Epigraphia Indica Vol 02

SR No.: 032556
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1894
Total Pages: 596
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 41

22
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
Its contents are as follows. Writing from the victorious camp (vijayakaṭaka), located at Nirgundipadraka (1. 1), Santilla, the general (baládbikrita, 1. 5) of the bhogikapála and mahápalupati (mahápallapati) Niri hullaka (1.4), who meditated on the feet of the illustrious Samkarana (Sankaragana, 1. 3), son of the illustrious Krishnaraja (whose feet were worshipped by the whole circle of the earth, 11. 1-2), grants to Bhajikanantasvami (Bhajika Anantasvámin, 1. 7), an inhabitant of Pâshâṇihrada (1. 6), a member of the Kautsa gotra and a student of the Vajasaneya (Samhita), a field requiring for seed-corn one piṭaka of rice (1. 10), and situated in the western sim of SriParnak, which belonged to (the district of) Tandulapadraka (11. 8-9). The purpose for which the grant was made is the usual one, the provision for the expenses of the five maháyajñas. It is added that the donation was made on the occasion of an eclipse of the sun "for the increase of the spiritual merit and fame of the Paramabhattáraka's feet, i.e. probably of Samkara[ga]na.
As regards the persons named in the document, Sântilla's position is sufficiently clear. His master Nirihullaka must have been a Bhil chieftain; for the title mahapallapati means "the great lord of a settlement or of settlements of an aboriginal tribe." " It agrees with this that his name is not Sanskrit, but a barbarous Desi word. The phrase "who meditates on the feet of the illustrious Sam kara[ga]na" means, therefore, here merely that he was a vassal or servant of the latter, not that he was his successor. Pádánudhyata is frequently used in the former sense." With respect to the question to which dynasty the two kings Krishnaraja and Samkara[ga]o a belonged, it is possible only to offer a conjecture. Dr. Bühler has suggested to me that, assuming the correction Samkaragana for Samkarana to be certain, the two kings may be Haihayas or Kalachuris of Chedi. I am inclined to accept this, as the Chedi era was used by the Gurjaras, which is a certain sign of their power having extended to the province. Moreover, the Chalukya inscriptions mention a Kalachuri king, Buddharaja, the son of Samkaragana, from whom Mangalisa took his wealth. And it is not at all improbable that the Samkaragana of the Chalukya inscriptions is identical with that of our plate; for, as has been pointed out already, its characters closely agree with those of the earlier Chalukya inscriptions, and show also some affinity with those of Dadda's Kheda plates. They may well belong to the period of Mangalisa's reign, which, as the latest researches of Mr. Fleet show, fell between Saka Samvat 519 and 531, or A.D. 597-98 and 610-11. There is also another detail in our grant which, I think, may be adduced in favour of this view.
Professor R. G. Bhandarkar, in his Report on the Search for Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Bombay Presidency, 1883-84, remarks (pp. 31-32) that "it is a remarkable circumstance that the names of most of the famous writers on the sacrificial rites should have the title Srámin attached to them. No writer later than the thirteenth century seems to have it. We have Bhaṭṭas, Achâryas, Yajvans, Dikshitas and Yajñikas during the last six centuries, but no Svâmin. The title appears to have been in use at a
36 Bhajika might be bhajaka, "a worshipper, votary, devotee;" V. S. Apte's Sanskrit. English Dictionary, p. 807. Compare a similar use of the word bhatta in Bhatta Kumarila, Bhattotpala, Bhattodbhata, etc.
36 See Dr. Röhtlingk's Abridged Sanskrit Dictionary, s. v. palla. Mr. V. S. Apte (Sanskrit-English Dictionary, p. 687) assigns to the same word the meaning "a large granary." On a local enquiry I find that the country about Sankheda goes by the name of Palle. (Gujarati Pala). Thus, mahapallapati would mean "the lord of the great Palls or Påla."
See e. g. 1. 33 of Mr. Fleet's No. 1, Corp. Inscr. Ind. vol. 111, pp. 10 and 17, note 2. See Ind. Ant. vol. XIX, p. 16.