North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PARAMARAS OF MALWA

VIDISHĀ STONE INSCRIPTION OF TRAILOKYAVARMAN

Hariśchandra, the son of Lakshmīvarman, is known to have issued a grant from the same place vidishā, only a couple of years earlier in the (Vikrama) year 1214 ;[1] and in view of all these findings the only conclusion that can be drawn is that Trailōkyavarman of the present inscription undoubtedly belonged to that branch of the Paramāras who called themselves Mahā-kumāras in their inscriptions and the earliest of whom is known to be Lakshmīvarman.[2] This again goes to support the view that Trailōkyavarman appears to have acted as a regent during the minority of his nephew Hariśchandra, and as such, he also enjoyed the titles connected with the princes of the Mahākumāra line and had full powers of a chief.[3] This finds strange corroboration in the fact that in his Bhopāl grant Hariśchandra states that he obtained his rulership through the favour of the Mahākumāra Trailōkyavarman.[4]

...This is the only dated record of Trailōkyavarman ; and from the fact that it was incised two years later than the grant of his nephew Hariśchandra, who clearly states in his Bhopāl copper-plate inscription that he obtained his throne through the favour of Trailōkyavarman, it is evident that this prince did not actually come to the throne but always led the life of a warrior, marching against his enemies and trying to extend his dominions.

...As for the geographical names, Vētravatī mentioned in v. 7, is the well known river Bētwā flowing by Vidishā ; and Uttara-paṭṭaka, if it is a place-name, cannot be identified. The name of the village which this prince appears to have donated in favour of the temple, is lost in the latter half of the same verse.

TEXT[5]
[Metres[6] : Verses 1-2 (lost partially or wholly), 5-6, 8, 13 and 15 Anushṭubh ; vv. 3 and 9 Vasantatilakā ; v. 7 Sragdharā ; v. 10 Mandākrāntā ; vv. 11 and Śikhariṅī ; v. 12 Rathōddhatā ].

[1] Below, No. 44.
[2] See his grant, above, No. 41.
[3] See above, No. 40.
[4] Below, No. 44.
[5] from impressions.
[6] The verses are numbered here as they exist in the portion of the inscription now available.
[7] All the letters from the beginning of the extant portion are either totally or partially lost and a line has been used here to denote the complete break of the stone and the dots to that the letters are partially visible.
[8] It is an architectural term denoting the figure of a lion carved on the upper part of a temple. The figure used here is utprēkshā, implying that the dark spot in the moon disappears, as if, the hare existing in it has slipped off because of the fright from the lion appearing (carved )on the temple. This is to indicate poetically the height of the temple.
[9] The dictionary meaning of Viśva-mūrti is ‘existing in all forms’ or ‘all-prevading’. and it generally denotes the Sun, e.g. in Bhavabhuti’s Mālatīmādhava, I, v. 3. But this deity in human form is always shown as holding lotus in both his hand, which cannot be applicable here for changing the āyudhas, as stated in the first half of the verse. and therefore the word here signifies Vishṇu, one of the forms of the Sun. For details see B. Bhattacharya ; Indian Images, Pt. I. p. 19. In this sense the word is used also below, in No. 149. v. 1. The verse means to say that the king installed images of Vishṇu which were distinguished from each other by the way in which the āyudhas were found distributed among their four hands. See T.A. Gopinath Rao : Indian Iconography, Vol. I. Pt. I (1914) pp. 227 ff.
10 The lacunae may be filled in by -रञ्जिताशान्तरालम्.