North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF SARAYUPARA

was Śivarāja (1), who, again, had a son named Śaṅkaragaṇa (1). The latter's son was Guṇāmbhōdhidēva (or Guṇasāgara I), who received some territory from Bhōjadēva and took away the fortune of the Gauḍa king. His first wife was Kāñchanadēvī who bore to him a son named Ullabha. The latter placed on the throne his halfbrother Bhāmānadēva (1), (a son of Guṇasāgara I from another wife Madanadēvī), who, for regaining his kingdom, defeated an army of the king of Dhārā. From his queen Dēhaṭṭadēvī, Bhāmānadēva had a son named Śaṅkaragaṇa (II) alias Mugdhatuṅga. Mugdhatuṅga had, from his queen Vidyā, a son named Guṇasāgara (II). The latter's son from his queen Rājavā was Śivarāja (II) also called Bhāmānadēva (II). His son from Sugalladēvī was Śaṅkaragaṇa (III). The latter's son from Yaśōlēkhyā was Bhīma. We are next told that Bhīma, through adverse fate, lost his kingdom. Then Vyāsa, the son of Guṇasāgara^¹ from the queen Lāvaṇyavatī, was placed on the throne of his father at the capital^² Gōkulaghaṭṭa on Monday, the 8th tithi of the bright fortnight of the second (or nija) Jyēshṭha in the year 1087 (expressed in words). His son and successor was Sōḍhadēva who is described as the life of (the country of) Sarayūpāra.

The object of the present inscription is to record that the Paramabhaṭṭāraka, Mahārājādhirāja and Paramēśvara, the illustrious Sōḍhadēva, a devout worshipper of Mahēśvara, who meditated on the feet of the Paramabhaṭṭāraka, Mahārājādhirāja and Paramēśvara, the illustrious Maryādāsāgara,^³after bathing in the great river Gaṇḍakī on the occasion of the Uttarāyaṇa-saṅkrānti on Sunday, the seventh tithi of the bright fortnight of Pausha in the year 1134(expressed in words), granted twenty nālus of land in the fields of certain villages to fourteen Brāhmaṇas whose names, gōtras, pravaras, śākhās and places of residence are given in 11.40-50. The tāmrapaṭṭa (copper-charter) was written by the Adēśanaibandhika (Recorder of Orders) Janaka on Sunday, the 6th tithi of the dark half of Chaitra in the year 1135 (expressed in decimal figures only).

All the three dates mentioned in the present inscription are evidently of the Vikrama era. The first of them, which is the date of the accession of Sōḍhadēva's father Vyāsa, corresponds, for the Kārttikādi Vikrama year 1087 expired, to Monday, the 31st May 1031 A. C. In that year there was an intercalary Jyēshṭha. It is, however, to be noted that the eighth tithi of the bright fortnight of the second (or nija) Jyēshṭha commenced 9 h. 35 m.^⁴ after sunrise on Monday. Though the tithi was not civilly connected with that day, it must have been so cited because it was current at the time of the accession. The date of the present grant regularly corresponds to Sunday, the 24th December 1077 A. C. On that day the seventh tithi of the bright fortnight of Pausha ended 16 h. 20 m. after mean sunrise, while the Uttarāyaṇa-saṅkrānti had taken place 7 h. 10 m. after mean sunrise.^⁵ It will be noticed that date of Sōḍhadēva is 46 years later than the date of his father's accession. The last date mentioned here, when the grant was actually written, corresponds for the Kārttikādi Vikrama year 1134 expired, to Sunday, the 24th February 1079 A. C. On that day the sixth tithi of
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¹Kielhorn identified this Guṇasāgara with Guṇasāgara II, but it is more probable that Guṇasāgara was another name of Bhima. See Introduction.
² I prefer to take Kaṭaka here in the sense of 'a capital', not in that of 'a camp'. The Mēdinī gives rāja- dhānī (a capital) as one of the senses of kaṭaka. See Kaṭako'strī nitambō' drēr=dantinām danta-maṇḍanē | Samudra-lavaṇē rājadhānī-valayayōr=api ||
³ Maryādāsāgara was plainly another name of Vyāsa, the father of Sōḍhadēva.
⁴ According to Kielhorn's calculations, the tithi commenced 9 h. 47 m. after mean sunrise.
⁵ According to Kielhorn's calculations, the tithi ended 17 h. 21 m. and the Saṅkrānti took place 5 h. 35 m. after mean sunrise on that day.