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 220

No. 28) BHATURIYA INSCRIPTION OF RAJYAPALA
151 the Dāsa family or clan. The said place is described as Brihaddhatta-vinirgata probably meaning that Attamüla originally formed a part of Brihaddhatta. Lahiry reads the two geographical names wrongly as Attāmüla and Bțihaddhattā. Verse 3 in lines 3-4 states that a person named Malhadāsa was born in the said family of the Dāsas of Attamūla and that Süradāsa was the son of Malhadāsa, and Sanghadäga the son of Suradāsa. Sanghadāsa has been described as munificent to the supplicants just as Mount Röhana which is the same as the modern Adam's Peak in Ceylon. Verse 4 in line 5. states that the said Sanghadāsa married Sarasvati, the daughter of Sūryakunda and Durvāyi. Lahiry reads the stanza wrongly and fails to notice the name of Sarasvati, wife of Sanghadāsa, mentioned in it. Verse 5 Ylines 5-7) introduces Yasodása, the son of Sanghadāsa and Sarasvati and the hero of the prasasti under study. It is stated that Yasodāsa was made a Mantrin or minister by king RĀjyapāla. Yasodāsa has been compared here to the lord of speech', i.e. Bțihaspati, the priest and counsellor of the lord of the gods. This of course does not suggest that Yasödāsa was a Brāhmana by caste. As will be seen below, Lahiry regards him as a member of the Chashi Kaivarta community of Bengal on inconclusive grounds. The Kaivartas are fishermen and those amongst them who gave up their ancestral profession and adopted agriculture are the Chashi Kaivarta or Māhishya. Yasodāsa may or may not have been a Kaivarta.
The following five stanzas (verses 6-10) describe the achievements of Yasādāsa. Verse 6 in lines 7-8 states that Yaśõdāsa received the designation of Sachiva (i.e. a minister or counsellor) from the king while the next stanza (verse 7 in lines 8-10) says that the king made Yasādāsa his Tantrūdhikūrin. The official designation Tantrādhikarin, which literally means an officer in charge of administration', appears to be the same as Tantrapāla, Tantrapati and Tantrādhyaksha of enigraphic and literary records and an early commentator is known to explain the designation Brihattantrapati as Dharmādhi kūrini or a judge. The language of our inscription seems to make a distinction among Mantrin, Sachiva and Tantrādhikūrin and to show how Yašādāsa was raised by Rajyapäla from a lower post to a higher one on two occasions. Both these stanzas (verses 6-7) mention the king as Rāma parākrama. The repetition of the expression in two consecutive stanzas seems to suggest that it was a sort of secondary name of the Pāla king Rajyapāla and not merely an epithet meaning 'one who is equal to Rāma in prowess'.
Lahiry understands the passage aérõrasair=bhūmijaih occurring in verse 7 to mean on the score of the broad-chested Bhūmijas' and the Bhūmijas have been understood by him in the sense of the Chashi Kaivartas. In his view, the verse mentions the Pala king as having aspired for the status of Indra on the score of his elephants, Bhūmijas, land and gold and the worship of gods and Brühmanas. This has led him to a good deal of speculation regarding Yasodāsa having been the chief of the Chashi Kaivarta community, the great help Rājyapāla may have received from this community, Yasodása having been appointed his Prime Minister as a reward for such help, the wellknown Kaivarta chief Divya (who snatched away North Bengal from the hands of Mahipala II about the end of the eleventh century) having been a distant descendant of Yasõdāsa, etc. But
there is nothing of all these in the stanza which may be translated as follows: "who (Yasodāsa) was made the Tanträdhikarin by the victorious [and] illustrious Rāmaparakrama who was aspiring, as it were, for the status of tKe lord of the gods by honouring gods and Brāhmaṇas with (the presents of] haughty elephants in rut, principal horses (asrõrasaih) (and) men (bhūmijaih) that had surrendered [to him] (upanataih) (as well as) land covered with crops (and) many heaps of gold which were acquired [by him)." The verse merely refers to the fact that Rājyapāla obtained the possession of a large number of elephants, horses and infantry men (i.e. prisoners to be made slaves) as well as land and gold, all belonging to his enemies, as a result of his victories over the latter, and that he made presents of them all to the gods and Brāhmaṇas. There is no reference here to the Chasht Kaivartas.
1 Bee above, Vol. XXVIII. p. 339.