This inscription, situated in the Basavanna temple at Shedbal, Belagavi district, Karnataka, belongs to the reign of the Śilāhāra mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Vijayāditya, who governed from his headquarters at Valavaḍa. The record is written in a combination of Old Kannada and Sanskrit language, utilising the Old Kannada script. Although the slab is damaged by cracks and effaced characters, the date is clearly identifiable as Sunday, March 1 1153 CE, falling within the Śrīmukha cyclic year of the Śaka 1075.
The translation reveals a collaborative grant involving local officials and merchant guilds. The goldsmith Nāgoja and Reva gāvuṇḍa, with the formal agreement of the guilds and governments (mūliga and eṇṭṭuhiṭṭu), assigned specific tax revenues to a local basadi and a temple. These revenues included the periodical taxes (davaṇāya) and a specialised levy on cloth sold by traders during marriage celebrations, calculated at a fixed rate. Reva gāvuṇḍa was tasked with the fair distribution of these funds between both the establishments.
Editor's Comment:1. siddham svasti | samadhigatapañcamahāśabdamahāma-
2. ṇḍaleśvaratagarapuravarādhīśvaraṃ śrīśilā-
3. hāranarendra jīmūtavāhanānvaya-
4. prasūta suvarṇṇagaruḍadhvaja vīramakaradhvaja ma-
5. ruvaṅkasarpa rūpakaṅdarppa iḍuvarādi-
6. tya śaucagāṅgeya ayyanasiṅgha sāhaso-.
7. ttuṅga vairībhakaṇṭhīrava mahālakṣmīdevīlabdhavarapra-
8. sāda samastanāmāvalīsahita śrīmanmahā
9. maṇḍaleśvara vijayādityadevarasaru valabā-
10. ḍadanelevīḍanalu sukhasaṅkathāvino-
11. dadiṃ rājyaṃ geyyuttamiralu śakavarṣa 1075 śrīmu-
12. khasaṃvatsara caitra śuddha 5 ādityavāradandu se-
13. ṇiga kottaligaluṃ akkasāle nāgojaṃ hoṅge vīsa
14. dalekkadiṃ koṭṭadavaṇāyamanā kottaligalmāḍisi-
15. davasadidevālyakke mūliga eṇṭṭu hiṭṭu śāsanaṅga-
16. lariye akkasāle nāgojanuṃ revagāvuṇḍaruṃ
17. samastakottiligaṃ dhārāpūrvvakaṃ māḍikoṭṭadavaṇāyaṃ
18. hoṅge vīsaṃ lekkadāyama revagāvuṇḍaṃ kottalimukhya-
19. māgetti vasadigaṃ degulakkaṃ samānavāgipa-
20. ccukuḍḍuvudu mattaṃ keriyolu harehoyda
21. maduvege cinnakariyamaduvege hāga
22. seṇiga sīrege vilasavikkida sīrege hoṅge vī-
23. sa lekkadiṃ tiruvudu teruvanḍakramadiṃ paccu
24. kuḍuvudu || svadattāṃ paradattāṃ vā yo hare-
25. ta vasundharām | ṣaṣṭiṃ varṣasahaśrāṇi viṣṭhāyāṃ
26. jāyate kṛmiḥ ||
१। सिद्धम् स्वस्ति । समधिगतपञ्चमहाशब्दमहाम-
२। ण्डलेश्वरतगरपुरवराधीश्वरं श्रीशिला-
३। हारनरेन्द्र जीमूतवाहनान्वय-
४। प्रसूत सुवर्ण्णगरुडध्वज वीरमकरध्वज म-
५। रुवङ्कसर्प रूपकङ्दर्प्प इडुवरादि-
६। त्य शौचगाङ्गेय अय्यनसिङ्घ साहसो-।
७। त्तुङ्ग वैरीभकण्ठीरव महालक्ष्मीदेवीलब्धवरप्र-
८। साद समस्तनामावलीसहित श्रीमन्महा
