South Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE MINISTERS AND FEUDATORIES OF THE
VATSAGULMA BRANCH

...( V. 3). In the southern country in well known a great race of most eminent Brāhmaṇas named Vallūras, which (race) has accumulated religious merit and glory since (the age of) Brahmā and is honoured by the great.

...(V. 4). In that (race) was born famous Yajña[pati]¹, an excellent Brāhmaṇa, who resembled the primeval Brāhmaṇas Bhṛigu, Atri, Garga and Aṅgiras, noted for their good qualities.

...(V. 5). His son was Dēva, who being wise, learned, proficient in political wisdom and engaged in the performance of religious rites, resembled the god (Kṛishṇa) ; being guided by whom, the whole kingdom together with the king performed religious duties even as Pārtha (i.e., Arjuna) did (under the guidance of Kṛishṇa)².

...(V. 6). From him was born Sōma, a second moon as it were; who, performing religious duties as enjoined by the Vēdas and Smṛitis, gave his love (equally) to wives of the two (castes), born in Brāhmaṇa and Kshatriya families.

... (V. 7). On a Kshatriya wife of noble birth and character, he begot a good-looking son named Ravi, possessed of marks of royalty who established his sway over the whole territory³.

... (V .8). From other Brāhmaṇa wives he obtained sons who fulfilled their desires in mastering the Vēdas,−whose habitation named Vallūra is even now (well-known) in the southern country⁴

... (V.9). The son of Ravi was Pravara. From him sprang Srī-Rāma. His son was Kīrti of good repute, and from him was born Hastibhōja.

... (V. 10). When the Vākāṭaka Dēvasēṇa was ruling, Hastibhōja distinguished himself by his excellences−(he) whose noble birth (and) charity . . . . . . even now ⁵.

... (V. 11). Among the resolute, intelligent, efficient and meritorious colleagues when the king’s . . . . . .

... (V. 12). Occupying a half of whose seat . . . . . .men . . . . . in the assembly . . . . .
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Footnote No. 11-(Continued)

verse has puzzled previous editors. Bhagvanlal translated, ‘Even an ungrateful and unjust prison (?) dedicated to his virtuous person, becomes the bestower of good’. Bühler gave the following rendering. ‘The Community (of asceties) . . . . . placed in which, as in a beautiful vessel, even those who have sinned by committing murder, become exalted’. In a note he adds, ‘ The phrase Kārāpakārāstanayāḥ is very ambiguous and it may be taken as one compound, consisting of kārāpakōra and astanaya, or as two words kārāpākārās and tanayāḥ as kāra may be interpreted ‘ effort’ or ‘a Yati’ or ‘murder ‘. If it is taken as a compound it may be translated by ‘those whose efforts are offences and who thus cast aside good behaviour or prudence’, or by ‘those who offend against ascetics, and thus’ etc.-or by ‘those whose offence is murder and who thus ‘ etc. If we adopt the second division tanayāḥ means ‘sons’ and karāpakārāḥ can again be taken in various ways. The poet no doubt intended to puzzle the reader. But in any case the general sense remains the same, and the half verse is intended to assert that sinners are purified by joining the Buddhist Saṅgha’.

¹ This name is almost certain.
² Bühler, who read nātha in place of Pārtha, translated as follows:-‘Under whom, when he gained possession of the kingdom and of the king, lawful rites were performed as in the (time of ) the Lord Buddha’. With the reading dharmyāḥ kriyāḥ which Bühler adopted, this construction is impossible; for the verb would be expected to be in the plural, not in the singular as here (prachakre). As shown above, the reading is undoubtedly Pārtha and so the simile seems to have been suggested by the name Dēva. The sense seems to be that the whole kingdom together with the king did its duty being guided by Dēva, even as Arjuna had done before by the advice of the god Kṛishṇa.
³ As shown above, the reading Malayē is not likely. Ravi was therefore ruling over the territory round his native place Vallūra, not over Malaya.
⁴ As the reading is clearly Vallūra-nāmnā here, as given by both Bhagvanlal and Bühler, Vallūra is primarily the name of the village. The family became known by that name as it was living at the place.
⁵ This indicates that Hastibhōja was dead when the inscription was incised.