INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PARAMARAS OF VAGADA
ARTHŪṆĀ STONE INSCRIPTION OF THE TIME OF CHĀMUṆḌARĀJA
...Opening with a verse invoking the blessings of Vṛishabhadēva, the first pontiff of the Jainas,
the record introduces the learned Harishēṇa, and thereafter, Jayakīrui, and Śrīkīrui,[1]
in succession. The portion stating the relationship that existed between them is fortunately preserved, and each of the latter-mentioned persons appears to have been the son (spiritual disciple)of the
former, as we can conclude from the way in which these names are introduced. Verses 3-4 give
the genealogy of Sahaja who constructed the temple. His grandfather was Bhalla (or Jhalla), a
renowned Jaina of the Nāgara family, and his father’s name is lost in v. 3. His mother was
Kllukā. How Sahaja’s family was related to the one which is mentioned before, i.e., that of
Harishēṇa, is not known from the existing portion of the record.
...
Verses 5-6 mention the purpose of the record, stating that Sahaja, perceiving the saplessness of life, constructed the temple of Jina, during the reign of the illustrious Chāmuṇḍarāja. The name of the house to which this king belonged is not stated, nor anything about his
exploits; and his regnal titles are also missing, but from the provenance of the inscription he
appears to be doubtless the homonymous Paramāra ruler of Vāgaḍa whose inscriptions were
found at the same place, the earliest of them being dated in V.S. 1136 and the latest so far
known bearing the date in V.S. 1157.[2]
Thus the historical interest of the present inscription lies
in the date which indicates that Chāmuṇḍarāja was on the throne of Vāgaḍa for two years at
least thereafter. The next inscription that we have of the family is that of his son Vijayarāja;
it is dated in V.S. 1166; and the find of the present record thus lessens the gap by two years.
...
The inscription is a praśasti, a laudatory account, as said in v. 13; and as is often the case,
some of the members belonging to the family of Sahajāka, obviously the same as Sahaja who
erected the temple, are also mention in the remaining portion thereof. His son was Papyāka,
or Palyāka (v. 11), who married Jāmbavatī (v. 12 ). The name of the learned poet who composed
the praśasti is lost in v. 13; and the record appears to have ended by mentioning the year in figure,
those for the first two of which are totally lost but which were 59 as we learn from v. 7 which
mentions the year in word-numerals. We have seen above that the present record indicates that
the reign of Chāmauṇḍarāja extended at least up to the year of the present inscription.
...The only geographical name mentioned in the inscription is Lāṭa (1. 2), which is, obviously, Southern Gujarāt.
TEXT[3]
[Metres: Verse 1 Drutavilambaita; vv. 2 and 8-9 Śārdūlavikrīḍita; v. 3 Mālinī;
vv. 4-7 and 10-13 Anushṭubh]
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It cannot be said whether the word Śrī which is prefixed to the name is a part of it or is used for
metrical exigencies or an honorific prefix.
Above, Nos. 84 and 85, respectively, of course, excluding the present one which is two years later.
From an impression.
[4] Denoted by a symbol.
[5] The daṇḍa is redundant.
[6] The traces following प्र. appear to be as of तिष्ठा and all the missing akshara here may have been -प्रतिष्ठान्वितम्
[7] The prishṭha-mātrā is detached from this letter and appears as a daṇḍa. The next letter looks more like Jha, but it may also been bha.
[8] This and the preceding sign of visarga were inserted subscquently. It cannot be known whether the mark above is that of anusvāra or a fault of the stone. Following this letter. हा was originally incised and the mātrā appears to have been later on cancelled by an arrow-head below it.
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