South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

from Sômêśvara onwards, with exception, of course, Chandrabhûshaṇa, were in the service of the temple of Dakshiṇa-Kêḍârêśvara at Baḷagâṁve :

Kêdârasaktipaṇḍitadêva.

Śrîkaṇṭhapaṇḍitadêva.

Sômêśvara-(or Sômanâtha-)paṇḍitadêva ;

A.D. 1093, 1102, 1112.

Vidyâbharaṇapaṇḍitadêva ;1

A.D. 1129.

Gautamapaṇḍitadêva ;          Chandrabhûshaṇapaṇḍitadêva.
A.D. 1129, 1149.                    A.D. 1191, 1192, 1199.

Vâmaśaktipaṇḍitadêva, Râjaguru ;2

A.D. 1155, 1158, 1161, 1168, 1171, 1179, 1186, 1192.

Lines 46 ff. contain the usual benedictive and imprecatory verses, and the inscription ends with the statement that, by order of king Ballâḷadêva, the śâsana was composed by Agniśarman, an emperor among the learned.

The date of our inscription corresponds, as shown by Prof. Kielhorn, to Saturday, the 21st November A.D. 1192, when there was a lunar eclipse visible in India, commencing 0 h. 18 m. before mean sunrise.

Of the localities mentioned, Kratuka is the modern Gadag itself ; Lokkiguṇḍi, the modern Lakkuṇḍi, 5 miles east-south-east of Gadag ; and the village of Hombâḷalu, the modern Hombal, 7½ miles north-west of Gadag.

TEXT.^[3]

1 Svasti (Symbol) Traiḷôkyaṁ pâlyatê yêna sadayaṁ sat[t*]va-vṛittinâ | sa dêvô Yadu-śârddûlaḥ Śrî-patiḥ śrêyasê ς stu vaḥ || [1*]
2 Dêvaḥ samasta-sâmanta-mastaka-nyasta-śâsanaḥ | â-chaṁdr-ârkkaṁ nṛipaḥ pâyâd= bhuvam=aṁbhôdhi-mêkhaḷâm || [2*]
3 Âsît=kshitau kshatriya-puṁgavânâṁ^[4] śirô-maṇiḥ śrî-Yadu-nâmadhêyaḥ | yad-anvavâyê sa Harir=dhdha(ddha)ritrî-bhâr-âvatâr-ârttham=ajô=pi jâtaḥ || [3*] Tad-anvavâyê
4 bahavô babhûvur=bhbhu(bbhu)j-ôdbhavâ viśruta-kîrtti-bhâjaḥ | ady=âpi lôkê charit- âdbhutâni yêshâṁ purâṇêshu paṭhaṁti saṁtaḥ || [4*] Kâla-kramêṇ=âtha babhûva kaśchin=mahî-
5 patis=tatra Saḷ-âbhidhânaḥ | kulasya kṛitvâ vyapadêśam=anyaṁ vismâritô yêna Yadus-âdyaḥ || [5*] Kên=âpi bra(vra)ti-patinâ sva-dêvakâryyê śârddûlaṁ 6 haṁtum | âdishṭaḥ Śaśakapurê sa hoy=Saḷ=êti prâpat=taṁ kiḷa vinihatya
Hoysaḷ-âkhyâm || [6*] Tataḥ-prabhṛiti tad-vaṁśê pravṛittaṁ Hoysaḷ-âkhyayâ | śârddûlaś=cha dhvaja-

__________________________________
^[1] Vidyâbharaṇa is once called the younger brother of Sômêśvara ; ibid. p. 91.
^[2] A pupil of Vâmaśakti was probably Svâmidêva or Sâvidêva, of whom in an inscription at Beḷagâṁve dated in A.D. 1181 it is said that ‘ his head was marked by the lotus hands of the excellent muni Vâmaśaktîśa, the Śiva seer ;’ compare ibid. p. 119.
^[3] From an impression supplied by Dr. Fleet.
^[4] The second anusvâra of this word has been drawn out by the engraver into an ornamental figure.