South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

familiar to the composer of the first Cambodian inscription,^[1] which according to the most competent authorities belongs to the commencement of the seventh century. And turning to Chalukyan inscriptions, it is sufficient to say that the half-verse yathâvidhi-hutâgnînâṁ yathâkâm-ârchitârthinâm of Ragh. I . 6, is actually copied by the writer of the Mahâkûṭa pillar inscription of Maṅgalȇśa,^[2] which may be specifically dated in A.D. 602, and was certainly composed before A.D. 610. As regards the present inscription, I have brought together in the notes to my translation a number of parallel passages both from the Raghuvaṁśa and the Kirâtârjunîya, which can leave no doubt as to Ravikîrti’s indebtedness to the authors of those two kâvyas. Here I would only add that for the principal part of his poem, the description of the exploits of his patron in verses 17-32, Ravikîrti clearly has taken as his model the Raghudigvijaya in Ragh. IV., and that very probably he would himself have styled this part (if not the whole) of the praśasti the Digvijaya of Polekȇśin Satyâśraya.

TEXT.^[3]

1 Jayati^[4] bhagavân(ñ)=Jinȇndrô [vî]ta-ja[râ-ma] raṇa-janmanô yasya [|*] jñâna- samudr-ântargga[ta]m=akhilañ=jagad=antarîpam=iva | (||) [1*] Tad=anu chiram= apari[mȇ]yaś=Chalukya-kula-vipula-jalanidhir =jjayati || (|) pṛithivî-mauli-lalâmnâṁ yah=prabhavah=purusha-ratnânâm || [2*] Ṥûrȇ vidushi cha vibhajan=dânam= mânañ=cha yugapad=êkatra || (|)
2 avihita-yâthâsaṁ[kh]y[ô] [ja]yati cha Satyaśrayas=suchiram || [3*] Pṛithivîvallabha-śabdô yêshâm=anvartthatâñ=charañ=jâtal [|*] tad-vaṁśêshu jigîshushu têshu bahushv=apy=atîtêshu || [4*] ^[6]Nânâ-hêti-śat-âbhighâta-patita- bhrânt-âśva-patti-dvipê nṛityad-bhîma-kavandha-khaḍga^[7]-kiraṇa-jvâlâ-sahasr[ê] raṇê [|*]
3 Lakshmîr=bhâvita-châpal=âpi cha kṛitâ śauryyêṇa yên=âtmasât(d=)râj=âsîj= Jayasiṅha-^[8]vallabha iti khyâtaś=Chaluky-ânvayaḥ || [5*] ^[9]Tad-âtmajô=bhûd= Raraṇarâga-^[10]nâmâ divy-ânubhâvô jagad-êkanâthaḥ [|*] amânushatvaṁ kila yasya lôkaḥs=^[11]tasya jânâti vapuh-prakarshât [|| 6*] [12]Tasy=âbhavat= tanûjah=Polekêśi(śî) ya[ḥ]^[13] śrit-êndukântir=api [|*]
4 Śrî-vallabhô=py=ayâsîd=Vâtâpipurî-vadhû-varatâm || [7*] [14]Yat-trivargga-padavîm= alaṁ kshitau n=ânugantum=adhun=âpi râjakam [|*] bhûś-cha yêna hayamêdha-yâjinâ prâpit-âvabhṛitha-majjanâ^[15] babhau [|| 8*] ^[16]Naḷa-Mauryya-

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[1] Inscr. Sanscrites du Cambodge, p. 18. When writing the second half verse 6 (dvishâm asahyô yasyaiva pratâpô na ravêr api) the author of the inscription had in his mind, and the wording of his verse was influenced by, Ragh. IV. 49 (Diśi mandâyatê têjô dakshiṇasyâṁ ravêr api, tasyâm êva Raghôḥ Pâṇḍyâḥ pratâpaṁ na vishêhirê) ; in the inscription the use of the particle api after in my opinion is awkward, if not improper ; in Kâlidâsa’s verse it is most appropriate. The idea expressed in verse 7 (Yasya sainyarajô dhûtam ujjhitôlaṅkṛitishv api, ripustrîgaṇḍadêśêshu chûrṇṇabhâvam upâgatam) was suggested by Ragh. IV. 54 (Bhayôtsṛishṭavibhûshâṇâṁ têna-Kêralayôshitâm, alakêshu chamûrêṇuś chûrṇapratinidhîkṛitaḥ).
[2] See Ind. Ant. Vol. XIX. p. 16, line 1 of the text. The same inscription contains other fragments of verses (l. 2, ṛiddhyâ Vaiśravaṇôpamaḥ ; l. 10, Mahêndra iva durddharshaḥ Râma ivâparâjitaḥ Śibir=Auśînara iva ; l. 11, samudra iva gaṁbhîraḥ kshamayâ pṛithivî-samaḥ), the source of which I have not discovered yet. The Nerûr plates of Maṅgalêśa (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p.161) also contain a half-verse (l. 11, Babhau sa Vainya-pratimâna-kîrttis=tamah=pramṛidnan=svaguṇ-âṁśujâlaiḥ), which I have not yet identified.
[3] From an impression supplied by Dr. Fleet.
[4] Metre of verses 1-4 :Âryâ.
[5] Read =chiraṁ yâtaḥ.
[6] Metre : Śârdûlavikrîḍita.
[7] Originally khâḍga was engraved, but the â of khâ seems to have been struck out again.
[8] Read Jayasiṁha-.
[9] Metre : Upajâti.
[10] Read : Raṇarâga-..
[11] Read lôkas=.
[12] Metre : Âryâ.
[13] This yaḥ (or ya ?) was originally omitted, and is engraved above the line.
[14] Metre : Rathôddhatâ.
[15] Possibly the akshara nâ has been altered to naṁ in the original, and prâpit=âvabhṛitha-majjanaṁ (i.e. prâpitâ avaº) would be a better reading.
[16] Metre : Aupachchhandasika.