13. Niкgондi grant.
EI, vol. XXX, No. 20 (Sircar D.C.); IO, II, I, 44-47 (S.Rajaguru); 

In or shortly before the year 1928, a set of three inscribed copper plates appears to have been discovered somewhere in the Parlakimedi Taluk of the Ganjam District, formerly in Madras but now in Orissa. The actual findspot of the inscription is unknown, nor have we any knowledge about the circumstances leading to its discovery. It seems, however, that soon after the discovery of the inscription, the seal-ring holding the three plates together was removed. Some time in the year 1928, information regarding the discovery of the epigraph reached the ears of the late Sri Lakshminarayan Harichandan Jagadeb, Raja of Tekkali. The late Raja Saheb, who used to take great interest in the study of epigraphic material, succeeded in tracing the three loose plates of the inscription in the village of Адabа in the Parlakimedi Taluk and that of Kаnnаyаvalasа (also called Kаnnеvalasа or Kаnnaivalasа) about nine miles from Tekkali, now in the Srikakulam District of the Andhra State. The first and third of the three plates were found in the possession of a gold-smith of Адabа, while the second of them in that of a gentleman of Kаnnаyаvalasа named Patnaikuni Gopalakrishna Varma. The Raja Saheb then studied the inscription with the help of the original plates as well as a few sets of impressions of the record, which had been prepared by him. The plates were returned to their owners.
In 1930, the Raja Saheb of Tekkali published a paper on the above inscription in the June issue of the now defunct journal Vaitaraни (Vol. IV, 1930) which was published from Cuttack by Messrs. L. N. Sahu and B. Singh Deo. Unfortunately, the paper (without any facsimile of the inscription) failed to attract the attention of scholars, which it so highly deserved. In spite, there-fore, of the fact that the record in question reveals very valuable informations regarding the ancient royal family of the Mатharas of Kaliкga, writers (including myself) on the early history of Kaliкga, who published the results of their study during the last two decades, had to work in absolute ignorance of its existence. [See Suc. Sat., 1939, pp. 74 ff.; A New History of the Indian People, Vol. VI, 1946, pp. 79 ff.; B. V. Krishna Rao, Early Dynasties of Аndhradещa, 1942, pp. 384 ff., etc.] My attention was recently drawn to the Raja Saheb's paper on the Адabа-Kаnnаyаvalasа plates in the Vaitaraни, Vol. IV, June, 1930, pp. 293 ff., as well as to a few sets of impressions of the inscription lying in his possession. Unfortunately my attempts to trace the original plates were not crowned with success. Considering therefore the importance of the inscription as well as the fact that the Raja Saheb's paper on the subject is neither free from errors of reading and interpretation nor easily available to scholars, I am editing the record in the following pages from a set of impressions kindly supplied to me by the Raja Saheb, [After the preparation of this paper, I came to learn that the second of the three inscribed plates of the set, which contains only details regarding the grant, was received for examination by the Assistant Archaeological Superintendent for Epigraphy from the Collector of Ganjam and was registered ARSIE. No. 1 of 1928-29 (see ARSIE, 1928-29, pp. 4, 65).One set of the impressions of the said plate, prepared by that officer and now preserved in the office of the Government Epigraphist for India, has been utilised in illustrating my paper.] a few months before his sad demise in August 1953.
The three plates, on which the inscription in question is incised, measure 7'1 inches by 2'15 inches each. Their thickness and weight are not recorded. Apparently, however, the thickness was not very considerable. All the plates have a hole about the left margin for the seal-ring to pass through ; but, as said above, the ring with the seal was never traced. The first and third places have writing only on the inner side, while the second plate is inscribed on both the sides. There are altogether sixteen lines of inscription, four lines on each one of the inscribed faces of the plates. The preservation of the first and third plates is not very satisfactory.
The characters employed in the record belong to the Southern Class of alphabets and may be assigned on palaeographical grounds to the. fifth or sixth century A. D. (DS)

TEXT

First Plate

1 Svasti [||*] Vijaya-Siкgha(Siмha)purаt bhaga[va][t*]-svаmi-Nаrаyaнa-pаd-аnuddhyаtaх Mа-
2 тhara-kula-kиrtti-varddhanakara[х] щrи-Щaкkaravarmmaнa[х*] pautra[х*] Kршнavеnnа-Ma-
3 hаnady-antara[м] sva-prajа-dharmmен=[а*]nuщаsina[х*] щrи-Щaktivarmmaнa[х] pu[t]ra[х*] sva-
4 kul-аlaкkariшнus=[sa]kala-Kaliкg-аdhipati[х] щrи-mahаrаja-Prabhaгjanavarmmа

Second Plate, First Side

5 Astihонa-Bama-grame sarvva-samaveta[n*] kutumbinah*] samаjnаpayati [|*] ya eшaм grа-
6 m-аchhе(chchhе)dyеna uttarенa Rukmapati[х*] paщchimенa(na) Vyаghraprastara-щаlmalи-vр-
7 kшa-sthu(sthа)yi-vа(va)lmиka(kaх) dakшiнеna samudra[х] еbhir=vvе sиmai а-chandra-tаraka-prati-
8 штha[м*] Niнgондi[х*] agrahаraм kрtvа nаnаvidha-gоttra-щcha(cha)raнеbhya[х*] saмpratta[х |]

Second Plate, Second Side

9 tad=еvaм viditvа yuшmаbhi[х*] pуrvv-оchita-maryyаday-оpasthаnaм karttavyam=iti mеya-hira-
10 нy-а(нy-а)di ch=оpanеyaм bhaviшya-rаjгaщ=cha saмpуjayа su-dharmma-krama-vikramаbhyам
11 dаnam=anupаlanaг=ch-еti [|*] ешa khalu sva-dharmma[х |*] api ch-аtra Vyаsa-gиtах(tаn)
12 щlоkаn=udаharanti [|*] Bahubhir=vvasudhа dattах(ttа) vasudhа vasudh-аdhipa[х |*] yasya ya-

Third Plate

13 [sya yadа] bhуm[is]=tasya [tasya tadа] phalaм(lam ||) Sva-dattа[м] para-dattам vа yatnаd=rakшa Yu[dhi]штhi[ra | ma]-
14 hим mahimatам щrештha dаnаch=chhrеyо=ёnupаlanam(nam ||) Шaштi-varшa-sahasrанi svarggе mоdati bhumida[х |*] а-
15 kшеptа [ch=а]numantа cha tаny=еva narakе vasеt | sа[м*]vatsarika-kara-paн-аgra-щatau dv[au] [|*] Kаrtti-
16 ka-щukla-pakшa-divasо dvаdaщи [|*] аj[г]аpti[х*] mahаpratиhаra-dуtо mahаdaндanаyaka-[Jyештha][х ||*]