Issued from Nandivardhana (modern Nagardhan, Nagpur, Maharashtra), this copper plate charter of Prabhāvatīguptā, was discovered in Pune. The text is engraved primarily in the nail-headed Brāhmī script and composed in Sanskrit prose. The charter dates to the twelfth tithi of Kārttika bright fortnight, thirteenth year. It was executed by the scribe Cakradāsa. The seal features the motifs of sun, moon and flower and inscribes the authority of Prabhāvatiguptā as the regent queen, who hailed from the illustrious imperial Gupta family as the daughter of Chandragupta II, was married to the Vākāṭaka Mahārāja Rudrasena II.
The charter documents the donation of the village Daṅguṇa, located in the Supratiṣṭha district, by the dowager queen Prabhāvatīguptā, acting as regent for the yuvarāja Divākarasena. The grant was bestowed upon ācārya Canālasvāmin, a devotee of the Bhagavata i.e., Viṣṇu, following an offering to the deity's footprints. The text systematically lists traditional agrahāra exemptions for the donated settlement, including immunity from entry by soldiers, obligations to supply provisions like grass, charcoal and flowers, royal prerogatives over liquors and salt along with mining exemptions and other tax exclusions. The edict concludes with an imprecatory verse and a seal affirming the authority of the yuvarāja's mother.
Editor's Comment:First Plate
1. dṛṣṭam | siddham | jitambhagavatā | svasti | nandivarddhanā dāsīdguptādi rājo mahārāja-
2. śrīghaṭotkacastasya satputro mahārājaśrīcandraguptastasya satputro-
3. nekāśvamedhayājī licchavidauhitro mahādevyā kumāradevyāmutpanno
4. mahārājādhirājaśrīsamudraguptastatsatputrastatpādaparigṛhītaḥ
5. pṛthivyāmapratirathassarvvarājocchettā caturudadhisalilāsvādita-
6. yaśā aneka gohiraṇyakoṭisahasrapradaparamabhāgavato mahārā-
7. jadhirājaśrīcandraguptastasya duhitā dhāraṇasagotrā nāgakulasambhū-
8. tāyām śrīmahādevyāṃ kuberanāgāyāmutpannobhayakulālaṅkārabhūtātyantabhagavadbhaktā
9. vākāṭakānām mahārājaśrīrudrasenasyāgramahiṣī yuvarāja-
10. śrīdivākarasenajananī śrīprabhāvatī guptā supratiṣṭhāhāre
Second Plate
11. vilavaṇakasya pūrvvapārśve śīrṣagrāmasya dakṣiṇapārśve kadāpiñjanasyāparapārśve
12. sidivivarakasyottarapārśve daṅguṇagrāme brāhmaṇādyāngrāmakuṭumbina kuśala-
13. muktvā samājñāpayati | viditamastu vo yathāyam grāmosmābhiḥ svapuṇyāpyāyanārtthaṃ
14. kārttikaśukladvādaśyām bhagavatpādamūle nivedya bhagavadbhaktācāryyacanālasvāminepūrvva-
15. dattyā udakapūrvvamatisṛṣṭaḥ yato bhavadbhirucitamaryyādayā sarvvājñā kartavyāḥ pūrvva-
16. rājānumatāmścātra cāturvidyāgrahāraparihārānvitarāmastadyathābhaṭacchātra prāveśyaḥ
17. acārāsanacarmmāṅgārakiṇvalavaṇakreṇikhanakaḥ apāramparaḥ apapaśu medhyaḥ apuṣpakṣīrasandohaḥ
18. sanidhissopanidhissakṛptopaklṛptaḥ | ta deṣa bhaviṣyadrājabhissamrakṣitavyaḥ parivarddha-
19. yitavyaśca | yaścāsmacchāsanamagaṇamānassvalpāmapyatrābādhām kuryyātkārayīta kārayedvā-
20. tasya brāhmaṇai rāveditasya sadaṇḍanigrahaṃ kuryyāma | vyāsagītaścātra śloko bhavati |
21. svadattāmparadattām vā yo hareta vasundharām | gavāṃ śatasahasrasya hanturharati duṣkṛtam ||
22. samvatsare ca trayodaśaśe likhitamidaṃ śāsanam | cakkradāsenotkaṭṭitam |
