Epigraphia Indica Vol 29

SR No.: 032583
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1951
Total Pages: 432
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 21 MB

Page 257

140 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXIX Over half a century ago the late Dr. Fleet noticed in this journal seven insoriptions from this place, three of which were edited in full. In the course of my annual tour during the field season of 1951-52, I visited Ablür (January 1962) and explored its antiquities. My investigations revealed that this village contained a large number of inscriptions many of which were not known to Fleet and that some important points oonnected with its antiquities were also lost sight of. In all I discovered thirteen more inscriptions. I propose to study a few of these here briefly..
Most of the interesting facts regarding the activities of Ekäntada Rämayya,' the militant protagonist of the Saiva upheaval, are centred in the temple of sömösvara. Besides the epigrapb Es furnishing a graphic account of his miraculous exploits this temple contains an inscription above a panel of sculptures depicting the scene of Rāmayya's encounter with the Jainas as described by Fleet. As there are some errors in the understanding and reading of this record (F) by Fleet, I may point them out here in the first instance.
Firstly, it is a label inscription and the word gāvu appears to have been used in a rather technical sense denoting '& place representing the scene of.' We meet with its variant (du and thavu in other inscriptions at this temple, which we shall study presently. The expression duu may be derived from the Sanskrit root stha, though it appears to have been influenced in its formation by Prakrit. It is interesting to note in this context that the labels in Tamil incised near the soulptures representing incidents in the Pallave history, found in the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram, similarly end with the word idam meaning likewise 'a place, etc.'. Secondly, the epigraph is not incomplete and none of its letters is missing as supposed by Fleet. The first line ends properly with the word kudureya- and continues in the second. At the end of the second line, again, it is unnecessary to supply some letters through brackets as done by Fleet. For its continuation is found on the front side of the parapet wall and it reads almost exactly as conjectured by Fleet. The whole inscription now reads as follows :
TEXT (Fleet's F)? 1 Sri-Brahmēsva(sva)ra-dēvaralli Ekāntada-Rāmayyaın basadiya Jinan=oddav-āgi taleyan=arida
hadeda távu || Samka-gāvundam basadiyan=odeyal-iyade āļum-kudureya% n=oqdiralu Ekāntada Rāmayyam kādi geldu Jinanodedu linga-pratisht(the)yam mādida
tā[vu][*]
TRANSLATION This is the place representing how, at the temple of the illustrious god Brahmēsvara, Ekäntada Ramayya laid a wager, at the cost of the Jina of the shrine, of cutting off his head and received it back again. When Sanka-güvunda would not let him destroy the shrine of the Jina,
1 Above, Vol. V. pp. 213 ff.; inscriptions A to G.
· The epithet Ekäntada appears to have been acquired by Rimayya after his victory over the Jainas. In linos 28-29 of inscription E the propriety of this epithet is justified on the ground of his firm and single-minded devotion to Siva. But it appears reasonable to add that he might as well have claimed it to bring into contrant his great achievement which consisted in vanquishing the doctrine of Anekinta that characterised the Jains faith.
* Above, Vol. V, pp. 237 ff.
It is of interest to note that the achiovement of Ekintada Rimayya against the Jainas is also denoribed in one of his compositions in the Rajale metre by Harihara, a Kannada poet of about the 13th century. Harihara's account agrees in many respects with that of the Ablur inscription E.
Above, Vol. V, pp. 260-61. • ŞI1, Vol. IV, No. 135. ? In silu and from an improasion.