९। मण्डलेश्वर विजयादित्यदेवरसरु वलबा-
१०। डदनेलेवीडनलु सुखसङ्कथाविनो-
११। ददिं राज्यं गेय्युत्तमिरलु शकवर्ष १०७५ श्रीमु-
१२। खसंवत्सर चैत्र शुद्ध ५ आदित्यवारदन्दु से-
१३। णिग कोत्तलिगलुं अक्कसाले नागोजं होङ्गे वीस
१४। दलेक्कदिं कोट्टदवणायमना कोत्तलिगल्माडिसि-
१५। दवसदिदेवाल्यक्के मूलिग एण्ट्टु हिट्टु शासनङ्ग-
१६। लरिये अक्कसाले नागोजनुं रेवगावुण्डरुं
१७। समस्तकोत्तिलिगं धारापूर्व्वकं माडिकोट्टदवणायं
१८। होङ्गे वीसं लेक्कदायम रेवगावुण्डं कोत्तलिमुख्य-
१९। मागेत्ति वसदिगं देगुलक्कं समानवागिप-
२०। च्चुकुड्डुवुदु मत्तं केरियोलु हरेहोय्द
२१। मदुवेगे चिन्नकरियमदुवेगे हाग
२२। सेणिग सीरेगे विलसविक्किद सीरेगे होङ्गे वी-
२३। स लेक्कदिं तिरुवुदु तेरुवन्डक्रमदिं पच्चु
२४। कुडुवुदु ॥ स्वदत्तां परदत्तां वा यो हरे-
२५। त वसुन्धराम् । षष्टिं वर्षसहश्राणि विष्ठायां
२६। जायते कृमिः ॥
Prose section
siddham svasti |
samadhigatapaṃcamahāśabdamahāmaṇḍaleśvaratagarapuravarādhīśvaraṃ śrīśilāhāranareṃdra jīmūtavāhanānvayaprasūta suvarṇṇagaruḍadhvaja vīramakaradhvaja maruvaṃkasarpa rūpakaṃdarppa iḍuvarāditya śaucagāṃgeya ayyanasiṃgha sāhasottuṃga vairībhakaṃṭhīrava mahālakṣmīdevīlabdhavaraprasāda samastanāmāvalīsahita śrīmanmahāmaṇḍaleśvara vijayādityadevarasaru valabāḍadanelevīḍanalu sukhasaṃkathāvinodadiṃ rājyaṃ geyyuttamiralu śakavarṣa 1075 śrīmukhasaṃvatsara caitra śuddha 5 ādityavāradaṃdu seṇiga kottaligaluṃ akkasāle nāgojaṃ hoṃge vīsa dalekkadiṃ koṭṭadavaṇāyamanā kottaligalmāḍisidavasadidevālyakke mūliga eṃṭṭu hiṭṭu śāsanaṃgalariye akkasāle nāgojanuṃ revagāvuṇḍaruṃ samastakottiligaṃ dhārāpūrvvakaṃ māḍikoṭṭadavaṇāyaṃ hoṃge vīsaṃ lekkadāyama revagāvuṇḍaṃ kottalimukhyamāgetti vasadigaṃ degulakkaṃ samānavāgipaccukuḍḍuvudu mattaṃ keriyolu harehoyda maduvege cinnakariyamaduvege hāga seṇiga sīrege vilasavikkida sīrege hoṃge vīsa lekkadiṃ tiruvudu teruvanḍakramadiṃ paccu kuḍuvudu ||
svadattāṃ paradattāṃ vā
yo hareta vasuṃdharām |
ṣaṣṭiṃ varṣasahaśrāṇi
viṣṭhāyāṃ jāyate kṛmiḥ || 1 || (anuṣṭubh)
सिद्धम् स्वस्ति ।
समधिगतपंचमहाशब्दमहामण्डलेश्वरतगरपुरवराधीश्वरं श्रीशिलाहारनरेंद्र जीमूतवाहनान्वयप्रसूत सुवर्ण्णगरुडध्वज वीरमकरध्वज मरुवंकसर्प रूपकंदर्प्प इडुवरादित्य शौचगांगेय अय्यनसिंघ साहसोत्तुंग वैरीभकंठीरव महालक्ष्मीदेवीलब्धवरप्रसाद समस्तनामावलीसहित श्रीमन्महामण्डलेश्वर विजयादित्यदेवरसरु वलबाडदनेलेवीडनलु सुखसंकथाविनोददिं राज्यं गेय्युत्तमिरलु शकवर्ष १०७५ श्रीमुखसंवत्सर चैत्र शुद्ध ५ आदित्यवारदंदु सेणिग कोत्तलिगलुं अक्कसाले नागोजं ह्ॐगे वीस दलेक्कदिं कोट्टदवणायमना कोत्तलिगल्माडिसिदवसदिदेवाल्यक्के मूलिग एंट्टु हिट्टु शासनंगलरिये अक्कसाले नागोजनुं रेवगावुण्डरुं समस्तकोत्तिलिगं धारापूर्व्वकं माडिकोट्टदवणायं ह्ॐगे वीसं लेक्कदायम रेवगावुण्डं कोत्तलिमुख्यमागेत्ति वसदिगं देगुलक्कं समानवागिपच्चुकुड्डुवुदु मत्तं केरियोलु हरेहोय्द मदुवेगे चिन्नकरियमदुवेगे हाग सेणिग सीरेगे विलसविक्किद सीरेगे ह्ॐगे वीस लेक्कदिं तिरुवुदु तेरुवन्डक्रमदिं पच्चु कुडुवुदु ॥