SEAL
1. vākāṭakalalāmasya
2. kramaprāptanṛpaśriyaḥ |
3. jananyā yuvarājasya
4. śāsanaṃ ripuśāsanam ||
प्रथमं ताम्रपत्रम्
१। दृष्टम् । सिद्धम् । जितम्भगवता । स्वस्ति । नन्दिवर्द्धना दासीद्गुप्तादि राजो महाराज-
२। श्रीघटोत्कचस्तस्य सत्पुत्रो महाराजश्रीचन्द्रगुप्तस्तस्य सत्पुत्रो-
३। नेकाश्वमेधयाजी लिच्छविदौहित्रो महादेव्या कुमारदेव्यामुत्पन्नो
४। महाराजाधिराजश्रीसमुद्रगुप्तस्तत्सत्पुत्रस्तत्पादपरिगृहीतः
५। पृथिव्यामप्रतिरथस्सर्व्वराजोच्छेत्ता चतुरुदधिसलिलास्वादित-
६। यशा अनेक गोहिरण्यकोटिसहस्रप्रदपरमभागवतो महारा-
७। जधिराजश्रीचन्द्रगुप्तस्तस्य दुहिता धारणसगोत्रा नागकुलसम्भू-
८। तायाम् श्रीमहादेव्यां कुबेरनागायामुत्पन्नोभयकुलालङ्कारभूतात्यन्तभगवद्भक्ता
९। वाकाटकानाम् महाराजश्रीरुद्रसेनस्याग्रमहिषी युवराज-
१०। श्रीदिवाकरसेनजननी श्रीप्रभावती गुप्ता सुप्रतिष्ठाहारे
द्वितीयं ताम्रपत्रम्
११। विलवणकस्य पूर्व्वपार्श्वे शीर्षग्रामस्य दक्षिणपार्श्वे कदापिञ्जनस्यापरपार्श्वे
१२। सिदिविवरकस्योत्तरपार्श्वे दङ्गुणग्रामे ब्राह्मणाद्यान्ग्रामकुटुम्बिन कुशल-
१३। मुक्त्वा समाज्ञापयति । विदितमस्तु वो यथायम् ग्रामोस्माभिः स्वपुण्याप्यायनार्त्थं
१४। कार्त्तिकशुक्लद्वादश्याम् भगवत्पादमूले निवेद्य भगवद्भक्ताचार्य्यचनालस्वामिनेपूर्व्व-
१५। दत्त्या उदकपूर्व्वमतिसृष्टः यतो भवद्भिरुचितमर्य्यादया सर्व्वाज्ञा कर्तव्याः पूर्व्व-
१६। राजानुमताम्श्चात्र चातुर्विद्याग्रहारपरिहारान्वितरामस्तद्यथाभटच्छात्र प्रावेश्यः
१७। अचारासनचर्म्माङ्गारकिण्वलवणक्रेणिखनकः अपारम्परः अपपशु मेध्यः अपुष्पक्षीरसन्दोहः
१८। सनिधिस्सोपनिधिस्सकृप्तोपक्लृप्तः । त देष भविष्यद्राजभिस्सम्रक्षितव्यः परिवर्द्ध-
१९। यितव्यश्च । यश्चास्मच्छासनमगणमानस्स्वल्पामप्यत्राबाधाम् कुर्य्यात्कारयीत कारयेद्वा-
२०। तस्य ब्राह्मणै रावेदितस्य सदण्डनिग्रहं कुर्य्याम । व्यासगीतश्चात्र श्लोको भवति ।
२१। स्वदत्ताम्परदत्ताम् वा यो हरेत वसुन्धराम् । गवां शतसहस्रस्य हन्तुर्हरति दुष्कृतम् ॥
२२। सम्वत्सरे च त्रयोदशशे लिखितमिदं शासनम् । चक्क्रदासेनोत्कट्टितम् ।
मुद्रा
१। वाकाटकललामस्य
२। क्रमप्राप्तनृपश्रियः ।
३। जनन्या युवराजस्य
४। शासनं रिपुशासनम् ॥
Prose section
dṛṣṭam | siddham | jitambhagavatā | svasti | nandivarddhanā dāsīdguptādi rājo mahārājaśrīghaṭotkacastasya satputro mahārājaśrīcandraguptastasya satputronekāśvamedhayājī licchavidauhitro mahādevyāṃ kumāradevyāmutpanno mahārājādhirājaśrīsamudraguptastatsatputrastatpādaparigṛhītaḥ pṛthivyāmapratirathassarvvarājocchettā caturudadhisalilāsvāditayaśā aneka gohiraṇyakoṭisahasrapradaparamabhāgavato mahārājadhirājaśrīcandraguptastasya duhitā dhāraṇasagotrā nāgakulasambhūtāyām śrīmahādevyām kuberanāgāyāmutpannobhayakulālaṅkārabhūtātyantabhagavadbhaktā vākāṭakānām mahārājaśrīrudrasenasyāgramahiṣī yuvarājaśrīdivākarasenajananī śrīprabhāvatī guptā supratiṣṭhāhāre vilavaṇakasya pūrvvapārśve śīrṣagrāmasya dakṣiṇapārśve kadāpiñjanasyāparapārśve sidivivarakasyottarapārśve daṅguṇagrāme brāhmaṇādyāngrāmakuṭumbina kuśalamuktvā samājñāpayati |
viditamastu vo yathāyam grāmosmābhiḥ svapuṇyāpyāyanārttham kārttikaśukladvādaśyām bhagavatpādamūle nivedya bhagavadbhaktācāryyacanālasvāminepūrvvadattyā udakapūrvvamatisṛṣṭaḥ yato bhavadbhirucitamaryyādayā sarvvājñā kartavyāḥ pūrvvarājānumatāmścātra cāturvidyāgrahāraparihārānvitarāmastadyathābhaṭacchātra prāveśyaḥ acārāsanacarmmāṅgārakiṇvalavaṇakreṇikhanakaḥ apāramparaḥ apapaśu medhyaḥ apuṣpakṣīrasandohaḥ sanidhissopanidhissakṛptopaklṛptaḥ | ta deṣa bhaviṣyadrājabhissaṃrakṣitavyaḥ parivarddhayitavyaśca | yaścāsmacchāsanamagaṇamānassvalpāmapyatrābādhāṃ kuryyātkārayīta kārayedvātasya brāhmaṇai rāveditasya sadaṇḍanigrahaṃ kuryyāma | vyāsagītaścātra śloko bhavati |
