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No. 92. THE PUNJAI INSCRIPTION OF KRISHNADEVARAYA. 27 Se SSE SS

No. 32—THE PUNJAI INSCRIPTION OF KRISHNADEVARAYA.

This epigraph (No. 184 of 1925 of the Madras Epigraphical Collection) is a copy of an order issued by king Krishnadévardya of Vijayanagara while he was camping on the banks of the river Kyishpavéni some time alter his conquest of the Kuliiga country. So fur copies of this ordar have been found engraved in twenty different places in the Chdjamandalam which formed part of the Vijayansgara empire and to which the order relates. ‘These places are : Stndamatiga-

Perumajai,? Korukkai," Tirnnagiri,* Parasaliir,!* Punjai,"' Akkiir,1# Tillaiyadi,” Tirukkadaiyar,™

Sendatai,” linppappattu,” Talainkyar,” Tiramangalakkudi™ (Tanjore District), Tirappalitturai,*

and Kayyantr (Trichinopoly District). Though they are all copies of the same royal order, certain variations urs found in them not only in the detuila of the order but also in their record of the achicvements of the king.

The inscription is edited with the aid of the impressions and transeripts of all its copies kindly placed at my disposal by Mr. C, R. Krishnamacharlu, Suporintendent for Epigraphy, Madras. Mr. T. ¥: Mahslingaus, MLA. rendered much invaluable assistance in collating the numerous copies and preparing the text and translation of the record. in the verification of the geographical data, and in many other ways.

The script of all the copies ia in mixed Grantha and Tami], and Sanskrit words ate often transliterated into Tamil, The language ie Tamil ; there aro however two Sanskrit verses, one at the beginning und the other at-the end. The engraving of the inscription uppears to have been the work of persona of mediorre ability, and hence many: mistakes are found in each copy. The defective nature of those inscriptions is; for mstanee, in striking contrast with the excellence of workmanship found in the Chia inscriptions from the same area, Of the twenty copies of the epigraph only four are complete, those found at Psradalir, Puijai, Akkir and Tilleiyadi; and the obief variations among these have bean noticed in the footnotes to the text.

The inscription opens with an invocation to Gayapati and Siva, and records the date and the purpose of the royal order together with the tithes of the king ; it then gives an account of the

of Krishnadévariaya in the castern country till the date of the record, and states that the king while he was halting on the banks of the Krishmavénl in Saka 1439 (A.D. 1517), remitted

10,000 vardhan (gold pieces) in favour of the Siva and Vishnu temples in the Chéjamagdalam,

Tho remission comprised the duea caed jodi and araduptru ; other copies mention in addition,

one or more of the following: dilavart, wilavali and matrirm pala pifararigalum.™

There is @ like difference among the copies in the number and names of the temples enumera- ted as the beneficiaries of the mmission, only a few (like the one that is heiig edited) mentioning almost all the places. Generally each of the copies mentions the place where it ix found and a few

No, 74 of 1008 of the Madre Epigtaphioa] Collection. M No, 226 of 1025:

No, 125 of 1004. 9 No, 235 of 1025,

No. 055 of 1007, 48 No, 137 of LET,
No. 80 of 111. . i Ne, 187 Af 27,

Nea. 220 of 1917, 1 No, 229 of 1027, “No. 225 of 1817, Wo. 248 of 1002.

Xo, 406 of 1018. No, G11 of 1905,

40 No, 167 of 1025. Mt No, 184 of 1025.

"Been. 4, p. 306 below.