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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS ; No. 81, PLATE XLV. 299
dispelled by the rays of the sun and the moon and the stars ; together with (its) hidden
treasures and deposits ; not to be entered by the regular or the irregular troops ; (and)
accompanied by (the right of) receiving the dâradraṇaka¹ and all the taxes.
(L. 24.)—" Being aware of this, you should dwell in happiness, rendering to them, in
a proper manner, (their) share ot the enjoyment."
(L. 26.)—And for the guidance of future kings, this is said,—" Those kings who
bestow land, enjoy pleasure in heaven ; (but) alas ! those who confiscate land (that has
been given), and (thus) work injury to mankind, fall into hell : bearing in mind these alter-
natives, and also that fortune (and) life are transient, do that which pleases you !"
Moreover,—" The reward of protection ensures a fortunate condition, and of omission to
protect, a state of misfortune ; who, indeed, will (willingly) disregard heaven and ohtain
hell ? "
(L. 30.)—And they cite on this point the verses that were sung by Vyâsa :—Gold is
the first offspring of fire ; the earth belongs to (the god) Vishṇu ; and cows are the
daughters of the sun : therefore the three worlds are given by him, who gives gold, and a
cow, and land ! 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 ! Land has been given by many kings, com-
mencing 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) ! 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) more meritorious than making a grant !
(L. 35.)—The year 7 of the increasing victorious reign ; (the month) Kârttika ; the
eighth day, (or in figures) 8.

¹ dâradraṇaka is a fiscal term that requires explanation. The dictionaries give dâra, in the sense
of ‘ a cleft, gap, hole ; a ploughed field ; a wife ; ’ but they do not give draṇaka, or any root by means
of which it can be explained. The term may refer either to some agricultural cess, or to a marriage-
tax of the kind spoken of in line 5 ff. of the Daṇḍâpur inscription of Jagattuṅga II., dated Śaka-Saṁvat
840 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XII. p. 223 f.)
2 P 39