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 186

-No. 23]
WARANGAL INSCRIPTION OF RAGHUDEVA, KALI YEAR 4561
127 most interesting among these epithets are those which speak of the king as Maheśvara-putra, Purushottama-putra and Durga-putra. In the similar representation of Anangabhima III and his son Narasimha I, one may notice the fact that these kings, in spite of their staunch devotion to the god Vishnu in the shape of Purushottama-Jagannatha of Puri, could not possibly dissociate themselves totally from the Saiva leanings of their ancestors. Since, however, the hold of Vaishnavism became gradually stronger and stronger on the kings of Orissa, it is rather strange that the same epithets were applied to Kapilēsvara who flourished two centuries later. But this may be explained by the suggestion that the Suryavamsis were also Saivas originally. It has, however, to be noticed that a similar description of Kapilēsvara is not noticed in any other inscription of the Suryavamsi Gajapati family. Are we then to suppose that the reason underlying the above description of Kapilesvara was the Saiva leanings of Raghudeva? It will be seen from our analysis below that Raghudeva calls himslef ári-Durga-varaputra as well as śri-Jagannathadeva-[labdha*]vara-prasāda. He also bore the typical Saivite name Virabhadra. This prince as well as his father and grandfather are further represented as devotees of the god Mallinatha and the goddess Ganamangalachandi or Mangalachandi. These two deities are probably to be identified respectively with Siva and Parvati since the name Mallinatha is known to be often applied to a Siva-linga1 and Chandi and Mangalachandi are both well-known names of the said goddess. As Raghudeva's grandfather was Kapilēsvara's father, it is possible to think that the family was originally Saiva and that Kapilēsvara was the first of its members, who was devoted to the god PurushottamaJagannatha. Kapilēsvara may have become a devotee of the said deity after his accession to the throne of Gajapati Bhanu IV, since theoretically the Ganga throne belonged to the god.
The first section of the inscription in lines 1-5 gives the date, viz. Saturday, Magha-su. 10, Mrigasira-nakshatra in the year 4561 current (in words) in the first quarter of Kali which is one of the four ages, the name of the year being Pramathin. This year is mentioned with reference to the victorious reign of the illustrious god Vishnu just as is done in the case of dates falling in the reigns of particular kings. In consonance with this interesting reference, the date is stated to have fallen in the second Parardha of the god Brahman, in the Svētavaraha Kalpa and the twentyeighth Chatur-yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara. Lines 5-6 likewise mention the locality, where the inscription was put up, in an equally grand setting. The concluding part of this passage cannot be fully deciphered. But it seems to speak of the tract of Varumgallu (Warangal) within the dominions of Umainusaha (saha) described as the Suratāņa of Kalubaraga, i.e. the Bahmani Sultan Humayun Shah (1458-61 A.D.) of Gulbarga. This land is stated to have been situated in the western tract of the Andhra country which formed a part of Bharatavarsha lying in the Jambudvipa section of the earth. This is in consonance with the old conception according to which Jambu-dvipa was one of the four or seven dvipas constituting the earth. The representation of a locality in a similar setting, is however, not unknown in South Indian inscriptions. Thus an inscription of 1077 A.D. gives the situation of the capital of the Kadambas of Banavasi in the following words: "Among the fourteen worlds is the middle world, one rajju in extent. In the centre of that middle world is the Golden Mountain, to the south of which is the Bharata land, in which like the curls of the lady earth shines the Kuntala country, to which an ornament [with various natural beauties] is Banaväsi."
The next passage in lines 7-17 introduces Raghudēva-narendra who was responsible for the setting up of the record. First is mentioned in lines 7-8 Jāgēśvaradēva-māhārāya described as a devotee of the god Mallinatha and the goddess Ganamangalachandi. Next is described Jägëśvara's son Pratapa-Kapilēśvaradēva-māhārāja in lines 8-14. Kapilēsvara is stated to have
1 Cf. P. Sreenivasachar, A Corpus of Inscriptions in the Telingana Districts, Part III, 1956, Nos. Ma. 18-25 (pp. 49 ff.).
Ep. Carn., Vol. VIII, Sorab No. 262. See also the Vilasa grant of Prölaya-nayaka, verses 5 ff. (above Vol. XXXII, p. 260).