4. Tekkali plates, year 9.JAHRS, VI, 53-54. (Gopinatha Hôarichandana Jagadeva, the Raja of Tekkali=Raja), EI, XXVIII, No. 48, 298-302 (M. Venkataramayya=MV), IO, II, I, 4-6. (S.Rajaguru=SR)

This set of three copper plates was received for examination in 1934 by the Superintendent for Epigraphy, Mylapore, Madras, from the Deputy Tahsildar of Tekkali, Visakhapatnam District. It is registered as C.P. No. 13 of 1934-35 in the Annual Report on South Indian Epigraphy, 1934-5. The Superintendent for Epigraphy reports on page 52 of the said Report, on the charter as follows: "The plates measure 6 5/8" by 2 3/8" and have a ring-hole of about 5/8" in diameter near the left margin, through which passes the ring measuring 3 1/8" in diameter. The ends of this ring are soldered into the back of an oval seal which bears a worn-out legend on its oval counter-sunk surface measuring about 1 1/4" by 7/8". The ring had been cut when the plates were received by me. The first plate is engraved on the inner side only, while the other two plates have writing on both the sides, the second face of the third plate bearing only two lines of writing. The whole set including the ring and seal weigh 79 tolas and without these only 48 tolas. The plates are reported to belong to the Raja of Tekkali, who has published an inaccurate text of the inscription in the Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society, Vol. VI, p. 53. The Raja does not mention the place, or history, of the discovery of the plates, but only states that a Karnam of Tekkali had these in his possession when they came to his notice." The seal of the plates is very much worn out; nevertheless traces of four letters, in a single line, are visible. Of these the last can be made out as kta. The Raja of Tekkali, however, reads the whole legend as Pitðbhaktaõ which is not clear in the photograph. It is not improbable that the legend might have been as read by the Raja, since we have three other instances of a similar legend which occurs on the seals of the Kîmarti plates (EI, Vol. IV, p. 143) and the Bobbili (EI, Vol. XXVII, p. 39) plates of Chaíäavarman and on the Chicacole plates of Nandaprabhaãjanavarman. (Ind. Ant. Vol. XIII, p. 48. Dr. Fleet, who edited this record, could not decipher the legend on the seal. This was, however, read by Dr. Hultzsch as Pi[tðbhaktaõ] - EI. Vol. IV, p. 143) (MV)

TEXT (From impressions)

First Plate

1 Svasti [|*] Vijaya-Varddhamànapurà[t] pitðpàd-ànuddhyàtaõ ùrè-Mahàràj-Î-
2 mavarmmà Astihavåra-gràmå sarvva-samavåtàn=kuòumbinas=sa-
3 màjãàpayaty=astu vî viditam [|*] asmàkaì sva-puny-à(íy-à)yur-yyaùî-
4 ¸bhivðddhayå à-chandra-tàrak-àrkka-pratiøòham=agrahàraì kðtvà a-

Second Plate: First Side

5 [ka]ra-gràhika-gràmaã=cha kðtvà sarvva-kara-bhara-parihàrai[õ*] parihð[tya]
6 Ya[ùa]ùarmmaíå Kàùyapa-gîtràya sampradattaõ [|*] tad=åvaì viditvà
7 yuømàbhiõ pórvv-îchita-maryyàday=îpasthànaì karttavyam=iti
8 [må]ya-hiraíy-àdi ch=îpanåyam=iti bhaviøyad-ràjãaù=cha vijãàpa-

Second Plate: Second Side

9 yàmi dharmma-kkrama-vikkramàbhya(maiõ) dànam=anupàlanaã=ch=åti å-
10 øa khalu sa dharmmaõ | api ch=àtra Vyàsa-gètà[n*] ùlîkàn=udà-
11 haranti [|*] Bahubhir=vvasudhà dattà vasudhà vasudhàdhipai[õ|*] ya-
12 [sya] yasya yadà bhómi[s*] tasya tasya tadà phalam [||*] Øaøòiì-varøa-sa-

Third Plate: First Side

13 hasràíi svarggå mîdati bhómida[õ] [|*] àkøåptà ch=ànumantà cha tàny=åva
14 narakå vasåt [|*] Sva-datà(ttà)ì para-dattàì và yatnàd=rakøa Yuddhi(dhi)-
15 øthira [|*] mahèm=mahimatà[ì] ùråøòha dànà[ch*]=chhråyî=¸nupàlanam[||*] Màghasya kð-
16 øía-divasî(så) saptamè sambatsara navama 9 svayam=àjãà [||*]

Third Plate: Second Side

17 Ràjãà sva-hasta-likhitaì ùàsanaì pàpa-nàùanam=[i]ti [|*]
18 Piøòapura-vàstavyåna Kåùava-dåvåna likhitam=[iti] [|*]