Epigraphia Indica Vol 34

SR No.: 032588
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: D C Sircar
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1961
Total Pages: 384
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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• EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXXIV
more stress on the possibility that the Wadagēri inscription refers to the anniversary of the coronation, so that the coronation itself might have taken place a year earlier, i.e. about the close of 1075 A.D.
The Wadagēri inscription has been recently published by Mr. P. B. Desai in the Progress Reports of the Kannada Research Institute, Dharwar, for 1953-57, pp. 50-52. He believes that the inscription helps us in fixing Saka 999, Pingala, Chaitra-sudi 1 (February 26, 1077 A.D.) as the beginning of the Chalukya Vikrama era. In the preface to this publication, Dr. B.A. Saletore also states, "With the help of the Wadagēri inscription of Chalukya Vikramaditya VI, Shri P. B. Desai has determined that March 2, Thursday 1077 A.D., was the fourth day after the coronation of Chalukya Vikramāditya VI.” We are, however, sorry to say that the claim is entirely unjustified..
The date of the Wadagēri inscription is quoted as the first year of Chalukya Vikrama, Nala, Phälguna-sudi 5, Thursday. At that time, king Tribhuvanamalla (Vikramaditya VI) is stated to have performed several Mahädānas related to the festivities on account of his coronation (pattabandh-otsava) and, on this occasion, he made a grant of land, etc., in favour of the god Dhāyimēsvara installed at the village of Säsavi Odamgere (.e. modern Wadagēri) by his feudatory Mandalika Dhãyimayya, at the request of the said chief. It is very probable that the grants referred to in the inscription were made by the king on the date of his coronation.
As regards the date of the inscription, Mr. Desai says, “If interpreted on its face value, it will lend us in an anomalous position. As I have shown elsewhere, Vikramaditya VI was actually crowned on Chaitra su 1 of Pingala, Saka 999, corresponding to February 26, Sunday, 1077 A.D. M. Govinda Pai has also proved, after a critical study of the epigraphical sources and on astronomical grounds, that Phālguna su 5 of Nala, as cited in the present record, must be in accordance with the Pirnimānta reckoning, which is equivalent to the next Amānta year Pingala, Saka 999. Thus the date of the inscription would regularly correspond to March 2, Thursday 1077 A.D." Unfortunately, Mr. Desai has not noticed that the views of Mr. Govinda Pai, as interpreted by him, cannot but be regarded as an astronomical absurdity. We know of Amanta months ; but an Amanta year is absolutely unthinkable. The bright fortnight of Phālguna can by no means be regarded as the bright fortnight of Chaitra because the bright fortnights of the lunar months are the same in both the Amānta and and Purnimänta calculations of the months. Likewise, it is impossible to regard the month of Phälguna of the year Nala as identioal with the month of Chaitra of the year Pingala. Of course, it may be conjectured that Phālguna and Nala of the Wadagēri inscription are both mistakes respectively for Chaitra and Pingala. But anything can be proved or disproved on the basis of such unwarranted conjectures and, to say the least, it is certainly an unsatisfactory approach to such problems.
As Fleet pointed out long ago, the Wadagēri inscription proves that the coronation of Vikramaditya VI took place sometime before the 5th of the bright half of Phālguna in the year Nala, i.e. before the end of Saka 999 (current) - 1076-77 A.D. Later discoveries have not necessitated any change in the position, but, as we shall see below, have actually strengthed it.
In his article published in the Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society, Mr. Desai refers to the Nidgundi inscription of the time of Sõmēsvara II, dated September 1, 1076 A.D., and says that, since the predecessor of Vikramaditya VI was on the throne on that date, it would be hardly
1 Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society, Vol. XLVIII, 1967-68 (Karnataks Number), pp. 8-16. • Karnataka Sahitya Parishat Patrike, Vol. XV, 1931, pp. 200-44.
• Actually Mr. Pai thinks that Saura Phalguna sudi 6 of the year Nala is equivalent to Chandra Chaitra sudi 5 of the year Pingala. Of course thig algo is equally unwarranted.
* SI1, Vol. XL, Part i, No. 117.