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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
INCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF TRIPURI Victorious camp at Prayāga. After the customary verse in praise of Brahman, commences the genealogy of the donor. From the famous king Kārtavīrya who subdued Rāvana, were descended the Haihayas. An ornament of their family was Kōkkala who gave protection to Bhōja, Vallabharāja, Śrī-Harsha, the king of Chitrakūta, and the king Śankaragaņa. This Kōkkala is evidently identical with Kōkalla I mentioned in the Bilhāri stone inscription.¹ The first two kings mentioned here as having received help from him are also named in the Bilhāri inscription and are plainly identical with Bhōja I of the Imperial Gurjara-Pratihāra dynasty of Kanauj and Krishna II of the Rāshtrakūţa family who, from Rāshtrakūta records, is known to have married Kōkalla’s daughter. Śrī-Harsha, the king of Chitrakūta, is the well-known king of that name in the Chadēlla dynasty, whose kingdom included that hill fort. Finally, Śankaragana is not Kōkalla’s own son as was supposed by Dr. Kielhorn, but the first prince of that name, the father of Gunāmbhōdhidēva, mentioned in the Kahla plates of Sōdhadēva.² As Gunāmbhōdhidēva was a contemporary of Bhōja I, it is not unlikely that his father may have received some help from Kōkalla I in the early part of the latter’s reign. Verse 8 states that Kōkalla married the princess Nattā of the Chandēlla family. By her he had a son named Prasiddhadhavala who is evidently identical with the Mugdhatunga of the Bilhāri inscription.3 A Prakrit verse introduced here states that he conquered the Pāli country to provide for the great princes who would be born thereafter in his family. As already shown, this statement is corroborated by the Bilhāri inscription which mentions that Mugdhatunga took the country of Pāli form the lord of Kōsala.
The record next mentions Prasiddhadhavala’s son Bālaharsha who is described in general terms. His name is omitted in the Bilhāri inscription, either because his reign was short or because he was a collateral. He was succeeded by his younger brother Yuvarājadēva I who is said to have attained the position of Paramēśvara (Emperor), through his devotion to Śiva. He was followed by his son Lakshmanarāja (II). As already observed, verse 18, which occurs in his description, is borrowed from the Bālabhārata, a Sanskrit play of Rājaśēkhara. Lakshmanarāja’s son and successor was Śankaragana (III) who was followed by his younger brother Yuvarājadēva II. The latter’s son was Kōkalladēva II who was succeeded by his own son Gāngēyadēva. The record finally mentions Gāngēyadēva’s son and successor Karna who granted the present plates. The eulogy of these princes is merely conventional and contains no reference to historical events. The present record gives Karna the Imperial titles Paramabhattāraka, Mahārājādhirāja and Paramēśvara. He is also called here the lord of Trikalinga and a devout worshipper of Mahēśvara, who meditated on the feet of the Paramabhattāraka, Mahārājādhirāja, Paramēśvara, the illustrious Vāmadēva. Vāmadēva is clearly identical with Vāmarājadēva whose name is mentioned with the same Imperial titles in the Saugor stone inscription of the time of Śankaragana I.4 Karna made the present grant at Prayāga after bathing in the Vēnī and worshipping Śiva on the occasion of the samvatsaraśrāddha of his father, Gāngēyadēva, which he performed at Prayāga.5 The object of the grant was the village Srusī situated in the bhūmi (subdivision) of Kasi.6 The ______________ 1 Above, No. 45, vv. 12 ff.
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