North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE CHANDELLAS OF JEJAKABHUKTI

AJAYGAḌH STONE INSCRIPTION OF THE TIME OF BHŌJAVARMAN

it to stand for ever, the date and the names of the poet and the engraver.¹ However, to judge from the characters and also from the fact that it was set up by a counsellor of the king Bhōjavarman of the Chandēlla Dynasty, the record may be assigned to the short period between 1286 and 1289 A.C. when this king was occupying the throne, and thus it belongs almost to the same time as of the one dealt with here, immediately before.

After the customary salutation to (the god) Kēdāra and a verse paying obeisance to the same deity, the inscription introduces the Kāyastha clan of the Vāstavyas which is here said to have originated from Vāstu² himself, who was residing at Ṭakkārikā, the foremost among the thirty-six towns, where dwelt the people of the writers’ caste, and which, by the crowds of its residents, was made to resound with the chants of the Vēdas (vv. 2-4). One of the descendants of Vāstu was Jājūka, who was proficient in all the sciences and arts, and was endowed with the title of Ṭhakkura ; and he was entrusted by the invincible king Gaṇḍa with the work of superintending all the affairs (of the State) and (for this service), to enjoy the village of Dugauḍā, granted to him by means of a copper-plate (v. 7). The record further informs us that one of Jājūka’s descendants was Māhēśvara,³ who assisted Kirtivarman, the crest-jewel of the princes, in the Yellow-Mountain district, and in recognition of this service, he was appointed an officer to guard the viśikhā (high-road) of Kālañjara and also enjoyed the donation of the village Pipalāhikā (vv. 7-9). Māhēśvara spoken of here is evidently identical with his namesake who is mentioned, along with Jājūka, in the undated Ajaygaḍh inscription of the time of Kīrtivarman ; and the details about both these persons are all recorded in the same inscription, as seen above.⁴

The inscription proceeds to state that in course of time one Gaṅgādhara was born in that family ; he was a favourite counsellor of the king Paramardin who entrusted him with the high office of a chamberlain (v. 10). Gaṅgādhara’s younger brother was Jauṇādhara, who took delight in deeds of war (v. 11). They had a younger brother named Mālādhara, who too was a great hero (v. 12). In course of time was born in that family one Ālhū ; he was full of energy and was entrusted with the administration of (guarding) the streets (pratōlī). He lived happily in the fort (v. 13). Ālhū’s son was Subhaṭa, whose son again was Vīdana, who was a store-house of knowledge ; he was entrusted by the king whose name is not mentioned, with the affairs of the realm (vv. 14-15). Vīdana’s son was Vāśē, who possessed excellent qualities of influencing people, and the king Trailōkyavarman appointed him to the high office of guarding the fort with endowments of the village of Varbhavāri (vv. 16-17). This officer is described as having established Trailōkyavarman’s kingdom by killing in a battle the irresistible Bhōjūka, who, seized with the frenzy of war, was rendering the kingdom into two (vv. 19-20). This Bhōjūka, as suggested by Kielhorn, may have been identical with the Ṭhakkura Bhōjūka, father of Abhayadēva of the Ajaygaḍh stone inscription of the time of Vīravarman, dated 1268 A.C.⁵ But there is no definite evidence to prove this identity. However, the expression that “Bhōjūka was rendering the kingdom into two” goes to suggest that he was an internal enemy who had gained considerable importance at that time.

Vāsēka’s younger brother was Ānanda, who was then an officer in charge of the fort of Ajaygaḍh (Jayadurga) and who had brought under control the Bhillas, the Śabaras and the Pulindas who were then residing there (vv. 21-22). He was a great warrior and a zealous devotee of Durgā ; and he is also said to have been liberal, righteous and skilled in the use of weapons (vv. 23-25). His sons were Gōpati, Mahi(hī)pāla and Subhaṭa. The last-named person is stated to have been virtuous, a leader of the eloquent and possessed praiseworthy character ; and was
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¹ Here we may cite the instance of the Udaipur Praśasti (No. 24), the latter portion of which was engraved on a separate stone discovered later on.
² The word vāstu means the site of a house or a building and here it probably denotes Viśvakarman, the architect of gods. Vāstavya originally means a resident, for which, cf. purēsya vāstavya-kuṭumbitāṁ yayuḥ, śiśupālavadha, I, 66.
³ The vowel of the first syllable being lengthened here evidently for metrical purposes. The name occurs as Mahēśvara, above, in No. 112, v. 7, and Jājūka in ibid., v. 5.
⁴ Here the reading is Kālañjarasya viśkhābhidhānaṁ and in No. 112 dvāravarādhikāraṁ (v. 8). Evidently both these expressions mean the same thing, particularly in view of the fact that the main gate of the fort along with its adjoining streets had to be carefully watched by a strong guard, because of its strategic importance. Thus the word has to be taken as viśikhā and not viśikha as read by Kielhorn who was unable to explain it. However, viśikhā appears to denote the commander of the fort.
⁵ Above, No. 146.