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No. 4]
TWO INSCRIPTIONS OF THE TIME OF GOPALA
king Asalla, father of Gopala, range between 1254 and 1279 A.D.1 Verse 21 refers to Devadhara's wife whose name is given as Nilă.
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Verse 23 refers to the village of Vatapatra which is stated to have been formerly granted to the Brahmanas by a ruler named Naninga. The village is no doubt the same as modern Baraudi (Burhi Baraudi) where the record was discovered; but no ruler named Naninga is known from any record. He seems to have been a subordinate ruler of the district round Baraudi under the earlier Yajvapäla kings of Nalapura. Verse 24 speaks of the excavation of a vapi or step-well by Devadhara, apparently in the said village of Vaṭapatra. The next stanza (verse 25) continues the description of the vapi, while verse 26 contains a prayer to the effect that it might last for ever. Verse 27 speaks of the three sons apparently of the said Devadhara. They were Harirāja, Maharaja and Sivaraja.
Verse 28 mentions the poet who composed the prasasti. This stanza is found in several Yajvapāla records including the Narwar inscription of V.S. 1339 edited below. The poet was Sivanabhaka described as the son of Kosadhipa (treasurer) Lõhața and the grandson of Damodara of a Mathura Kayastha family hailing from Gopadri (Gwalior). The king whom Lõhața served as a treasurer is not mentioned. But it appears that the family migrated from Gwalior to the Yajvapāla kingdom on the fall of Gwalior in to the hands of the Muhammadans in the reign of Sultan Ilt'tmish of Delhi. Löhata was therefore an officer of the Hindu king either of Gwalior or of Narwar."
The person who was responsible for writing the record on the stone for facilitating the work of the engraver was another member of the Mathura Kayastha community. He was Vikrama, son of Bhingaka (verse 29). Verse 30 mentions the engraver. He was Sutrabhrit (Sutradhara) Bhimadeva. The same stanza also states that a Kshatriya named Somadeva was the superintendent of the whole work, probably meaning the excavation of the vapi.
Of the geographical names mentioned in the inscription, Nalapura and Göpädri or Göpachala are well-known. The location of the village of Vaṭapatra where the vapi was excavated has been indicated above. We are not sure about the location of Tribhuvanagiri which may, however, have been a hill-fort in the Gwalior region.
TEXT
[Metres: verses 1, 8, 11, 18-19, 21 Upajati; verses 2, 14, 25, 27-28 Sardulavikridita; verses 3-4, 20, 22, 26 Vasantatilaka; verses 5-7, 10, 13, 15-16 Mandäkräntä; verses 9, 12, 23-24, 29-30 Anushṭubh; verse 17 Malini.]
1 Siddham Om nama[h] Sivaya || VI(BI)jāni kalyana-lat-aṁkurānāṁ dipas-trilōki-timir-avalināth(nām)|panyātmakānām-api pāvanāni jayanti Sambhob padayo
2 rajämsi || 1 Drashṭum manmatha-mamthar-ekshana-bhavās tās tā vila[sa] (sa)-kriyaḥ pātum ch-adhara-vimva (bimba)-janma-madhuram piyusham-atyadbhutam(tam | vakshaḥ
pitha-vimardda-kharvvita-ku[cha]m la
1 Cunningham read the latest date on the coins of Chahada and the earliest on those of his grandson Asalla as V.S. 1311-1254 A.D. while R.D. Banerji speaks of the former's coins of V.S. 1312 and 1316 and the latter's issues of V.S.. 1315 and suggests that, since their reigns overlapped, Asalla's father Nrivarman did not reign at all (Numismatic Supplement, No. XXXIII, pp. 80-83). The matter requires further examination.
No. 146 of A. R. Ep., 1952-53, App. B, seems to suggest that Löhata's master was Yajvapala Chañada of Nalapura. See below, pp. 68, 69 and note 9.
From impressions. This is No. 141 of A. R. Ep., 1952-53, App. B. I am indebted to Mr. P. B. Desai for some suggestions.
Expressed by symbol.
