Epigraphia Indica Vol 08

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

Page 73

62
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. VIII.
in battles fought by the Wind, Garuda, the Siddhas, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Vidyadharas, the Bhûtas, the Gandharvas, the Châranas, the Moon, the Sun, the Asterisms and the Planets, (appeared to be himself) plunging into the sky from the shoulder of his choice elephant; (and) who (thus) raised his family to high fortune, caused, as a pious gift, on the top of the Tiranhu mountain similar to the top of the Kailasa, (this) cave to be made quite equal to the divine mansions (there). And that cave the great queen, mother of a Maharaja and grandmother of a Maharaja, gives to the Sangha of monks in the person of the fraternity of the Bhadavaniyas; and for the sake of the embellishment of that cave, with a view to honour and please the great queen his grandmother, her grandson lord of [Dakshinâ]patha, making over the merit of the gift to his father, grants to this meritorious donation (vis. the cave) the village Pisajipadaka on the south-west side of mount Tiranhu. Renunciation to the enjoyments of every kind."
For all the proper names which are enumerated in line 2, I must refer the reader to the short geographical index given at the end of the Nâsik chapter in the Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XVI. The names Surâshtra, Anûpa, Akaravanti, Kukura and Aparânta appear again in the Rudradâman inscription at Girnår. The observations to which they have given rise, will be found especially in Arch. Surv. West. India, Antiq. of Káthidwar and Kachchh, p. 128 ff., and Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 257 ff. This reference establishes the reading Akaravanti, and even in Sanskrit orthography the form Kukura. Of the other names, Asaka may be = Ashaka, or also Asvaka; but I am not prepared to admit for Asika the connection with the Arsacida which was proposed by Bhagwanlal. They are simply the Rishikas who are well known from the Epic, and for whom I may refer to the Zeitschr. für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, Vol. II. p. 58 f. The verse from the Mahabharata (V. 81) which is noted there (Kámbójá Rishika yé cha Paschimánûpakáscha ye) very conveniently brings them into contact with the Anupa country. Seeing them here immediately associated with the Asvakas, one is reminded of the legends which were current of their marvellous horses. The Mulakas remain shrouded in obscurity. Bhagwanlal adduced the dynasty of the Mundakas, known from the Vishnupurana; and the way in which they are there mentioned together with the Sakas and Tukhâras is such as to commend the hint. But I am doubtful about the change of into nd.3 As to the names of mountains, I do not think there can be any hesitation in reading Parichata. It must therefore be admitted that the form Pariyâtra need not necessarily be proscribed as was done by Bühler, who otherwise agreed with Bhagwanlal in the identification of that range. As to Macha (apparently Mañcha), we have nothing to rely on but the conjecture of Bhagwanlal, too bold I fear to be really convincing. Cases like gahata = grihastha (K. 5) do not permit us to be quite as positive as Bühler regarding the impossibility of Siritana being Śristana. I am less inclined to consider seta = évéta in Seṭagiri. On the other hand, the name can hardly be connected, as Bhagwanlal wanted, with Sâḍagera, Sadakara, which in the Kuda inscriptions (1, 9) has no e in the first syllable, and which, as a family or tribal appellation, rather reminds of the name of Sata(or Sâda) karņi.
The compound savarája is slightly irregular; but in the somewhat loose style of Pråkrit we often meet with forms like savalokarájamadala or savalokamadalaraja. The transposition of abhayodakadánakilina (= abhayadanodakakilina), proposed by Bhagwanlal and Bhandarkar (Or. Congr. 1874, p. 313), would give a decidedly better construction and bring out more clearly the antithesis between bhayadána and nirbhaya; but it has no bearing on the general meaning. The attribute dhamopajita is meant to imply that the king not only levied taxes in strict accordance with the law, but used them exclusively for just purposes.
1 Compare also Mr. V. Smith's note in the Zeitschr. D. Morg. Ges. Vol. LVI. p. 674 f.
See p. 47 above.
Mr. V. Smith (loc. cit.) refers doubtfully to the Malikas and Maulikas of the Erihatsamhité, XIV. 8 and 23.