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No. 35.
SRINGI-RISHI INSCRIPTION OF PRINCE MOKALA.
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231
for seěyan prasastih. The word gadhal in mandal-ākriti-gadho (1. 9) is evidently a dēji word. Besides, there are some mistakes of engraving which are noticed in dealing with the text.
Regarding orthography we find that the dental sibilant has once been employed for the palatal one in Sambhur-akarod (1. 17). So also has once been used for b in Sakė väna-vas(1. 29). Consonant after ris occasionally reduplicated. The whole inscription is in verse except adorations to Visva-Mä[ta) (at the top) and Bhagavati (1.1), as well as portions of 11. 28 and 32.
The inscription belongs to the time of prince Mokala of Mewar whose date of accession is not yet definitely known; and its object is to record the consecration of a small reservoir of water constructed by him at the hilly site known as Spingi-pishi, thereby to achieve bliss in the other world for one of his wives, named Gaurambikā, who was apparently not living at the time. She came of the Bäghēlā family and was the daughter of some prince, only last three syllables of whose name, viz... ....nabhramai are visible in the text now preserved. The ceremony took place on the Afth day of the bright half of the month of Śrāvana in the Vikrama year 1485 (=A.D. 1428). Mökala accompanied by his other wife Māyāpurl worshipped the sage Rishyassings and with the permission of his religious preceptor Trilochana consecrated the reservoir.
The inscription is important inasmuch as it gives some historical information with regard to the four successive princes Hammira, Kshētra, Laksha and Mokala. It opens with an invocatory verse in praise of Bhārati, the goddess of learning; in the next verse the poet declares his intention of describing the princes born in the family of Bappa. Then begins the genealogy from Hammira to Mokala.
It has been said about Hammira that he captured the city Chēla by name, and conquered by his might the notorious Bhls who were his enemies. He went to Ranathambaka' or Ranthambhor, and there killed Jaitrēsvara who was inimical to him. He also reduced Palhaņapura to ashes.
Chāla as mentioned here is the Chēla-vāta of the Eklingji inscription of V.S. 1545° (=A.D. 1488) and the Jilwäda of modern times, situated on a high plateau on the north-western border of Mewār, overlooking the territory of Godwar, a part of Mārwar. From the time of prince Rai Mal (A.D. 1473-1509), this place has been in the possession of a Solanki Sardär as his jägir. Formerly this Sardār held authority over some portion of Godwär also, which was in all probability conquered by Hammira together with Chēla. Before the time of Rāi Mal, the place might have been in the possession of the Chauhānas. His victory over Bhils means that Hammira had also acquired the portion of Mewär now known as Bhömata, almost fully occupied by the Bhil community, which evidently was not a part of Mewär at the time. Or, it may hint at
1 See Hēmachandra's Dekinamamala, p. 99 (ed. Bühler).
Below this last half line of the record is clearly visible in the impression a line of writing too carelessly engravod to be legible. It appears to read
..............1 PORI?) etc) and seems to be a later ddition made by a mason engaged to repair the older structure of the verandah containing the inscription.
No record helpful in definitely determining either the date of the death of prince Laksha, the father of Mökala, or the time of the latter's accession to the throne of Mewar has till now been discovered. But it is certain that Mokala ascended the throne prior to V.8. 1478 (A.D. 1421) as an inscription of his reign found in a ruined Jaina temple at Jāwar is dated in that year.
It is not certain whether this is the concluding part of a personal or place name as the compound may be either Karmadharaya or Genitive Tatpurusha.
5 The reading appears to be Na[rathari akan which, by metathesis, may stand for Ranathambakas-(Skt. Hanastambhaka), popularly known as Ranthambbor.
• Bhavanagar Inscriptions, pp. 117-23. Raj. Itihs., Faso. II, p. 548, n. 4.
