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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 28, PLATE XVIII. 125
bridge;—in the direction of Suvarṇakakshaka, (partly) the place where the reeds
grow by the cattle-path,¹ and partly a bridge:—in the direction of Âmuka, a boundary-
trench;—in the direction of Dâramaṇḍala, a bridge;—(and) in the direction of the
district at the entrance of Vakravaṇa, a bridge;—(then the boundaries) enter the village
(again) at the well.

No. 28; PLATE XVIII.

KHOH COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF THE

MAHARAJA SARVANATHA.

THE YEAR 193.

THIS inscription, which has not been previously brought to notice, is from another set
of copper-plates that appear to have been found somewhere in the valley near the village
of Khôh,² in the Nâgaudh State in the Bâghêlkhaṇḍ division of Central India. I obtained
the original plates, for examination, from the possession of the Râjâ of Nâgaudh, through
the kindness of Major D. W. K. Barr.
The plates, which, so far as the inscription now published is concerned, are inscrib-
ed on one side only, are two in number, the first measuring about 7½" by 6¼", and the
second, 7⅝" by 6¼". The edges of them are fashioned slightly thicker than the inscribed
surfaces, with corresponding depressions inside them, so as to serve as rims to protect
the writing; and the inscription is in a state of excellent preservation almost throughout.
The plates are rather thick, and the letters, though fairly deep, do not shew through on
the backs of them at all. The engraving is good; but, as usual, the interiors of the
letters shew marks of the working of the engraver's tool throughout.—In the upper part
ot each plate, there is a hole for a ring to connect them. The ring is about 7/16" thick and
1¾" in diameter. It had not been cut when the grant came under my notice; but one end
of it had been forced out of the socket of the seal, so that it could be detached from the
plates. It appears, however, to be the ring properly belonging to these plates. The
seal, in which the ends of the ring are secured, is rectangular, about 1⅛" by 1¼".
With the plates, it has been subjected to the action of fire, and has received considerably
more injury than the plates. It can be seen, however, that it contains, in relief on a
countersunk surface, at the top, Garuḍa, the bird-vehicle of Vishṇu, with outstretched
wings, just as on the copper-coins of Chandragupta II.; and below this, in two lines, the
legend, very much damaged, Mahârâja-Śa[r]va[nâ]tha.—The weight of the two plates
is 2 lbs. 4 oz., and of the ring and seal, 2½ oz.; total, 2 lbs. 6½ oz.—The average size of
the letters is about ¼". The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets, and
are of the same type with those of the Kâritalâî grant of the Mahârâja Jayanâtha of the
year 174, No. 26 above, page 117 ff., and Plate xvi. They include the rather rare jh, in
ajjhita, line 5.—The language is Sanskṛit; and, except for the benedictive and impre-
catory verses in lines 22 to 28, the inscription is in prose throughout. From a linguis-
tic point of view, we have to notice (1) the use of the Prâkṛit word phuṭṭa, in line 15; and
(2) in anumôditaka, line 13 f.; uparilikhitaka, line 14; pratishṭhâpitaka, line 14 f.; and
¹ gôpatha-śara, line 24; the meaning, however, is not quite certain.—śara, in one of its
meanings, denotes the reed or grass called Saccharum Sara.
² See page 93 aoove, and note 3.