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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
RELIGIOUS HISTORY alacrity granted the request, but as his request was complied with, Vāmana forthwith assumed his terrific form and covered the whole earth with one step and the aerial region with the second, and placed his third step on the head of Bali and hurled him down of Pātāla or nether regions. Surely this story about Vishṇu is not traceable in any one of the Vedic Saṁhitās or Brāhmaṇas. It is for the first time found developed and narrated in extenso in the various Purāṇas. This clearly shows that mythology was developing about the Gupta period to suit the new syncretisations and is found narrated in the various Purāṇas. This mythological incident connected with Vishṇu and Bali, also and incidentally indicates that one of the Avatāras or Incarnations of Vishṇu, namely Vāmana, was known in the Gupta epoch. A second incarnation of Vishṇu is also known, namely, that of Varāha, to which we have referred while interpreting the Ēraṇ inscription of Tōramāṇa.1 It is very doubtful whether any third incarnation of Vishṇnu was known in this period. In fact, various incarnations of this deity have been mentioned in various numbers in the various Purāṇas and it was not till the of the poet-saint Jayadēva, who flourished in the court of Lakshmaṇa Sēna that they became stereotyped with the ten incarnations of Vishṇu. Let us now take up the second point raised by the consideration of the translation of the initial verse of the Junāgaḍh inscription (No. 28 below). There Vishṇu is spoken of as ‘the permanent abode of Lakshmī whose resting place is the water-lily.’ This reminds us of the description of Amṛita-manthana contained, e.g., in the Vishṇu-Purāṇa: ...................Tataḥ sphurat-kāntimatī vilāsi-kamalē sthitā |
âThen seated on a full-blown lotus, and holding a water-lily in her hand, the goddess Śrī,
radiant with beauty, rose from the waves (of the milky ocean) . . . Thus bathed, attired, and
adorned, the goddess, in the view of the celestials, cast herself upon the breast of Hari.” This
suits here excellently and clearly shows that the story of the Amṛita-manthana was known when
the draft of the Junāgaḍh inscription was composed. But it was not Lakshmī alone that was
brought to light through the churning of the milky ocean. Other gems such as Kaustubha,
Airāvata and so forth were also reclaimed. It is true that they are not mentioned at all, e.g., in the Vishṇu-Purāṇa, but they are referred to in many other Purāṇas, the principal of which
is the Matsya.2 Vishṇu seized Kamalā (Lakshmī) and the great gem Kaustubha, says the
Purāṇa; and the thousand-eyed (Indra), the best of the elephants (Airāvata). Now, both Airāvata and Kaustubha have been adverted to in two important Gupta records. Thus, the Gaṅgdhār
inscription3 opens with an obeisance to Vishṇu whose arm is apparently compared with the
serpent-like trunk of (Airāvata) the elephant of (Indra) the lord of the gods. The second record
that we have to note is the celebrated Mandasor inscription of Kumāragupta (I) and Bandhuvarman (No. 35 below). Verse 42 thereof says: “As (is) the pure sky with the moon, the breast
of Śārṅgin, indeed, with Kaustubha jewel, so is this whole extensive town (Daśapura) decorated
with this best structure.” There can hardly be a doubt that even Airāvata and Kaustubha
were understood in the Gupta period as having come out of the Milky Sea. The composition
of the Purāṇas was in a state of transition. This is the reason why the mythological incidents,
like the incarnations of Vishṇu are found described in some and not in other works. 1 See above, p. 126.
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