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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
INSCRIPTIONS OF THE CHANDELLAS OF JEJAKABHUKTI AJAYAGAḌH ROCK INSCRIPTION OF THE TIME OF VĪRAVARMAN The inscription is engraved on a rock above a well which is locally known as Gaṅgā-Jamnā, in the fort of Ajayagaḍh1 in the Pannā District of the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. It consists of fifteen lines, the first seven of which are on the proper right side and the remaining eight on the proper left side, both the portions being divided by a crack between them and showing the width of about 1∙5 to 2 cms. The portion on the proper side measures 72∙40 cms. broad by 16∙5 cms. high, and that on the proper left, 91∙45 cms. broad by 16∙5 cms. high. In Kielhorn’s time it was “on the whole fairly well preserved”, but as far as I can judge from the impression before me and comparing the same with the plate in the A. S. I. R., the letters have suffered now a little on account of exposure, particularly in the last two lines on either side, though they can be made out with certainty. Only one akshara each at two places just close by the crack has disappeared, which is of minor importance ; and I have read it from the photolithograph given by Cunningham. The average size of the letters is about 1∙5 cms., except that they are slightly smaller in the last two or three lines on either side. The mechanical execution is also not free from slovenliness and redundant strokes of the chisel have deformed some of the letters here and there. The inscription is written in the Nāgarī alphabet of the 12th century A.C. Almost all the letters have assumed or begun to assume their modern form. However, to note some of the peculiarities of the writing, the vowel i differs īrshyā-, l. 1 from that in indu-, l. 2 ; and ḍ in khaḍga-, l. 3 from that in maṇḍapa-, l. 13 ; j continues in its older form ; see jaya-, l. 3 ; bh in kumbha- is more advanced than in bhūshaṇa, both in l. 2 ; and the letters ch, dh and v have developed their distinct individual shape ; cf. Dadhīchi-vaṁsē, l. 8 ; gg continues to be engraved as gn, as in durgga, l. 6, and ṇṇ is shown by a single letter marked with a slanting stroke across it, as in Karṇṇa, l. 2. B has a distinct form of its own, as in babhūva in l. 10. And finally, r occasionally appears in its older form as in ruchira-, l. 13, where we find the mātrā marked below the letter.
The language is Sanskrit, which is correct ; and except for the introductory Ōṁ Ōṁ Siddhiḥ and the date in the end, the record metrically composed. In all there are 22 verses, all of which are numbered. The language is fluent and the style is chaste. The poet was conversant with the works of Kālidāsa, whose thoughts are reflected in vv., e.g., 3, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12. The orthography calls for no remarks other than the usual, e.g., (1) the use of the sign of v to denote b except in babhūva, as stated above, and in vudha-, l. 14 ; (2) putting the dental sibilant for the palatal in some instances, e.g., in yasa-, l. 13, and vice versa is the case in śuta-, l. 8, and -sīmā, ll. 9 and 10 ; and lastly, (3) sh is employed for kh in Vaiśāsha, l. 15. The sign of avagraha has been used six times, in ll. l, 4 (twice), 5 and 8 (twice), to mark the elision of the initial a into ē or ō, except in one instance in –varmm = ābhavat, l. 4, to denote the dīrgha-sandhi. The final m is frequently substituted by an anusvāra. The proper object of the inscription is to record that Kalyāṇadēvi the wife of the Chandēlla king Vīravarman, built a well, called Nirajana-kūpa (v. 18), established a place where water was to be distributed to travellers furnished it with a water-pot and a pavilion, and also built a Śiva temple at Nandīpura (vv. 19-20). The praśasti, as the composition is called in v. 21, was written by Ratnapāla, the son of the poet Haripāla and the grandson of the poet Vatsarāja, and it was engraved by Rāma. The date of the record, as given in word-numerals in the next verse, is the Vikrama year measured by the seas (7), the moon (1), the fires (3) and again the moon (1), i.e., in the (Vikrama), year 1317 on Thursday, the 13th day of the bright half of Vaiśākha. According to Kielhorn’s calculations, Thursday, the day mentioned in the record, falls on 14th April ; and the Vikrama year mentioned in the inscription is taken to be the Southern expired year, which is equivalent to 1261 A.C.2 The year 1317 and the date are repeated in figures in the last line, which also mentions the name of the king Vīravarman and of Jētana who was then holding office. Usually a praśasti commences with the pedigree of the king in whose regin it was put up ;
and accordingly, the present inscription also devotes its first part comprising vv. 1-17 to this
purpose. Invoking the blessings of the Ganges in the first verse and referring to the moon-born, i.e., the Chandrātrēya (Chandēlla) race, in the second, the inscription introduces the illustrious | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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