North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF RATANPUR

(V.14) He had a venerable son named Śivadāsa who, having a priceless store of excellences, imitated his father in the multitude of all his merits.

(V.15) From him was born an eminent son, well-known by the name of Vishṇu, who resembled (the god) Vishṇu, was the foremost among the learned, was well-versed in the three Vēdas, and had a charming disposition on account of his knowledge of all Śāstras and Āgamas.

(V.16) To this Brāhmaṇa Vishṇu, the king Pṛithvīdēva (II) donated the extremely beautiful village Budukunī (situated ) in the Madhyadēśa, with all rights, having poured water on his hand with great reverence on the fifteenth tithi of Kārttika when (the moon) the ornament of the night, was devoured by Rāhu.

(Here follow two benedictive and imprecatory verses.)
(In) the year 890, (the month) Marga[sirsha] (and) the dark (fortnight), on the (lunar) day 11, on Sunday.

Seal
The illustrious king Pṛithvīdēva.
No. 87; (No PLATE)

KUGDA STONE INSCRIPTION OF PRITHVIDEVA II : KALACHURI YEAR 893

THIS inscription was first brought to notice by Sir. A. Cunningham's Assistant, Mr. Beglar, in the Archæological Survey of India Reports, Vol. VII, p. 211. It was subsequently noticed by Dr. Kielhorn who drew attention to a few historical names mentioned in it and especially to its date in the Indian Antiquary, Vol. XX, p. 84. It is edited here from inked estampages^¹ kindly furnished by Mr. M.A. Suboor of the Central Museum, Nagpur.

The inscription is incised on a stone lying detached at Kugdā near Bachhaudgaḍh in Jānjgir tahsil of the Bilaspur District. It is fragmentary. The extant portion covers a space about 2' broad by 1' 11” high and contains twenty-five lines. Nothing is lost at the top and the bottom. Again, on the proper left side, the stone is complete down to line 20. Below this, a large piece has been broken away, which has resulted in the loss of several aksharas in lines 21-25. Again, on the proper right side, a large fragment measuring about 1'2” broad has been broken away, causing a loss of from 27 to 37 aksharas at the beginning of each line. The extant writing also has become for the most part illegible owing to the wearing away of the surface of the stone.

The characters are Nāgarī and the language Sanskrit. Except perhaps the opening obeisance to some deity and the date at the end, the whole record was metrically composed. There were about twenty-nine verses, all of which were numbered.^² The orthography shows the same peculiarities as the Akaltarā stone inscription of Pṛithvīdēva II.

The inscription, being fragmentary, does not admit of a connected and complete account of its contents. It seems to have several verses in common, with two other inscriptions^³ found at Kōṭgaḍh and another discovered at Ratanpur^⁴. These inscriptions also are unfortunately very much damaged. The present record was apparently put up by Vallabharāja, a feudatory chieftain of the Kalachuri king Pṛithvīdēva II. It men- tions the Kalachuri dynasty in line 1 and Lāchchhalladēvī in line 2. The latter we
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¹The estampages are not suitable for plating.
² The impressions show the number 28 towards the end of line 24.
³ Nos. 84 and 85 above.
⁴ No. 95, below.