Kairā Plates of Dadda II (Praśāntarāga)

Lines 1 to 14

Success! Hail! From Nāndīpurī:

In the family of the Gurjara kings which resembles the ocean; which has brightened the faces of all regions with the abundance of its manifold and spotless excellences as the ocean does with its varied and stainless jewels; which has protected all great kings who are its allies, as the ocean has saved all the great mountains possessed of wings (that sought refuge in it); which always refrains from transgressing the limits (of proper conduct), as the ocean abstains from overflowing its shores; which is possessed of firmness, serenity and beauty, as the ocean has stability, depth and saltiness; which, on account of its great courage, is difficult to be attacked, as the ocean, on account of its having large animals, is difficult to be plunged into; there (was) the sāmanta Dadda [I], who, possessing the goddess of (royal) fortune since his birth and occupying a (royal) position hostile to the evil-minded (kṛṣṇā-hṛdaya), destroyed (the influence of) the Kali age by the mass of his spotless fame, as the Kaustubha jewel which was produced together with Lakṣmī, and has found a resting place on Kṛṣṇa’s breast, dispels a mass of darkness with the multitude of its rays; who, having good allies, has uprooted the descendants of the families of his adversaries even as Vainateya (Garuḍa), possessing excellent wings, destroyed the progeny of the hostile families of serpents; who, even from his birth had all his calamities removed by bowing to the lotus-like feet of the sun.

He, who had a body adorned with a multitude of steady excellences and a canopy of white and spotless fame in the guise of pearls falling from the frontal globes of the elephants of (his) enemies that were slain (in battles), and who was possessed of courage suitable to his (majestic) form, stood always fearlessly at the head of kings, even as a young lion, with his body adorned with a mane, and a canopy of his bright and spotless fame spread over him in the guise of pearls from the frontal globes of hostile elephants slain by him, stands fearlessly on the top of mountains. Accomplishments such as (proficiency in) a number of fine arts, (and) troops of the elephants of his enemies, walking slowly on account of rut, that were captured by his valour, and young and beautiful women walking languidly owing to the gracefulness (of their gait) caused by intoxication, who were attracted by his prowess, day after day, as if in mutual rivalry, resorted to him who was the moon (dispelling) the darkness of the extremely sinful Kali age.

Like young women obtained by good fortune and rendered beautiful by their plump breasts, the regions at the feet of the Vindhya mountain created by Bhaga and adorned by high clouds, delighted him, who pleased a multitude of supplicants by the incessant flow of his charity, as an excellent elephant pleases swarms of bees by the unceasing flow of his rut; who was attended by splendid glory as the elephant is attended by his charming mate; who always walked with an unfaltering step and whose great excellence was due to his noble descent, as the elephant’s splendid form is due to his excellent back-bone; who had his body horripilated when he struck down (hostile) kings by the blow of his arm (and) whose voice was sweet like (the sound of) the falling of the water of the stream of the Revā (Narmadā). He was compared with the moon in respect of gentleness, purity, beauty and (proficiency in) arts, but not in that of any stain, with an assemblage of lotuses in respect of having overcome the troublesome members of (his) family (as lotuses get over thorns) by the mass of (his) splendour on account of his being the abode of royal fortune (Śrī) (as the lotuses are the abode of Lakṣmī), but not in respect of being produced from sin, with the lord of beasts (i.e., the lion) in point of courage, energy and valour, but not in that of having a cruel heart, with the great ocean in respect of beauty, stability, serenity and maintenance of the bounds of morality, but not in that of giving shelter to wicked persons, with the mountain Himālaya, in respect of being the resort of noble men of learning in his excellent capital, but not in that of being surrounded by degraded warriors. His excellent wealth, which, like the excellent hood of the serpent Śeṣa, had its magnificence manifested by hundreds of jewels of spotless rays, was shared by the whole world. His noble birth was revealed by (his) character, his power, by (the implicit obedience of his) commands, his (skill in the use of) weapons, by the submission of (his) foes, his wrath, by the punishment (inflicted on his enemies), his favour, by (his) gifts, (and) his piety, by the worship of gods, Brāhmaṇas and elderly persons.

Lines 15 to 24

His son (was) the illustrious Jayabhaṭa [I], who had the other name of the illustrious Vītarāga, who was resplendent like heated glittering gold; who, like the wish-fulfilling tree, incessantly granted the desired objects (of supplicants), who was always and invariably an ornament (to his family) as the vernal season is to the cycle of seasons, as a grove of blossoming and densely growing mango trees is to the vernal season, as an assemblage of lotuses is to a lake, as blooming is to an assemblage of lotuses, as a jewel is to a great serpent, as spotless radiance is to a jewel, as the pot of nectar was to the ocean, as the power of conferring immortality is to the pot of nectar, as rutting is to an elephant, as dalliance is to a young lovely woman, as conferment on a worthy person is to wealth, as a sacrifice is to religion, as the time of distributing the sacrificial fee is to a sacrifice, as good nature is to love, (and) as a collection of spotless digits is to the moon; whose face was lovely like the full moon; who was affable (and) liberal and who had won the goddess of victory in fighting with the armies of his powerful foes. To him all virtues together with humility resorted as if seeking his protection from fear of their foe the Kali (age). He, who had shining and spotless fame as a dark cloud has a bright flash of lightning, and who delighted the whole living world, removed the evils of avidity and worry of supplicants as a dark cloud roaring, not in vain, removes the thirst and heat of those who long (for rain). Though brave, he was always apprehensive of (incurring) infamy; though free from avarice, he had an unceasing thirst for the acquisition of virtues; though he was in the habit of giving everything, he was averse to giving his heart to others’ wives; though eloquent, he was dull-witted in abusing others. His handsome form was not opposed to good character; (nor) his youth, to good conduct; (nor) his wealth, to charity; (nor) his pursuit of the three (aims of life), to the absence of mutual conflict (among them); (nor) his power, to forgiveness; (nor his living in) the Kali age, to (his possession of) virtues.

