INSCRIPTION FROM BELGAM.

MAy 3, 1872.]

141

in one case is distinctly dini on the other. In a cave inscription at Embulambe near Dambula

present and future of the four quarters (of the world).

dina is found, and at Koratola in the Colombo,

It is an interesting circumstance that the

Tonigula in the Puttalam, and Mihintale in the Anuradhapura districts, niyate which looks like the third person singular present dtmanepadam, is the

courteous and much respected chief priest of the

corresponding word. If dine be taken as a nomi native to agree with lene the translation will be— The great cave of G a m i ni T is a (son) of De van à piy a T is a is given to the priesthood

many years in hiding, is now a loyal though perhaps regretful subject of the English Go

-

temple, Giránagama Unnänse, was one of the leaders in the rebellion of 1848, but after being

Vernment.

Anuradhapura, 26th Feb. 1872.

AN OLD CANARESE INSCRIPTION FROM THE

BELGAM

DISTRICT.

By J. F. FLEET, C.S.

THE stone tablet from which the accompany ing inscription has been transcribed stood origi nally in front of a small and curious temple of Śankar a deva in the bed of the river Ma la p r a bhā near Ká dar oli, which is about three miles from Mughatkhānhubli in the Samp gām Taluqa of the Belg a m Collectorate. As the temple is completely submerged during the rains, and the stone tablet was every year becom ing further buried in the ground, I have had the latter removed from its original site to a place of security in the village of Kādaroli.

The tablet bears at the top the usual Châ lukya emblems, viz.:-In the centre a Ling a on its pedestal, with a priest officiating at it; to the right of it, a figure of Basava with the sun above it; and to the left of it, a cow and calf

with the moon above them. The average length of the lines is from 18 to 19% inches, and the

tyāśrayakula, the glory of the Chālukyas, was flourishing with perpetual increase so as to endure as long as the moon and sun and stars

might last, he who flourished on the lotuses that were his feet (was):— The fortunate prime minister, Somešwara

bhatta, the chief of the houses of Heri, Sandhi, and Wigrahi, the commander of the forces, who was possessed of all the glory of the names of ‘The great chief of chieftains who has attained

the five great § a b d as, the bold Dandanāyaka (commander of troops), the conferrer of happi ness on good people, he who abounds in fame, he whose ornament is the welfare of others (or who labours for the good of others), the moon of the ocean of affability, he who abounds in the

quality of bravery, he who restrains the fury of his foes, Nannana-(or, Annana)-gandha vārana,' and others also.

average height of the letters, which are old

At his command the fortunate commander of

Canarese,” and are excellently preserved in spite

the forces, Keśavādityadeva, possessed of all

of the stone having been so often submerged, is

the glory of the names of “The great chief of chieftains who has attained the five great

from one half to three quarters of an inch. The language, it will be seen, is almost entirely San skrit, but the idiom and inflections

are old

Canarese. Translation.

Reverence to Sambhu, the foundation-pillar for the erection of the city of the three worlds,

who is resplendent with his chaunri, which is the moon that kisses his lofty head. Hail ' While the victorious rule of the for

tunate Bhuvanaikamalladeva,t—the asylum of the whole world, the favourite of the earth, the

great king of kings, the supreme lord, the most venerable, the forehead-ornament of thef Sa

• The accompanying transcript corresponds line for line

with the original, but corrections and emendations are in serted within brackets.

Here and there the requisite marks

of punctuation have been supplied, where they are awant ing in the original.

Ś a b d a s, the

bold Dandanāyaka, he who

confers boons upon Brahmans, he who is pure of lineage, the best friend of good people, the granter of all the desires of his relations, the crest-jewel of good people, he who is terrible to the forces of his foes, he who is a very mine for the jewel of truth, the impetuous Māvanasinga,” and others, in the year of the

Šaka era 997, being the Rákshasa samvatsara, - at

the moment of the conjunction of a vy a tip at a, with the sun's commencement of his northward progress, on Sunday, the day of the full-moon of Pushya, gave as a yearly grant

+ The Chālukya king Somes'waradeva II. S'aka 991 ? to 998.

1 The Chālukya race ; the name of Satyās'rayakula is derived from that of one of the early Chālukya kings, Satyas'ri, or Satyās"raya.