23. Pодagaдh stone inscription.
EI XXI, No. 24 (C. R. Krishnamacharlu), 153-57; IO, II, II, 94-97 (S. Rajaguru);

The record edited below was discovered [Sewell in his List of the Antiquarian Remains in the Madras Presidency, Vol. 1 (p. 317) refers to an inscription on the rock in Dеvanаgarи characters at Pодаigaдa, which is possibly the same as the present inscription though his information, derived from local sources, appears to have been rather inaccurate. The stone door-way referred to in his account as being close to the inscription is probably the entrance to the ruined Viшнu temple referred to in verse 5 of the inscription. —Ed.] in the spring of 1922 by the late Mr. G. Venkoba Rao, the then Assistant Archeological Superintendent for Epigraphy, Southern Circle, Madras, and myself when we were touring in the Jeypore Agency of the Vizagapatam district, Madras Presidency. We had gone thither to examine the Telugu inscriptions at Koндakambеru [Nos. 286 and 287 of the Madras Epigraphical Collection for the year 1922.] in the Malkangiri Agency, brought to the notice of the Department by F. G. Butler, Esq., I.C.S., the Assistant Agency Commissioner at Kоrаpuт, and the Nаgarи inscription at Doдra, [No. 282 of the same Collection.] a village situated at a distance of about 10 miles from Poдаgaдh, reported by Mr. Burrows, the late Forest Officer, Jeypore, in the year 1916-17. Our attention was drawn to the inscription at Poдаgaдh by the Duffadar of the Umarkот Тhанa office who accompanied us as our guide. It was no small surprise to us to be led at the end of our tedious journey to the slab bearing the inscription [No. 283 of 1922.] leaning, against the natural rock at a height of 40 нeet from the ground level. This was a veritable epigraphical oasis in the deserted and barren Agency tracts.
The approaches to the hill are thickly shaded by the tall teak trees of the forest. Within a furlong from the foot of the hill, as we approached it, we observed some satи stones (nearly a dozen) lying scattered in a group which gave us hopes of some useful discovery. Not far from this spot was a ruined Щiva temple with fallen roof and dilapidating walls and entrance, with the Nandin (bull), Gaнещa and other associate minor sculptures lying about it. There was a well-watered pond also within a few yards of it embowered by a thick-set bamboo grove. All these human associations brought home to us the impression, suggested by the discovery of the Nаgarи inscription at Doдra, that the Agency tracts are now only a fallen country like the adjoining state of Bastar. [For the inscriptions of this State, see Epigraphia Indica, Vol. IX, p. 160; Vol. X, pp., 25 fl,; Vol. XII. p. 242; see also R. B. Hiralal's List of Inscriptions in the Central Provinces and Berar.] The provenance has been described at some length only with a view to indicate the extent ot the decadence that has come over a couutry, which, judging from its few known inscriptions and monuments, once enjoyed a civilised and cultured life in the early centuries of the Christian Era. The Agency tract seems well worthy of a systematic study by scholars owing to the wealth of antiquarian and ethnographical material it contains, although it has now relapsed into primeval jungle.
The Pодagaдh hill and village shown as 'Poragarh' in the Imperial Gazetteer Atlas (Vol. XXVI), Plate 42, lie on the north-western frontier of the Jeypore Agency bordering on the Bastar State. The way to the hill and the inscribed slab lie from the Nowrangpur side, through the village of Bhaндаrigудa which is only a small cluster of insignificant huts. The inscription has been reviewed in the Madras Epigraphical Report for the year 1921-22, page 95, where a plate of the record has also been given. (CK)

TEXT.

1 siddham || hariна jitaм jayati jешyatи[ty-е]ша guнa-stutir=nna-[hi sа] [|*] nanu-bhagavа[n-еva]
2 jayо jеtavyaм c-аdhijеtа [ca] || [1*] щrи-nal-аnvaya-mukkhyasya vikkram-akшapati dviшaх [|*]
3 nрpatеr=bhavadattasya sat-putrен-аnya-saмsthitаm || [2*] bhraштаm-аkршya rаjarddhiм
4 щуnyаm-аvаsya puшkarиm [|*] pituЫ pitаmahаnаг=ca jananyаX kri(kр)tinа [tataх] [||3*]
5 kрtvа dha[rmm-а]rthan-еbhyащаni(m-i)dam=аtma-hit-aiшiна [|*] pаdamуlaм kрtaм viшно [rаjга щrи[skandava]-
6 rmmaна || [4*] pуj-аrttham=asya c-aiv-еha sоdakam-bhуri-dakшiнam [|*] puruшаya puraм [da] . . . . .
7 rkka-tаrakа[m] || [5*] satr-оpabhоjyaм viprанам yatиnаг=ca viщешata[х] [|*] [dиnаnаm]=apy-anаthаnам . . .
8 ca sarvvaщaх || [6*] apravещyaм bhaтaiщ-c-еdaм sadа kara-visarjjitam | щrи-[cakradrо]нa-putr[а*]ya. . .
9 yath-оcita[m*] || [7*] sthitiщ-c-еyaм purо baddhа dharmmа-stambhе nivе[щi]tа [|*] yaщ-c-еmам hrаpayе[t-saм]sthаm-mahаpа[ta] . . . [8*]
10 vyatikkramе-dyо hi mahиpatе[х*] sthiti[m] kulаdhamaЫ   pаrtthiva-kilbiшam=pibе[t|*]
11 samanviy-аdyaщ-ca [narеndra]-sat-patham sa vаsudеvащra[ya]m=аpnuyаc-cira[m*] ||[9*]
12 dvаdaщеbdе narеndrенa mаdhavе mаsi cоttamе [saptaviмще] dinе puнyе
13 stambhо ёyaм [gа]hitas=svayam || [10*] prиti-bhаgavatе[n-ai]vam bhartuЫ priya-[cа] . .
14 sеnаpatinа kalpitа mаlin-еh-аlpa-buddhinа || [11*] . . . .
15 likhitaм [cau]li-sуnunа bhaktyа [jам]turadаsеna [|12*]
16 [а]jеna viщvarуpеna(нa) nirguнеna gu[нaiшiна] [||13*]