Lines 25 to 32 

His son, the illustrious Dadda [II] who has attained the pañcamahāśabda, who has covered the expanse of the sky all round with the shoots of his fame as white as the night-lotuses which are made to bloom by the rays of the moon as she emerges from a mass of water-laden clouds; the prowess of whose spotless sword is (always) being loudly celebrated in songs in the guise of the morning lamentations of the virtuous wives of the hostile neighbouring princes, who were slain (by him) when they opposed him in many dangerous battles; whose head is radiant with a crown shining with the bright rays of the tips of diamonds (set in it) which are scratched in making obeisance to the lotus-like feet of gods, brāhmaṇas and elderly persons; the store of whose religious merit the sole companion in heaven is being increased by the unwearied fulfilment of the desire for wealth of the poor, the helpless and the sick, guests and supplicants; who shows himself as a cultured man of the town by winning (again) by means of sweet words preceded by obeisance, the favour of proud ladies who are made angry by (their) love (for him); who has cast the mass of the dense darkness of the Kali age into the cage of the rays of his spotless virtues, (he), being in good health, thus informs all the kings, feudatories, bhogikas and heads of viṣayas, the mahattaras of rāṣṭras (provinces) and villages, officials and others:

Lines 33 to 42 

“Be it known to you! For the increase of the religious merit and fame of our mother and father and of ourself, we have granted with a libation of water fixing first (the immunities) in the case of the community of the Cāturvedins, on the full-moon day of Kārttika, this village (viz.,) Śrīṣapadraka situated in the viṣaya of Akrūreśvara, together with udraṅga and uparikara, inclusive of all dues, and exempt from all gifts, forced labour and special rights, which is not to be entered by cāṭas and bhaṭas, according to the maxim of waste land, (and) which is to be enjoyed by a succession of sons and sons’ sons (of the donees) as long as the moon, the sun, the ocean and the earth will endure, to the Brāhmaṇas of the four caraṇas, viz., the brāhmaṇa Bhaṭṭi, the teacher (adhyāpaka), who has emigrated from Jambūsaras, and is (now) a resident of Śrīṣapadraka situated in the district of Akrūreśvara, who is of the Vatsa gotra and a student of the Āśvalāyana (caraṇa) of the Ṛigveda, and also Gopāditya, and also Bhaṭṭigaṇa, (and) Viśākha, (and) Agniśarman, (and) Droṇa, Bhaṭṭidāman of the Kāśyapa gotra, and also Vatra, the brāhmaṇa Tāpiśarman of the Ḍauṇḍakīya gotra, a student of the Kaṇva (caraṇa) of the Vājasaneya (veda) of the Adhvaryus, (and) the second Tāpiśarman (and) Dattasvāmin, (and) Bhāgisvāmin, (and) Pitṛśarman, (and) Bhaṭṭi, (and) Droṇa Karka the adhyāpaka, of the Dhūmrāyaṇa gotra, (and) Ābuka, Vāṭaśarman of the Kauṇḍinya gotra, (and) Śaila, (and) Ghoṣa, (and) Mahādeva, (and) Bāva; Dhara of the Māṭhara gotra, (and) Viśākha, (and) Nandi, (and) Rāmila, Dharmadhara of the Hārīta gotra, the Brāhmaṇa Indraśarman of the Bharadvāja gotra, a student of the Kauthuma (caraṇa) of the Sāmaveda (and) Ādityāravi, (and) Tāpiśūra, (and) Indraśūra, (and) Īśvara, (and) Dhara, (and) Dāmadhara, (and) the second Īśvara, the brāhmaṇa Bhadra of the Cauli gotra, a student of the Pippalāda (caraṇa) of the Atharvaveda, who emigrated from Bharukaccha and is now a resident of Bhīrajjikā, (and) Vāyuśarman, (and) Droṇasvāmin, (and) Rudrāditya, (and) Pūrṇasvāmin, for the maintenance of the five great sacrifices (such as) bali, caru, vaiśvadeva, agnihotra and other (religious) rites.

Lines 43 to 45 

Wherefore, future rulers whether of our family or others, considering that (this) world of living beings is unsteady like the waves of the water of the ocean tossed by a strong wind, that wealth is liable to be lost and worthless, and that virtues (alone) endure for a long time and desiring to share in the reward of (this) donation of land, which can be equally enjoyed (by them) and to accumulate for a long time fame as lovely as moon-beams, should consent to this Our gift and preserve it! Whoever, with his mind shrouded by the veil of the darkness of ignorance, confiscates it or allows it to be confiscated, shall incur the five great sins!

Lines 46 to 49 

And it has been said by the holy Vyāsa, the redactor of the Vedas:

(Here follow four benedictive and imprecatory verses).

Lines 50 and 51 

In the year three hundred increased by eighty, on the fifteenth (lunar day) of the bright (fortnight) of Kārttika, (this charter) has been written at the command of (our) own mouth, by Reva, (the officer) in charge of the department of Peace and War. The year 300 (and) 80 (the month) Kārttika, the bright (fortnight), (the lunar day) 10 (and) 5. This is the sign-manual of Praśāntarāga the son of Vītarāga who is devoted to the worship of the feet of the sun.

Seal 

The sāmanta Dadda.