Epigraphia Indica Vol 08

Author(s): E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 59

48
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. VIII.
kings; who by the right raising of his hand has earned the strong attachment of Dharma; who has attained wide fame by studying and remembering, by the knowledge and practice of, grammar, music, logic and other great sciences; who . . the management of horses, elephants and chariots," (the use of) sword and shield, pugilistic combat and other . the acts of quickness and efficiency of opposing forces; who day by day is in the habit of bestowing presents and honours and eschewing disrespectful treatment; who is bounteous; whose treasury by the tribute, tolls and shares rightfully obtained overflows with an accumulation of gold, silver, diamonds, beryl stones and (other) precious things; who'
1 Compare Gupta Insor. p. 8, 1. 23, anéka-bhrashṭardjyotsanna-rajavamía-pratishthapana.
In this epithet Rudradâman has been understood to be eulogized for making religious gifts; but I have searched in vain for passages in which the raising of the hand' is laid stress on or even mentioned where donations are spoken of. Both in literature and in iuscriptions what characterizes the hand of a person engaged in mak ing any kind of gift, is that it is moistened by the water (poured into the hand of the donee); compare e.g. Kadambart, p. 5, 1. 12, anavaratapravṛitta-dan-árdrikrita-karaḥ; the Nasik inscription in Archaeol. Surv. of West. India, Vol. IV. p. 108, 1. 4, abhayódakadána-kilina-nibhayakarasa; Gupta Insor. p. 175, 1. 29, pradánasalila-kshálit-dgrahastdravindah; Inscriptions sanscrites du Cambodge, p. 17, note 2, etc. Occasionally the person who makes a gift is described as taking or raising the pitcher from which the water is poured into the hand of the recipient; see e.g. Ját. Vol. VI. p. 344, 1. 10, rájd tussitod gandhodakapunnam suvanna-bhimkáram adaya... seṭṭhissa hatthe udakam pátetod; and Kdm. 11. 118, 50, aham tatra Rdmáya pitrá udyatd dátumudyamya jalabhájanam-uttamam, there my father, having raised the excellent water-pitcher, proceeded to give me to Rama.' But that in the latter case the raising of the water-pitcher is quite an incidental matter we see from an analogous passage in Harshacharita, p. 156, Grahavarmand kanyám prárthayitum préshitasya púrodgatasyaiva pradhana-dútapurushasya kare sarvarájakula-samaksham duhitridána-jalam-apátayat, translated by Prof. Cowell and Mr. Thomas: in the presence of the whole royal household, he poured the betrothal water upon the hand of an envoy extraordinary, who had arrived previously with instructions from Gralavarman to sue for the princess. Considering these and similar passages, I do not think that hastóchchhraya by itself could convey the idea of donation. In my opinion the expression perhaps finds its explanation in the precept of Manu, VIII. 2, according to which a king, when investigating cases of law, should do so seated or standing, raising his right hand (pánim-udyamya dakshinam), etc. This explanation, which would make the raising of the hand' during legal investigations equivalent to 'the dispensation of justice' itself, may seem far-fetched, but it would fit in well with the statement that by the right raising of his hand Rudradaman earned the strong attachment of Dharma, i.e. Law or Justice personified..
It may seem doubtful whether the compound sabdártha of the original, in connection with the following vidyánám, should be understood to denote two sciences, viz. fabda-vidyd or grammar, and artha-vidya in the sense of artha-sastra-nti-sastra- or only one, viz. the science of words and their meanings, ie. grammar (including lexicography). The manner in which fabdártha elsewhere is immediately connected with nudya (e.g. above, Vol. VI. p. 18, 1. 9, sabddrttha-nydya-vidushd, and Gupta Insor. p. 85, 1. 4 of the text, sabdirttha-nydya-lókajah-kavih) seems to render the adoption of the second alternative more natural. Śabdártha-nyaya in my opinion would convey to a Hindu at once the notion of 'grammar and logic,' because these two belong closely together and would hardly be separated by something so different from them as 'policy.' It may be added that fabdártha, on account of the irregular position of its two members, in grammar is a well-known compound in the sense of word and meaning' and frequently occurs in this sense in the titles of grammatical, lexicographical and other works. Compare the commentary on Vishnu-purana, III, 26: gandharva-védó Bharatamuni-pranító nrityagitadi. vishayah. See also e.g. Rám. 11. 2, 35: gandharvé cha bhuvi sreshtho babhuva Bharat-égrajah, where gandharve is explained by samgita-sdstre; Gupta Inser. p. 8, 1. 27, and p. 81, 1. 7.
Compare Rám. I. 18, 27: gaja-skandhe 'sva-prishthê cha rathacharydsu samhmataḥ.
I take the sense of the whole epithet to be that by his skill in the management of horses etc. he rendered futile the acts of quickness etc. of opponents.
7 Compare e.g. dána-mán-árjava, above, Vol. III. p. 320, 1. 2.
See Halayudha, II. 210: sthúlalakshó bahuvays.
After who we evidently have to supply something like 'is skilled in producing compositions in. On the epithet which begins here compare Prof. Bühler's Die Ind. Inschriften und das Alter der Ind. Kunstpoesie, p. 53 ff.., where Prof. Bübler has tried to show that the adjectives sphuta etc. of the text have reference to certain rules of the Alamkára-fóstra. Agreeing with him in general, I take sphuta, madhura and kanta to indicate the qualities prasáda, madhurya and kánti of Dandin's Kdvyddarta (I. 45, 51 and 85); sphuta, 'clear,' would thus be what is readily understood (prattti-subhaga); madhura, 'sweet,' that which pleases by its sound and (refined) diction; and kanta, 'beautiful,' that which is free from exaggeration, is not too far-fetched, etc. Sabdasamaya being almost synonymous with fabdanyaya in Kavyadarsa, I. 75, I incline to connect sabdasamay dddra with Candin's artha.