South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

Verse 4 introduces Puṇyasōma (wrongly read by Ojha as Dhānyasōma) described as the first king in the family of the Māṇavāyaṇis or Mānavāyanis. King Puṇyasōma’s son and successor was Rājyavarddhana whose valour is described in verse 5. The following stanza (verse 6) mentions Rāshṭra who was the son of Rājyavarddhana. The next two stanzas (verses 7-8) describe Rāshṭra’s son and successor Yaśagupta (Yaśōgupta). There is little historical importance in the description of the above rulers. Verses 9 ff. deal with the achievements of the son and successor of Yaśagupta (Yaśōgupta). The name of this king, called Mahārāja, is given in verse 11 as Gauri.

The main subject of the eulogy is found in verse 12 which says that king Gauri built a great temple for the Dēvī very probably for the merit of himself and his parents. The language of the stanzas, as it stands, suggests that the king made the temple for the merit of the poet who composed the eulogy as well as of the latter’s parents. But this is apparently unnatural and the confusion should better be attributed to the author’s want of control over his language and metre. The last stanza (verse 13) of the inscription says how the said temple of the Mother-goddess was consecrated on Māgha-sudi 10 in the expired year 547 apparently of the Vikrama Saṁvat.

The first of the two sentences in prose, with which the record ends, gives the name of the poet who composed the eulogy in thirteen stanzas. He was Bhramarasōma, son of Mitrasōma and grandson of Jīvaddharaṇa.^[1] Our interpretation of the sentence in question suggestion that Jīvaddharaṇa was the grandfather of the poet Bhramarasōma involves a case of sāpēksha-samāsa which is, however, quite common in the inscription under study. The sentence as it stands would suggest that Bhramarasōma was begotten by Jīvaddharaṇa but was the son (apparently an adopted son in that case) of Mitrasōma. But we are in favour of the first of the two alternative interpretations as that appears to be more natural. Bhramarasōma seems to have been the court poet of king Gauri. The Bhāwarmātā temple is a modern structure believed to be built on the ruins of an old shrine to which its sanctum is attributed. The inscription under study is naturally believed to have belonged to this old temple. Under the circumstances, it is not impossible to think that the name of the poet (Bhramarasōma), who composed the praśasti on the construction and consecration of the original shrine of the Dēvī by king Gauri, has in course of time somehow come to be associated with that of the goddess (Bhramaramātā).

The last sentence of the inscription says that the pūrvvā was written (likhitā) by Aparājita who meditated on (or, was favoured by) the feet of prince (Rājaputra) Gōbhaṭa. The word pūrvvā essentially means ‘ the above ’ (i.e. the above-quoted or above-mentioned thing in the feminine gender). But it is often found used with special reference to the words tithi (date) and praśasti (eulogy), although it has been suggested that the word has been used here as well as in similar other instances as a synonym of the word praśasti.^[2] The word likhitā here does not app err to have been used in the sense of ‘engraved’. Aparājita very probably wrote down the eulogy on the piece of stone with some material for facilitating the work of engraving. This practice was often followed to ensure the correctness and beauty of the work of the engraver.^[3] Aparājita was apparently an officer serving under prince Gōbhaṭa. The relation of the prince with king Gauri has not been stated. But it is very probable that Gōbhaṭa was a son of the Māṇavāyaṇi (Mānavāyani) king.

The importance of the inscription under discussion lies in the fact that it reveals, for the first time, the existence of a new line of rulers who flourished about the second half of the fifth century and ruled over an area about the borders between Rajputana and Malwa. The relation

__________________________________________________

^[1] The name reminds us of that of king Jīvadhāraṇa of Samataṭa, who flourised in the seventh century A. D. Cf. IHQ, Vol. XXIII, pp. 221 ff.
^[2] See Nāgarī Prachāriṇī Patrikā, Vol. LVII, pp. 559 ff.