Epigraphia Indica Vol 09

SR No.: 032563
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: E Hultzsch, Sten Konow
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1907
Total Pages: 498
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 28 MB

Page 195

148
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[Vol. IX.
No. 18.-MOUNT ABU VIMALA TEMPLE INSCRIPTION
OF (VIKRAMA-] SAMVAT 1378.
BY PROFESBOR F. KIELHORN, C.I.E.; GÖTTINGEN. In 1828 H. H. Wilson, in As. Res. Vol. XVI. p. 284 ff., published an account of the insoriptions on the mountain Arbuda, the modern Mount Åbûn in the Sirohi State of Rajputana, from copies presented to the Asiatic Society of Bengal by Captain Speirs, Political Agent at Sirohi. In that account Prof. Wilson gave full translations of one of the two large inscriptions at the temple of Nåminátha, the texts of which were first published in 1883 by Mr. A. V. KAthavate, and which have now been edited, with facsimiles, by Prof. Lüders, above, Vol. VIII. p. 200 ff.; of the Gohila inscription in the neighbourhood of the temple of Achalddvara, edited by myself in Ind. Ant. Vol. XVI. p. 347 ff. ;t and of the Achalékvara temple inscrip tion of which I have treated above, p. 79 f. Of other inscriptions only short abstracta of the contents were given, apparently based on an account in Hindi that had been drawn up by a native scholar.
For many years afterwards little was done for the study of the Mount Âba inscriptions. Bæt in the cold season of 1900-01 Mr. Consens, Superintendent of the Archeological Survey of India, Western Circle, while staying at Âba, had impressions (or, in a few cases, eyecopios) prepared of all inscriptions which are now found on the mountain ; and by sending them to the Government Epigraphist he for the first time has placed at our disposal trustworthy materials for a critical examination of these records. Most of these inscriptions are very short; none of them go baok beyond the middle of the 11th century A.D.; and considering their great number, the data furnished by them for the political history of the country are disappointingly few. In other respecte, some are of considerable interest and well deserve to be made more generally accessible, while a good many contain some name, or expression, or date, or perhaps only some mark or letter, which, animportant as it may seem at first sight, may prove of use on a future occasion.
The number of the inscriptions in Mr. Consens' collection, which has been sent to me by Prof. Hultzsch, is 298, of which 270 are ink-impressions and 28 eye-copies only. Of the total number, 148 are from the temple of Rishabha (Adinatha) which was founded by Vimala ; 97 from the temple of Néminátha, founded by Têjahpala ;' 30 from the temple of Achaleśvara, and 13 from other localities. Of the Vimala temple inscriptions 126 are dated, the earliest date being of the Vikrama) year 1119 (about A.D. 1062), in a short inscription (No. 1780 of Mr. Cousens' List of a minister of the Chaulukya Bhimad va I., and the latest in No. 1874) of the Vikrama) year 1785 (about A.D. 1728); between the two, the years which most
1 A kind of facsimile of the inscription may be seen in Bhdunagar Indor. Plate rxvi.
• Prof. Wilson sloo gave a translation of the inscription of the Vikrama year 1266, published by Dr. Cartellieri in Ind. Ant. Vol. XI. p. 221 1., the original of which is now at the town of Sirohi; 1 Program Report of the Archeol. Survey of India, W. Circle, for 1905-1906, p. 47.
For inscriptions that have been edited (in addition to those translated by Prof. Wilson) see my Northers Lint, Nou. 261 and 266.
In inscriptions the temple is called Vimala-casabika, Vimala ya uasalikd, Vimala rarak, und Vimalasealikd-Artha, in literary works aloo Vimala-asati. Above, p. 81, I have already stated that the name 'Vimala Sah'or. Vimala Shab,' recently written Vimala st' in my opinion owe their origin to s miranderstanding of the term Vimala-basahikd, Vimala's temple. Similarly, Laniga-osakkd has given rise to the name (for Tojab pala's brother) Laniga Sabikl, in As. Res. Vol. XVI. p. 809.
Above, Vol. VIII. p. 200, Prof. Lüders has shown that the ordinary name of the temple is Laravidla (or Lanaatha)-pasakikd or Land-parahild. In inscriptions I also find L4miga-pasahibd, Tejapdla-avalikd and Tejala-panam, and in literary worlos Laniga-panati.