Verse 1
svadattāṃ paradattāṃ vā yo hareta vasundharām |
gavāṃ śatasahasrasya hantur harati duṣkṛtam || (anuṣṭup)
saṃvatsare ca trayodaśaśe likhitamidaṃ śāsanam | cakkradāsenotkaṭṭitam |
SEAL
vākāṭakalalāmasya
kramaprāptanṛpaśriyaḥ |
jananyā yuvarājasya
śāsanaṃ ripuśāsanam ||(anuṣṭup)
गद्यभाग
दृष्टम् । सिद्धम् । जितम्भगवता । स्वस्ति । नन्दिवर्द्धना दासीद्गुप्तादि राजो महाराजश्रीघटोत्कचस्तस्य सत्पुत्रो महाराजश्रीचन्द्रगुप्तस्तस्य सत्पुत्रोनेकाश्वमेधयाजी लिच्छविदौहित्रो महादेव्यां कुमारदेव्यामुत्पन्नो महाराजाधिराजश्रीसमुद्रगुप्तस्तत्सत्पुत्रस्तत्पादपरिगृहीतः पृथिव्यामप्रतिरथस्सर्व्वराजोच्छेत्ता चतुरुदधिसलिलास्वादितयशा अनेक गोहिरण्यकोटिसहस्रप्रदपरमभागवतो महाराजधिराजश्रीचन्द्रगुप्तस्तस्य दुहिता धारणसगोत्रा नागकुलसम्भूतायाम् श्रीमहादेव्याम् कुबेरनागायामुत्पन्नोभयकुलालङ्कारभूतात्यन्तभगवद्भक्ता वाकाटकानाम् महाराजश्रीरुद्रसेनस्याग्रमहिषी युवराजश्रीदिवाकरसेनजननी श्रीप्रभावती गुप्ता सुप्रतिष्ठाहारे विलवणकस्य पूर्व्वपार्श्वे शीर्षग्रामस्य दक्षिणपार्श्वे कदापिञ्जनस्यापरपार्श्वे सिदिविवरकस्योत्तरपार्श्वे दङ्गुणग्रामे ब्राह्मणाद्यान्ग्रामकुटुम्बिन कुशलमुक्त्वा समाज्ञापयति ।
विदितमस्तु वो यथायम् ग्रामोस्माभिः स्वपुण्याप्यायनार्त्थम् कार्त्तिकशुक्लद्वादश्याम् भगवत्पादमूले निवेद्य भगवद्भक्ताचार्य्यचनालस्वामिनेपूर्व्वदत्त्या उदकपूर्व्वमतिसृष्टः यतो भवद्भिरुचितमर्य्यादया सर्व्वाज्ञा कर्तव्याः पूर्व्वराजानुमताम्श्चात्र चातुर्विद्याग्रहारपरिहारान्वितरामस्तद्यथाभटच्छात्र प्रावेश्यः अचारासनचर्म्माङ्गारकिण्वलवणक्रेणिखनकः अपारम्परः अपपशु मेध्यः अपुष्पक्षीरसन्दोहः सनिधिस्सोपनिधिस्सकृप्तोपक्लृप्तः । त देष भविष्यद्राजभिस्संरक्षितव्यः परिवर्द्धयितव्यश्च । यश्चास्मच्छासनमगणमानस्स्वल्पामप्यत्राबाधां कुर्य्यात्कारयीत कारयेद्वातस्य ब्राह्मणै रावेदितस्य सदण्डनिग्रहं कुर्य्याम । व्यासगीतश्चात्र श्लोको भवति ।
पद्य १
स्वदत्तां परदत्तां वा यो हरेत वसुन्धराम् ।
गवां शतसहस्रस्य हन्तुर् हरति दुष्कृतम् ॥ (अनुष्टुप्)
संवत्सरे च त्रयोदशशे लिखितमिदं शासनम् । चक्क्रदासेनोत्कट्टितम् ।
मुद्रा
वाकाटकललामस्य
क्रमप्राप्तनृपश्रियः ।
जनन्या युवराजस्य
शासनं रिपुशासनम् ॥(अनुष्टुप्)
Line 1-6
Seen. Success! Victory has been attained by the Bhagavat! Hail! From Nandivardhana-
There was the mahārāja, the illustrious Ghaṭotkacha, the first king of the Guptas. His excellent son was the mahārāja, the illustrious Candragupta I. His excellent son was the mahārājādhirāja, the illustrious Samudragupta who was born of the mahādevī Kumāradevī; who was the daughter’s son of the Licchavi chief; and who performed several horse-sacrifices. His excellent son is the mahārājadhirāja, the illustrious Candragupta II, graciously favoured by him (i.e. Samudragupta), who is a fervent devotee of the Bhagavat (Viṣṇu); who is a matchless warrior on the earth; who has exterminated all kings; whose fame has tasted the waters of the four oceans; and who has donated many thousands of crores of cows and gold coins.
Line 7-15
