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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS ; No. 29, PLATE XIX A. 129
Divine One, established by them, and of the feet of the sacred Sun,¹ and for the mainte-
nance of the bali, charu, sattra, perfumes, incense, garlands, and lamps.
(L. 17.)—“You yourselves shall render to them the offering of the tribute of the
customary royalties, taxes, gold, &c., and shall be obedient to (their) commands.
(L. 18.)—“And those kings who shall be born in Our lineage,—by them this grant
should not be confiscated, (but) should be assented to, and should be preserved accord-
ing to opportunity. (And) the tribute of the taxes which by custom should not belong to
the king, should not be taken.
(L. 20.)—“Whosoever may confiscate this grant,—he shall become invested with
(the guilt of) the five great sins and the minor sins.”
(L. 22.)—And it has been said in the Mahâbhârata by the venerable Vyâsa, the
arranger of the Vêdas,—“O Yudhishṭhira, best of kings, carefully preserve land that has
been given, whether by thyself, or by another; (verily) the preservation (of a grant) (is)
better than making a grant! As a rule, indeed, no inauspicious condition is experienced
by kings; but they are purified for ever, when they bestow land! 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 contiscator (of a grant), and he who assents (to an act of confiscation), shall
dwell for the same number of years in hell! He who confiscates land, rich in all (kinds)
(of) grains, (that has been granted),—he becomes a worm in the ordure of a dog, and
sinks (into hell) together with (his) ancestors!”
(L. 29.)—(This charter) has been written, in a century of years, increased by ninety-
three, on the tenth day of the month Chaitra, by the Mahâsâṁdhivigrahika Manôratha,
the grandson of the Bhôgika, the Amâtya Phalgudatta,² (and) the son of the Bhôgika
Varâhadinna. The Dûtaka (is) the Mahâbalâdhikṛita, the Kshatriya Śivagupta.

No. 29; PLATE XIX A.

KHÔH COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF THE

MAHARAJA SARVANATHA.

THIS inscription,—which was first brought to notice by General Cunningham, in 1879,
in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. IX. p. 15, No. 8, where he published a translation of
it,³—is on another copper-plate, the only one now forthcoming of an original set of two,⁴
that appears to have been found somewhere in the valley near the village of Khôh,⁵ in the
Nâgaudh State in the Baghêlkhaṇḍ division of Central India. I obtained the original plate,
for examination, from the possession of the Râjâ of Nâgaudh, through the kindness of
Major D. W. K. Barr.
¹ See page 123 above, note 5; and page 127, note 3.
² See page 123 above, note 2.
³ But he wrongly took, as the continuation of it, the second plate of the grant of the same
Mahârâja Śarvanâtha of the year 214, No. 31 below, Plate xx.
⁴ See page 132 below, note 3. ⁵ See page 93 above, and note 3.