Kappe Arabhatta was a Chalukya warrior of the 8th century who is known from a
KannadaKannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
verse inscription, dated to c. 700 CE, and carved on a cliff overlooking the northeast end of the artificial lake in
BadamiBadami , formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples...
,
KarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India. The inscription consists of five stanzas written out in ten lines in the Kannada script. Stanza 2 (Lines 3 and 4) consists of a
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
ślokaA ' is a category of verse line developed from the Vedic Anuṣṭubh. It is the basis for Indian Epic verse, and may be considered the Indian verse form par excellence, occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry. The Mahabharata and Ramayana, for...
. Of the remaining stanzas, all except the first are in the
tripadiTripadi is a metre in the Kannada language dating back to c. 700 CE.-Definition:...
, a Kannada verse
metreIn poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
.
Stanza 3 (lines 5 and 6), which consists of twelve words of which nine are Sanskrit loan-words in Kannada, is well-known in a condensed version, and is sometimes cited as the earliest example of the
tripadi metre in Kannada. However, neither stanza 3 nor stanza 4 strictly conform to the precise rules of the
tripadi metre; they each have more than 18
moraMora is a unit in phonology that determines syllable weight, which in some languages determines stress or timing. As with many technical linguistic terms, the definition of a mora varies. Perhaps the most succinct working definition was provided by the American linguist James D...
s in line two, in excess of the allowed 17.
Location
According to , the Kappe Arabhatta inscription overlooks the artificial lake (on the south-east corner) of Badami town, and:
Kappe Arabhatta inscription text
The following is the text of the five lines written out in ten lines in the inscription. The meanings of the words are provided in the footnotes below the text. Lines 3 and 4 consist of a
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
sloka, and is not translated. Here
| denotes the end of each line of the
tripadiTripadi is a metre in the Kannada language dating back to c. 700 CE.-Definition:...
metreIn poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
and
|| , the end of the stanza:
Dictionary for the inscription
(Slw. stands for
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
loan-word):
1a "Kappe," Kannada, "a frog; that which hops" and has cognates in related languages:
TeluguTelugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
"kappa - a frog;"
TuluThe Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
"kappe - a frog, probably from 'kuppu' - to hop, or 'kappu' - to cover;"
1b "A
ra" and "bhaṭṭa" are both
PrakritPrakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
words: the former means "virtue," the latter, itself derives from
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
"bhartā."
1c Śiṣṭajana priyan: Beloved of the good people. Slw. priya,
2a kaṣṭajanavarjitan: avoided by evil people, adj. s. m. sg. nom. qualifying Kappe-Arabhattan. Slw.
kaṣṭa,
jana,
varjita;
2b kaliyugaviparita: an exceptional man in the kaliyuga.
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
loan-word (Slw.),
viparita adj. s. m. sg. nom qualifying Kappe-Arabhattan;
5a sadhuge: to the good people.
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
loan word (Slw.) sadhu, s. n.;
5b sadhu: Good, kind, person. Slw. s. m.;
5c madhuryamge: to the sweet. s. m. sg. dat Slw. madhurya-;
5d madhuryam: sweetness. s. m. sg. nom.
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
loan-word (Slw.);
5e bādhippa: causing distress, fut. p. of badhisu - to cause distress, from
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
bādh - to harass.
6a kalige: to the kali age. s. m. sg. dat.
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
loan word (Slw.) . kali-; kali - hero.;
6b:
Madhavan: Visnu, Slw. Madhava - s. m. sg. nom.;
6c:
ītan: this man, dem. pron. m. Telegu: ītadu - probably i + tān - this self (speaker) or ī + tan - this of mine;
6d:
peran: another. From pera - outer place; the outside. MK hera; NK hora; Tamil: piran - a stranger; Malayalam: piran - another; Telugu: pera - another;
6e alla: is not, neg. pr. of intr.
al (to be fit);
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
al,
alla-: no, not; Malayalam
alla: no, not.
7a oḷḷitta: what is good (adj. s. n.);
7b keyvōr: those who do;
7c ār: who (inter. pron.);
7d polladum: The evil also. adj. s. n. sg. nom. + um (NK holladu, hole)—Tamil:
pol—to agree with, negative of this is
pollā. Tamil:
pollā,
pollāda: bad, vicious (neg. of pon: to shine), Malayalam:
pollā - to be bad, evil;
pollu - hollow, vain, useless; Telegu:
pollu - useless; Tulu:
polle - slander, backbiting.
7e adar
amte - like that (adv.) (
adara stem. pron.)
amte: adv. p. of
an: to speak.;
7f ballittu: Strong adj. s. n.;
8a:
purākṛtam: the ancient karma (Fleet); the deeds done in the past.
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
loan-word;
8b illi: here.
8c:
samdhikkum:
8d adu - it (pron);
8e bamdu - having come (adv. pp. of bar - to come.
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
vandu; Malayalam vandu;
TeluguTelugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
vacci;
9a kaṭṭida - bound pp. of kattu - to bind;
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: kaṭṭu, Malayalam: kaṭṭu;
TuluThe Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
: kaṭṭu - to bind;
9b simghaman The lion. Slw. simgha-, s. n. sg.;
9c keṭṭodē: harmful thing;
9d en what (intl pron.)
9e biṭṭavōl: in the same way as releasing. adj.;
10a ahitarkkaḷ: the enemies (Slw. ahita- );
10b keṭṭar : were ruined;
10c mēṇ: and (conjunction,
Middle Kannada (MK)Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
mēṇ and
mēṇu: what is above, from
mēl: above. Malayalam:
mēṇ: what is abvove; superiority;
menavan—a superior
śudra (modern Malayalam
mēnon), replaced by
mattu in Modern Kannada.
10d sattar: died; past pl. of sā - to die.
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
cā - to die, past. Sattān. Malayalam cā - to die;
TeluguTelugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
- caccu - to die; pp. caccina.
TuluThe Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
sāy, sāi - to die, pp. satta-;
10e avicāram: without foresight. (Fleet translates as "without doubt.") Slw.
avicāra.
Literal translation
1 Kappe
1a Arabhata,
1b beloved of the good people
1c
2 avoided by evil people,
2a an exceptional man in
Kaliyuga2b
5 To the good people,
5a good;
5b to the sweet,
5c sweetness;
5d | causing distress
5e
6 to the kali age,
6a an exceptional man in
Kaliyuga,
2b | MadhavaMādhava may be*a Sanskrit patronymic, "descendant of Madhu ".** especially of Krishna or Parashurama as incarnations of Vishnu, see Madhava *** an icon of Krishna...
(or
VishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
),
6b this man
6c another
6d is not
6e ||
7 What is good
7a those who do
7b who
7c the evil
7d like that
7e | strong
7f
8 exception to (or opposite)
2b the ancient karma
8a | here
8b samdhikkum8c it
8d having come
8e ||
9 Bound
9a the lion
9b harmful thing
9c what
9d | in the same way as releasing
9e (Translated in , "In the same way as releasing the bound lion, saying 'What is the harm to us?'")
10 exception to or opposite
2b the enemies
10a | were ruined
10b and
10c died
10d without foresight (or without doubt)
10e || (Note: 10c, 10d, and 10e are translated in as "And they died undoubtedly (for want of foresight)")
Popular version of Stanza 3 in Kannada script
A condensed version of Stanza 3 seems to be well known, both in the Kannada script:
and in the English poetic rendering:
"Kind man to the kind,
Very cruel to the cruel
He was nothing but God Vishnu in this regard"