49. Arang (Raipur District, Madhya Pradesh) copper-plates of Mahàsudevaràja.
Hiralal, Inscrs. in C.P. & Berar (2nd Edn.) p. 106-A, No. 177(a); L. P. Pandey, EI. Vol. XXIII (1935-36), pp. 18-22 & Pl. Sircar reads the date 7. ; B.C. Jain, Catalogue of the Antiquities preserved in the Archaeological Section of the M.G.M. Museum, Raipur, vi, 18-22 and pls. xiii-xv; AMS I:XI.

The charter which is edited below consists of three copper-plates and was first brought to light by me in March, 1929. I published a short notice of it in the English paper "The Hitavada" of Nàgpur in its issue of April 11, 1929 [Hiralal also has noticed it in his List of Inscriptions in C. P. and Berar (2nd ed.), p. 106-A.]. The plates [Since writing this the plates have been acquired by the Central Museum, Nàgpur, where they are now deposited.] were in the possession of a cultivator named Bhagirathi Sonkar of Arang in the Raipur District of the C. P. Nothing definite is known about the provenance of the grant except that it had been lying in the house of the owner for over fifty years-since the time of his father.
Arang has all the appearance of having once been a large and important city. Here and there are many fine old tanks with numerous remains of temples and sculptures, both Jain and Brahmanical. The only temple that is now standing is of Jain origin. It is popularly known as Bhanddewal from the fact that it contains three colossal naked Jain figures. The temple is richly carved and adorned with a profusion of sculptured statues on the outside, many of which are highly indecent. To the west of the town on the bank of a tank there is a small temple dedicated to Mahàmàyà. A description of this temple and also that of the other antiquarian remains at Arang has been given by Cunningham.[Cunningham, A. S. R., Vol. XVII, pp. 20 ff.; see also Raipur District Gazetteer, pp. 257 ff.] Besides the present set, two other sets of copper-plates well discovered at the place in addition to a fragmentary Bràhmè inscription.[See above, Vol. IX, pp. 342 ff.; C.I.I., Vol. III, pp. 191 ff. and Hiralal, List of Inscriptions in C. P. and Berar (2nd ed.), pp. 94, 105 and 110.]
The plates are held together by a ring the ends of which are secured in a circular seal about 3 5/8 in diameter. The seal is identical with that described by Fleet in C.I.I., Vol. III, p. 196. Its upper part shows the representation of a standing Lakømè facing full front; on each side of her an elephant is standing on a water-lily, with its trunk raised above her head. In the proper right corner there is a figure of an expanded water-lily and in the proper left that of a conch (ùaêkha). Below is the legend in two lines. The rims of the plates are not raised. The plates measure 6-4" in length and 3-2" in breadth. The weight of the plates is 48 1/2 tolas and that of the seal 45 tolas. The letters show through on the back of the plates, especially in the case of the last plate which was too thin and was, therefore, cut while incising the second and third letters of l. 21. The engraver has, therefore, left 1" of the breadth on the back of the last plate unincised. The first plate contains five lines of writing on its second side and the second plate has the same number of lines on its first side. The second side of the second plate and the first side of the third contain each six lines of writing, while the second side of the third piate has only four lines.
Seal Metre: Anuøòubh. Read the latter half of the verse as Ùrèmat-Sudåvaràjasya sthiraì jagati ùàsanaì(m) following the other plates of this ruler.
(L. P. Pandey)
Language: Sanskrit. In prose with the exception of the customary benedictive and imprecatory verses at the end and the legend on the seal.
Metres: Verse 1: Vasantatitakà; Verse 2: Indravajrà, Verses 3-6: Anuøòubh.
Script: Box-headed variety of the Central Indian alphabet.
Date: Regnal Year 7, Vaiùàkha 29. Latter half of the sixth century A.D.
The plates are 3.2" broad and 6.4" long.
(In notes) Although nothing definite is known about the findspot of the charter, it was in the possession of a cultivator of Arang and is reported to have been lying in his house for well over half a century since the time of his father. The seal is similar to those attached to the other charters of Sudevaràja. Following the other plates of Sudevaràja, Pandeya proposes to restore the second half of the Anusfubh stanza as (see above)÷÷. But the seal attached to some plates of this king has ùàsanaì ripu- in place of sthiraì jagati. Thus it can also be restored as Ùrèmat-Sudåvaràjasya ùàsanaì ripuùàsanam.
(AMS)

TEXT.

