North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PARAMARAS OF MALWA

VIDISHĀ STONE INSCRIPTION OF THE TIME OF NARAVAMAN

ch-like form, whereas in all the other instances it appears as a vertical stroke with a horizontally straight or curved stroke attached to its left in the middle, cf, e.g., para-nārī, 1. 13.

...The language is Sanskrit, generally correct ; and excepting a verse in the beginning and another in the middle in 11. 14-19, the record is in prose. To note the orthographical peculiarities, we find (1) the use of v to denote b as well, of lavdhiḥ, 1. 9 ; (2) the doubling of a consonant following r, e.g. in nirvvāṇa, 1. 12 ; (3) occasionally putting the dental for the palatal sibilant, see srī for śrī, in 11.1, 11, 22 and 26 ; (4) the occasional use of the pṛishṭha-mātrā for the medial ē and ai, see khēchara,- 1. 7 and kusumair-,1. 6, but not in the case of the medial ō, as in sahōdara, 11. 14 and 23 ; and (5) the representation of a class-nasal by the anusvāra at the and of a hemistich, of which we have one example in each of the verses.

...The object of the inscription is to express devotion to Chachchikā or Charchikā, who was a favourite goddess of the Mahārājādhiraja-Paramēśvara Naravarmadēva alias NirvāṇaNārāyaṇa; who was made by her “fit for his work” (11. 18-19). It bears no date, but can be safely assigned to the reigning period of Naravarman, i.e., between 1194 and 1133 A.C., to which time the palaeography of the record belongs.

...The inscription opens with the auspicious symbol, and after a panegyric of the goddess Charchikā or Chachchikā[1] , who is described in the first verse as bestowing her devotee with the power of flying in the sky, when properly worshipped ; this account is followed by the statement to the effect that she made Naravarman fit for his work, as seen above, in verse 2 (11. 14-18). Then we are told that the record was composed by Ṭhakkura Śrī-Mādhava, a son of the Ṭhakkura Sūpaṭa and a grandson of Ṭhakkura[2] Nījāsa and a dvija belonging to the Māthura clan. And with the words maṅgalaṁ mahāśrīḥ, (auspicious, great fortune), the inscription ends.

... The record goes to indicate that the pillar on which it is incised belongs to the temple of Chachchikā or Chachikā, which may have been constructed on the spot where it stands or near about it, by Naravarman alias Nirvāṇa-Nārāyaṇa, in devotion to the deity.

... No geographical name occurs in the inscription.

TEXT[3]
[Metres : Verse 1 Vasantatilakā ; v. 2 Anushṭubh].

_________________________________________________

[1]Compare uttarōshṭhē tu Charchikā in the Kavacha of the Saptaśatī. This name of the goddess occurs also in the Pujārīpālī (Bastar District) stone inscription of Gōpaladēva, for which see C.I.I., Vol. IV, p. 591, v. 16 and n. The A.S.I., A.R. for 1935-36, p. 80 mentions an image of Charchikā near Ōṁkāra Māndhātā The details are not know.
[2] In the first of these instances the title is spelt as ṭhakkura but as ṭhakura in the second and third. See the transcript that follows.
[3] From impressions.
[4] Expressed by a symbol.
[5] The second letter of the name is mutilated and I am not certain whether it is superscribed by र, whereas in 1. 14 below, the reading is clearly चर्च्चिका.
[6] The fourth letter in this line is totally lost, leaving only faint traces thereof, and the third and the fifth syllables are mutilated. The consonant of the third letter is definitely य्. Thus it is difficult to be certain about the reading of these three letters.
[7] The word लब्धि, acquisition, needs the construction of the sentence in the passive voice.

Home Page