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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
Slab XXV ; Canto XXIV
This slab contains the last canto─Canto XXIV of the Rājapraśasti Kāvya. Its contents are
miscellaneous, generally repetition of some of the events already described.
The first eleven verses describe the various tōraṇas erected in connection with the tula charities
by Rājasiṁha, his grandson Amarasiṁha, Rājasiṁha’s chief queen Sadākuṁvarī, his mother
Janādē, his priest Garībadāsa, the latter’s son Raṇachhōḍa, and so forth.
The next four verses, vv. 12-15, are those that are found towards the end in several other cantos
and give the Rāṇā’s and the poet’s genealogies as well as the date of completion of the Rājasamudra and the Rājapraśasti.
These verse are again repeated towards the end of this last canto., being vv. 33-36.
Verses 16-24 constitute what may be termed the māhātmya of the Rājapraśasti Kāvya.
Verses 25-27 inform us that this work describes the destruction of Khērāvāḍ by Dayāla
Sāhabu, seizure of his standard and war-drums, plundering of Vanahēḍā, destruction of Dhārāpurī,
and of a number of mosques, plundering of Ahmadnagar and the destruction of the great mosque.[1]
Verse 28 speaks of the Mahāmiśra Māthura Hīrāmaṇi, son of Jagadīśamiśra, as one who cast
thread round the Rājasamudra lake at the time when Rājasiṁha performed its circumambulation.
Verses 29-32 recall how Rājasiṁha appointed one Miśra to distribute money and grain to the
poor, placing at his disposal one heap of grain, weighing 1,200 maunds, at the chief dam, and a
similar one at the Kāṁkarōlī dam, and 1,500 rupees worth of Ḍhabbukas (Ḍhēbuā coins). For
six days the Miśra kept distributing these to the satisfaction of the king.
After verse 36, the composition is in the local dialect, covering about eight lines (11. 36-43).
It contains two Dōhās which have been explained above (p. 96, n. 1). For the rest it contains names,
including those of certain Ṭhakkuras and masons, and also the dates of the commencement and
the completion of the Rājasamudra as follows : The muhūrta was on Wednesday (nīmshōdavāra),
the 7th day of the dark half of Māgha of (Vikrama) Saṁvat 1718. The Ṭhākurs who were
in charge of the work were :─Rāṇāvat Māhasiṁha, Rāmasiṁha (XXI, 4), Rāṇāvat Bhāu-(Bhāva)siṁha, Chuṁḍāvat Dalapat Mōhaṇasiṁha, Rāvat Lūnakaran(Karṇa), Chuṁḍāvat
Kēśarīsiṁha, Chuṁḍāvat Mōkamasiṁha, Māṁjāvat Narasiṁhadās, Māṁjāvat Garīvadās,
Rāthōḍ Siṁha, Rāthōḍ Rāmachandra, Rāthōḍ Hēma, Rāthōr Mōkamasiṁha, Vitagarā[2]-Sāha
Rāmachandra Chēchāṁnī, Sāha Kalu Paṁchōlī, Rāma Jagamālōt, Sāha Mukuṁdadās Pāṁchōlī,
Hararām Sidhavī, Lashu(khu) Paṁchōlī, Gajadhara[3] Bāghō, Gajadhara Mukuṁda, Jagannātha,
son of Kilyāna (Kalyāṇa),[4] sons of Urajaṇa[5], Lālō[6], Lashō[7], Jasōhara (canto VII), Mēghō and
Manō, sons of Jaganātha (canto VII). The other masons mentioned in the text are : Sachadēva,
Kēsō (Kēśava), Sudara (Sundara), Bhāṇa (canto V), Mōhana (canto VIII) and Sūtradhāra Lāḍā
(canto V). This list shows that in certain families (e.g., that of Kalyāṇa) the profession was
handed down from father to son.
At the end it is stated that the consecration ceremony took place in Saṁvat 1732.
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[1] See above, canto XXII.
[2] An officer dealing with the accounts of the royal family.
[3] Literally, ‘the wielder of Gaz,’ i.e., an architect or mason.
[4] Both Kalyāṇa and his son Jagannātha are mentioned in cantos VII and VIII.
[5] Another son of Kalyāṇa (cantos II V, VII, VIII).
[6] S.a. Lāla (cantos II, V, VII, VIII).
[7] S.a. Lākhā (VII).
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