26. Kanas plates, Gupta year 280.
JKHRS, Vol.III, 261-66 (S.Rajaguru); IO,II, III, 120-123 (S.Rajaguru); EI, Vol. 28, No. 51: 329-31 (D.C. Sircar); IA.AR. 1950-51, p.7, No. 14, App.A.

The village of Kanàs lies about ten miles away from the Delang station of the Bengal-Nagpur Railway in the Puri District of Orissa. The village is celebrated for an ancient Maòha or monastery under a Mahant Mahàràj. Some time ago Pandit Sadàùiva Ratha Ùarmà of Puri, who is a Research Assistant of the Utkal Umversity, Cuttack, secured on loan two copper-plate inscriptions in the possession of the Kanàs Maòha and gave them for decipherment to Pandit Satyanàràyana Ràjaguru who was formerly Research Assistant of the Kaliêga Historical Research Society, Balangir, and is now Assistant Curator of the Orissa Museum at Bhubaneswar. Pandit Ràjaguru made an attempt to decipher one of the two records and published the results of his study in the Journal of the Kalinga Historical Research Society, Vols. II, No. 4 and III, Nos. 1-3, January 1950, pp. 261-66. As the text of the inscription published by Pandit Ràjaguru appeared to me inaccurate and unsatisfactory, I was eager to examine the original plate. Both the plates in the possession of the Kanàs Maòha were secured on loan by the Government Epigraphist for India through the Collector of the Puri District in December 1950. The results of my study of the two inscriptions, one of which is as yet unknown to scholars, are published in the following pages.
A. Plate of Lîkavigraha-bhaòòàraka; Gupta year 280: This is a single plate measuring 4.85 inches by 2.5 inches and having writing on both obverse and reverse. There is a projection in the middle of the left end of the plate, to which a seal was originally soldered. Of this seal, however, nothing but a small lump of bronze protruding through a hidden hole on both the obverse and reverse of the projection now remains. There are eleven lines of writing on the obverse of the plate and ten lines on the reverse. The size of the letters is small. The preservation of the writing, especially on the obverse of the plate, is extremely unsatisfactory as some of the letters have completely peeled off. The weight of the plate, together with the lump representing the original seal, is 15 tolas only. (DS)

TEXT (DS)

Obverse

1 [Siddham||] Svasti [||*] Chatu[r-u*]dadhi-salila-vèchè-[måkhalà-nilè]nàyàì sa-dvèpa-[giri-pa]-
2 ttanavatyàì vasundharàyàì pravarttamànå Gupta-[kà]la-[samva(saìva)tsa]rå a[ùè]ty-u[tta]ra-ùata-[dva*]-
3 y[å] Tî[sa]lyàì s-àøtàdaù-à[òòa(òa)]vi-ràjyàyàì parama-[då]va[t-à]dhidaivata-ùrè-Lîkavi-
4 graha-bhaòòàra[kå pra]ùàsati [Da]køi[ía-Tî]salyàm=Uòida-viøayà[t] vini[yu]-
5 [kta]kà[õ*] sa-vaiùvàsika-viøayapaty-aì[sa]vð(bð)hadbhîgik-àdhikara[íà] varttamàna-
6 bhaviøyan-mahàsàma[n]ta-ma[hà]ràja-ràjap[u]ttra-kumà[rà]màty-îparika-[ta]d-àyu-
7 k[ta]ka-[vaiùvàsika]-viøayapa[ty-aìsa]vð(bð)[hadbhîgi]k-àdhikaraíàn=anyàìù=cha [bhàga]-bhuj[î]
8 ya[th-à]rhaì [saì]pójya vijãà[pa]yanti[|*] viditam=a[s]tu bhî bhavat[àì] yath=àsmad-viøaya-
9 [samva(mba)]ddha Ó[rddhvaùð]êga-grà[maõ] chi[ra-khila-ùó]nyam=anåka-guíam=ity=avadhðtya
10 pa[rama-då]vat-àdhi[daivata]-ùrè-pa[rama-bhaòòàra]ka-pàd-[ànujãa]y=àsmàbhiõ dharmm-àrtha-kàma-
11 viniøpatta[yå] [à-chandr-àrkka]-sama[kàlèy-àkøaya-nè]vè-dharmmåía cha[tuõ]-

