South Indian Inscriptions

INCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF TRIPURI

while the Mīna-sankrānti took place five days later on Monday, the 21st February. In 1073 A.C., though it would not suit the epoch of the era (viz., 247-48 A.C.) as finally determined by Dr. Kielhorn, the tithi according to Mr. Sewell’s calculations^¹ fell on Sunday (the 24th February 1073 A.C.), but the Mīna-sankrānti had taken place three days earlier, on the 21st February. None of these dates would, therefore, suit; but Rai Bahadur Hiralal, who first edited the present plates, preferred the last of them on the ground that in that case, the tithi at least is found to agree with the week-day. As for the discrepancy of the sankrānti he conjectured that ‘the record was possibly dated on the day on which it was actually handed over to the donee, though the grant was made on the auspicious sankrānti day^².’ The statement in the original plates is, however, quite clear. It couples the sankrānti with the tithi and the week-day. Besides, the date in 1073 A.C. would not, as already remarked, suit Kielhorn’s epoch of the Kalachuri era, the reliability of which in regard to the later dates of the era is now beyond question. The mistake, therefore, must lie somewhere else.

The only year in the period from 1060 A.C. to 1100 A.C., in which the Mīna-sankrānti, the tithi and the week-day came close together is 1076 A.C. In that year the fourteenth tithi of the bright half of Phālguna ended 17 h.20 m. after mean sunrise on Sunday, the 21st February and, therefore, gave its number to that day. The Mīna-sankrānti also took place 1 h. 15 m. after sunrise on the following day^³. The year 1076 A.C. would not, however, correspond to the Kalachuri year 823. There appears to be some mistake in the last numeral of the date. The Kalachuri year, if expired, must have been 827. The date of the Christian era, corresponding to the sankrānti, is, therefore, Monday, the 22nd February 1076 A.C.

The present grant refers to Yaśahkarana’s victory over an Andhra king. The latter was probably Vijayāditya VII who ruled from circa 1061 to 1076 A.C.⁴ After vanquishing him, Yaśahkarna is said to have worshipped Bhīmēśvara with jewellery. From the description given here, this temple of Bhīmēśvara seems to have been situated near the Gōdāvarī. There are several temples of Bhīmēśvara in the Gōdāvarī District, but from the description given here, the temple at Drākshārām in the Rāmchandrapuram tālukā seems to be intended. ‘The real centre of religious interest at Drākshārām is the temple of Bhīmēśvarasvāmī. It contains a particularly big lingam, some fourteen or fifteen feet high. This is supposed to be a part of a lingam, which broke into five pieces and fell at five holy places, namely at Bhīmavaram or Bhīmarāma in Cocanada, Pālakollu or Kshīrarāma in Krishna, Amaravati or Amararāma in the Guntur District, and Kumārarāma which is not identified. It is supposed to have been erected by the sun and worshipped by the seven sages who made the seven mouths of the Gōdāvarī. The seven sages are supposed to have each brought water from their respective rivers under-ground to the tank at Drākshārāmam which is called the Sapta-Gōdāvarī, seven Gōdāvarīs. There is a sacred bathing ghat, which confers in a condensed form all the sanctity which is to be obtained by separate baths in each of the seven rivers…….. The temple is a rather handsome twostoreyed building. Its erection is ascribed by popular tradition to an unknown Chola
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¹According to S.K. Pillai’s Indian Ephemeris, the tithi current at sunrise on Sunday was the paurņimā.
²Ep. Ind., Vol. XII, p. 206.
³There is thus a discrepancy of one day. For a somewhat analogous case, see the date of the Basāhi plates of Gövindachandradēva, Ind. Ant., Vol. XIX, p. 363. The sańkrānti, the tithi and the week-day occurred together on the 22nd February 1103 A.C., but it is very doubtful if Yaśahkarņa had retained his hold over Banaras at that time, as implied in verse 13 of the present inscription.
⁴Several inscriptions of the reign of this prince are found at Drākshārāma. See Inscriptions of the Madras Presidency, Vol. II, p. 724.