North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE SILAHARAS OF KOLHAPUR

Hail ! May there be fortune, victory and prosperity !

.. (V. 2). Victorious is the teaching of the Arhat Purudēva, which removes delusion and shows faultless understanding of various things.

.. Hail ! In the great Kshatriya family of the illustrious Śiḷāhāras, there was a king, Jatiga (I) by name, who harassed the whole multitude of his foes. His sons were four— (viz.) Gōṅkala, Gūvala, Kīrtirāja and Chandrāditya. Of them, King Gōṅkala had a son named Mārasiṁha, Gūvala, Kīrtirāja and Chandrāditya. Of them, King Gōṅkala had a son and Gaṇḍarādityadēva, Out of them, the dear son of the illustrious Gaṇḍarādityadēva, who was a veritable pious Yudhishṭhira, who initiated the wives of his enemies in widowhood, (and) who had for his eyes all philosophical systems, is the illustrious Vijayādityadēva—who has obtained the five mahāśabdas and shines with such titles as Mahāmaṇḍalēsvara, ‘the lord of Tagara, the best of towns’, ‘the illustrious Śiḷāhāra king,’ ‘(he) who has surpassed the lord of gods by his dalliance’, ‘(he) who is born in the race of Jīmūtavāhana’, ‘(he) who is well known by his valour’, ‘(he) who has the golden eagle for his ensign’, ‘the god of love to young women’, ‘(he) who has quelled the pride of the hostile feudatories’, ‘a serpent to the hostile army’, ‘a lion-like son of his father’, ‘exalted among all by his good qualities’, ‘a veritable Bhairava to the hostile feudatories’, ‘a lion to the elephants that are his foes, the Sun among archers’, ‘Vikramāditya of the Kali age’, ‘Nārāyaṇa in respect of a handsome form’, ‘(he) who has surpassed Chārāyaṇa in political wisdom’, ‘(he) who has seized hill fortresses’,’(he) who has thrown his opponents into captivity’, ‘(he) who is successful (even) on Saturdays’, ‘(he) who is devoted solely to religion’, ‘(he) who has obtained a boon by the favour of the goddess Mahālakshmī, ‘(he) who has by nature the fragrance

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of musk’—while governing (his) kingdom, diverting his mind in pleasant conversation at the permanent camp at Vaḷavāḍa, has donated together with a royal charter, when the Śaka years one thousand and sixty-five have expired and the (cyclic) year Dundubhi is current, on the holy occasion of a lunar eclipse, on Monday, the full-moon tithi of the month Māgha, a field measuring one fourth of a nivartana by the rod of Kuṇḍi and a house measuring twelve cubits in the village HāviṇaHērilage situated in the kholla of Ājirage as a gift exempt from all taxes, free from all molestations, (to be enjoyed) as long as the moon, the sun and the stars endure, by pouring water after having washed the feet of Māṇikyandi-paṇḍitadēva, the disciple of Māghanandi-siddhāntadēva, for the eightfold worship of the holy Pārśvanātha, for the repairs of what may be broken and dilapidated of (his) temple, and for offering food to the ascetics living there, in the temple (vasati) constructed by Vāsudēva, the dear disciple of the holy MāghanandiSiddhāntadēva, the head of the Pustaka Gachchha of the Dēśīya Gaṇa of the Mūla Saṅgha, and the priest of the Jaina temple of Rūpanārāyaṇa at Kshullakpura—(Vāsudēva) who is the betel-box carrier of the Sāmanta Kāmadēva, who is endowed with all jewel-like virtues, who is a bee on the lotuses in the form of the feet of the Jinas, who is a noble scion of a Brāhmaṇa family, and who has adopted righteousness.

.. (Line 27). Therefore, future rulers whether born in our family or others, who desire enhancement of their happiness, religious merit, fame and progeny, should protect this gift just as their own.

.. (Line 28). The lord Jina, himself the abode of the sentiment of quietism, (is) his god ; the austere Māghanandin, the Saiddhāntika, the Yōgin, himself the abode of the virtue of unweariedness, (was) his preceptor ; the lord Kāmadēva, the Sāmanta, (is) ruler (or master) ; —this (is) the excellence, —this (is) the religious merit, —this (is) the advancement of Vasudeva ![1]
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[1] This translation of the Kannaḍa verse was supplied to Kielhorn by Fleet.