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

190 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
(with the privilege that it is) not to be (even) pointed at with the hand (of undue
appropriation) by any of the king's people; (and) with the exception of previously-given
grants to gods. and Brâhmaṇs,—is given by me, with copious libations of water, on the
terms of a grant to a Brâhmaṇ, in accordance with the rule of bhûmichchhidra,—to
endure for the same time with the moon, the sun, the ocean, the earth, and the mountains;
(and) to be enjoyed by the succession of sons and sons' sons,—to the Bhaṭṭa Âkhaṇḍala-
mitra, the son of the Bhaṭṭa Vishṇu, an inhabitant of the famous town of Ânandapura,
belonging to the community of Chaturvêdins of that (place), a member of the Śârkarâkshi
gôtra, and a student of the Bahvṛicha (śâkhâ),—for the maintenance of the rites of the
bali, charu, vaiśvadêva, agnihôtra, and atithi sacrifices, and other (ceremonies).
(L. 69.)—“Wherefore, no one should behave so as to cause obstruction to this per-
son in enjoying (it) in accordance with the proper conditions of a grant to a Brâhmaṇ
(and) cultivating (it), (or) causing it to be cultivated, or assigning (it to another).
(L. 70.)—“(And) this Our gift should be assented to and preserved by future pious
kings, whether born of Our lineage or others, bearing in mind that riches do not endure
for ever, that the life of man is uncertain, and that the reward of a gift of land belongs in
common (both to him who makes it and to him who continues it).”
(L. 72.)—And it has been said by Vyâsa, the arranger of the Vêdas:—“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)! These chattels, made into altars of religion, which have been formerly
given here (on earth) by (previous) kings, (are) like the remains of offerings to gods, and
like food that is vomited up; verily, what good man would take them back again? The
giver of land abides 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! Those who confiscate a grant of land, are born as black serpents, dwelling in
the hollows of dried-up trees in the Vindhya mountains, destitute of water!
(L. 75.)—The Dûtaka in this matter (is) the Mahâpratîhâra,¹...... the Mahâksha-
paṭalika,² a member of the king’s household, the illustrious Siddhasêna, the son of the
illustrious Śarvaṭa; and (this charter) has been written by his deputy, the Pratinartaka,³
the high-born Amâtya Guha, the son of Hêmbaṭa, who was deputed by him (to write it).
dasa aparâdhâh, or ‘ten offences,’ referred to in the text. And the full technical expression evidently
conveyed, to the grantee of a village, the right to the proceeds of fines imposed for the commission of
these, or similar, wrongful actions in the limits of his village.
¹ Mahâpratîhâra, lit. ‘the great Pratîhâra,’ is a technical official title denoting the superior
officer of the Pratîhâras or ‘door-keepers.’
² Mahâkshapaṭalika, lit. ‘the great Âkshapaṭalika,’ is a technical official title denoting the
superior officer of the Âkshapaṭalikas or ‘keepers of the records.’—The title Âkshapaṭalika occurs
for instance, in an abbreviated form, in line 34 of the Kaḍî grant of Bhîmadêva II. of Vikrama-Saṁvat
1283 (Ind. Ant. Vol. VI. p 200). It is derived from akshapaṭala, which Monier Williams gives in
his Saṅskṛit Dictionary as meaning ‘a court of law; a depository of legal documents,’ and which
occurs in the title Akshapaṭalâdhikṛita, synonymous with Âkshapaṭalika, in line 15 of No. 60 below,
Plate xxxvii.—Another title, Âkshaśâlika, which is perhaps synonymous with Âkshapaṭalika, occurs
in line 25 of the ‘Chicacole’ grant of Indravarman of the year 146 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XIII. p. 123).
³ Pratinartaka appears to be an official or family title. Westergaard, in his Radices, does not
give nṛit in composition with prati. Monier Williams, in his Saṅskṛit Dictionary, gives it in the
sense of ‘to dance before, in token of contempt.’ But it more probably has some connection with
nartaka in the sense of ‘a bard, a herald.’