22. Kåsaribåäà plates.
J.B.R.S., Vol. XXXIV, pp. 33-42 (G. Ramadas); EI, v.28 No. 2, 12-17 (D. Ch. Sircar); IO, II, II, 86-88 (S. Rajaguru);

In Fehruary 1944, the Amin of the Umarkîò Police Station in the Jeypore State (Koraput District, Orissa) reported to the authorities of the State that a set of copper plates had been discovered in a forest adjoining the village of Kåsaribåäà within the jurisdiction of the said Police Station.
The plates are said to have been found exposed on the ground at the foot of a mango tree in the forest. The news of the discovery soon reached the ears of Mr. G. Ramadas of Jeypore, who is an enthusiastic student of Indian epigraphy, and he secured the plates from the Pójàri of the village with the help of his friend, the late Mr. Talisetty Rama Rao who was then the Assistant Diwan of the Jeypore State. Mr. Ramadas cut the ring passing through the plates in order to read the inscription on them; but soon afterwards he sent the entire set of plates for registration to the Government Epigraphist for India at Ootacamund. I edit the inscription with the permission kindly accorded to me by Dr. B. Ch. Chhabra, Government Epigraphist for India.
Mr. Ramadas has earned the gratitude of the students of Indian history by publishing recently an interesting note on the Kåsaribåäà copper-plate inscription in the Journal of the Bihar Research Society, Vol. XXXIV, pp. 33-42. Unfortunately the text of the record as made out by him as well as his interpretation of it is not free from errors. Besides, most of his suggestions regarding Nala history appear to be mere wild guesses. As I am inclined to disagree with almost all of Mr. Ramadas's theories about the Nala, I would prefer not to comment on them in detail for the present.
The set consists of three copper plates strung together on a copper ring. The circumference of the ring, which is fixed in a thick and somewhat oval mass of copper having three square holes in a line at the top, is 7.4" and its diameter 2". The plates are roughly 7.5" in length and 1.5" in breadth and have their corners rounded off. The hole for the ring to pass through is at the proper right end of the plates and has a diameter of 1/3. The weight of the ring is 6.75 tolas and that of the plates together with the ring is 34.75 tolas. Of the three plates, the second and the third are inscribed on both sides, while the first has writing on one side only. Altogether there are fourteen lines of writing, each side having three lines, except the second side of the third plate which has two lines only. (DS)

TEXT

Metre:v.1-2 - Anuøòubh.

First Plate

1 Svasti [|*] Puøkaryyàõ Mahåùvara-Mahàsån-àtisðøòa-ràjya-vibha[va*]õ tri-pat[à]-
2 kà-dhvajaõ Nala-nðpati-kul-ànvayaõ ùrè-mahàràj-Àrtthapati-bhaòòàrakaõ
3 Kåsålaka-gràmå Bràhmam-åttaràn kuòumbinaù=ùèrøakaã=ch-àjãàpaya[ti*]

Second Plate; First Side

4 yóyam=asmàbhi[õ] Kautsa-sagîtràya Durgga(rggà)ryyàya Raviràryyàya Ravidattàryyàya pó(pu)tra-pauttrika[m*|
5 Artthapati-bhaòa(òòà)rakasy=a(sy=à)nugrahàrttha[m*] udakapórvva[ì*] datta à-chandra-tàrakam=a-bhaòa-pravåùa[õ*] sarvva-kara-
6 visarjjitaõ a-vahaõ [|*] na kånachi[t] kiãcha(ãchi)d=vaktavyàõ [|*] yataõ bhavadbhi[ù=cha]

Second Plate; Second Side

7 dhruva-karmmànt-àrambhåõ(mbhaiõ) sunirvðta-viùvastair=vvastavya[ì*] viøay-îchitàù=cha ùuùróùà(øàõ)
8 karttavyà hiraíy-àdayaù-cha pratyàya(yà) dåyàõ [|*] tataù=cha Bhaòà(òòà)raka-ràjasya(sy=à)-
9 pyàyana[m |*] asmàbhiõ parituøòa(øòai)r=datta[õ*] yaõ kaùchit vyapåta dharmmà

Third Plale; First Side

10 ràgà[d*] drîhàt=pral[î]bhàd=và gràmå kiãchit=pralîpayåt [|*] sa mahàpàtaka-
11 yuktaõ paãchabhi=nna(r=nna)rakaì vrajåt [||1*] uktaã=cha[|*] Øaøòè(øòiì) varøasahasràíi
12 s[va]rggå nandati bhómidah [|*] àkøåpta cha(ch=à)numa[ntàj cha tàny=åva narakå vasavati (||2)

Third Plate, Second side

13 Saìvva 7 Màrggaùèrøa-màsa amàvàsyam likhita[ì*] sva-muh-à-
14 jãàptåna Rahasyàdhikðtåna Chullåna ||