7. Tembóru plates, year 40
EI XXXVII, No. 57, p. 337-40 (G. S. Gai).

These copper plates were discovered in Tembóru village in Patapatnam Taluk of Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh. Shri B. N. Shastri of Hyderabad, an enthusiastic worker in the field of Andhra History and Culture, obtained them from Dr. G. V. Sitapati and published in the Telugu Monthly Bhàrati, Vol. 44, Part 12 (December 1967), pp. 13 ff. When I visited Hyderabad in December 1968, Shri Shastri was kind enough to hand over these plates to me for examination and study. The record is edited here from the impressions taken under my supervision at Hyderabad. The plates are now deposited in Navodaya Samiti Office at Hyderabad. I am thankful to Shri Shastri for placing the plates at my disposal.
The set consists of three plates, each plate measuring 15 cm x 6.5 cm. At the left end margin of each plate is a ring-hole, 1.2 cm in diameter, through which passes a ring, 12.5 cm in diameter. The ends of the ring are secured at the bottom of an oval seal measuring 7 cm x 5 cm. The depression of the seal bears in relief a legend in four lines which is rather indistinct. We can, however, make out the letters '-Îmavarmmaíah' at the end. The weight of the three plates is 440 gm while that of the ring with the seal is 880 gm. The first and third plates are engraved on the inner sides only while the second plate contains writing on both the sides. The first and the second plates have suffered some damage with the result that some letters have become indistinct, though they can be easily made out from the context.
The characters are early South Indian of about the 6th century A.D. and resemble those of the other grants of the same king Umavarman, viz. the Bðhatprîøòha grant, Dhavalapåòa etc (G. S. Gai).

TEXT

First Plate

1 Siddham [|*] [Svasti] vi[jaya]-Siìhapuràd-Bappa-pàda-bhaktaX=Kaliêg-àdhipatiõ
2 [ùrè-ma]hàràj-Îmavarmmà | Hîíaråêga-gràmå sarvva-samavåtàn
3 kuòumbinas=samàjãàpayaty=asty=åøa gràmî=smabhiÛ =putra
4 Vasuøåíaràjasya puíya-yaùî-bhivðddhayå Vàsiøòha-sagî-
5 tràya Taittirèya-sabrahmachàriíå bràhmaía-Bhartðùarmmaíå

Second Plate, First Side

6 à-sahasràìùu-ùaùi-tàraka-pratiøòham=agrahàraê=kðtvà Danta-
7 yavàgó-madambàd=viniøkðøya Kaliêg-àgrahàra-sàmànyaì kðtvà
8 sarvva-kara-parihàraiù=cha parihðtya prattaõ [|*] tad=åvaì viditvà
9 yuømàbhi[Û =pórvv-î]chita-maryyàday=îpasthànàê=karttavyaì måya-hira-
10 íy=à[dyaã=ch=îpanè]yam=bhaviøyataù=cha ràjãî vijãàpayati [|*] dharmma-

Second Plate, Second Side