North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE SILAHARAS OF NORTH KONKAN

with the help of their literal translation published by Carnac and of the several grants of the Śilāhāras of North Kōṅkaṇ published since then; for many verses in these Śilāhāra grants are repeated from earlier grants, and from the time of Arikēsrain the draft to the formal portion of the grants became stereotyped. Therefore, the text of this grant has been restored here from the available materials in view of its importance for the history of the Śilāhāras. In some cases the translator seems to have misunderstood the original expressions. In such cases they have been restored conjecturally with the help of the published Śilāhāra grants. In one or two cases no restoration could be attempted as similar expressions are not known to occur in any Śilāhāra grants discovered so far. But it is hoped that the text of the grant given here will be found to be as accurate as it is possible to be in the present circumstances. In any case, I have not added a word of my own in the given text. As the facsimile of the first plate is available, I have given its text line by line. The facsimile is, however, unsatisfactory as some parts of the letters have not come out clearly in it. Taking it to be an accurate copy of the original, I have noted all orthographical peculiarities and corrected all mistakes in it. It is not possible to give the remaining portion line by line. In that portion the correct text is given as ascertained from the available grants of the Śilāhāras.

..Like most other grants of the Early Śilāhāras, the present one also was recorded on three copper plates which were held together by a ring with the Garuḍa seal. The first plate was probably inscribed on the inner side only, the second on both the sides and the third again on the inner side only. The characters are of the Nāgarī alphabet and resemble those of the copper-plate grants of the early Śilāhāras. The language is Sanskrit and the text is partly in verse and partly in prose. The eulogistic portion contains eighteen verses. Of these, verses 1, 2, and 4 to 10 occur in the Bhāṇḍup plates of Chhittarāja (No. 9); verses 11, 14, 17 and 18 occur in the Prince of Wales Museum plates of Mummuṇirāja (No. 15), verses 15 and16 in the Berlin plates of Chhittarāja (No. 11), and verses 3 and 12 in the Bhoighar Plates[1] of Chhittarāja. Verse 13 is not known to occur anywhere else. The formal part of the grant occurs mutatis mutandis in several later grants of the Śilāhāras. As regards orthography, the grant shows the usual peculiarities of the use of v for b (as in vala in line 3), of the dental s for the palatal ś (as in sikhara-, line 2) and the reduplication of the consonant following r (as in sarvva–, line 1).

..The grant opens with the usual prayer Jayaś-ch-ābhyudayaś-cha. This is followed by one verse in praise of Gaṇanāyaka (Gaṇapati) and two in that of Śiva. The second verse in praise of Śiva occurs only here and in the Bhoighar plates. The genealogy of the reigning king Arikēsarin is next traced from Kapardin I, the founder of the Śilāhāra family of North Kōṅkaṇ. He was succeeded by the following kings—his son Pulaśakti; his son Laghu Kapardin (or Kapardin II) ; his son Vappuvanna; his son Jhañjha; his brother Vajjaḍa I; his son Aparājita,[2] to whose glorification the present grant has devoted as many as six verses. By his charity he is said to have become known as Jagajjhampi (the world-excelling donor). As he re-established several princes on their thrones, he was known as Rāya-pitāmaha (Brahmā among Kings). This is perhaps the earliest reference to this title which was later borne by the Yādavas and other kings. Another verse which occurs in several later grants states that he gave refuge to Gōmma, established Aiyapadēva on the throne and gave security from fear to Bhillama, Ammaṇa and Mambuva. None of these except Bhillama have yet been identified. Bhillama was the second king of that name ruling over Sēuṇadēśa. Aparājita is said
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[1] A somewhat confused text of these plates was given from memory by Mr. Natu of Bhoighar in the former Janjirā State. See No. 61, below.
[2] The name of Chhadvaidēva, the brother of Vajjaḍa I, who preceded Aparājita, has been omitted in all later records of the Silaharas probably because he was a usurper. See above, No. 4.