8. Bobbili plates, year 4
EI, XXVII, No. 8, 33-36 (R. K. Ghoshal, notes - C. R. Krishnamacharlu, further CRK); IO, II, I, 25-27 (S. Rajaguru,SR).

The copper-plates, which bear the subjoined inscription, were received in the Office of the Superintendent for Epigraphy, Madras, from Mr. Sivaramadas, an inhabitant of Bobbili in the Vizagapatam District of Madras, through the Tahsildar of that place. The plates which have since been presented by Mr. Sivaramadas to Government, are now deposited in ttie Archaeological Section of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Only short notices of the plates have appeared (Annual Report on South Indian Epigraphy, 1934-36, p. 6, No. 12 of Appendix A, and pp. 51-52; also Annual Report of Arch. Surv. India, 1934-35, p. 64.) till now. I edit the inscription for the first time from a set of ink-impressions kindly supplied by Dr. N. P. Chakravarti, Government Epigraphist for India.
These are three plates of copper with plain edges, measuring 6 1/2" by 2 1/8". Towards the proper right end of each plate, there is a ring-hole, 3/8" in diameter, through which the plates slide on to a copper ring, 2 3/4 in diameter. The ends of the ring are soldered on to an elliptical seal measuring 1 1/8" by 5/8". The seal bears, in a rectangular incuse, the legend Pitri(tði)bhaktaõ in the same alphabet as that of the plates. Metre vv.1-3 : Ùlîka (Anuøòubh).
Palaeographically, the Bobbili inscription, like other early inscriptions from Kaliêga is to be referred to the flrst half of the 5th century A. D. The Year 4 mentioned is apparently regnal. (RG)

TEXT

First Plate

1 Îì Svasti [||*] Vijaya-Siìhapurà[t]-paramahhàgavata[õ] pitð-pàd-ànuddhyàta[õ]
2 Kaliêg-àdhipati-ùrè-mahàràjà(ja)-Caíäavarmmà Tiritthàía-gràmå sarvva-
3 samavåtàn=kuòumbinaõ(nî) bhîjakà[ì]ù=cha samàjãàpayaty=asty=åøî(øa) gràm[î]=
4 ¸smàbhir=àtmana[õ] puíy-àyur-yyaùasàm=abhivðddhayå [à]-samud[r-à]dð(dri)-ùasi(ùi)-tàrak-àrka-
5 pratiøòham=agrahàraì kðtvà sarvva-kara-parihàraiù-cha parihðtya øaò-tðiêùa(triìùa)-

Second Plate: First Side.

6 d-agrahàra-sàmànyaã=ch=àgrahàra[õ*] pradåya[ì*] samba(mva)tsarikaì saêàgraì ùatabhu(bhó)-
7 yaã=ch=àùaì=ch=îpanibandhyaõ T[i]ritthàía-vàòak-àgrahàra-bràhmaíànàì
8 nànà=gà(gî)tra-sabrahmachàriíàm samprattaõ [|*] tad=åvaì jãàtvà
9 yuømàbhiõ pórvv-îchita-maryyàdayà sarvv-îpasthàna[ì] karttavyam
10 måya-hiraíy-[à]dyaã=ch=îpanåyam [|*] bhaviøyataù=cha ràjãî

Second Plate: Second Side