________________
No. 44.] FIRST AND THIRD SLABS OF KUMBHALGARH INSCRIPTION: V. S. 1517. 305
(1.2), Takshakak-Kali-yuge (1. 6), purngavaih=parityitar (1. 16), etc. The sign for avagraha is used thrice, only in slab I, in sarito='sya[h*] (1. 14), rājate='nyo (1. 18) and ya so='samukhih (1. 28).
Before taking up the actual contents of the slabs under consideration, it ray be mentioned that the present inscription, the Tower of Victory inscription and the Ekalinga-māhātmya have a good number of verses in comnion. We know for certain that all these three records were composed during the reign of Mahārāṇā Kumbhakarna and are, therefore, contemporary records. Now the former two, viz., the Tower of Victory inscription and the present record, besides belonging to two different localities far off from each other, have got the same date in all particulars which is Monday, the fifth of the dark fortnight of Märgasirsha in Samvat 1517 (=A.D.
1460, Monday the 3rd November). It, therefore, seems improbable that anything from the one may have been borrowed in the other, particularly when we consider the amount of difference found in the plan of writing followed in both of them. The text common in both these records, therefore, seems to have a different source altogether in the Ekalinga-māhātyma, the third contemporary record, which seems to have already been compiled borrowing material particularly in its Princes' chapter, from many old inscriptions, viz., the Mahāsati gate inscriptionat Chitor of the time of Rāval Samarasimha dated in V. S. 1331 (=A.D. 1274), the Samādhisvara temple inscription of prince Mökala of V. S. 1485 (=A. D. 1428) and others. That the Ekalinga māhātmya was composed prior to the present record as well as the Tower of Victory inscription, and has an air of originality around it is also evidenced by the fact that the division of the Guhilot family in two branches, viz., the Rāval and the Rāņā, in the reign of Rāval Rañasimha or Karnasimha, is first of all found mentioned only in this work where all other inscriptions, contemporary or otherwise, are silent. Although we do not know much about the Tower of Victory inscription at present, for, all other slabs containing it excepting the two, viz., the first and the last but one* (which also are in a very mutilated condition) are lost; but so far as the present record is concerned, much of what we find in connection with the genealogy of this dynasty in its three slabs till now discovered. is almost a reproduction of the Rāja-varnana of the Ekalinga-māhātmya. Thus, much of the destroyed portion of the slabs under consideration is restorable from the aforesaid work as well as from records prior and posterior to it, as will be done, wherever possible, in dealing with the text.
Taking up the contents of the first slab we find that it mainly describes in poetical manner some important geographical places of Mewar including lakes, hills, sacred spots, people, etc. It opens with the propitiation of Gaņēša, Sarasvati and Ekalinga in three small prose sentences. Then begins the Alih Prakarana covering verses 1-14, benedictory and invocatory in nature, in praise of many a deity such as (Lamboda]ra, Gajamukha, Vindhyavāsini, Ekalinga, Pinäkin, Ina and others. The deity of the first verse is, however, difficult to determine due to the initial portion of the verse being destroyed.
Then begin various descriptions the first of which is the description of Trikāta. With regard to the method of composition followed, it may be remarked here that the whole of the present inscription is distributed in various varnnanas, the commencement and the termination of each of which is indicated by atha and iti respectively. This Trikūța-varnnara covers verses 15-17. Trikūta is a range of hills naturally formed into a triangle within which is situated the temple and the town of Eklingaji.
1 Bhavnagar Skt. and Pr. Inscriptions, pp. 74-78. 1 Above, Vol. II, pp. 410-21 and Bhav. Inscrs., pp. 96-100. * Cunningham, A. 8. R., Vol. XXIII, plate XX.
Ibid., plate XXI.
