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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA donated village, was situated to the south-east of the river Kṛishṇavēṇā in a territorial division (bhōga) whose name is lost. It was bounded on the north-east by Machhadaryā, Dēvabhiryā and Sēṇavaryā, on the south-east by the village Kōlikā and on the west by Malakhēṭaka. The grant was made on the occasion of Mahāvaiśākhī or the full-moon day of Vaiśākha. No year of any era, not even a regnal year, is mentioned in connection with it. The donees were two Brāhmaṇas, viz., Bōlasvāmin of the Śālaṅkāyana gōtra and Kēśavasvāmin of the Bhāradvāja gōtra. Bōlasvāmin is described as a very pious Brāhmaṇa engaged in the six duties laid down for the members of his caste and intent on the performance of religious rites of the Sanātanadharma enjoined in the Śrutis and Smṛitis. This is the earliest epigraphical mention of the term Śanātanadharma which is so commonly used in these days. The charter was written by Śrīpāla who is described as a devout Kāyastha. This is perhaps the earliest mention of the Kāyastha caste.[1] Though the present plates were discovered twenty-two years ago, no satisfactory attempt has yet been made to identify this Mādhavavarman. The first plate which probably contained the name and description of the family and some of the immediate ancestors of the king has been lost. This makes the task of his identification very difficult. The description in the extant portion of the grant, however, affords a clue. It shows that this Mādhavavarman was a very pious king who performed, inter alia, Puṇḍarīka, Bahusuvarṇa and eleven other sacrifices whose names have, inadvertently been omitted.[2] He is also said to have attained the position of Sārvabhauma. The characters of the present grant show that this Māḍhavavarman flourished in the sixth century A.D. The only king in this period to whom this description could be appropriately applied was Mādhavavarman I of the Vishṇukuṇḍin dynasty who flourished from about A.D. 510 to A.D. 560.[3] From the description of this king in his own grants and in those of his descendants, we learn that he was a staunch supporter of the Vedic religion. He performed a thousand Agnishṭōmas, eleven Aśvamēdhas as well as several other śrauta sacrifices such as Bahusuvarṇa, Puṇḍarīka, Purushamēdha, Vājapēya, Shōḍaśin, Rājasūya, Prājāpatya, Prādhirājya and others and attained svārājya.4 A comparison of this description with that in the present plates would show that the sacrifices Puṇḍarīka and Bahusuvarṇa are common to both the lists. Again, the eleven sacrifices which are
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[1] According to D. R. Bhandarkar, the Sanjān grant of Amōghavarsha I (A.D. 871) and the Gurmha grant of
Jayādityadēva (A.D. 870) are the earliest records mentioning the Kāyastha caste. [There is no indication in the
present record that the term Kāyastha here stands for the caste of that name. Dr. D. C. Sircar draws attention to
the five Damodarpur copper charters. Four of which mention, among other officials, a Prathama-Kāyastha : see
above, Vol. XV, pp. 130, 133, 139 and 142. The earliest of these records refers itself to the reign of Kūmāragupta
and is dated in the Gupta year 127 (=A.D. 446-7). I may add that the writer of the Gunaighar plate, of the
Gupta year 188 (=A.D. 507─8), is one Kāyashtha Naradatta, attached to the office of the external affairs
(sandhivigrah-ādhikaraṇa) ; IHQ, Vol. VI, p. 55. Here the term most probably denotes ‘writer’. ─Ed.]
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