Banaras Plates of Karṇa

Success! Om! Adoration to Śiva!

Verse 1 

Adoration to that reality Brahman, which is attributeless, all-pervasive, eternal and auspicious, the ultimate cause of the universe and supreme light conceivable by the mind!

Verse 2

That which, though highest and changeless, appears in two forms, the light which has the refulgence of intelligence; from which, in the form of the sun, there shine forth waves such as the days, from it there sprang forth the venerable mind-born Manu, the repository of all knowledge, from whom proceeded this entire creation possessed of guṇas through male and female (creatures).

Verse 3 

There was the king, the divine and illustrious Kārtavīrya, the ornament of the earth who threw into bondage Rāvaṇa, who had propitiated Īśa (Śiva) by making the terrified daughter (Pārvatī) of the snow-mountain embrace him when he (Rāvaṇa) lifted up the mountain Kailāsa with ease, and who was greatly enraged when his offerings to the three-eyed (Śiva) were washed away by the stream of the greatly flooded Revā, which was turned back by the suddenly placed dam of his (i.e., Kārtavīrya’s) mighty arms.

Verse 4 

Being frightened by his frown, kings of the countries extending as far as Kailāsa, the slopes on the tops of whose summits are dug up by Śiva’s bull, and as far as the eastern ocean, which has a string of matchless and large pearls in the form of the celestial river i.e., the Gaṅgā, and again as far as the southern ocean, which has a shining peerless jewel and a parting line of hair, viz., the bridge of Rāma, adhere steadfastly to affliction.

Verse 5 

The lords of kings, who were born in his race, became famous on the earth as the Haihayas. An ornament of their family was the illustrious Kokalla I, who kindled the fire of anguish in the minds of his enemies; whose pleasures were linked with the wealth of religious contemplation; who always made good people happy; and who was dear to all as his majesty was marked by all good qualities.

Verse 6 

Day by day, he duly reflected on the śāstras for the knowledge of religion and union with God, (he) whose mind was fond of wealth only for religious and charitable works and for the benefit of others; who was devoted to charity to pay off the debt he owed for being brought up in a noble family; and who ultimately reached the path of beatitude through application to knowledge.

Verse 7 

His hand afforded protection to Bhoja, the king Vallabha, the illustrious Harṣa, who was the lord of Citrakūṭa, and the king Śaṅkaragaṇa.

Verse 8 

As Indra married Śacī, Upendra (Viṣṇu) Kamalā (Lakṣmī), the moon-crested god (Śiva) the daughter of the mountain (i.e., Pārvatī), even so did he espouse the good-natured queen Naṭṭā, born in the Candella family.

Verse 9 

For the establishment of good order among the people, he begat on her a prince endowed with great prowess, who vanquished his enemies possessed of haughty arrogance, and who was the god of love to ladies of fully-developed and compact breasts.

Verse 10 

The king was well-known in all the three worlds by (his) name Dhavala with Prasiddha prefixed (to it), who, in order to bear the very heavy yoke (of governing the earth), made other kings lend their (helping) hands (i.e., exacted tribute from them).

Verse 11 

By constantly making serpents one by one to the Eagle, the lord of serpents caused (Śeṣa) (his own) humiliation. The lord of gods (i.e., Indra) lost his character by having intercourse with Ahalyā in season. This king, on the other hand, became the resort of proper conduct, adorable in all the three worlds.

Verse 12 

Why say (anything) else?

‘In this family there will be men highly precious on account of their greatness in this world.’ Thinking so, he took possession of (the country of) Pālī.

Verse 13 

His high-souled son, Bālaharṣa of noble birth, whose deeds are well-known, and whose arms, resembling the trunks of the quarter-elephants, stretched to (his) knees, became the lord of the earth, having destroyed all hostile kings. By resorting to him, who followed the practices of the Kṛta age out of his love for good conduct, the three (puruṣārthas), giving up their mutual hostility and doing away with the host of their enemies (i.e., passions), found a stable resting place.

Verse 14 

‘Blessed was here the son of Daśaratha (i.e., Rāma) alone, who had-what else?; an enemy in the ten-faced (Rāvaṇa) for (enjoying) the festivity of fighting. Fie on us, who have routed all (our) enemies by a (mere) frown!’ Thus did he blame himself out of love for fighting.

Verse 15 

Of him, who was Yudhiṣṭhira, being solely devoted to truth, there was a younger brother (named) Yuvarājadeva (I), endowed with well-known might of arms, a second Arjuna in the Kali age, the pre-eminent bow-man in exterminating warriors in the army of his invincible foes as Arjuna was in slaughtering those in the army of Duryodhana.

Verse 16 

Having acquired knowledge suitable for bearing the burden of the earth, having a mind (lit., body) fond of the Vedas, sending his advancing foes along the path of heaven, and leading his powerful army, famous in the world, which marched by several routes, he, through his devotion to Śiva, became actually an Emperor (or Śiva incarnate, who is possessed of a body which is fond of serpents capable of bearing the burden of the earth, who sends his foes along the path of heaven and bears on high the river Gaṅgā that flows in several streams).

Verse 17 

From him was born Lakṣmaṇarājadeva (II) through the religious merit of the people, (he) who established order (in this world), and in whom the people, having obtained a (righteous) king like Dharma, became happy for a long time.

Verse 18 

He was a treasure of truth, the path for fortune won by conciliation and prowess, who (was) liberal and kind.  (He) obtained fame and political wisdom. Meritorious as he was by compassion, he had this slight blemish that he did not discriminate between the worthy and the unworthy even when he was giving away all his property.