His daughter is the illustrious Prabhāvatīguptā of the Dhāraṇa gotra. She was born of the illustrious mahādevī Kuberanāgā, who herself belonged to the Nāga family. A fervent devotee of the Bhagavat (Viṣṇu), she was the Chief Queen of the illustrious Rudrasena II, the mahārāja of the Vākāṭakas, and is the mother of the yuvarāja, the illustrious Divākarasena. Having announced her good health, she commands the householders, brāhmaṇas, and others residing in the village of Daṅguṇa, situated in the āhāra of Supratiṣṭha, to the east of Vilavaṇaka, to the south of Śīrṣagrāma, to the west of Kadāpiñjana, and to the north of Sidivīvaraka, as follows:
“Be it known to you that on the twelfth lunar day of the bright fortnight of Kārttika, We have, for augmenting our own religious merit, donated this village, with the pouring out of water, to the ācārya Canālasvāmin, who is a devotee of the Bhagavat, as a gift not previously made, after having offered it to the foot-prints of the Bhagavat. Wherefore, you should obey all his commands, with proper respect.
Line 16-17
And we confer here on him the following exemptions incidental to an agrahāra granted to the Caturvidya (brāhmaṇas), as approved by former kings: This village is not to be entered by soldiers and policeman; it is exempt from the obligation to provide grass, hides as seats, and charcoal to touring royal officers; exempt from the royal prerogative of purchasing fermenting liquors and digging salt; exempt from the right to mines and Khadira trees; exempt from the obligation to supply flowers and milk; it is donated together with the right to hidden treasures and deposits and together with major and minor taxes.
Line 18
Wherefore, this grant should be maintained and augmented by future kings. Whoever, disregarding our order, will himself cause or make others cause the slightest obstruction, upon him, when complained against by the Brāhmaṇas, we will inflict punishment together with a fine.
And there is, on this point, the following verse sung by Vyāsa:
(Here occurs an imprecatory verse.)
Line 22
This charter has been written in the thirteenth regnal year. It has been engraved by Cakradāsa.
SEAL
This is the enemy-chastising command of the Mother of the Yuvarāja, the ornament of the Vākāṭakas, who has attained royal fortune by inheritance.
Bibliography & Research
- Mirashi, V. V. (Ed.). (1963). Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum: The Inscriptions of the Vākāṭakas (Vol. V). Archaeological Survey of India.
- Pathak, K. B. (1912). A Gupta-Vākāṭaka Copper Plate Grant. Indian Antiquary, XLI, 214-215.
- Pathak, K. B., & Dikshit, K. N. (1920). No. 4 Poona Plates of the Vakataka Queen Prabhavati-Gupta: The 13th Regnal Year. Epigraphia Indica, XV, 39-44.
| Dynasty: | Vākāṭaka |
| Source: | |
| Ruler: | Prabhāvatīguptā |
| Date: | c. 397 to 398 CE (Kārttika, śukla 12, Regnal year 13) |
| Donee: | Ācārya Canālasvāmin |
| Language: | Sanskrit |
| Deities: | Bhagavata i.e. Viṣṇu |
| Nature of grant: | Land donation |
| Purpose: | For religious merit after observance of Ekādaśī fast |
| Provenance of inscription: | Pune, Maharashtra |
| Type of Inscription: | Copperplate grant |
