Chammak Plates of the Maharaja Pravarasena II

The Seal.

        A charter of king Pravaras na, the ornament of the V k takas, who has attained royal dignity by, inheritance, (is) a charter for (the observance of even his) enemies!

The Plates.

        Sight has been attained! Hail! From the town of Pravarapura;

        (Line 17.)-At the command of the most devout worshipper of (the god) Mah shvara, the Mah r ja of the V k takas, the illustrious Pravaras na (II.), who was begotten on Prabh vatigupt , the daughter of the Mah r jadhir ja, the glorious D vagupta; who, through possessing the favour of (the god) Shambhu, is (as virtuous as) one belonging to the Krita age;-

        (Line 13.) -(And) who is the son of the Mah r ja of the V k takas, the illustrious Rudras na (II.), who acquired an abundance of good fortune through the favour of the divine (god) Chakrap ni;

        (L. 9.)-Who was the son of the Mah r ja of the V k takas, the illustrious Prithivish na, who was an excessively devout worshipper of (the god) Mah shvara; who was endowed with an excess of truthfulness, straightforwardness, tenderness, heroism, prowess, political wisdom, modesty, and high-mindedness, and with devotion to worthy people and guests, and with the condition of being victorious through religion, and with purity of mind, and with other meritorious qualities; who belonged to an uninterrupted succession of sons and sons' sons, whose treasure and means of government had been accumulating for a hundred years; who behaved like Yudhishthira;-

        (L. 4.)-Who was the son of the Mah r ja of the V k takas, the illustrious Rudras na (I.), who was an excessively devout devotee of (the god) Sv mi-Mah bhairava; who was the daughter's son of the illustrious Bhavan ga, the Mah r ja of the Bh rashivas, whose royal line owed its origin to the great satisfaction of (the god) Shiva, (caused) by (their) carrying a linga of Shiva placed as a load upon (their) shoulders, (and) who were besprinkled on the forehead with the pure water of (the river) Bh girath  that had been obtained by (their) valour, (and) who performed ablutions after the celebration of ten ashvam dha-sacrifices;-who was the son of Gautamiputra;-

        (L. 1.)-(And) who was the son of the son of the Mah r ja of the sovereign V k takas, the illustrious Pravaras na (I.), who celebrated the agnisht ma, apt ry ma, ukthya, sh dashin,  tir tra, v jap ya, brihaspatisava, and s dyaskra sacrifices and four ashvam dha-sacrifices, (and) was of the Vishnuvriddha g tra;-

        (L. 18.)-The village named Charm nika, on the bank of the river Madhunadi, in the Bh jakata kingdom, (measured) by eight thousand bh mis, (or in figures) 8000, according to the royal measure, is, at the request of Kondar ja the son of Satrughnar ja, given to one thousand Br hmans of various g tras and charanas.

        (L. 21.)-Wherefore Our obedient and high-born officers, employed in the office of general superintendents, (and Our) regular soldiers and umbrella-bearers, should be (thus) directed with a command preceded by (the words)  O illustrious one :-  Be it known to you, that, in order to increase Our religion and life and strength and victory and dominion, (and) for the sake of (Our) welfare in this world and in the next, (and generally) for Our benefit, this (village) is granted, in (Our) victorious office of justice, as a grant not previously made, with libations of water.

        (L. 25.)- "Now We grant the fixed usage, such as befits this (village), (and) such as has been approved of by former kings, of a village which belongs to a community of Chaturv dins; namely, it is not to pay taxes; it is not to be entered by the regular troops or by the umbrella-bearers; it does not carry with it (the right to) cows and bulls in succession of production, or to the abundance of flowers and milk, or to the pasturage, hides, and charcoal, or to the mines for the purchase of salt in a moist state; it is entirely free from (all obligation of) forced labour; it carries with it the hidden treasures and deposits, and the klripta and upaklripta; it is (to be enjoyed) for the same time with the moon and the sun; (and) it is to follow (the succession of) sons and sons' sons. No hindrance should be caused by any one to those who enjoy it. It should be protected and increased by all (possible) means. And whosoever, disregarding this charter, shall give, or cause to be given, even slight vexation, We will inflict on him punishment, together with a fine, when he is denounced by the Br hmans."

        (L. 34.)-And in this document, which has at least (the merit of) religion,-in order to avoid boasting of (other) meritorious actions performed (by Us),--We do not recite (Our) care and protection of grants made by various kings who are dead and gone.

        (L. 36.)-And two verses, sung by Vy sa, are to be cited as an authority on this point: -Whosoever confiscates land that has been given, whether by himself, or by another, he incurs the guilt of the slayer of a hundred thousand cows! The giver of land enjoys happiness in heaven for sixty thousand years; (but) the confiscator (of a grant), and he who assents (to an act of confiscation), shall dwell for the same number of years in hell!

        (L. 39.)-And this condition of the charter should be maintained by the Br hmans and by (future) lords; namely (the enjoyment of this grant is to belong to the Br hmans) for the same time with the moon and the sun, provided that they commit no treason against the kingdom, consisting of seven constituent parts, of (successive) kings; that they are not slayers of Br hmans, and are not thieves, adulterers, poisoners of kings, &c.; that they do not wage war; (and) that they do no wrong to other villages. But, if they act otherwise, or assent (to such acts), the king will commit no theft in taking the land away.

        (L. 44.)-And the recipients, appointed for the occasion in this matter, (are): Gan rya, of the Sh ty yana (g tra). D v rya, of the V tsya (g tra). Kum rasharm rya, of the Bh radv ja (g tra). Guhasharman, of the P r sharya (g tra). D v rya, of the K shyapa (g tra); Mah shvar rya, (and) M tr rya. Rudr rya, of the Kaundinya (g tra); (and) S m rya, (and) Harisharm rya. Kum rasharm rya, of the Bh radv ja (g tra). M trisharman, of the Kaundinya (g tra); (and) Varasharman, G ndasharman, (and) N gasharman. Sh ntisharman, of the Bh radv ja (g tra); (and) Rudrasharman, Bh jakad v rya, of the V tsya (g tra); (and) Maghasharman, (and) D vasharman. M kshasharman, of the Bh radv ja (g tra); (and) N gasharman, R vatisharman, (and) Dharm rya, Sharm rya, of the Bh radv ja (g tra); (and) Nandan rya, M lasharman,  shvarasharman, (and) Varasharman. Skand rya, of the V tsya (g tra). Bapp rya, of the Bh radv ja (g tra); (and) Dharm rya. Skand rya, of the  tr ya (g tra), S masharm rya, of the Gautama (g tra); (and) Bhartrisharman, Rudrasharm rya, Magh rya, M trisharm rya, (and)  shvarasharm rya. M trisharm rya, of the Gautama (g tra). D vasharm rya, of the Kaundinya (g tra); (and) Varasharm rya, (and) R h rya. Sv mid v rya, of the Gautama (g tra); (and) R vatisharm rya, (and) Jy shthasharm rya. Kum rasharm rya, of the Sh ndilya (g tra); (and) Sv tisharm rya. (And) K nd rya, of the Sh ty yana (g tra); and so forth.

        (L. 59.)-(This) charter has been written, while Chitravarman is the S n pati, in the eighteenth year, (or in figures) 10 (and) 8, on the thirteenth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month Jy shtha.

From: Fleet, John F. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum: Inscriptions of the Early Guptas. Vol. III. Calcutta: Government of India, Central Publications Branch, 1888, 240-243.