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No. 40.)
KOLAGALLU INSCRIPTION OF KHOTTIGA: SAKA 889.
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the god Kärttikadēva (Skanda) and his āsana made of gold. His prowess in destroying the demon Tāraka and his brilliant form are then extolled (vv. 9 to 12). Verse 13 describes the ascotic Gadadhara as a lohāsani belonging to the Sāņdilya-gotra and as a crest-jewel of the Gauda country. The next verse tells us that he was born in the village Tadā and that he was the illuminator of the Varēndri country. Verse 16 is devoted to the praise of his learning and devotion. We learn from verse 16 that he set up the images of the Sun, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahēśvara, Parvati and Vināyaka and that he constructed a tank, a monastery and some wells. According to the following verse, these acts of charity established his fame in heaven. Verse 19 states that he was conducting the administration of the realm of the god Kärttikëya.) Verse 22 gives the ancestry of the poet Madhusudana who composed this prasasti. In the last verse Gadādhara beseeches future Brahmachārins to have the same love as himself for the god Kapardin.
The importance of this epigraph chiefly lies in its date which corresponds regularly to A.D. 967 February 17, Sunday, the tithi commencing at .66 of the day. The earliest correct date hitherto found for Khottiga is Saka 890, Vibhava, Jyēshtha suddha 1, Thursday! (A. D. 968 April 30, Thursday). Our record is thus earlier than this by one year. It is also important in another way for, as Khottiga was the successor of Krishņa III, it helps us to ascertain Krishna's last date.
But before proceeding to determine the date of Krishna's death, I think it is necessary to discuss the date of his accession which has not yet been properly fixed. The Karhăd grant of A.D. 959 describes at length the conquests of Kộishna III which were achieved by him after he was crowned king; but the Dēblī plates: whose date is approximately 30th April A.D. 940 makes no mention of any of them. On the other hand the account given in them ends with his coronation. It is very likely, therefore, that Krishna came to the throne shortly before the date of the Dēblī plates. And the earliest known regular date of this monarch is Saka 861, Vikärin, Uttarāyanasamkrānti, Vyatīpāta, Monday (A.D. 939 December 23, Monday). But the Isāmudra inscription of his father Baddega Amoghavarsha III is also dated in Saka 861, Vikärin, Uttarayaņasamkramana. It has to be noted, however, that this latter date does not admit of verification as neither the week day nor the nakshatra is cited. Now, only one of the following two inferences can be drawn from these dates viz., (1) that Amõghavarsha III and his son Krishna III were ruling jointly or (2) that the date which does not admit of being tested is not correct. That Krishna III became king only after his father's death is stated in unequivocal terms in the Dēõli and the Karhäd plates. And Kțishna's record of 23rd December 939 gives him such titles as Mahārājadhirāja which are indicative of paramount authority. It follows, therefore, that Baddega must have died before this date, which, as stated above, is the earliest available for Kțishņa III Hence the first alternative viz., that Krishna and his father were joint rulers has to be rejected and the date of the Isāmudra inscription has to be regarded as incorrect. But as has been shown by Kielhorn long ago there are several instances where Uttarāyaṇa-sankaramana is wrongly quoted while other details are given correctly. We may not be wrong, therefore, if we leave out of account the Uttarayana-sankramana of the Isamudra inscription and take as correct the only other detail contained in it, viz., the cyclic year Vikärin. Then, Baddega would still be on the throne in the
1 Ep. Carn., Vol. XI, Cd. 50. An inscription of this king found at Hunavalli (Ep. Carn., Vol. VIII, Sb. 631) is dated saka 890, Prabhave, Chaitra, śuddha punname, Aditya vära, Sankranti. But the details of the date given here do not work out correctly.
Above, Vol. IV, pp. 281 ff.
Above, Vol. V, PP. 188 ff. and Bombay Gazetteer, Toids Pt. ii, p. 420. • Ep. Carn., Vol. VIII, Sb. 476.
*** Ibid. Vol. XI, Cd. 77. • Ind. Ant., Vol. XXV p. 293 ; see also the dates of the Madras Epigraphical Collection Noe. 114 of 1913, 113 of 1913, 118 of 1913, 476 of 1914, 478 of 1914 and 291 of 1918 caloulated by the late Dewan Bahadur Swamikannu Pillai in his Indian Ephemeris, Vol. I, pt. ii, pp. 36 ft.