Reverse

12 sèmà-liêgàni saìsthàpya [Chai]k[à]mva(mba)[kè]ya-ùrè-Ma[íi]nàgåù[v]ara-bhaòòàraka-ma[òhè]-
13 ya-va(ba)li-charu-sattra-pravarttanàya nànà-gîttra-Maittràyaíèya-chhàtra-Vrà(Brà)hma-
14 íànàì s[th]i[ta]y[å] tàmra-pa[òòè]kðtya pratipàdita[õ] [|*] ta[d=å]va[ì] viditya(tvà) dharmm-àbhilà-
15 øàd=an[upà]layi[tum=arha]th=åti || Samva(Saìva)t 200 80 Phàlguía(na)-di [||*]
16 [a]nus[ð]taì Sórya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . li-bhaòai[õ |] vaiùvàsika-Bhavanàga | viøaya-
17 pati-[Ùrèdatta |] . . . . . . . . . . . . ji-rîd-àì[sa]-vð(bð)had-bhîgika-Suäumàka | karaíi-
18 ka-Nàgadatta [| draêgapà] . . . . . . . kaiù=ch=åti || Va(Ba)hubhir=vvasudhà dattà ràjabhiõ
19 Sagar-àdibhi[õ] [| *] yasya ya[sya] yadà bhómis=tasya tasya ta[dà*] phalaì(lam)||
20 Øaøòiì varøa-saha[srà]íi svarggå tiøòhati bhómidaõ [| *] àkøåptà ch=ànumantà cha
21 tàny=åva narakå vasåt || o || o ||

TEXT (SR - strong differs from DS reading)

Obverse

1 Îì Svasti [||*] Catur-udadhi-salila-vècè-måkhalà-. . . . valaya sa-dvèpà(pa)gara(giri)-pa-.
2 ttanavatyàì vasundharàyàì varttamànå Gaupta-kàlå 200 ùatmuùiva-
3 ya(yà) Tîsalyàyàm-aøtàdaù-àdhiràjyayà paramadaivatàdhidaivata-ùrè-Lîkavi-
4 graha-bhaòòa-mahàsàmantî Dakøiía-Tîsalyà[ì] Saòida-viøayàt tat-icchapa-
5 ttanå sakha-svàsida-viøayapatyà samóhaì jãàpa[ya]ti varttamàna-
6 bhaviøyan-mahàsàmanta-mahàràja-ràjaputra-kumàràmàtya(yî)parikaràdaya(yà)-
7 da(di)kaì ca ùvàòida-viøayapatyaì(tyà)n=anyàìù=cha tatî¸nyaì ja-
8 yavàrha(yavaràha) sa pójya vijãa(jãà)payanti(ti) || viditam=astu và bhavatàì yath=àsmin-viøaya-
9 samvaddha Órddha-ùðêkha-gràmaõ vidhèyanyà(nè)tamàna kàla(lå)ía (na)mi(è)ty=avadhðtya-
10 parama-daivat-àdhidaivata-ùrè-parama-bhaòòàraka-pàdayo¸smàbhi-dharmmî¸yaì-pà-
11 lanèøu ttayà . . . . . samupabhuìjà[na]mayà sva sva dharmmåía tata-

Reverse

12 sèmà-liêgàni saìsthàpya su(ùu)bhavðddhayå ùrè-Maíinàgåùvara-bbaòòàraka-ma[òhè]-
13 yà-vali-caru-sattra-pravarttanàya nànà-gîttra-Maittràyaíèyaì-cha(cchà)tra-bràhma-
14 íàì bodhitavya tàmra-phalakådaya pratipàditaõ tad=åva[ì] viditya(tvà) dharmm-àbhilà-
15 øàdànupàlayitam=iha iti || samvat 200 80 Phàlguía di 10
16 || likhitaì Sóryyakøi[ta]salitaòå || vaiùvàsika-Bhavanàga viøaya-
17 pati-Ùudra. . .vðhad-bhîgika-Su(Ùó)drapàka karaíi-
18 ka-Nàgadatta durgapatayîkaùcåti | bahubhir=vasudhà dattà ràjabhiõ
19 Sagar-àdibhiõ [|] yasya yasya yadà bhómis=tasya tasya ta[dà] phalaì(lam)||
20 øaøòi[ì] varøa-sahasràíi svarggå vasati bhómidaõ [|] àkøåptàcà(ùcà)numantà ca(ùcà)
21 tàny=åva narakå vasåt || o || o ||