स्वदत्तां परदत्तां वा
यो हरेत वसुंधराम् ।
षष्टिं वर्षसहश्राणि
विष्ठायां जायते कृमिः ॥ १ ॥ (अनुष्टुभ्)
Line 1-11
Success! Hail!
While the illustrious mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Vijayādityadevarasa—with a string of epithets such as ‘he who has obtained the five mahāśabdas, the mahāmaṇḍaleśvara, the lord of Tagara, the best of cities,’ ‘the scion of the illustrious Śilāhāra family,’ ‘born in the lineage of Jīmūtavāhana,’ ‘he who has the banner of the golden Garuḍa,’ ‘he who is cupid among heroes,’ ‘a serpent to the enemy forces,’ ‘a cupid in appearance,’ ‘the sun among archers,’ ‘Bhīṣma in purity,’ ‘the lion-like son of his father,’ ‘lofty in adventure,’ ‘a lion to the enemy elephants,’ ‘he who has obtained the boon of the Goddess Mahālakṣmī’—is ruling over the kingdom, in the enjoyment of pleasant conversations, from the headquarters of Valavāḍa—
Lines 11-12
In the Śaka year 1075, in the cyclic year Śrīmukha, Caitra, bright fortnight, 5 on Sunday—
Lines 12-20
the goldsmith Nāgoja and Reva-gāvuṇḍa have entrusted to all the assemblies, with the pouring of water, with the knowledge of the mūliga and eṇṭṭuhiṭṭu (guilds and the governments) the davaṇ-āya (i.e. income from fixed periodical taxation), at the rate of one visa per honnu, granted by the assemblies of traders’ guilds and the goldsmith Nāgoja, to the basadi and the temple built by the assemblies; this davaṇ-āya income at the rate of one visa per honnu, should be equally distributed to the basadi and the temple by Revagāvuṇḍa, led by the assemblies.
Lines 20-24
Again, for each marriage, celebrated with the beating of drums in the street, and the marriage celebrated in the Cinna-keri, a tax of one hāga in money for each cloth of (i.e. sold by) the traders’ guilds, and for each cloth ……….. a tax at the rate of one visa per honnu should be remitted. This revenue should be properly shared by the basadi and the temple.
(This is followed by the usual imprecatory verse.)
Bibliography & Research
| Dynasty: | Śilāhāra |
| Source: | |
| Ruler: | Vijayāditya |
| Date: | 1st March 1153 CE (Cyclic year Śrīmukha, Sunday, Caitra śukla 5 Śaka 1075) |
| Place: | Basavaṇṇā temple, Śeḍbāl (Belagavi) |
| Donee: | Shedbal, Belagavi |
| Language: | Sanskrit and Kannada |
| Nature of grant: | Religious endowment |
| Purpose: | To earmark revenues for Jaina basadi and local temple |
| Provenance of inscription: | Shedbal, Belagavi, Karnataka |
| Type of Inscription: | Stone inscription |