First Plate.

1 siddham [|*] svasti [|*] Ùarabhapuràd=vikkram-îpanata-sàmanta-makuòa-cóäà-maíi-prabhà-pra-
2 såk-àmbu-dhauta-pàda-yugalî ripu-vilàsinè-sèmant-îddharaía-håtu-
3 r=vvasu-vasudhà-gî-pradaÛ paramabhàgavatî màtà-pitð-pàd-ànuddhyàta-
4 ùùrè-Mahà-Sudåvaràjaõ Tîsaddu(äu)bhuktèya-Ùiviliêgakå prativàsi-
5 kuòumbinas=samàjãàpayati || viditam=astu vî yath=àyaì gràma-

Second Plate; First Side.

6 stð(s=tri)daùapati-sadana-sukha-pratiøòhà-[ka*]rî yàvad=ravi-ùaùi-tàrà-kiraía-prati-
7 hata-ghîr-àndhakàraì jagad=avatiøòhatå tàvad-upabhîgyas=sa-nidhis=s-îpanidhi-
8 r=a-càòa-bhaòa-pràvåùyas=sarvva-kara-visarjjitaõÛ pratihàra-Bhîgillåna màtà-
9 pitrîr=àtmanaù=ca puíy-àbhivðddhayå Kàtyàyana-sagîtra-Màdhyandina-Vàja-
10 sanåya-Yajãasvàminaõ(nå) adhyarddhàêùåna Bhàradvàja-Kumàravatsa-Àtrå-

Second Plate; Second Side.

11 ya-Kàíva-Vàjasanåya-Yajãasvàminå pratyaêùåna Kàtyàyana-Viùàkha-
12 svàmi-Kauùika-Màdhyandina-Gîlasvàmi åvaì Dàmîdarasvàmi-Dàsasvàmi-
13 Bhàradvàja-Paãcàli-svàmi-dèkøit-Àyanèkà[n*] pratyarddhàêùåna tàmbra(mra)ùàsa-
14 nån-àtisðøòî bhótv=àsmàbhir=anumîditaõ [|*] tå yóyam=åvam=upalabhy=aiøà-
15 m=àjãà-ùravaía-vidhåyà bhótvà yath-îcitam bhîga-bhàgam=upanayantas=sukhaì
16 prativatsyatha [|*] Bhaviøyataù=ca bhómipàn=anudarùayati [|*] Dànàd=viùiøòa-

Third Plate; First Side.

17 m=anupàlana-ja(jaì) puràíà dharmmåøu niùcita-dhiyaÛ pravadanti dharmmaì(rmmam) ||(|) tasmàd-vi(d-dvi)-
18 jàya su-viùuddha-kula-ùrutàya dattàì bhuvaì bhavatu vî matir=åva gîptu[m] ||
19 tad=bhavadbhir=apy=åøà dati(tti)r=anupàlayitavyà [||*] Vyàsa-gètà(taì)éù-c-àtra ùlîkàn=u-
20 dàharanti [|*] Agnår=apatya(tyaì) prathamaì suvarííaì || bhór=vvaiøíavè sóryya-su-
21 tàù=ca gàva[õ |*] dattàs=trayas=tåna bhavaì(va)nti lîkà yaX=kàãcanaì gàì ca mahè(hèì) ca dadyàt [||*2]
22 øaøòiì varøa-sahasràíi svarggå mîdati bhómi-da[õ |*] àcchåttà c=ànumaì(ma)ntà ca tà-

Third Plate; Second Side.

23 ny=åva narakå vaså[t ||*3] Bahubhir=vvasudhà dattà ràjabhis-Sagar-àdibhi[õ |*]
24 yasya yasya yadà bhómita(s=ta)sya tasya tadà phalaì(lam) [||*4] Sva-dantà(ttàì) para-dantà(ttàì) và yatnà-
25 d=rakøa Yudhiøòhira [|*] mahèm-mahi(hè)matàã-chråøòha dànà-cchråyî-¸nupàlanam=iti [||*5] svamu-
26 khàgna(jãa)yà saìvva(vat) 8 vaiùàkha di 20 9 Uktè(tkè)rííaì Drîíasiìghå(hå)na ||

The Seal.

1 prasa[nnàríía]va-sambhó[ta]-mà[na]-màtr-åndujanmana[õ |*]
2 ùrèmat-su ........... [ùà]sanaì(nam) [||*]