North Indian Inscriptions

SRAVANA-BELGOLA EPITAPH OF MALLISHENA.

......30. Śrîvijaya,¹ was worshipped by an unnamed Gaṅga king (v. 45). The author quotes a verse (46) which is said to be composed by Vâdirâja, and according to which Śrîvijaya was the successor of Hêmasêna. Vâdirâja was treated in the immediately preceding verses (40 to 44) and Hêmasêna in verses 36 and 37.

......31. Kamalabhadra (v. 47 f.).

......32. Dayâpâla [II.] (v. 49 f.).

......33. Śântidêva, was worshipped by the Poysaḷa king Vinayâditya (v. 51). This is the only royal personage in the inscription, about the identity of which no doubt remains. Vinayâditya, the first of the Hoysaḷas, ruled about the middle of the 11th century of our era.²

......34. The next verse (52) introduces a preceptor on whom an unnamed Pâṇḍya king conferred the title ‘Lord’ (Svâmin), and who was known in the court of a king Âhavamalla under the name Śabbachaturmukha. Possibly, this preceptor is identical with Śântidêva, to whom the preceding verse refers. If this is really the case, or if, at least, the names of Jaina teachers are enumerated in chronological order in this portion of the inscription, the time of king Âhavamalla in verse 52 would be limited by the date of the Hoysaḷa king Vinayâditya (v. 51) and the date of Mallishêṇa’s death (A.D. 1129). Under these conditions, this Âhamalla may be identified with the Western Châlukya king Âhavamalla II. or Sômêśvara I. The Pâṇḍya king with whom the name of the preceptor is associated, was probably not one of the Madhurâ Pâṇḍyas, but one of the Pâṇḍya feudatories of the Western Châlukya kings.³

......35. Guṇasêna, a native of the country near Śri-Muḷḷûra (v. 53).

......36. Ajitasêna⁴ (vv. 54 to 57), bore the surname Vâdibhasiṁha (v. 57) or Vâdîbhakaṇṭhîrava (v. 55). The author quotes three verses (58 to 60) composed by him.

......Ajitasêna’s disciples were 37. Śântinâtha, alias Kavitâkânta, and 38. Padmanâbha, alias Vâdikôlâhala (line 174 f.). The author quotes two verses, the first of which (61) praises Kântaśânti,─ i.e. Śântinâtha, alias Kavitâkânta,— and the second (62) Padmanâbha.

......39. Kumârasêna [II.] (v. 63).

......The remainder of the inscription relates to 40. Mallishêṇa, who was also called Maladhârin, i.e. ‘the bearer of dirt,’ because, to show his contempt of worldly habits, he had ceased to wash himself (vv. 65 and 67). He was a disciple of Ajitasêna (l. 209 f.), who was referred to in verses 54 to 57. The author quotes a verse (71) which Mallishêṇa is said to have uttered while he was starving himself to death in the presence of the whole congregation.

......Two lines in the Kanarese language at the bottom of the fourth face of the pillar record the names of the composer and the engraver.

......In July 1893, Mr. R. Sewell, I.C.S., Collector of Bellary, discovered a sculptured piece of black granite in the north-west side of the Mahânavami-Dibbe⁵ at Kamalâpura near Hampe. The slab bears two fragments of a Sanskṛit and Kanarese inscription, of which Mr. Sewell kindly sent me impressions. The Sanskṙit portion of the inscription refers no less than three times to the death of an ascetic, named Maladhâridêva.

......[It is curious that the title Maladhârin occurs among both sects of Jainas, the Digambaras and Svêtâmbaras, though it does not appear to date from the time before their separation. At
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......¹ An author of this name is mentioned in Kêśirâja’s Śabdamaṇidarpaṇa, p. 4 of Mr. Kittel’s edition.
......² See Dr. Fleet’s Kanarese Dynasties, p. 65.
......³ See Dr. Fleet’s Kanarese Dynasties, p. 51 to 53.
......⁴ [He may be identical with Ajitasênâchârya, the author of the Alaṁkârachintâmaṇi and Maṇiprakâśikâ See Mr. Rice’s Skt. MSS. in Mysore and Coorg, p. 304, No. 2795, and p. 308, No. 2818.─ E. L.]
......⁵ No. 60 on the Madras Survey Map of Hampe.