________________
156
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XVIII.
Such of the designations as are practically certain together with the names of a few of the incumbents as are still intact or can be made out are these : Nagararakhins (city-guards or police-inspectors) named Virapalita and Chiragohaka; Sēnäpati (commander of army) named Bāma'dēyal (P) (1. 1, estampage and eye-copy); Pratihāra (door-keeper) named Khipatti; Gapaka (accountant) called Hēasi, a Nāga; Gāhapātiya (P=garhapatiya, keeper of the house. hold fire) named Gharika; Bhāndākā(gā)rika (store-keeper) called Asādhia ; Häthārðha (P=hastyāroha or ? the king's elephant-driver); Asvārõha (horseman, perhaps Superintendent of horses); Pādamülika (temple attendant); Rathika (possibly the Superintendent of chariots); Mahānasika (kitchen-officer), (1.ü, estampage and eye-copy); Hathivaka (=hastipaka, perhaps Superintendent of elephants); Dhāvaka (fore-runner); Sasugandhjaka (=Saugandhika, officer in charge of perfumery ?); Göma[ndislika (= gomāndalika, or officer in charge of cows or cattle ?); Yana[6]ālāyudhagharika (officer in charge of carriage-shed and armoury); Palavithida(ka P)vā-(pā)lika (Inspector of meat-stalls); Löhahāraka (=lêkhahāraka, letter-carrier) ; Kulaputraka (perhaps chief architect); and Mahäsēnăni or Commander-in-Chief (1.4). It is interesting the observe here in passing that these desig. nations do not fail to remind us of the several functionaries like Aśvā hyaksha, Hastyádhyaksha, Rathādhyaksha mentioned in the Arthaśāstra of Kautilya. As I have already remarked above the mention of all such persons of rank would show that our pillar must have been set up in connection with some extraordinary ceremony performed by a very high personage who was, in all probability, not less than a great king of renown, whose name is now cast into oblivion but, perhaps, would have been preserved had photographs or mechanical copies been carefully taken the moment this important relic of the hoary past was dug out. In line 4 of the eye-copy there is a name which comes after the title of Mahäsënāni and reads like Sitha(dha)rāja. A few letters after it we have a word which reads putasa (putrasya), and then comes a verb which may be taken to be arpayati. This might indicate that the pillar was in some way connected with Sidha]rāja or his son. The proper names of some of the officers, which are fully preserved on the pillar, like Khipatti or Hēasi are, apparently, non-Sanskritic. The latter, i.e., Hēasi, is distinctly called a Näga or a member of the Serpent tribe. Possibly these people were non-Aryan or aboriginal.
The portions of the two lines which were copied at the time of my first inspection and are represented in the facsimile may be transcribed as follows :
No. 1. (PART OF LINE 1.)
Text. Nagar[a]rakhiņo V[í]rapa(a)lita-Ch[i]ragohaka-[Sēnipatid jēva.
Remarks.-Nagararakhiņo possibly stands for nagara-rakshinau and means the two guar dians of the city or police officers. These were named Virapalita and-Chiragöhaka. The first is more an attribute than a proper name. The second looks to be of non-Sanskritic origin. The Tame of the Senapati or commander of the army is not certain but might have been Deval.
1 Sce footnote 2 ou page 157.
* Padamülikn is a derivative of padamula which occurs both in Sanskrit (see Kielhor's note in Ind. And, Vol. XXVII, p. 252) and Tamil inscriptions (see 8. I. I., Vol. III, p. 138 n. and p. 250) apparently in the sense of a temple attendant--one attached to the feet (of the god). It frequently occurs in the Jatakas. From the Paranta pa Jataka (J&taka, Vol. III, p. 417, lines 2 and 3) it would appear that padamulilas were associated with purohitas for it says 'devii chi purohitaji cha Parata pa namakan padamulikai cha gahalta,' eto. In this inscription the term comes after the word dērathayaka, which reminds us of dēva-sthanika. So the word seems to signify a priestly attendant or one whose function is to attend to ide feet of (i.e. worship) god or du sonne such duties.
. Sce Ep. Ind. Vol I, p. 58; Vol. IX, p. 58. The word usually means 'sons of nonlemer.'
