Epigraphia Indica Vol 33

SR No.: 032587
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: D C Sircar
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1959
Total Pages: 514
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 29 MB

Page 149

100 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXXIII On palaeographical considerations, the inscription of Devimitra inay be assigned to the close of the first century B.C. or the beginning of the first century A.D. and that of Damamitra to a date in the first halt of the first century A.D.
The Language of the record ia Prakrit; but the influence of Sanskrit 18 indicated by the use of sva (for sa=ssa) in the word asvamedhe. It may be pointed out here that, in the Musānagar inscription, Dr. Altekar read this word as aśvamerdha while we suggested the reading asvamedhe or afvamedham. The present record makes it clear that the intended reading of the word in the Musānagar inscription is neither asvamerdha nor aśvamedham but asvamedhe.
Our inscription begins with the akshara sa which is, however, not fully preserved. Since this is followed by the expression Damamitasa (Sanskrit Dāmamitrasya), it may be regarded as the remnant of a metronymic like A évavātāyaniputasa (Sanskrit Asvavātāyaniputrasya) qualifying Devimitasa (Sanskrit Devimitrasya) in the Musānagar record. The last word of the inscription is afvamedhe (Sanskrit asvamedhaḥ). This is followed by the symbol referred to above, which indicates the end of the writing. Although no regal epithet is applied to Dāmamitra's name, the attribution of the performance of the Aévamedha to him suggests that he was a ruler of importance.
The two early rulers of the Kanpur region of U.P., viz. Devimitra and Dāmamitra known from their brick inscriptions, do not appear to be known from any other source, although coins of many kings with names ending in the word mitra have so far been discovered from various sites in that State. Their relations with other known rulers of the said region, especially with the Mitra kings of Kaubāmbi and Ahichchhatrā, can scarcely be dertermined in the present state of our knowledge. But our inscription adds one more name to the list of the performers of Afvamedha, who flourished in the ancient and medieval periods of Indian history. The name Devimitra points to the influence of the cult of the Mother-goddess on the royal family in question.
TEXT
..[sa] D[a]mamitasa as[v]amedhe [ilo
TRANSLATION
The horse-Bacrifice of (i.e., celebrated by) Dämamitra, the....
1 Cf. Sundaram Pillai Com. Vol., pp. 93 ff. ? From impressions. : This is apparently the last akshara of an epithet of Dämamitra in the sixth cage-onding.
This stop is indicated by a symbol.