Indian Antiquary Vol 15

SR No.: 032507
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 446
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

Page 317

SEPTEMBER, 1886.]
THE MEANING OF BAPPA AND BAVA.
275
still more, the paramount sovereign titles of familiar appellation of an early Gôhila chief, Paramabhatjáraka, Mahúrájádhiraja, and Para- who is said to have established the power of mésvara, which qualify it in the instances that tribe on the overthrow of the Bbillas or grouped under No. 2, shew that the word must Bhils. refer to some one of noble or regal birth, and But the idea that, in the technical expression cannot denote a priest, no matter how high his under discussion, bappa denotes some particurank in the hierarchy might be.
lar priest, whether of the Saiva or Vaishnava As regards the question of bappa being a faith, whose memory had been preserved in proper name, the word does occur in this way different parts of India from very early times, -as the name of an official, the Baladhikrita has been disposed of above. And, this being and Bhogika Bappa, in line 59 of the grant of so, it remains difficult, on the supposition that SilAditya IV. of the year 372;-as the name of the word is a proper name, to imagine how some one after whom was named the Bappa- it should have cropped up again from time to padiya-vihara, or “Buddhist monastery of the time, under precisely similar circumstances, in feet of Bappa," at Valabhî, mentioned in line such different parts of the country and such 19 of the grant of the Maharaja Dharasêna II. varying periods as are indicated by instances of the year 269 ;-in Bappasvâmin, one of the Nos. 2 to 11 above. grantees in line 11 of the Khôh grant" of the The true explanation of the word, in this Parivrâjaka Mahardja Hastin, of the year technical expression, first occurred to me from 163;-in Bapparya, one of the grantees in line noticing the way in which the titles that qualify 53 of the Chammak grant” of the Vâkâtaka bappa vary in accordance with the titles of Maharaja Pravarasêna II. ;--and in Bappa- the persons to whom the epithet bappa-pádbhatti, a Jain teacher," allotted to Vikrama- ánudhyata is applied ; and it is fully borne Saṁvat 800 to 895. The same word is also out by the epithet éri-ajjaka-pád-dnudhyata, probably a component of Bappura, the name which is applied only to Dharasêna IV. in of the family to which, as recorded in an line 38 of his complete grant" of the year 326, unpublished inscription of Mangalisa, Dar- and in his grant of the same year of which labhadevi, the wife of the early Chalukya only the translation of the second plate has king Palikesin I., belonged. A similar word been published." This expression, which, if báppa, probably derived from it, occurs in it had not been so completely overlooked, Bappadêva, the name of a Séndpati in line 35 would probably have made the matter clear of the Siwani grant of Pravarasena II." And, long ere now, dropped out in all the subsefinally, Bappa, or Bappa Ravula, has been quent Valabhi grants, even in those of Dharapreserved by tradition in Mêwad, as the more sêna IV. himself of the year 330; probably
ante, Vol. V. p. 212; and Archæol. Surv. West. Ind. Gupta-Samvat 205, Saurashtra was invaded by barbaVol. III. p. 99.
rians from the narth, and the town of Valabhi was to ante, Vol. VI. p. 12.
sacked. Now, the accompanying ganealogical tablo * Corp. Inscr. Indic. Vol. III. No. 22, Plate xiii. shews that the Senipati Bhat drka, the founder of the
id. No. 55, Plate xxxiv.; and ante, Vol. XII. Valabhl family, must have been alivo in or shortly before p. 245.
Gupta Samvat 191, though his birth must be placed * ante, Vol. XI. p. 258.
some twenty-five years earlier. And there can be little ** See Dynasties of the Kanarere Districts, pp. 19, 22. doubt that the Mewad tradition is based on a confused * Corp. Inecr. Indic. Vol. III. No. 56, Plate xxxv. reminiscence of the rise of the Valabhi family. The 10 Tod's Annals of Rajasthan, Chapter II. (Calcutta Jain date of Gupta-Samvat 2015 probably refers to a Reprint, Vol. I, p. 288f7; see also pp. 121, 253, 259.) historical event that event, however, would be, not the He adds a note (id. p. 210) that " Bappa is not a proper sacking of Valabhi by barbariana frun the north, but the name; it signifies a child." He is frequently styled reverse of this, the building of Valabht after the overSyeel and in inscriptions Syeel Adhes, the mountain throw of these invaders, the Maitrakas, by Bhatarka.-Tod lord."" If this is correct, the real name would be saila
(id. p. 8468.) gives an abstract of an inscription, dated or SailAdhisa.This tradition is rather a peculiar one.
Vikrama-Sathyat 1034, from 'Aitpur,' which mentions
Syeels, in the fifth generation, but not Bappa.-Thoro It says that, of Bappa's numerous progeny, some return.
is & later inscription of the same family, dated Vikrama. ed to their ancient sents in Saurishtra ; and, a mattar
Samvat 1342, at a Math near the temple of Achalėávars of fact, Wall, the modern representative of the ancient Valabhi, belongs to Gohilas, and is in the division of
at the Achalgadh Hill Fort on Mount Abd, which takes KAthiếwed that is called the Gohilwid Prant. Another
the genealogy back a step further, and montions Bappa, curious point in it is, that it gives Vikrama-Samvat 191
or Bappa Rivula (under the name of BADA, if the transla (A.D. 134-85) for the birth of Bappa. Tod showed that
tion is correot) as the first of the family ; see Kaviraj this date is wrongly referred to the Vikrama era, but
Shyamal Das' translation in the Jour. Beng. Aa. Soc. went wrong himself in arriving at A. D. 728 for the real
Vol. LV. Part I. pp. 32ff, 57ff., and p. 19. period of Bappa's power. In connection with this sub
9 Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. X. p. 79; and ante, joet, he mentioned & Jain record to the effect that, in | Vol. I. p. 16.
us ante, Vol. I. p. 45.