South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

of the kings of Kanauj. With the name Ḍavirâmakula one may perhaps compare tha name ‘Ramkola,’ which occurs in the Gôrâkhpur district, Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 102, long. 83º 54’, lat. 26º 54’.

The donation, in lines 15 and 16, is stated to have been made on the second tithi of the bright half in the month Phâlguna, at a saṁkrâṇti of Bṛihaspati (or Jupiter), on a Saturday, in the year 1167, given in words ; and the same data, without the reference to Jupiter’s position, are repeated in figures in line 40. So far as I know, in quoting a saṁkrânti of Jupiter the date is quite unique. For the Vikrama year 1167 expired it regularly corresponds to Saturday, the 11th February A.D. 1111, when the second tithi of the bright half of Phâlguna commenced 0 h. 47 m. after mean sunrise. As the true longitude of Jupiter at mean sunrise of this day by the Sûrya-siddhânta was 1s 0º 2∙5’, Jupiter had entered the sign Vṛishabha 12 h. 2 m. before mean sunrise of the given day. The result shews that, instead of saying Bṛihaspatisaṁkrântau, the writer might have said, more accurately, Bṛihaspati=Vṛishabha-saṁkrântau, ‘at the time of Jupiter’s entrance into the sign Vṛishabha.’1

After recording the grant, the inscription in line 21 ff. has two verses containing prayers addressed to the Earth, and after that a number of benedictive and imprecatory verses, introduced by the words “speech of the sacrificer (or donor) after granting the land.” These verses are followed in lines 34-39 by the names of 17 persons, each of which has prefixed to it a title shewing his rank or occupation or official position. Of these titles those which I do not remember to have met elsewhere are Âshṭavargika, Daivâgârika, Mahârthaśâsanika (?) and Śaṅkhadhârin. Of the names themselves Ânûka, Jâgûka, Kêsavapadumâ, Mahichanda, Mahîka, Rândhûka, Sâṅkhâka and Sihaḍa^[2] may be drawn attention to.─ The grant itself is called in line 39 a tâmrasya paṭṭakam ; it was caused to be engraved by the Paṇḍita Rândhûka, and engraved by the goldsmith Gaṇêśvara (ll. 39 and 40).

I have not found hitherto any reference to the kings or chiefs of Uttarasamudra and am unable to locate their principality. Apparently it must have been somewhere between the Gogra and Gandak rivers and Nêpâl.

TEXT.^[3]
First Side.
1 Srîḥ || Śrîmat-Kîrttipāla- dêvasya sva-hasto=yam ||
2 Ôṁ^[4] ôṁ svasti || Jayati^[5] sakala-[ś]avda(bda)grama-nirmmâṇa-kalpa(lya)ḥ praṇata- jana-nikâya-dhva-
3 sta-saṁsâra-sa(śa)lyaḥ | Pasu(śa)patir-anuruddh-âsê(śê)sha-dêv-âdi-pâlyaḥ priyatama- himadhṛiktudmalli-^[6]
4 kâmôda-mâlyḥ || [1*] ^[7]Âs[î]t=samasta-bhuvana-pratipâlana-ladhva(bdha)-saṁjñaḥ Sa(ś)kr-ôpamô Bhuvanapâla-
5 nṛipa[ḥ*] prasiddhaḥ | yas=Tîvrabhânu-samavâpta-sa(śa)rîrayashṭi-Sâvarṇṇî-va[n]sa-^[8] vasudhêsva(śva)ra-sê(śê)khara-
6 śrîḥ || [2*] Tasy-âtmajâ(jô) nijabhuj-ârhhita-Saumâsinva-^[9]râjâdhipatya iha Vikramapâla-nâmâ | ya-

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^[1] Compare Ind. Ant.Vol. XV. p. 113, l. 12, savituḥ Kumbha-saṁkrântau.
^[2] See the names Jâgûka, Padumê and Sîhaḍa in the list given above, Vol. IV. p. 171 ff.
^[3] From impressions supplied by the Curator of the Provincial Museum, Lucknow.
^[4] Denoted by a symbol.
^[5] Metre : Mâlinî.
^[6] In the original the reading given here is quite clear ; I can only suggest – Himabhûbhṛid=malli-,
^[7] Metre of verses 2-4 : Vasantatilakâ. The first Pâda of verse 2 contains three syllables too many.
^{[8 ]} Read –vaṁśa-.
^[9] Read –Saumyasindhu-, a synonym of Uttarasamudra in lines 19 and 20 below.