North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE SILAHARAS OF KOLHAPUR

TRANSLATION

Hail ! Prosperity !

..(Verse 1). Victorious is Vishṇu’s manifested Boar-form, which agitated the ocean and which had the earth resting on the tip of its uplifted right tusk.

.. (V. 2). Formerly, there was a Vidyādhara. Jīmūtavāhana by name, who offered his life to Garuḍa for the sake of others.

.. (V. 3). This is a family of the lords of Tagara, known as Śilāhāra. In that family was born the crest-jewel of kings, Jatiga (I) by name.

.. (V. 4). Hail ! There was a son of king Jatiga (I), Nāyimma by name. His son was Chandrarāja, of great fame. To him, again, was born a son (named) Jatiga (II), praised by the people of the world. To him was born the eldest son, the illustrious Gōṅkalla, the foremost (lit. the forehead-mark) of the kings on the earth.

..(V. 5). Thereafter, there was his brother Gūhalēśa (I); his younger brother was Kīrtirāja; thereafter, Chandrāditya made his kingdom free from all troublesome persons.

.. (V. 6). (Then) there was the illustrious Mārasiṁha, son of the illustrious king Gōṅkala. His son was the illustrious Gūhala (II) by name, whose feet were fondled by the crowns of (other) kings. His brother was king Bhōjadēva (I), a lion to the elephants that were his foes in this world. He, of great fame, ruled uninterruptedly like the lord of Laṅkā.

..(V. 7). His younger brother is known as the illustrious Gaṇḍarāditya, who is the protector of religion, who makes all castes observe their religious duties, who is the foremost among the most courageous, and the bestower of wealth.

.. (V. 8). He, by his anonymous gifts, is engaged day after day in giving protection by means of secret gifts to various beings distrēssed, helpless, poor, miserable, maimed and destitute. He bestows gifts such as those of the skins of the black antelopes, cows, land and parturient cows, his heart is always engaged in contemplation on Brahman, and he is a veritable Wish-fulfilling Tree to the Brāhmaṇas.

.. (Line 16). Hail ! The illustrious Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara Gaṇḍarādityadēva‒who is adorned with all royal titles such as ‘(he) who obtained the five mahāśabdas’, Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara, ‘the lord of Tagara, the best of towns’, ‘the illustrious Śilāhāra king’, ‘(he) who is born in the family of Jīmūtavāhana’, ‘(he) who has the golden Garuḍa as his ensign, Maruvakkasarpa 2, Ayyanasiṁha 3, a veritable Bhairava to hostile feudatories’, ‘a lion to the elephants in the form of his foes’, Iḍuvarāditya 4, ‘Nārāyaṇa in respect of a handsome form’, ‘(he) who is successful (even) on Saturdays’, ‘the seizer of hill-fortresses’, ‘Vikramāditya of the Kali Age’ (and) ‘(he) who has obtained a boon by the favour of the divine Mahālakshmī’‒governing under one umbrella (his) kingdom righteously by curbing the wicked and protecting the good, is shining by his long and victorious reign, holding pleasant conversation as is the custom in a camp in the village of Vallavāḍa.

.. (Line 23). Being requested by the Kaḍitāmātya 6 Maillapayya, the Mahāpradhāna dependent on his (i.e. Gaṇḍarāditya’s) lotus-like feet, who, having first repaired the dilapidated temple of the holy Khēḍāditya 6 in Brahmapurī created by Brahmā in the great tīrtha, the famous Kollāpura, has constructed a three-spired, temple and has installed therein (the images
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[1] The gift of an ubhayatō-mukhī cow is highly praised.
[2] Maruvakka-sarpa, means ‘a serpent to the hostile army’. See Ep. Ind., Vol. XXIII. p. 33, n. 4.
[3] Ayyana-siṁha means ‘a lion-like son of his father’.
[4] Iḍuvarāditya means ‘the sun among the archers’.
[5] Bhuj (Arm.) means to enjoy, but it is here probably used in the sense of ‘governing’
[6] Kaḍita is a Kannaḍa word meaning “an account ledger”. So Kaḍitāmātya means ‘a Minister in charge of Accounts’.