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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
(VOL. XXIII.
date is also expressed in words and the import of the numerical symbol engraved there is thus absolutely certain. As will be presently shown, the year 295 of the record has to be referred to the Vikrama era. The earliest known inscription of this era is that on the Nāndså yüpa, which is dated in the year 282. This record, however, has not yet been properly edited.
The Language of the record may be described as incorrect Sanskrit. Kritēhi at the begin. ning of the inscriptions seems to be a mistake for Kritaih. Among other mistakes may be pointed out Phalguna for Phālguna, panche for panchame and fri for fri. The reading dakshinyam is absolutely certain on the yüpa of Balasimha; it seems to be a mistake for dakshina. In the inscriptions on the yüpas of Somadēva and Balavardhana sahasran has been spelt as sahashrani. Usually no sandhi rules have been observed, the solitary exception being Mokharer-Bala-puttrasya in the inscription on the pillar of Balasimha.
Each record commemorates the performance of a Trirätra sacrifice. The Taittiriya-Samhita gives a detailed description of the origin and nature of this sacrifice. We are told that Prajāpati invented it for Vasus, Rudras and Adityas and won thereby the three worlds. The Säskhayana-Srautasütra declares that by the merit of this sacrifice, the sacrificer can win for himself whatever is threefold (trividha) in affairs both mundane and spiritual. This sacrifice is an amalgam of Agnishtöma, Ukthya and Atirätra sacrifices, performed on the first, second and third days respectively! Its full name is Garga-Trirätra; it was called Asvi-Tritātra if a horse was immolated on the second day. The wording of the concluding portion of each record, Trirätra-sanmi. tasya dakshinyan(na) gavām sahasran appears to be suggested by that of the concluding sentence of the description of this sacrifice in the Taittiriya-Samhita (VII, 15) where we read,
तदेतत्सहस्रायनं सहसं स्तोत्रियः सहसं दक्षिणा सहस्रसंमितः खर्गो लोकः।। The Maukhari sacrificers gave precisely the same amount of dakshiņā as prescribed by the sacred texts. As a matter of fact, Tritātra sacrifice has been described in one place as Sahasradakshina-Trirätra. Out of these 1,000 cows, 333 were to be given every day in groups of ten; the three that remained every day, along with the thousandth one, which was required to be variegated in colour, were to be given to the Höri on the last day of the sacrifice.
The fragmentary yūpa, discovered at Nagari, records the performance of a Vājapēya sacri. fice by at least three brothers. The three sacrificers at Badva, though brothers, chose to set different commemorative yūpas. Their number was four, but the name of the fourth sacrificer has perished along with his commemorative yüpa, of which only a fragment could be discovered and recovered.
The names of the brothers, whose memory has been preserved by their commemorative pillars, are Balavardhana, Somadöva and Balasimha. They are described as the sons of Mökhari Mahāsénāpati Bala.. The term Mökhari is a mere variant for Maukhari and thus our record, which is dated in the year 295 of the Vikrama era, is the earliest dated Man. khari record to be so far published. The Maukhari family of Bala is undoubtedly earlier than the house of Yajñavarman ruling in Bihār, as the former was ruling in Rājputāna in the first half of the 3rd century A. D., and Yajñavarman cannot be placed earlier than the fourth
1 Ibid.; ante, Vol. XIX, Appendix, p. 1, No. 1. · VII, 15. *XVI, 21. • Taittiriya-Samhita, VII, 15. . Sankhayana-Srautasūtra, XVI, 21. • Satapatha Br., XIII, 4, 2, 1. Memoirs, A. 8. I., Vol. IV, p. 120. [8 p. 52 n. 8 below,-Ed.)
