The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c16.369

v1.c16.369

(2) *Manahalī grant.*—This plate was discovered during the excavation of a tank in the village of Manahali in Dinajpur district. It contains 35 lines on the obverse and 23 lines on the reverse. It bears the usual *Dharmacakra* seal of the Pālas with legend *Śrī-Madanapāladevasya*. The inscription begins with *Om namo Buddhāya* and traces the genealogy of the family from Gopāla to Madanapāla, who was born from Rāmapāla, by his queen Madanadevī. The grant was issued from the *Jayaskandhāvāra* situated in Rāmāvatī-nagara, and in the 8th year of *Ps.-M.* Rāmapāladeva-*pādānudhyātaḥ P.-Pb.-M.* Madanapāladeva. Its object was to record the gift of some land in Halāvarta-*Maṇḍala*, in Koṭivarṣa-*Viṣaya*, in Puṇḍravardhana-*Bhukti*, by the king to the Paṇḍit *Bhaṭṭaputra* Vaṭeśvara Śarmā as a fee for reading the *Mahābhārata* (*Veda-Vyāsa-prokta prapāṭhita Mahābhārata*),⁴ to the *Paṭṭa-mahādevī* Citramatikā. The usual *Buddha-bhaṭṭārakam uddiśya*, etc., also occurs in it. The *Dūtaka* was *Sandhivigrahika* Bhīmadeva, the engraver *Śilpī* Tathāgatasara.⁵