14. Andhavaram plates, year 14.
EI, XXVIII, No.31, 175-79 (R. Subrahmanyam); IO, II, I, 13-16 (S.Rajaguru).

On receipt of a report from the village officers of Andhavaram, that an urn, containing four sete of copper plates with inscriptions, was accidently exposed by some cowherds of that village while playing, I visited the village on 27th February 1951. Messrs. Ramachandramurty and Rajarao, the village officers, took me to the findspot, and were kind enough to permit me to carry the plates to Viùàkhapaòíam, for study and publication. Andhavaram is a small village in the Narasannapeta taluk of the Srikakulam District, Madras State. It is situated on the left bank of the Vaìùadhàrà river. It is about twelve miles from Chicacole Road Railway Station. There are two mounds in the south-eastern part of the village, on one of which there is a big banyan tree. The urn containing the plates was discovered just at the foot of this tree. The plates were suspended by means of an iron rod inserted across the deliberately broken rim of the urn and are in a good state of preservation. The urn itself is of red earthenware and has a wide circular mouth. It had a hemispherical lid. The copper plates were preserved inside the urn in paddy-husk. This method of preserving copper-plate grants is known from some other cases as well. There were, in all, four sets of copper plates. Each set consists of three plates held together by means of a thick ring, the two ends of which are securely soldered under a seal bearing the làãchhana of the respective royal donor.
The earliest of the four records is edited here. Each of its three plates measure 6 7/16" X 2 3/16". It's copper ring is circiilar, 4" in diameter, and seal elliptical (3 1/8 x 2 1/8"). The legend on it is badly worn out, though four lines of writing are traceable. The writing is enclosed within straight lines of which there are four running across the breadth of the oval surface. Above the legend, at the top, are figured a dot and a crescent which stand respectiveiy for a star (or sun) and the moon.
The plates do not have raised rims, but still the writing on them is in a fair state of preservation. The first side of the first plate alone is left blank. The ring had to be cut by me for taking impressions. The plates together with the ring weigh 102 tolas, the ring alone weighing 67 tolas. (RS)

TEXT

First Plate

1 Svasti [|*] mahàhasty-aùva-skandhàvàràd=Vijayapuràd=Bhagavataõ=Ka-
2 mala-nilay-àkkrànta-vakøasî Nàràyaía-svàminaX=pàda-bhaktaõ
3 parama-daivata-bappa-bhaòòàraka-pàda-prasàd-àvàpta-ùarèra-
4 ràjya-vibhava-pratàpî Màòhara-kul-àlaêkariøíuõ=Kalêgàdhipa-

Second Plate; First Side

5 tiù=Ùrèman-Mahàràj-Ànanta-Ùaktivarmma(mmà) [À]ndîråppa-gràmå sa[r]vva-sa-
6 manvàgatàn=kuòumbinas=samàjãàpayati [|*] asty=avani[pa]-yath-îkta-
7 dharmm-àvasthàna-vijita-ttriviøòapair=Àryyaka-Ùakti-bhaòòàraka-pà
8 daiõ nànà-gîtra-nànà-charaíåbhyî bràhmaíåbhyaX=pórvva-datta ity=asmà-

Second Plate; Second Side

9 bhir=api sva-puíy-àyur-yyaùî-¸bhivðddhayå à sahasr-àìùu-ùaùi-tàra-
10 kàd=agrahàraì=kðtvà sarvva-parihàraiù=ca parihðty=aibhyî bràhmaía-ku-
11 låbhyî=¸tisðøòaõ [||*] tad=åvam jãàtvà yuømàbhir=uchit-îpasthànaê=ka-
12 rttavyam [|*] bhaviøyad-ràjàìù=cha vijãàpayati yuømàbhir=api pravðttakam>

Third Plate; First Side

13 iman=dàna-dharmmam=anupaùyadbhir=åøî=¸grahàrî=¸nupàlyaõ [|*]
14 api ch=àtra Manu-Vyàsa-gètau ùlîkau bhavataõ [|*] Bahubhir=bbahudhà da-
15 ttà vasudhà vasudh-àdhipaiõ [|*] yasya yasya yadà bhómis=tasya
16 [ta]sya tadà phalam [||*] Pórvva-dattàn=dvijàtibhyî yatnàd=rakøa Yudhiøòhira[|*]

Third Plate; Second Side

17 mahèm=mahimatàì ùråøòha dànàch=chhråyî=nupàlanam=iti || àjãàptiõ
18 mahàdaíäanàyakàõ [|*] saìvatsaraù=chaturddaùaõ 10 4 Ùràvaía-
19 ùukla-paãchamyàm [|*] dåù-àkøapaòal-àdhikðta-daíäanàyaka-
20 Màtðvaråía likhitam=iti ||| |||