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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 40, PLATE XXVI. 191
(L. 77.)—In four centuries of years, increased by forty-seven; on the fifth lunar day
of the bright fortnight of (the month) Jyêshṭha; (or) in figures, the year 400 (and) 40
(and) 7; (the month) Jyêshṭha; the bright fortnight; (the lunar day) 5. (This is) my
sign-manual.¹

No. 40; PLATE XXVI.

ARANG COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF THE RAJA

MAHA-JAYARAJA.

THIS inscription,—which was first brought to notice by General Cunningham, in
1884, in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XVII. p. 55 ff. and Plates xxiv. and xxv.; and is now
published in full for the first time,—is on some copper-plates that were obtained by
Colonel Bloomfield, and were found at Ârang,² a village about twenty miles almost due
east of Râypur,³ the chief town of the Râypur District in the Central Provinces. The
original plates are now in the Provincial Museum at Nâgpur.
The plates, of which the first is inscribed on one side only, are three in number, each
measuring about 5⅝″ by 2¾″ at the ends and a little less in the middle. They are quite
smooth, the edges of them being neither fashioned thicker nor raised into rims. A few
of the letters have been damaged by rust; but the inscription is for the most part in a
state of perfect preservation throughout. The plates are of fair thickness; and the letters,
though fairly deep, do not shew through on the backs of them at all. The engraving is
very good, but shews here and there, as usual, in the interiors of the letters, marks of the
working of the engraver s tool.—Towards the proper right end of each plate, there is a
hole for a ring to connect them. The ring is circular, about ⅛″ thick, and 3″ in diameter;
it had already been cut, for the purpose of taking impressions of the plates, when the grant
came into my hands; but there is no reason to suppose that it is not the ring properly
belonging to the plates. The seal, in which the ends of the ring are secured, is circular,
about 3½″ in diameter; and, like the seal of the Râypur grant of Mahâ-Sudêvarâja, No. 41,
below, Plate xxvii., it has a strong yellow glint in it, which gives it the appearance of being
made of a kind of brass, rather than of copper. It has, in relief, on a countersunk and
slightly concave surface,—across the centre, a legend, in two lines, of which the text and
translation are given below;—in the upper part, a standing figure of the goddess Lakshmî,
facing full-front; on each side of her, an elephant standing on a waterlily, with its trunk
lifted up to pour water over her head; in the proper right corner, an expanded waterlily,
on its stalk; and in the proper left corner, a śaṅkha or conch-shell;—and in the lower
part, there seems to have been a floral device. The seal has, at some time or other, been
subjected to the action of fire, but not enough to do any very serious damage to the
legend and devices on it.—The weight of the three plates is about 1 lb. 3 oz., and of the
ring and seal, 1 lb. 1 oz.; total 2 lbs. 4 oz.—The average size of the letters is about ⅛″
¹ sva-hasta.—In the original these words have some wavy lines under them, which are intended
for an actual representation of the sign-manual. See also page 171 above, note 2.
² The ‘Airing and Arang’ of maps. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 91. Lat. 21° 12′ N.; Long. 82°
1′ E.—Gen. Cunningham was first informed (Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XVII. p. 55) that the plates
were found at Ârvî (see page 192 below, and note 4); then (id. p. 59), that they were actually
obtained at Râypur, but were most probably found at Ârang; and finally (id. Preface, p. iii.), that
they were found at Ârang.
³ The ‘Raepoor, Raipur, and Ryepoor,’ of maps.