Epigraphia Indica Vol 11

SR No.: 032565
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1911
Total Pages: 438
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

Page 75

58
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XI.
nearly the whole of the inscription can be read with certainty. The characters are Nagari. The language is Sanskrit, and the record is in prose. As regards orthography, the only points that call for notice are (1) the doubling of a consonant following an r, and (2) the use of the form samvata for samanta. As to lexicography, the following words may be noticed: (1) sthitaka in 11. 5, 7, 8 and 11, and (2) selahatha or selahasta together with their abbreviated forms in 11. 10, 12, 13 and 15. The first word seems to have been used in the sense of "a grant in perpetuity," and occurs in other inscriptions also, e.g. the Cintra prasasti of Sarangadeva,1 verses 53, 60, 61 and 66. The meaning of selahasta is not certain. And I know of only two records, ris. the Bhinmal inscriptions Nos. XII and XV where the word occurs. In the first of these, line 12 has Srikaraniya-pañchakula-selahatha-Dabhinarapalam cha. Here it is worthy of note that selahatha occupies a position between pañchakula, i.e. the modern pañcha and Dabhinarapala, i.e. a king of the Dabhi race. And it seems tempting, therefore, to suppose that selahasta was an officer of high rank, higher at any rate than the village érikarana, which was held by one of the pañchakula. Again, the expression selahath-abhavya occurs in both the Bhinmal inscriptions just referred to. It must be taken to mean "the income collected by a selahatha." Probably he was connected with the revenue department. Some of the abbreviations are worth noticing. Thus in 1. 8 we have Visa dra, which, I think, stands for Visalapriya-dramma, a kind of coin, mentioned in Bhinmal Inscription No. XVI, 11. 23-24. Again, in 1. 12 ka is used in connection with muga, i.e. Phaseolus mungo. Here ka cannot be taken to denote karsha, as 1 karshas of muga would be a ridiculously small quantity, but kalasa which had till lately been employed for measuring corn.
The inscription commences by specifying the date, viz. Monday, the 14th of the bright half of Karttika in the [Vikrama] year 1345. The Mahäräjakula Samvatasimhadeva was the king, and at the holy place (mahasthana) of Satyapura (Sanchor), the pañcha, consisting of the mahanta Hira and others appointed by him, was exercising local authority. The epigraph then records a grant in perpetuity of 8 Visalapriya drammas by the Meharass Prabha, Padama and Asapala. All the Maharas are requested to see to the continuance of this grant. According to this endowment, 1 kalasas of muga were to be given annually, and the selahasta was requested to look after this matter. The selahasta is also desired to supervise personally the yatra festival of the god Vaesvara. Then follow, in token of approval, the sign-manuals of at least four Meharas, of whom three were the donors named above and the fourth was the selahasta Patala.
TEXT.4
1 र्षी संवत् १३४५ वर्षे कार्त्तिकयदि १४ सोने
2 अद्येह श्रीसत्यपुरमहास्थ [[न] महा [रा] जकुल
3 श्रीसाम्वतसिंह देवकल्याणविजयराज्ये तत्रि
4 युक्त [म] हं० हीराप्रतिपंचकुलप्रतिपत्ती [1] एवं
काले प्रवर्तमाने f[]तकचचराणि प्रयच्छति [य]
6 था । मे० प्र[भ]ा मे० पदम मे० []सपाले [न] ( ) .
7 घांगुरहाहुलकस्य वर्ष प्रति स्थितके
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Above. Vol. I. p. 280 ff.
History of Gujarat in the Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. I. pt. I., pp. 490 and 495. For the tribe Mehara or Mer, see Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. p. 360.
From the original stone.
Expressed by a symbol,
The meaning of this is not apparent to me.