Verse 19 

From him was born the illustrious Śaṅkaragaṇadeva (III), the ornament of the expanse of the whole world. While he was ruling over the earth, even Kali fled away, one does not know where.

Verse 20 

Under his rule (only) the sword was nistrimśa (measuring more than thirty fingers) (none else being nistrimśa or devoid of compassion), (only) grey hair was curly (none else being crooked), and (only) the wheels of the chariot had aritva (i.e., had spokes) (there being aritva or hostility nowhere else), (and) (only) wind blew where it liked (but none else acted in a self-willed manner).

Verse 21 

His younger brother was Yuvarājadeva (II), the lord of the earth, born of a warlike race; being bathed with the water of the sharp edge of whose sword, even the fickle goddess of fortune became steady.

Verse 22 

His charity was limited (only) by the multitude of his suppliants, and his prowess (only) by the victory over (his) brave (adversary); but to that king’s fame and accumulation of religious merit there was no limit.

Verse 23 

From that famous king was born the illustrious Kokalladeva (II), the sole lord of the earth. His maṇḍalāgra (sword) was rightly called so since it kept (in check) the maṇḍalas (multitudes of enemies) in front of it.

Verse 24 

That foremost of kings made the entire host of his adversaries submissive even as he bent his bow, held it in check in the rear as he tied his quiver on his back, routed it in all directions the moment he cast an (angry) glance at it even as he whirled his arms whose revolutions in the different directions were noticed (only) for a moment, and depriving it completely of its possessions, made it pay tribute even as he completely unsheathed his sword and grasped it with the hand.

Verse 25 

Then there was the (illustrious) Gaṅgeyadeva, who obtained the kingdom of the whole earth from the illustrious king Kokalladeva (II), who was the abode of virtue as stainless as a pearl-necklace washed with milk; who was preceded in the forefront of the battlefield only by his sword, and whose beautiful face became crooked (only) when it was reflected in that very (sword).

Verse 26 

By resorting to his divine person, the goddess of fortune has now got rid of the scandal that she does not appreciate merit (and) is fickle.

Verse 27 

That (well-known) son of Dharma (i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira) was known for his truthfulness, the son of Virocana (i.e., Bali) for his liberality, and the son of Indra (i.e., Arjuna) for his valour; this was not believed by the minds of the good. Seeing (however) that all the three (virtues) were present in (even) a greater measure in the king Gaṅgeyadeva, they concluded that the aforesaid kings were truly as described.

Verse 28 

His son is Karṇa of well-known valour, who is as it were Karṇa descended on the earth. Hearing of his coronation, his enemies disappeared, (while) hosts of Brāhmaṇas and friends rejoiced.

Verse 29 

Extending far and wide, the creeper of his fame, day by day, reduces the empty space inside the pavilion of Brahmā’s egg.

Verse 30 

Granting personally inconceivable objects to multitudes of suppliants, he is some strange moving wish-fulfilling tree, decorating the earth.

Verse 31 

Is there any (adequate) word of praise for him, the righteous-minded one, who is the sole abode of the three royal powers, and a mine of virtues? This is, however, prayed for by wise persons, ‘May the earth have always a good king only because of you!’

Lines 32 to 35 

From his glorious and victorious camp fixed at Prayāga, the paramabhaṭṭāraka, mahārājādhirāja, and parmeśvara, the illustrious Karṇadeva, the devout worshipper of Maheśvara, the lord of Trikaliṅga, whose person is adorned by the multitude of such qualities, who meditates on the feet of the paramabhaṭṭāraka, mahārājādhirāja, and parameśvara, the illustrious Vāmadeva, being in good health, duly honours, informs and commands the following and other (officers) whether named or not, (viz.,) the mahādevī, the mahārājaputra, the mahāmantrins, the mahāmātya, the mahāsāndhivigrahika, the mahādharmādhikaraṇika, the mahākṣapaṭalika, the mahākaraṇika, the mahāpratihāra, the mahāsāmanta, the mahāpramātṛ, the mahāśvasādhanika, the mahābhāṇḍāgārika, (and) the mahādhyakṣa;

Lines 36 to 40

“Be it known to you that on Saturday, the second tithi of the dark fortnight of Phālguna, on the occasion of the first annual śrāddha of our father, the illustrious Gāṅgeyadeva at this very place. We, having bathed in the Veṇī, having worshipped with great devotion and with the five kinds of offerings made with a collection of food, and having performed the śrāddha with unequalled faith, have given as a grant with a libation of water, the village Srusī included in the bhūmi of Kāśī together with mango and madhūka trees, inclusive of pits, (cultivable) land, water, and waste land, together with the produce of mines, quarries, and so forth, extending to the four boundaries and limits, to the illustrious Paṇḍita Viśvarūpa, the son of Nārāyaṇa, grandson of Vāmana, (and) great grandson of Āmaha, of the Vājasaneya śākhā, the Kauśika gotra, (and) the three pravaras Auddālaka, Devarāta, and Viśvāmitra, who has emigrated from the village Vaiśālī.”

Lines 41 to 48 

Wherefore, the illustrious and revered Karṇadeva commands all people living in the village Srusī; 

“Be it known to you. Knowing that this village has been given by us as a grant, (you) should pay all dues such as bhāga, bhoga, taxes, levy in gold, the produce of mines, and so forth to this (grantee). Not even wind should blow in (the village) with a view to harm him!”

(The following is) the solicitation (of the grantor):

(Here follow six benedictive and imprecatory verses).

In the year 793, on the 9th, lunar day of the dark fortnight of Phālguna, on Monday.