North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF RATANPUR

of the lord of Daṇḍabhukti may have happened during the expedition against the Gauḍa king which Ratnadēva II launched probably soon after inflicting a crushing defeat on Anantavarman-Chōḍagaṅga. This expedition is mentioned in several records^¹ of Vallabharāja who was a feudatory of both Ratnadēva II and Pṛithvīdēva II. Vallabharāja is said to have fought valiantly in the presence of his lord (Ratnadēva II) and captured many elephants in the enemy's city. This invasion of the Gauḍa kingdom is also probably referred to in the Rāmacharita of Sandhyākaranandin. From v. 133 of Canto IV of that kāvya we learn that Madanapāla drove back to the Kālindī (which flowed near his capital) the vanguard of the forces that had destroyed a large number of soldiers on his side.^² The invader, who is not named in Sandhyākaranandin's kāvya, was probably Ratnadēva II. Like Vallabharāja, Purushōttama also seems to have distinguished himself in this expedition, in the course of which he intimidated the ruler of Daṇḍabhukti.

Purushōttama was probably an old man when the present inscription was put up. Verse 27 states that he had four sons Madhusūdana, Lakshmīdhara, Yaśōdhara and Gaṅgādhara, all of whom turned out to be very able statesmen. The eldest of them Madhusūdana is said to have attained great renown. He may have been appointed a minister, though not Sarvādhikārin by Pṛithvīdēva II.^³ Nothing is known about the other three sons of Purushōttama

Verse 29 states that being convinced that human life is transitory and full of sorrows and that wealth is very unsteady, Purushōttama became intent on acquiring religious merit. He raised several groves, erected many maṭhas and maṇḍapas (temples) and excavated a deep tank at Ratnapura. He also built the five-shrined temple of Śiva where the present inscription was put up, and planted a pleasure garden near it. From v. 35 we learn that Pṛithvīdēva (II) donated the village Salōnī to Purushōttama on the occasion of a solar eclipse.

Verse 37 eulogises Kāśala, the poet who composed the present praṡasti. He is said to have been proficient in various arts and sciences including those of medicine and elephants. He had also mastered the āgamas of the Buddha and others. The description is interesting as it clearly indicates that though Buddhism, which was once flourishing in that part of Chhattisgarh ceased to have any followers there, its religious and philosophical works continued to be studied in Dakshiṇa Kōsala down to the 12th century A.C. It may be noted that the earlier Ratanpur stone inscription of Jājalladēva I, dated K. 866, also mentions a Śaiva ascetic named Rudraśiva as proficient in the works of Diṅnāga and others.⁴

The last verse (38) records two gifts, one of four plough-measures of land made to the gods installed in the temple and the other of two plough-measures made to the Brāhmaṇa Vāsudēva, who was evidently a priest of the temple.

As for the localities mentioned in the present praśasti, Tummāṇa has already been indentified.^⁵Khimmiṇḍī may be identical with the former Kimeḍi Zamindarī in the Ganjām District. Talahāri seems to have comprised the country round Mallār
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¹See, e.g., the Akaltarā stone inscription (No. 84).
² See History of Bengal, pub, by Dacca University, Vol. I, p. 170.
³ Pṛithvīdēva II's Sarvādhikārin seem to have been his Māṇḍalika Brahmadēva whom he specially called from the Talahāri maṇḍala and made Chief Minister as stated in the Ratanpur inscription, dated K. 915 (No. 96), 1. 20.
⁴ No. 77, l. 27.
⁵ Above, p. 404.