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No. 45.]
DIRGHASI INSCRIPTION OF VANAPATI.
315
that the half-antsodral sound in Telugu was formerly represented by a full anusoara symbol. The is as used, for instance, after toda in line 23 is not required in its full sound by the Telugu metro, but should be attenuated so that da may be a short (laghu) syllable.
The inscription records that a provincial chief (mandalika, 11. 16, 19) in the service of king Rajaraja of the Ganga dynasty (1.1), named Vanapati (11. 5, 13) or Banapati (1. 19), who was the son of Gokarna (1. 4 f.) and belonged to the Atrêya gôtra and to the Brahmana caste (11. 5, 19), built & mandapa (1. 20) or a hall for dancing (natya-fald, 1. 15) in front of the temple of Durgi in the town of Dirgharasi (1. 14) or Dirghisi (L. 19) in the Saka year 997 (u. 14, 17), and also made an endowment for a perpetual lamp (11. 16, 21). His wife Padmavati made a gift of another lamp (1. 21). Though spoken of as a pratihárin or 'doorkeeper' (1. 4), Vanapati appears to have been the commander-in-chief of Rajaraja's forces. The inscription refers to his victory over the Chada king (IL. 8, 9) and the Utkala (1. 10) and to the subjugation of the kings of Vengi' (11. 12, 17), Kimiți, Kosala, Gidrisingi and Odda (1. 17 f.). He also killed a certain Deddarnava (1. 12). Vanapati had the birudas Chalamartiganda (11. 9, 18), Bhandanavijaya and Gandagopala? (1. 20).
The date of the inscription, Saka-Samvat 997, if taken as an expired year, corresponds to A.D. 1075-76. This year would fall towards the end of the reign of the Ganga king Rajaraja. Rajaraja's father Vajrahasta was crowned in A.D. 10388 and ruled for 30 years. Rajaraja himself reigned for 8 years. His son Anantavarman was crowned in A.D. 1078. Therefore Rajaraja must have reigned from A.D. 1068 to 1076 and died two years before his son's coronation. What ciroumstances could then have delayed Anantavarman's coronation for two years? It must be his minority or some distant expedition. 10
Two of the historical facts referred to in the present inscription may be compared with two statements in Anantavarman's grant of Saka-Samvat 1040,11 — viz. Rajaraja's victory over the Dramilas (.e. the Cholas) and his affording protection to Vijayaditya of Vengi against the Chôļas. Of the remaining localities which Vanapati is said in the present inscription to have conquered as Rajaraja's commander-in-chief,- Kimidi is now a Zamindari in the Gañjam district. Kosala corresponds to the upper valley of the Mabånadi and its tributaries.18 Gidrisingi I cannot pow identify. Odda or Utkala is Orissa, whose king was later on reinstated by Rajaraja's son Anantavarman.13
TEXT.14 1 पासोम्गान्ववायचितिपतितिखको राजराजचितोमः झापाल2 "प्रोडमौलिप्रकरमणिचिप्रस्फुरत्पादपीठः । योरातिक्षत्रचक्रक्रथ३ नकरभुजापालिता[2]षपृथ्वीचक्रश्चक्रायुधाभो दधदुरसि रमा वाचि वाचामधी
1 I have not seen the half-annoodra symbol in the inscriptions that I have hitherto examined. . Compare p. 816, note 18.
• The Choda king is RAjándra-Choda (or Kulottunga-Chola I.), whose daughter Rajasundart was married to Rajardja; Ind. Ant. Vol. XX. p. 276.
• The king of Végt referred to is Vijayaditya VII.; see ibid. Compare Ind. Ant. VoL XXL. p. 199.
6 I.e. 'an Arjuna in battle. 1 I...' Krishna among beroes.'
& Above, p. 185.
See the Table facing p. 186 above. 10 (Anantavarman's stone inscriptions at Mukbalingam and elsewhere, which are dated both in Saka and regnal years, show that his accession, or perhaps his appointment as co-regent of his predecessor, took place about three years before A.D. 1078; see my Annual Report for 1895-96, p. 6.-E. H.) 11 Ind. Ant. Vol. XVIII. p. 171.
South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. I. p. 97. 1 Ind. Ant. Vol. XVIII. p. 171. # From an inked estampage, sent by Dr. Hultaach.
Read uta.
2 s 2
