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KHAJURAHO INSCRIPTION No. IV.
of stone (vv. 48-51). He also distributed great quantities of gold (v. 52), and established, in connection with the temple, dwellings for pious Brahmans to whom donations were made of land, grain, money, and cows (vv. 53-54).
The inscription was put up after the death of Dhanga; for verse 55 relates that, when Dhanga had ruled the whole earth over which he alone held sway, and had lived rather more than a hundred years, he abandoned the body in the waters of the Ganges and the Yamuna and entered into beatitude, closing the eyes, fixing his thoughts on Rudra and muttering holy prayers.
This eulogy of the prince was completed, when the illustrious priest of the royal household Yasodhara was directing the administration of justice (v. 56). It was composed by the poet Rama, the son of Balabhadra, and grandson of the poet Nandana who was of the Savara (or Sabara) family and a resident of Tarkarika (vv. 57-58) written by the Kayastha Yasaḥpala (v. 59), and engraved by Simha (v. 62). The temple erected by Dhanga for (Siva) Pramathanatha was built by the architect Chhichchha (v. 60). May it last for ever! (v. 61)
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Yasodhara, who is mentioned in the preceding paragraph, is almost certainly the Bhatta Yasodhara, who figures as donee in the Bengal Asiatic Society's copper-plate grant of Dhangadeva,' of the (Vikrama) year 1055; and the same grant also mentions the place Tarkarika.
The original inscription, in lines 32-33, ends with the words: "The year 1059 (which as a year of the Vikrama era, corresponds to A.D. 1001-2); at the glorious Kharjuravahaka, in the realm of the illustrious king' hangadeva; the eulogy of the glorious divine Marakatesvara (i.e., the emerald-lord, either Siva whose emerald linga has been mentioned before, or the temple dedicated to him) is completed." The date shows that Dhanga died between the Vikrama years 1055, the date of the Bengal Asiatic Society's copperplate grant mentioned above, and 1059. Kharj aravahaka clearly is the older name of Khajuraho, where the inscription has been found, and where it is still. It is strange that the inscription should contain no allusion whatever to the successor of Dhangadeva.
The date of the renewal of the document, with which the inscription now ends does not work out altogether satisfactorily. As mentioned above, the data for calculation are: the (Vikrama) year 1173, the 3rd day of the bright half of Vaisakha, Sukra or Friday. Vaisakha su-di 3 of the northern Vikrama year (beginning with the month Chaitra) 1173, current, corresponds to March 30, A.D. 1115, which was a Tuesday; and the same day of the northern Vikrama year 1173, expired, or the southern Vikrama year (beginning with the month Kârttika) 1173, current, corresponds to April 17, A.D. 1116, which was a Monday. In the southern Vikrama year 1173, expired, the third tithi of the bright half of Vaisakha, calculated by Prof. Jacobi's Tables, began 2 h. 16 m. after mean sunrise of Friday, April 6, A.D. 1117, and ended 2 h. 29 m. after mean sunrise of Saturday, April 7. I entertain little doubt that Friday, April 6, A.D. 1117, is really the day intended by the inscription, although according to the civil reckoning that day was the 2nd of the bright half of Vaisakha, but, in the absence of additional details regarding the date, I am unable to speak more positively in this matter.
Edited by me in the Indian Antiquary, vol. XVI, p. 201.
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