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 91

62 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(VOL. XXXIII find in other Ganga records, the inscription in question calls it Tumburu-vanta-rājya-samvatsara. This reminds us of the Santa-Bommali platest issued by a Kadamba feudatory of a Ganga king, which describe the Ganga era as Garga-Kadamba-vamsa-pravardhamāna-vijaya-rajya-samvatsara even though the Kadambas had nothing to do with the establishment of the era. It appears to as that the grant recorded in the Andhavaram plates of Ganga Indravarman was really made by his feudatory Lökarnava of the Tumburu dynasty. Unless such was the case, it is difficult to explain why he was introduced as ordering for the writing of the document and the Ganga era is described only in this record as associated with the Tumburu dynsaty.
There is a stanza about the end of a charter issued by the Sailodbhava king Sainyabhita Madhavavarman II Srinivāsa. The inscription was edited by N. G. Majumdar who believed that the date of the grant, viz., year 50, should be referred to the Harsha era so as to yield 656 A.D. There is, however, little doubt that the inscription is dated in the regnal reckoning of the Sailodbhava king. The stanza in question has been read by Majumdar as follows:
Jayati Jayanta-pratimah prasabha-samakrishta-ripu-uripa-frikah Sridhara[ põ(pau)jrahkshitipo uradikrita-lokanātha-sakhah 11
Since another verse in the inscription states that king Madhavavarian made the grant from his camp at Madhavapura (probably named after himself), Majumdar suggests that the expression Sridharapaura refers to the king's stay, at the time of making the grant, at Sridharapura which is identical with Madhavapura. He also says, "It further describes him i.e. king Madhavavarman) as a friend of the lõkanātha who was graciously disposed towards him. By the term lokanātha we are probably to understand the paramount sovereign to whom Mādhavavarman owed allegiance." We are sorry that we cannot agree either with Majumdar's reading or with his interpretation. In the first place, what has been read as sridharaporal and corrected to bridharapaural has been read by S. N. Rajaguru, who has recently edited the inscription without noticing that it was previously published, as srituramörk. In regard to the reading a for dha, Rajaguru seems to be right since the akshaw has a clear top maträ which is expected in w and not in dh. The other disputed alwhara looks more like mū or ya than po. The rending of the expression thus secms to be śri-Varamorah or fri-Farmva)rah. Secondly, the reference in the verse can hardly be to the Soilõdbhava king as the foudatory of a certain lokanäthn, a king'. Ho was no doubt & feudatory of king Kasatka of Gauda in the Gupta year 300 (619 A.D.). But his later records including the said epigraph are dated in his regnal reckoning and most of them (including the inscription in question describe him as the perfornier of the Asvamolha sacrifice. There is thus little doubt that these charters were issued after Sainyabhita Madhavavarman ll Srinivasa land thrown off the yoke of the Gauda king. In our opivion, lokanälha mentioned in the stanza quoted above is no other than the Sailodbhava king himself and the illustrious Vasamõra or Varanara was his fendatory who was the real donor of the grant. The word naradikrita refers to the favour shown by the king to the feudatory by agreeing to the creation of the rent-free holding recorded in the inscription no doubt at the feudatory's request.
While re-editing the Balangir Muscum plates of the 8th regnal year of Mahāśivagupta Yayati I, we did not fully realise the implication of the endorsement at the end of it referring to Prince
1 Bhandarkar's List No. 2053. * A. R. Ep., 1951-52, p. 5. # Above, Vol. XXIV, p. 148 ff. * Or. Hist. Res. Journ., Vol. II, Parts 3-4, p. 19. Soo HQ, Vol. XXVII, p. 166 ff JAS, Letters, Vol. XIX, p. 117 ff.