Sankheda Plates (Second Set) of Dadda II (Praśāntarāga)

Lines 1 to 7

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, the sick, guests, and supplicants; who shows himself as a cultured man of the town by winning, 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 and villages, officials, and others: 

Lines 8 to 16

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, on the full-moon day of Vaiśākha, the field on the south-eastern border of the village Kṣīrasara situated in the viṣaya of Saṅgamakheṭaka, requiring for its seed-grains ten prasthas of paddy by the larger measure; on the eastern boundary of which there is an Aṅkoolla tree; on the north, a śākhā tree and a banyan tree; on the west, a Khadira and a Badarī (jujube) tree; on the south, a Śālmalī tree and a haunted banyan tree.

The field, marked clearly with these four boundaries; together with śībara, 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 as long as the moon, the sun, the ocean, and the earth will endure, is granted to the brāhmaṇa Sūrya of the Bharadvāja gotra, a student of the Vājasaneya Mādhyandina śākhā, who, having emigrated from Daśapura, now resides in the village Kṣīrasara, for the maintenance of the five great sacrifices such as bali, caru, vaiśvadeva, and offerings in agnihotra, and other religious rites.

Lines 17 to 20

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 21 to 25 

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

(Here follow four benedictive and imprecatory verses). 

Lines 26 to 29  

In the year three hundred increased by ninety-two, on the full-moon day of Vaiśākha, this charter, the dūtaka of which is the bhogikapālaka Karka, has been written has been written at our dictation by the sāndhivigrahika Reva. The year 300 and 90 and 2; the month Vaiśākha; the bright fortnight; the lunar day 10 and 5. This is the sign-manual of the illustrious Praśāntarāga, the son of the illustrious Vītarāga, who is devoted to the feet of the sun.