48. Kauvatal (Raigadh District, Madhya Pradesh) Plates.
IHQ. Vol. XXI (1945), pp. 294-95 & Pl. (L. P. Pandey), ibid., Vol. XXII (1946), pp. 62-63 (D. C. Sircar); Ancient India, No. 5, p. 49; IE.AR. 1945-46, p. 12, No. 53, App. A & Pl.; EI. Vol. XXXI (1955-56), pp. 314-16 (A. N. Lahiri); Ajay Mitra Shastri, Studies in Indian Epigraphy, iii, 152-53; AMS, I:XII. 

[The inscribed faces of the plates and the seal attached to the record have been illustrated in the Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy, 1945-46, Plate facing p. 12.-Ed.]These copper plates [The inscription was first noticed by Pandit Pandeya in IHQ, 1945, pp. 294-95, and discussed by Dr. D. C. Sircar in the same journal, 1946, pp. 62-63. They were also noticed in Ancient India, No. 5, p.49, and in A.R.Ep., 1945-46, p. 12, No. 53 of App. A, and Plate.] were received from Pandit Lochan Prasad Pandeya, Secretary, Mahakosal Historical Society, Raigarh, who seems to have secured them from a gentleman residing at Kauvatal in the old Sarangarh State. The set consists of three rectangular plates, each measuring about 7.4" X 4.2". They are strung together on a circular copper ring, the thickness and diameter of which are .6" and 3.375" respectively. The ring passes through a square hole bored in the middle of the left margin at a distance of about 1.5" from the left edge. The square hole measures .5" on one of its sides. The inner side of the first plate and both sides of the remaining two plates contain writing. There are altogether 25 lines. Each, of the first four inscribed faces of the plates has six lines of writing, while the fifth has only one line. The seal soldered to the ring is 3" in diameter. It has a circular border and is divided in almost equal halves by two straight lines. In the upper half Lakshmи stands facing front on a lotus with her right hand bent upwards and the left hand hanging downwards; on her two sides are two elephants pouring water over her; and in the left and right fields are a chakra and a щaкkha respectively. In the lower half is the legend in two lines, below which there is the representation of what looks like a pуrнa-kumbha. The three plates weigh 75 tolas, while the seal together with its ring weighs 25 tolas. The characters are of the box-headed variety of what Fleet calls the 'Central India Alphabet.
(A. N. Lahiri)
Language: Sanskrit. In prose with the exception of a few imprecatory and benedictory verses and the legend on the seal.
Metres: Verse 1: Vasantatilaka; Verse 2: Indravajrd; Verses 3-6: Anuffubh.
Script: Box-headed variety of the Central Indian alphabet.
Date: Regnal Year 7, Margasirsa 10. Latter half of the sixth century A.D.
The plates are 7-4" long and 4-2" broad.
The seal is circular, its diameter being 3". Having a circular border, it is divided into two parts by a couple of horizontal lines in the middle. In the upper half we have the figure of Gaja-Lakшmи as described above, and a wheel (cakra) and a conch-shell (щaкkha) in the left and right fields respectively. The lower half has an Anuштubh stanza in two lines and below it what looks like a pуrнa-kumbha.
(AMS)

TEXT

Seal

Kram-аdhigata-rаjyasya vikram-оtkhаta-vidviшa[х] [|*] щrиmat-Sudеvarаjasya sthiraм jagati щаsanaм(nam ||)

First Plate

1 siddhaм [|*] svasti [|*] щrиpurаd=vikram-оpanata-sаmaм(ma)nta-makuтa-cуда-maнi-prabhа-prasеk-а-
2 mbu-dhauta-pаda-yugalо ripu-vilаsinи-sиmaм(ma)nt-оddharaнa-hеtur=vvasu-vasudhа-
3 gо-pradaх paramabhаgavatо mаtа-pitр-pаd-аnuddhyаtaх щrи-Mahа-Durggarаja-putra-
4 щrи-Mahа-Sudеvarаjaх Hakirи-bhоgиya-Sunikаyам prativаsi-
5 nas=samаjгаpayati | Viditam=astu vо yath=аsmаbhir=ayaм grаmaх Tр(mas-tri)daщa-
6 pati-sadana-sukha-pratiштhаkarо yаvad=ravi-щaщi-tаrа-kiraнa-pratihata-

Second Plate, First Side

7 ghоr-аndhakаraм jagad=avatiштhatе tаvad=upabhоgyaх sa-nidhiхssо(dhis=s-о)panidhi-
8 r=a-cатa-bhaтa-pravещyaх sarvva-kara-visarjja(rjji)taх mаtа-pitrоr=аtmanaщ=ca
9 puнy-аbhivрddhayе Pаrаsa(щa)ra-gоtrаya Vаjasanеyinе Bhaттa-Pura-
10 da(nda)ra-svаminе tаmbra(mra)-щаsanеn=аtisрштaх [|*] tе yуyam=еvam=upa-
11 labhyа(bhya) аjга-щravaнa-vidhеyа bhуtvа yath-оcitaм bhоga-bhаgam=upanaya-
12 ntaх sukha[м*] prativatsyatha [|*] bhaviщya(шya)taщ=ca bhуmipаlаn=anudarщayati [|*]

Second Plate, Second Side

13. dаnаd=viщiштam=anupаlanajaм purана dharmmешu niщcitadhiya[х]
14. pravadanti dharmmaм(rmmam) [|*] tasmа[d*]=dvijаya suviшu(щu)ddha-kula-щrutаya dattа(ttам)
15. bhuvaм bhavatu vо matir=еva gоptuм[ptum*] [||1||] tad=bhavadbhir=apy=еща(еша) dattir=anupаlayi-
16. tavyа [||*] Vyаsa-gиtамщ=c-аtra щlоkаn=udаharanti [|*] Agnеr=apatyaм
17. prathamaм suvarннaм bhуr=vvaiшнavи sуryya-sutащ=ca gаvaх [|*] dattаs=trayas=tе-
18. na bhavaм(va)nti lоkа yaшkа(yaX=kа)гcanа(naм) gаг-ca mahим-ca dadyаt [||*] шaшти(штi)-varшa-

Third Plate, First Side

19 sahasrанi svarggе mоdati bhуmidaх [|*] аcchеttа c=аnumantа ca tаny=еva
20 narakе vasеt [||3||*] Bahubhir=vvasudhа dattа rаjabhiх Sagar-аdibhi[х|*] yasya ya-
21 sya yadа bhуmis=tasya tasya tadа phalaм(lam) [||4||] Svadattа[м*] paradattа[м*] vа yatnа-
22 d=rakшa Yudhiштhira [|*] mahи[м*] mahi(hи)matам щrештha dаnаc=chrеyоёnupаlana-
23 m=iti(m ||5|| iti) | sarvvаdhikаrаdhikрta-щrи-mahаsаmaм(ma)nta Indrabalarаja-|
24 щ=c-аtra dуtakaх [|*] pravarddhamаna-vijaya-sa(saм)vva(va)tsara 7 Mаrg[g]aщиrшa-di 10 [||*]

Third Plate, Second Side,

25 U[t*]kиrннaм Gоlasiкghеna[|]