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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA their duty appears to have been something like that of the policemen, watchmen or peons. Instead of Chāṭa, some inscriptions use the word Chhātra, often explained as ‘ an umbrella-bearer ’.[1] It is interesting to note that the word chhātra has actually been used in the sense of ‘ a court peon ’ in line 12 of the inscription under discussion. Vishṇushēṇa’s order was addressed not only to the subordinates and officials but also to the dhruv-ādhikaraṇa, i.e. the office of the dhruva, the mention of which again connects our epigraph with the Maitraka dynasty and with the Gujarat-Kathiawar region. The expressions dhruv-ādhikaraṇa, druvasthān-ādhikaraṇa and dhruv-ādhikaraṇika are peculiar to the records of the Maitrakas of Valabhī. Dhruva has been explained as being still used in Saurashtra and Kutch to denote ‘ a person who superintends, on behalf of the Rājā, the collection of the royal share of lands’, and Dhruva is still a surname among the Gujarati people.[2] Another fact possibly connecting Vishṇushēṇa with the Gujarat-Kathiawar region, if not with the Maitrakas themselves, is his interesting epithet paramabhaṭṭāraka-śrī-bāva-pād-ānudhyāta, i.e. meditating on (or, favoured by)[3] the feet of the illustrious bāva who was a paramount ruler. This reminds us of the fact that, in several Maitraka records, Paramabhaṭṭāraka-Mahārājādhirāja-Paramēśvara Śīlāditya III (Gupta-Valabhī years 343-65=662-84 A.D.) is represented as paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-paramēśvara-śrī-bāva-pād-ānudhyāta, while his son Śīlāditya IV is endowed with the same epithet with the only substitution of the word bappa (i.e. ‘ father ’) for bāva. Fleet explained bāva as indicating an uncle or a relation of the father’s generation.[4]
In connection with the possible relation of the issuer of our record with the Maitrakas, reference should also be made to his name, viz. Vishṇushēṇa or Vishṇubhaṭa. We know that the names of the Maitraka kings ended usually with the word sēna but sometimes also with the word bhata.[5] What is, however, more interesting is that, as in the case of Vishṇushēṇa-Vishṇubhaṭa, sometimes a Maitraka ruler is found to have borne a name ending both with sēna and bhaṭa. We know that Maitraka Dhruvasēna II Bālāditya (Gupta-Valabhī year 310-21=629-40 A.D.), who was the son-in-law of king Harsha of Kanauj, has been mentioned in the Si-yu-ki of Hieun-tsang by the name Dhrūbhaṭa or Dhruvabhaṭa.[6] We have seen that Mahāsāmanta-Mahārāja Vishṇushēṇa (Vishṇubhaṭa) claimed some relation with his overlord described as paramabhaṭṭāraka-śrī-bāva. The date of the document, 592 A.D., as well as its possible place of issue somewhere in the Gujarat-Kathiawar region would suggest that this overlord was probably the Kalachuri king Śaṅkaragaṇa, whose Abhona plates are dated in the Kalachuri year 347 (595 A. D.)[7] This seems to be supported further by other facts. The Sarsavni plates of Kalachuri Buddharāja, son of Śaṅkaragaṇa, dated in the year 361 (609 A. D.),[8] were issued from Ānandapura, which is the modern Anand[9] in the Kaira District in Gujarat. Dadda I of the Gurjjara house of Nāndīpurī (Nandor in the old Rajpipla State) and Broach is described as Gurjjara-nṛipati-vaṁśa-mahōdadhau śrī-saha-janmā Kṛishṇa-hṛiday-āhit-āspadaḥ kaustubhamaṇir=iva[10] with a probable allusion to his allegiance to Kalachuri Kṛishṇa, father of Śaṅkaragaṇa. _______________________________________________
[1] Cf. Sel. Ins., p. 414, n. 5.
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