North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE SILAHARAS OF NORTH KONKAN

object of it is to record the grant, by Chhittarāja, of a field called Abhinava-dēva-chchēbhā in the village of Kundē situated in the vishaya (district) of Māhirahāra containing sixty-six (villages) to the Śaiva ascetic Jñānaśiva, a disciple of the holy Vāḍāchārya, who belonged to the Western Āmnāya. The purpose of the grant was to provide for the food and clothing of the ascetics dwelling in the temple of the holy Bhāiyapēśvara and also for the various articles required for the worship of the god and for the expenses of the repairs of the temple. The donated field was bounded on the east by the field called Kumbhivaṭī and Kōlihiraka, on the west by the boundary of the village Gōvaṇi, on the south by the boundary of a tank and on the north by the boundary of (the village) Vijñānīcholi.

..The genealogy of the donor Chhittarāja is given here as in his Bhāṇḍup plates (No. 9), many of the laudatory verses being common to both the grants. So the present plates do not make any addition to our historical knowledge. Chhittarāja beras in this grant the same titles as in Bhāṇḍup plates, The present plates mention only two of his ministers, viz. the Mahāmātya Nāgaṇaiya and the Mahāsāndhivigrahika Nāüpaiya. The former is mentioned as Sarvādhikārin of Chhittarāja in the Bhāṇḍup plates. The Mahāsāndhivigrahika seems to have been changed in the interval between the dates of the two grants. The scribe was the same as in the Bhāṇḍup plates, but his name appears here as Jōupaiya (not Jōgapaiya as in the Bhāṇḍup plates ). He is, however, described as the nephew of Nāgalaiya as in the latter plates. He was a Treasury Officer (Bhāṇḍāgāra-sēna).

.. The grant is dated, both in words and numerical figures, as the fourteenth tithi (Śivarātri) of the bright fortnight of the second Chaitra in the Śaka year 956, the cyclic year being Bhava. As no further details such as a week-day are mentioned, the date does not admit of verification; but, according to the Southern luni-solar system., the cyclic year for the expired Śaka year 956 was Bhava as stated here. Again, in that year the month Chaitra was intercalary. The fourteenth tithi of the bright fortnight of the second or nija Chaitra in that year corresponds to Friday, the 5th April A.D. 1034.

.. As for the localities mentioned in the grant, Māhirahāra in which the donated field was situated has already been shown to be identical roughly with the modern tāluka of Bhiwaṇḍī of the Thāṇā District. The village Kundē which comprised the field still retains its name and is situated almost near the northern boundary of the Bhiwaṇḍī tāluka. Of the boundary villages, only one can now be identified, viz. Vijñānīchōli, which is probably identical with Chiñchōlī, about four miles north of Kunde.

TEXT[1]
First Plate

[1] From the facsimiles in Z.D.M.G., Vol. XC.
[2] Expressed by a symbol.
[3] Metre of verses 1 and 2: Anushṭubh.
[4] Metre of verses 3-5 : Vasantaṭilakā.
[5] The Prince of Wales Museum plates of Mummuni (No. 15) read मौलिभूत-.