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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
INSCRIPTIONS OF THE CHANDELLAS OF JEJAKABHUKTI class-consonant following r is sometimes doubled and sometimes not ; examples of the first are afforded by nirmmala, and kīrtti-, both in l. 20, and of the second, by nirmāṇa, l. 4 and karmāṇi, l. 9. In the word varga occurring twice in the record, the akshara g is doubled in l. 25 but not in l. 7. T before r is also often doubled, e.g., tattra, l. 6[1] ; (4) the visarga after vaksha- in l. 2 is dropped in accordance with vārttika on Pāṇini. VIII, 3, 36, and besides this we have four other cases of this type, in ll. 4, 6, 19 and 20 ; but in two examples, viz., in –prāptiḥ = kshayāya, l. 6, and dharmmaḥ = pra-, l. 28, the visarga is wrongly dropped ; (5) one of the two similar consonants forming a conjunct is dropped by syncopation in some instances like ujvala, in ll. 3, 5 and 11, satva, l, 11, asṛikshīva and prōdyajvālā, both in l. 16, and rāgā = dṛishṭi, in l. 24 ; (6) the anusvāra is often used for the nasals n and m and the final m is also incorrectly changed to it at the end of a stich ; on the other hand, it wrongly takes the place of a nasal in words like vanśa, l. 5, and samvatsara and samvat, both in l. 28 ; (7) the dental n stands for the lingual in nishanna, l. 8, and a superfluous v is inserted after m in words like namvrī-, l. 14 and namvra, l. 26 ; and finally, (8) the vowel ṛi is used for ri in tṛidiva, l. 24. The inscription belongs to the reign of Dhaṅgadēva of the Chandrātrēya (Chandēlla) family. It is a praśasti, a laudatory account, as stated twice in its vv. 47 and 48, and was composed by the poet Mādhava, whose father was Dēdda, a grammarian whose fame as a poet was celebrated in tales by wise men with repute (vv. 46-47). That this fame was well deserved is indicated by the style of composition. The inscription was written on stone, ‘in pleasing letters’, by the karaṇika Jaddha, the Gauḍa, who was a son of Jayaguṇa (?), the writer of the legal documents (karaṇika). The name of the engraver who was an artisan (rūpakāra) is lost in l. 28.
The immediate object of the inscription is to record the construction of a temple of the enemy of the Daityas, i.e., Vishṇu, by the illustrious Yaśōvarman (also called Lakshavarman in vv. 37 and 39) of the Chandrātrēya ruling house and setting up in the same an image of the god under the name Vaikuṇṭha (vv. 42-43). The record is dated, in l. 28, in words as well as in numerical figures, in the year 1011, without any specification of the month, fortnight, tithi or week-day ; and the year which is evidently to be referred to the Vikrama era, is equivalent to 954 A.C., taking it as expired of the Chaitrādi year. The inscription may be divided into two parts. The first part, which traces the genealogy of the ruling house, ends with verse 41 ; and the second part, which speaks of the temple and the image and also gives some other particulars, comprises the remaining portion. After three maṅgala-ślōkas in praise of Vishṇu respectively under the names of the boar and man-lion incarnations, Vaikuṇṭha and Lakshmī’s husband, the record introduces the name of Yaśōvarman, referring to his personal qualities and valour (v. 4)2. In the following five verses that are devoted to describe the origin of the world and springing of the early sages of holy conduct, Marīchi and others from the mind Brahmā, it tells us that Atri, one of them, begat the sage Chandrātrēya and from him proceeded the family known after him. In that family was born the illustrious prince Nannuka, ‘a touch-stone to test the worth of the gold of the regal order’, whose fame spread far and wide and who conquered hosts of enemies (vv. 10-11). Nannuka’s son was Vākpati, whose fame was sung by Kirāta women in the Vindhya mountain (vv. 12-13). He had two sons, Jayaśakti and Vijayaśakti (vv. 14-15). The latter’s son was Rāhila who destroyed his adversaries (vv. 16-17), and his son again was Harsha, who was endowed with the excellencies like heroism, vigour and self-confidence. Harsha’s wife was Kañchukā, who sprang from the Chāhamāna tribe, and she bore to him a son, named Yaśōvarman, (vv. 18-22).
Of all these names, those of Jayaśakti and Vijayaśakti are the same as Jējjāka and Vijjāka of
the preceding inscription which also mentions the name of Harshadēva. It must however be
stated here that much of the description in the present inscription is entirely conventional and
altogether devoid of any historical interest. Yaśōvarman is further eulogised in as many as
nineteen verses (23-41), most of which too are equally poetic and only mean to say that he was
a great warrior destroying his antagonists, possessed wide fame which spread in all quarters and
[1] In all such cases I find that the oblique strokes are three and therefore I have this akshara as ttr and not tr, as read by Kielhorn. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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