South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

king of Gwalior or Narwar is also not clear.^[1] There is, however, no doubt that Lōhaṭa mentioned here is the same as the Māthura Kāyastha of the same name mentioned in the Surwāyā inscription edited above. Lōhaṭa’s son Śivanābhaka, described as a master of pada (vocabulary, etymology or grammar), pramāṇa (logic), kavitā (poetry) and sāhitya (literary composition or the science of rhetoric), is stated to have composed the praśasti or eulogy under study. It will be seen that the Surwāyā inscription was composed by Śivanābhaka’s brother Jayasiṁha. This Māthura Kāyastha family hailing from Gwalior and settled at different places (such as Surwāyā and Narwar) in the Yajvapāla dominions thus produced a number of scholars. The same stanza is also found in several other praśastis^[2] composed by Śivanābhaka with the third foot differently worded.

Verse 28 states that the eulogy was written (i.e., written on the stone to facilitate the work of the engraver) by Arasiṁha who also belonged to the Māthura Kāyastha community and was the son of Abhinanda. A prose passage following the above stanza states that the record was engraved by Sūtradhāra (architect) named Dhanauka.

Of the geographical names mentioned in the inscription, Nalapura, Gōpādri or Gōpāchala and Prayāga are well-known. We have suggested the identification of Kīrtidurga with the fort of Deogarh in the Jhansi District, U.P., although it is not quite certain. Śamīsthala, as indicated above, cannot be satisfactorily identified.

TEXT^[3]

[Metres : verses 1, 5, 12-13, 17, 24-25 Upajāti ; verse 2 Pajjhaṭikā ; verses 3, 20 Āryā ; verses 4, 7, 10-11, 15, 18-19, 22-23, 26, 28 Anushṭubh ; verse 6 Indravajrā ; verses 8, 14 Gīti ; verse 9 Upagīti ; verse 16 Upajāti (Indravajrā and Indravaṁśā) ; verse 21 Sragdharā ; verse 27 Śārdūlavikrīḍita.]

1 Siddham^[4] || Ōṁ^[4] namaḥ Śivāya || Svabhāva-piṁgāḥ śaśi-raśmi-śubhrā bhujaṁga-ratn- āṁkura-nīla-bhāsaḥ | rakshaṁtu vō Manmathasūdanasya Jayaḥ(ṭāḥ) śi(si)t-āvda(bda)- stha-surāyudh-ābhāḥ || 1 A-kalitam=api yaḥ
2 kalayati kālaṁ nija-gaty=aiv-āmita-mahim=ālam | Rann-ēśaḥ kṛita-timira-nirāśaḥ pātu Ravih sa Sa(Śa)mīsthala-vāsaḥ || 2 Āstē puṇyair=labhyaṁ pura^[5]-ratnaṁ Nalapuraṁ śuschi(chi) śrīmat | iya-
3 m=api vahati sa-garvvā sat-pālyā vasumatī yēna || 3 Tatrāṁ(tr=ā)jani jagad-vaṁdyaś= Chāhaḍaḥ pṛithivīpatiḥ | pratāp-ānala-dagdh-āri-bhūbhṛid-vamśō nay-āśrayaḥ || 4 Abhūn=nṛipas=tasya sutō Nṛivarmā
4 vyarthīkṛit-āśēsha-vipaksha-karmā | ajaśrarmē(sram=ē)v=āhita-sādhu-sa(śa)rmmā yaśaḥ- parābhūta-Manushyadharmmā || 5 Āsalladēvas=tri-vidhaḥ(dha)-kshitīśaḥ(śa)-chūḍā- maṇir=bhūmipatis=tatō=bhūt | āpū-
5 ritaṁ yasya bhṛiśaṁ yaśōbhirvra(r=bra)hmāṁḍam=āpat=tanut-ākhya-dōsham || 6 Śrī- Gōpālō nṛipas=tasmād=abhūt=tais=tair=[n]ijair=guṇaiḥ | gām=imām=akhilām=uchchair= yaḥ pupōsha dudōha [cha | ( || 7)] .
6 7 Ga[ṇa]pati-nṛipatis=tasmān=nidhir=ēkas=tējasām=ajani | ādāya Kīrtti-durggaṁ chakrē kīrttīr=anaśvarīr=iha yaḥ || 8 Tasmin=gamayati sakalāṁ vasudhā[ṁ*] ma(sa)tāṁ pālanais=tōshama(sham) |

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^[1] No. 146 of A.R.Ep., 1952-53, App. B, seems to suggest that Lōhaṭa’s master was Yajvapāla Chāhaḍa of Nalapura. Cf. below, Vol. XXXIII, p. 68, 69 (text line 14, note 9).
^[2] See, e.g., Nos. 139 and 141 of A.R.Ep., 1952-53, App. B. Cf. below, Vol. XXXIII, pp. 13ff.
^[3] From impressions. This is No.142 of A.R.Ep., 1952-53, App. B.
^[4] Expressed by symbol.
^[5] An anusvāra above pu seems to be rubbed off by the engraver.