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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA MASER INSCRIPTION OF A SULKI CHIEF the Kauṇḍinya gōtra defeated, according to a fragmentary inscription at Bhilsā,[1] the lord of Chēdi, killed a Śabara chief called Siṁha and restored the chiefs of Rālā-maṇḍala and Rōdapādi to their dominions. Professor Mirashi further assumed that king Kṛishṇa of the above references was identical with the Chandēlla prince Kṛishṇapa, son of Yaśōvarman, mentioned in the Dudahī inscriptions.[2] It is quite possible that Kṛishṇarāja, the overlord of Naraisṁha and of Kēsarin of the inscription under study, and Kṛishṇanṛipa of the fragmentary Bhilsā inscription are identical inasmuch as both fought a common foe, viz., the Chēdi king and as both lived about the same period, i.e., the middle of the 10th century A.C. But there is a greater possibility of Kṛishṇarāja of the present inscription being identical with the Rāshṭrakūṭa king, Kṛishṇa III (939-967 A.C.). This depends upon the identification of Narasiṁha, the lord of Viḍa-dvādaśa, who was the commander of Kṛishṇarāja’s troops. Now as for the identification of the chiefs, Narasiṁha and his son Kēsarin, attention may be drawn to a Chālukya family whose origin is traced likewise from Bhāradvāja and which figures in the Bilhārī Chēdi inscription.[3] The account given there is as follows. There was a sage Bhāradvāja (Drōṇa) whose conduct roused the wonder of the three words. Now, in the water, of which he had taken up a handful (chuḷuka) in order to curse Drupada for the insult offered by him, there arose a man from whom proceeded the clan of the Chalukyas and in that powerful family was born Avanivarman who had as his father Sadhanvan and grandfather
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[1] P. R. A. S. I., W. C., 1913-14, p. 59. F. E. Hall (Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume XXXI
(1862), page 111, foot-note) writes :
“ At Bhilsā, within the fort, I recently found a fragmentary inscription built into the outer wall of a modern
house, and looking upon one of the streets of the town. Subjoined is all that remains of a record of which perhaps
a full half is missing.
1………śriyam=ayam=api nanv=āśritā n=āśrit=āsya
2 gēhaṁ mē Vētravatyā niyamita-janatā-kshōbham=asy=āpy=ajasram |
3 tējōmayy=atra ch=ōchchair=vvitatam=iti viditv=ādarēṇ=ātma-tulyaṁ
4 Bhāillasvāmi-nāmā ravir=avatu bhuvaḥ svāminaṁ Kṛishṇarājam ||
5 Chēdīśaṁ samarē vijitya Śabaraṁ saṁhṛiya Siṁh-āhvayaṁ
6 Rālā-maṇḍala-Rōdapādy-avanipau bhūmyāṁ pratishṭhāpya cha |
7 dēvaṁ drashṭum=ih=āgatō rachitavāṁ(n)=stōtram pavitraṁ paraṁ
8 śrīmat-Kṛishṇa-nṛip-aika-mantri-pada-bhāk Kauṇḍinya-Vāchaspatiḥ ||
9 Suchiram=iyaṁ kṛitir=āstām ruchirā śrīmad-Gajāṁkuśēyasya |
0 Kākūkēna vilikhitā Kāyastha-śē…..”
In the Salotgi pillar inscription (A) of Kṛishṇa III, dated Śaka 867 (945 A. C.), mention is made of one
Nārāyaṇa alias Gajāṅkuśa who is described as belonging to the Kauṇḍinya gōtra and as the chief minister and
sandhivigrahin of this Rāshṭrakūta king. Above, Vol. IV, pp. 60, 62-3. Kauṇḍinya-Vāchaspati, who in the
Bhilsā inscription is described as Gajāṅkuśēya (i.e., son or descendant of Gajāṅkuśa) is in all likelihood the son of
Nārāyaṇa alias Gajāṅkuśa of the Salotgi inscription. This would favour the identification of Kṛishṇarāja of the
Bhilsā inscription with Rāshṭrakūta Kṛishṇa III.
It is interesting to note in this connection that the exploits claimed by Vāchaspati find some corroboration from other sources. According to an account about Paramāra Sīyaka II found in the Navasāhasāṅkacharita
this prince is credited with the conquest of a certain chief of Ruḍapāṭī, (Canto XI, v. 89 : History of the
Paramara Dynasty, p. 42). Perhaps it was this chief of Ruḍapāṭī, called Rōdapādyavanipa in this Bhilsā inscription, that was restored to his kingdom by Vāchaspati, the minister of Kṛishṇa (III). In regard to the Śabara
prince. Siṁha, Killed by Vāchaspati, no satisfactory identification seems possible at present. However, attention
may be drawn to the fact that W. Gaṅga Mārasiṁha II, the feudatory of Kṛishṇa III is credited with a victory
over Naraga, a Śabara chief, in an inscription at Śravaṇa-Beḷagoḷa (above, Vol. V, p. 171 ; text lines 21, 54 and
96), which also mentions the northern campaigns of this Gaṅga prince. Prof. Mirashi (above, Vol. XXV, p. 280),
however, identifies the illustrious Sabara of the Bargaon temple inscription with Śabara Siṁha of the Bhilsā
inscription.
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