Indian Epigraphy c11.t6.36

c11.t6.36

The item of address is absent in charters like the Sasanakota plates referred to above and the Parbatiya plates⁴ of king Vanamālavarman of Assam, who flourished in the 9th century A.D. The Ipur plates contain an address only to the residents of the village granted and the expressions *kuśalī* and *viditam=astu vaḥ* are missing in the record. The persons addressed in Dadda’s grant include the subordinate rulers and chiefs and the donor’s own officers, but not the villagers. In certain Śātavāhana and Early Pallava records, the order is issued to the governor of the district in which the gift land was situated.¹ The above-mentioned Chittagong plate of Kāntideva has: ‘the illustrious Kāntideva, being in good health, informs the future kings of the Harikelā maṇḍala as follows, for their own good: “Be it known to you”.’ Passages like *viditam=astu vaḥ*, *viditam=astu bhavatām*, *astu vaḥ saṃviditam*, *matam=astu bhavatām*, etc., calling attention to the notification that follows immediately, are of frequent occurrence.² In the Svalpavelura grant of the Gaṅga king Anantavarman,³ the fairly long list of officers is headed by the Brāhmaṇas and the expressions used are: ‘being in good health, duly honours and commands’, while the Baripada Museum plate of Devānanda⁴ has: ‘duly honours, intimates to, enquires after the health of, and commands’. The persons addressed in these cases include both officials and villagers.