North Indian Inscriptions

SRAVANA-BELGOLA EPITAPH OF MALLISHENA.

......7. Samantabhadra¹ (v. 6). The composer quotes two verses (7 and 8) which this preceptor is represented to have addressed to an unnamed king, probably of Karahâṭaka (Karhâḍ),² and in the first of which he professes to have undertaken a missionary tour to Pâṭaliputra (Paṭna), Mâlava, Sindhu, Ṭhakka (the Panjâb), Kâñchîpura, and Vaidiśa (Bêsnagar).

......8. Verse 9 speaks of a person who “broke by his sword the solid stone pillar, which barred the road to the acquisition of the fortune of the kingdom,” and states that this unnamed person was assisted by the sage Siṁhanandin. As noticed by Mr. Rice.³ a similar feat is attributed in the Udayêndiram plates of the Gaṅga-Bâṇa king Râjasiṁha, alias Hastimalla, to the first Gaṅga king, Koṅgaṇi, “who in his youth, resembling the powerful Śiśu (Kârttikêya) in gracefulness, cut in two a huge stone pillar with the sword in his hand at a single stroke.”⁴ The same plates appear to connect Siṁhanandin with the mythical founder of the Gaṅga dynasty in stating that “the Gaṅga race obtained prosperity through the power of Siṁhanandin.”⁵ I cannot follow Mr. Rice in considering this coincidence between the Mallishêṇa epitaph and the Hastimalla plates “a most important identification,” but would only conclude from it that the same legendary traditions were known to the composers of both documents.

......9. Vakragrîva⁶ (v. 10).

......10. Vajranandin,⁷ author of the Navastôtra (v. 11).

......11. Pâtrakêsarin⁸ (v. 12).

......12. Sumatidêva, author of the Sumatisaptaka (v. 13).

......13. Kumârasêna [I.], was born and died in the South (v. 14).

......14. Chintâmaṇi, author of the Chintâmaṇi (v. 15).

......15. Śrîvarddhadêva,9 author of the poem Chûḷâmaṇi (v. 16). A verse (17) in his praise by Daṇḍin is quoted.

......16. Mahêśvara (v. 18 f.).

......17. Akalaṅka, defeated the Bauddhas in disputation (v. 20). Three verses (21 to 23) by him are quoted, which he is represented to have addressed to a king Sâhasatuṅga, and in the third of which he claims to have overcome the Bauddhas in the court of king Himaśîtala. A legendary account of this dispute between Akalaṅka and the Bauddhas in the court of “Hêmasithalan” at Kâñchîpura forms part of the Mackenzie Manuscripts, and an abstract of it was published by the Rev. W. Taylor.¹⁰ Another document of equally questionable
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......¹ This author is mentioned on Kêśirâja’s Śabdamaṇidarpaṇa, p. 125 of Mr. Kittel’s edition. Samantabhadra’s Âptamîmâṁsâ was commented on by Akalaṅka and Vidyânanda ; Journ. Bo. As. Soc. Vol. XVIII. p. 219. The name Samantabhadra occurs also in the Śvêtâmbara Paṭṭâvalis ; see Ind. Ant. Vol. XI. p. 247. No. 19, and p. 252. No. 16.
......² See Ind. Ant. Vol. XXI. p. 228, note 20. Karahâṭa was the capital of a branch of the Śilâhâras ; see Dr. Bühler’s Introduction to the Vikramâṅkadêvacharita, p. 40, note.
......³ Inscriptions at Śravaṇa-Beḷgoḷa, p. 42 ff. of the Introduction.
......⁴ Verse 14 of the Hastimalla plates, Manual of the Salem District, Vol. II. p. 370. See also ante, p. 165.
......⁵ Verse 12 of the same plates. The original, which is in my hands, reads Siṁhanandi-mahi-prathilabdha- vitdhi, which must be corrected into Siṁhanandi-mahima-pratilabdha-vṛiddhi.
......⁶ Vakragrîva was also a surname of Kauṇḍakunda (v. 5). See Professor Peterson’s Report on Skt. MSS. 1884, p. 82, and p. 163, verse 4 ; South-Indian Inscriptions, Vol. I. p. 158, verse 4 ; Ind. Ant. Vol. p. 351, No. 5, and Vol. XXI. p. 74, note 35.
......⁷ The same name occurs as No. 13 of Dr. Hoernle’s Tables, Ind. Ant. Vol. XX. P. 351, and Vol. XXI. p. 74.
......⁸ According to Mr. Pathak (Journ. Bo. As. Soc. Vol. XVIII. P. 222 f.), Pâtrakêsarin, who is named in Jinasêna’s Âdipurâṇa, is identical with Vidyânanda, a contemporary of Akalaṅka.
......⁹ The similar name Vṛiddhadêva occurs in the Śvêtâmbara Paṭṭâvalis ; Ind. Ant. Vol. XI. p. 247, No. 20, and p. 252, No. 17.
......¹⁰ Catalogue, Vol. III. p. 423 f.