|
The Indian Analyst
|
South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA (i.e., Anantavarman-Chōḍagaṅga). It is of interest to know that, in verse 4, he is described as an incarnation of the Narasiṁha avatāra of the god Vishṇu. We may parenthetically observe here that, as is known from other inscriptions, Chōḍagaṅga’s ancestors were all stanch devotees of the god Śiva, and that Chōḍagaṅga himself was one such in the earlier part of his life ; but that, about 1112 A.C., he started adoring Vishnu as well, later on becoming a devotee of Vishnu alone. His descendants all adhered to the Vaishṇava faith.1 Verse 7 describes Chōḍagaṅga’s son Anaṅgabhīma (II) as a peace-loving ruler. Verse 8 mentions his able minister, Gōvinda, a Brāhmaṇa of the Vatsa gōtra. Verse 9 introduces Anaṅgabhīma (II)’s son Rājēndra (Rājarāja III), whose son Anaṅgabhīma (III) is described, in verses 10 and 11, as a valorous and munificent ruler. Verses 12 to 22 are descriptive of Anaṅgabhīma (III)’s minister, Vishṇu. In verse 12 he is stated to have stabilised the empire of the lord of Trikaliṅga (i.e. Anaṅgabhīma III). Verse 13 represents him as a great warrior. Verse 14 alludes to his having routed a king of Tummāṇa, while in verse 15 mention is made of his fight with a Muslim ruler (Yavan-āvanīndra).Verse 16 refers to his vigilance and war-preparedness, ensuring safety and security to the empire of the lord of Utkala (i.e., Anaṅgabhīma III). Verses 17 and 18 contain a poetic description of his glory (yaśas). Verse 19 adverts to the Tulāpurusha gift which, it is indicated, he ceremonially gave on the sea-shore near Puri. Verse 20 contains a poetic description of sea breezes and informs us that the minister Vishṇu caused pools and tanks to be constructed along principal roads. Verses 21 and 22 describe his proficiency in the Vēdas and various śāstras. It may, in passing, be remarked that it is on the strength of these two verse that Vishṇu may be taken as a Brāhmaṇa. Otherwise, neither his caste nor his parentage is expressly stated in the inscription. Besides, we are not in a position to say whether he was in any way related to Gōvinda, the Brāhmaṇa minister of Anaṅgabhīma II. Verse 23 informs us that Vishṇu erected the temple of the Destroyer of Cupid (Kāmāntaka),i.e., Śiva. In verse 24 a long life is wished to this temple as well as to the praśasti. The author of the praśasti, a poet, Bhāskara by name, introduces himself in verse 25, as the last item.
It may be realised that this eulogy gives us more of poetry than of history. The translation of the text appended hereto will give an idea of the heights of imagery and hyperbole to which the poet Bhāskara has soared. He has exhibited his skill well ; but, alas ! he has not been understood so well, with the result that what little of historical value his poem contains has suffered distortion. The obscurity that prevailed over the identity of the builder of the temple has already been pointed out. Following Vasu’s translation, Banerji says : “ According to this inscription either Gōvinda or Anaṅgabhīma III erected several pleasure-houses at Purushōttama or Puri and performed the golden Tulāpurusha ceremony at that place. He also constructed many roads and excavated tanks.”2 Now, this statement is wrong. In the first place, it is neither Gōvinda nor Anaṅgabhīma III, but Vishṇu, who should be credited with the works of public utility enumerated. These, again, in reality consist only of tanks. He constructed no pleasure-houses and no roads. A perusal of the text and its rendering (of verses 19 and 20) given below will show that the so-called pleasure-houses refer to the toy-hillocks of jewellery for the Tulāpurusha gift, magnified by the poetic fancy into so many replicas of the Mount Mēru, the abode of the gods, and that, so far as roads are concerned, Vishṇu only dotted them with tanks here and there, and had nothing to do with their constructions. Besides, even the excavation of tanks may not be taken as a personal charity of Vishṇu. It was presumably a part of the liberal policy of the government with Vishṇu as its chief minister. What stands to the credit of Vishṇu as a person, judging from the description given, is the great gift of Tulāpurusha, apart from the building of a Śiva temple, the main object of the inscription. It may be observed that the Tulāpurusha is the first of sixteen _________________________________________________
[1] Ibid, pp. 239-40. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| > |
|
>
|