North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF SARAYUPARA

KAHLA PLATES OF SODHDEVA: YEAR 1135

(V. 25) When he lost his kingdom through (adverse) fate, there was born the illustrious Vyāsa to the queen Lāvaṇyavatī from the king, the illustrious Guṇasāgara (III)^¹ as Vyāsa was born from the sage Prāśara ; with whom even in his childhood, others did not attain resemblance in the multitude of excellence such as charity (and) compassion.

(V. 16) His son, the wise prince (and) the lord of the earth, who by his brilliant white fame (spreading) on the surface of the earth which was pervaded by his excellences, surpassed the lustre of the moon,—the noble one who by his splendour and merits became an object of wonder even to gods,-was the illustrious Śaṅkaragaṇa^² (II), the son of Dēhaṭṭadēvī.

(V. 26) Who being established on his throne is extolled^² by the people who, day after day, are conjecturing as follows:–– 'Is he Bali? Or is he the son of the sun? Or is he Rāghava or Nṛiga? Or is heYayāti?

(V. 27) The illustrious one shines, having been installed on the throne of his father at the capital Gōkulaghaṭṭa, on the day of the moon on the eighth day (tithi) in the fortnight, very bright like plaster, in the second Jyēshṭha in a century of years multiplied by ten together with eighty-seven ( i.e., in the year one thousand and eighty-seven ).

(V. 28) His son , the illustrious Sōḍhadēva, who became king through the religious merit of the people and has surpassed the deeds of Kārtavīrya by his merits, has now whitened the surface of the three worlds with his fame which is stainless like the peaks of the snowy mountain and is spread around by truthfulness, charity, discrimination, pride, political wisdom and activity.

(V. 29) (His) fame has speedily resorted to the seven oceans as if through fear of (being oppressed by) the heat of his mighty prowess; the goddess of fortune, on the other hand, has sought shelter with the feet of the illustrious Sōḍhadēva through cold due to her living in the midst of the ocean.

(V. 30) The illustrious Sōḍhadēva, the very life of the country on the other side of the Sarayū, is a brave and pious king, the foremost among learned people.

(Line 32) Hail ! From (the camp) fixed at Dhuliāghaṭṭa–– the Paramabhaṭṭāraka, Mahārājādhirāja and Paramēśvara, the illustrious Sōḍhadēva, a devout worshipper of Mahēśvara, who mediates on the feet of the Paramabhaṭṭāraka, Mahārājādhirāja and Paramēśvara, the illustrious Maryādāsāgaradēva, (being) prosperous, honours, informs and commands all royal officials such as the Mahārājñī, the Mahāsēnāpati, the Mahāsāndhivi- grahika, the Mahāmahantaka,³ the Mahāpratīhāra, the Mahāsēnāpati, the Mahākshapaṭalika,^⁴ the Mahāsādhanika,^⁵ the Mahāśrēsḥṭhin, ^⁶ the Mahādānika, ^⁷ the Mahāpāñchakulika, ^⁸ the Śaulkika, ^⁹ the Gaulmika, ^¹⁰ the Ghaṭṭapati,^¹¹ the Trarpati, ^¹² the Vishayadānika, ^¹³ the Dushṭsādhaka, ^¹⁴ the Khaṇḍvāla, the Balādhīra^¹⁵ and others and the people of the country
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^¹See above p. 384, n. 1.
^² Here and in the following verse also the verb is required to be in the past tense as the present inscrip- tion belongs to the reign of Vyāsa ҆s successor.
^³ Elsewhere this official title appears in the form Mahāmahattaka; see 1. 1 of No. 47, above.
^⁴ The chief Officer in the Department of Records.
^⁵ As sādhana means an army, this may be a military officer lower in rank than the Mahāsēnāpati.
^⁶ The Chief Banker.
^⁷ The Head of the Department of Charity.
^⁸ This may perhaps be the Head of the Department of Panchāyats.
^⁹ The Customs Officer.
^¹º ‘The Chief of a troop ҆ (Monier-Williams).
^¹¹ The Officers in charge of landing stations.
^¹² The Officer in charge of ferries.
^¹³ Perhaps Vishayādānika is the correct form of the title. This officer probably collected the revenue (ādāna) of the district.
^¹⁴ The Mentor of criminals.
^¹⁵ I have not come across the name of these two officials elsewhere.