of the 12th century ; the ^ of the 
inscription, however, is of as ancient a form as is met with in the Kutila 
type. The vowel signs are nearly identical with those of the Bengali 
alphabet. It is, however, noteworthy to observe that 'the ancient forms of 
^r, W and occur in this inscription. The rf and of are closely allied 
to the Bengali type. The language is Sanskrit, and the metre of the slokas 
which close up the inscription is in the long distich. The grammar on the 
whole is correct, but errors and omissions committed by the engraver are 
numerous. 
The inscription opens with the simple auspicious “ Svasti ” in the 
style of a proclamation from Malidhliava Gupta , evidently a son or 
scion of the family of Qiva Gupta , the monarch of the three Kalingas. 
The place is then described, and the conditions of the grant are set forth ; 
the annual rent being fixed at 8 palas of silver. A pala according to Amara 
iSinha is “ Karsha chatushtaya ”, i. e. weighing 32 tolas. As usual, in 
granting the village its mines are also given away. 
The second tablet describes the recipients who are all evidently Bhat- 
tas (heralds?) by profession. The first is of the Kauchchha gotra, which is 
not known in this part of the country. The pravaras, that is the rishis, 
allied to the family are Angirasa and Varshayauvanagva , and those of next to 
kith and kin are Yuvanagva, JDamvarisha and Angira , professing the Kau- 
tliama section of the Samaveda. These are all evidently pagchatya Vaidika 
Brahmans, that is to say, the TJrias of the Western clan. The first donee’s 
name is Damaka , the son of Aiprali. He came from a place called Lera - 
gringa in the valley of the Tampa. The second is of the Gautuma gotra. 
The second, third, and fourth all belong to the Kanva section of the Yajur 
veda , the second comes from Vpagringa , the upper peak as contradis¬ 
tinguished from Leragringa of the first donee. The third is named Vdsu- 
deva , the son of Hrishikesha, of the Kashatreya gotra. The fourth, 
though coming from the same valley as the first, is of the Agasti gotra 
and named jKondadeva, the son of Bamagarma. 
After the description of the donees, the usual imprecations are fulmi¬ 
nated against the resumption by the future princes of the lands and the 
usual quotations from the Dharma Qastras are added in which the donors 
of lands are praised, and their resumers are condemned as heinous sinners. 
The engraver, an employee of the son of Mallddhara Datta, the min¬ 
ister of the States, is a Kayastha of the Ghosha family. 
