गुप्त अभिलेख संग्रह (जे. एफ. फ्लीट - गुप्त सम्राटों एवं परवर्ती नरेशों के ऐतिहासिक पाषाण व ताम्रलेख)

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 23, PLATE XIV. 109
(Line 3.)—By the Mahârâja, the illustrious Hastin,—who is born in the family of a
kingly ascetic;—who is the great-grandson of the Mahârâja Dêvâdhya;—who is the
grandson of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Prabhañjana;—who is the son of the
Mahârâja, the illustrious Dâmôdara;—who is the giver of thousands of cows, and
elephants, and horses, and gold, and many lands;—who is earnest in paying respect to
(his) spiritual preceptor and (his) father and mother;—who is extremely devoted to the
gods and Brâhmaṇs;—who has been victorious in many hundreds of battles;—(and) who
causes the happiness of his own race,—
(L. 6.)—(By him), at the agreeable request of Mahâdêvidêva, the village named
Vâlugarta, in accordance with the usage of the specification of (its) ancient boundaries,
with the udranga and the uparikara, (and with the privilege that it is) not to be entered
by the irregular or the regular troops, is granted as an agrahâra, by a copper-charter,—
for the purpose of increasing the religious merit of (his) parents and of himself, and in
order to erect the steps of a ladder leading to heaven, acceptable to Mahâdêvidêva,—to
these Brâhmaṇs, of the Aupamanyava gôtra, students of the Chhandôga-Kauthuma
(śâkhâ), (viz.) Gôvindasvâmin, Gômikasvâmin, and Dêvasvâmin,—to be enjoyed by
(their) sons and sons' sons, with the exception of (the proceeds of fines imposed on)
thieves.
(L. 10.)—Therefore, even in future times, no obstacle (to the enjoyment of this grant)
is to be caused by those who are born in Our family, or by my feudatories. This
injunction having been given, he who behaves otherwise,—him I will consume with a
great contempt, even when I have passed into another body.
(L. 12.)—And it has been said by the venerable supreme sage, Vyâsa, the arranger
of the Vêdas,—"O Yudhishṭhira, best of kings, carefully preserve land that has previously
been given to the twice-born; (verily) the preservation (of a grant) is more meritorious
than making a grant! The earth has been enjoyed by many kings, commencing with
Sagara; whosoever at any time possesses the earth, to him belongs, at that time, the
reward (of this grant that is now made, if he continue it)! The giver of land enjoys
happiness in heaven for sixty thousand years; (but) the confiscator (of a grant), and he
who assents (to an act of confiscation), shall dwell for the same number of years in hell!
He becomes a worm in ordure, and is tormented together with his ancestors, who
confiscates land that has been given, whether by himself or by another! Those who
confiscate a previous grant, are born (again) as black serpents, inhabiting the dried-up
hollows of trees, in desert places destitute of water!"
(L. 18.)—And (this charter) has been written by the Mahâsâṁdhivigrahika
Vibhudatta, the son¹ of the great-grandson of the Amâtya Vakra; the great-grandson
of the Bhôgika Naradatta; the grandson of Ravidatta; (and) the son of Sûryadatta.
The Mahâbalâdhikṛita² Nâgasiṁha (is) the Dûtaka. The year 100 (and) 90 (and) 1;
(the month) Mâgha; the day 3.
¹ See page 108 above, note 6.
² Mahâbalâdhikṛita, lit. 'a great officer placed at the head of the forces,' is a technical official
title, denoting an officer superior to the Balâdhikṛitas.—The latter title, Balâdhikṛita, occurs in line 2
of the Shâhpur image inscription of Âdityasêna, No. 43 below, Plate xxixA.—A synonym for Mahâ-
balâdhikṛita was Mahâbalâdhyaksha, which occurs in Mr. Bendall's Nêpâl inscription of Harsha-
Saṁvat 34 (Journey in Nêpâl, p. 75, line 17.)