Epigraphia Indica Vol 01

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 93

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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
conventional. The same expressions occur also on the Asirgadh seal of the Maukhari Sarvavarman, and apply there to the first king Harivarman. The only other statement which possesses a historical value is the assertion that Prabhakaravardhana was "a most devout worshipper of the Sun." Båņa, too, says of him in the Sriharshacharita p. 274)—"And owing to his natural disposition this prince became a worshipper of the Sun." He goes on describing at length the king's daily devotions, adding that the recit. ation of the Adityahridaya-a still much-used stotra-formed part of them. The name of Prabhakaravardhana's queen is likewise known from Bâņa's poem. In the latter she is however called Yasovati, not Yašomati. This vacillation in two contemporaneous sources is another instance showing how little the Hindus care about the form of a name provided the sense remains the same.
Prabhakaravardhann's eldest son Rajyavardhana ruled, as Baņa and Hiuen Tsiang tell us, for a short time only. Soon after his father's death he set out in order to punish the king of Malava and to avenge the destruction of Grahavarman. He was success. ful, defeated and slew his foe. But before he returned home, he followed an invitation of the king of Gauda (Sriharshacharita) or Karna-Suvarņa (Si-yu-ki),-named, accord. ing to one MS. of the Sriharsh charita, Narendragupta and according to the Si-yu-ki Sasanka --who treacherously killed him, because he feared his military ability." The grant in the main confirms these statements. The verse inserted, 11. 6-7, declares that after de. feating various kings, Devagupta and others, Rajyavardhana "gave up his life in the mansion of his foe owing to bis adherence to a promise." Assuming the correctness of Bana's account (Sriharshacharita, pp. 393-391), according to which the expedition against MAlava followed immediately after Prabhakaravardhana's death and Rajyavardhana was slain some months later, it may be suggested that Devagupta was the name of the Malava king. The latter certainly was the chief foe, and the conquest of his kingdom is attested by the further statement of Baņa that Bhandin, who had accompanied Rajyavardhana, brought the booty from Malava to Harsha when the latter had reached the territory of Kumara-Bhaskara varman on his expedition of revenge against the king of Gauda." I may add that the word Málava need not refer here or in the other passages of the Sriharshacharita to the Mala va in Central India. There was another MAlava in the Panjab, much nearer to Thamesar, which may be meant.
Another statement of the grant which possesses some interest is that Rajyavar. dhana was a Saugata or Buddhist (1. 6). If Bana, himself a Brahman, does not
10 See e.g., pp. 273, 274, 275, 278, 279, 281 of the Kafinir edition. (Eight of the best M88. of the Harsku. charita, however, reud Yasomatt,' which reading I have adopted in my forthcoming edition of the text and commet. tary.-A.F.)
The story is told, Sriharshacharita, p. 399, and freqnently alluded to, e.g., in the second introductory verse of Uch. chhvata, VI, 876. Hiuen Triang's account occurs in Beal's Si-yu-ki, vol. I, p. 210, and St. Julien, t'ie, p. 112. Sir A. Cun. ningham, Ancient Geography, makes the name of Sakanka's country to be Kiranasuvarma. Neither this pur M. St. Julien's transliteration is certain.
1 Båņa rays, p. 396: sforargarety refuta watangufer fram urat fara frat urfa A ntwfAATHTUT ! The listener in Harsha. The news of his brother's death came on the following day. It seems impossible to understand the phrase "token many days had passed otherwise than that some months, not a full year, had elapsed since Rajyavardhana's departure.
Sriharshacharita, F. 472. I may add that Bhandin was not the minister of Rajyavardhana, as Hiuen Tsiang savn, nor subject of high rank" entrusted with the two brothers' education, as Dr. Hall (Vasavadartd, p. 62) Asserte. Båņa, 298, states plainly that he was the son of queen Yakovati's brother, who at the age of eight years became the attendant of the two princes, sfat & TTT HIT THE 1024 . . . wfTHIHYN FACT . Dr. Hall has already pointed out that Hiuen Tsiang's account of the part which Bhandin played in setting Haraba ou the throne does not agree with Båna's narrative. It is no doubt inexact.