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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA MUNDAKHEDE PLATES OF SENDRAKA JAYASAKTI : SAKA 602 (1 Plate) V. V. Mirashi, Nagpur These plates were found several years ago in the possession of a Patil of Mundakhēḍē, a village in the Chalisgaon taluk of the East Khandesh District, Bombay State. They were brought to notice by the late Mr. G. K. Chandorkar, who edited them twice─first in the Marāṭhī magazine, Prabhāta of Dhulia, Vol. I, No. 12[1] and afterwards in the Annual Report of the Bhārata Itihāsa Saṁśōdhaka Maṇḍala for Śaka 1834, pp. 169-177. As no facsimile or the record accompanied either of these articles, I was under the impression that it was not published. Several years ago, while I was studying the Bagumrā plates of Nikumbhāllaśakti[2], I felt the need of critically examining this record in view of its importance for the history of the Sēndrakas, and I tried to trace the original plates, but could not succeed, I was therefore, agreeably surprised when I received recently a copy of the printed facsimile of the plates from my friend, Dr. M. G. Dikshit. From the date Chaitra, Śaka 1829, as well as from the name Prabhāta printed on it, it is clear that the facsimile was published in the same magazine Prabhāta in the next issue after the text of the record was first edited by Chandorkar. This facsimile has enabled me to correct the readings of some important words in the transcript published by Chandorkar. Again, Chandorkar did not calculate the date or identify the places mentioned in the grant. For these reasons as well as because this is the only record of the Sēndraka prince Jayaśakti and is important for the ancient history of Mahārāshṭra, I re-edit the grant here from the aforementioned facsimile published by Chandorkar.
The copper-plates are two in number, and are inscribed on the inner side only. Their size and weight have not been recorded. From the description given by Chandorkar they seem to have raised rims for the protection of the writing. At the bottom of the first inscribed plate and the top of the second, there is a hole for the ring which strung the plates together. This ring is said to have carried a seal with the legend Śrī-Jayaśakti, but no photograph of it seems to have been published. The record consists of twenty-four lines, twelve being inscribed on each plate. The writing is in a good state of preservation. The record is, however, rather carelessly written and contains a few mistakes here and there. The characters are of the western variety of the southern alphabet as in the other records of the Sēndrakas found in Gujarat and Khandesh. The only peculiarities that call for notice are as follows : (1) the initial ē resembles l, but has a long vertical on the right ; see ēsha, line 14 ; (2) the stroke for medial ā is turned upwards in the case of j as in -dvijāti-, line 6 ; (3) l has everywhere a straight vertical stroke on the right ; see -labdha-, line 2 ; (4) n generally appears looped as in samunnatē, line 1, but it is sporadically unlooped as in sūnōr=, line 16 ; (5) a final consonant is shown with a horizontal stroke on the top ; see vasēt, line 21. The jihvāmūlīya occurs in line 10. Punctuation is indicated by single or double dots. The language is Sanskrit. Except for four benedictive and imprecatory verses at the end, the record is in prose throughout. It may be noted that the writer has used in the eulogy of Bhānuśakti the very expression śaradamala-śaśāṅka-maṇḍala-yaśasaḥ(yaśāḥ), which describes Ādityaśakti in the Bagumrā plates,[3] and Allaśakti in the Kāsārē plates.[4] Again, the expression Bhava-sūnur=iv=āpratihata-śaktiḥ which describes Ādityaśakti in the present plates occurs in connection with Allaśakti in the Bagumrā and _________________________________________________
[1] This No. bears the date Phālguna, Śaka 1829 which is plainly a mistake for Śaka 1828. The same mistake
occurs on the first page of the previous two issues. As stated above, the facsimile of the plates published in the
next number bears the date, Chaitra, Śaka 1829. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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