Indian Antiquary Vol 05

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 55

FEBRUARY, 1876.]
Padmavati of Pombuchcha † grant all the desires of the king Sri-Bhairava for a very long time, as long as the moon and sun may endure!
ARCHEOLOGICAL NOTES.
At the advice of that greatest of sages, Lalitakirti, the lord of the lineage of Panasôgâ, who was born in the glorious and famous sect called Dêsigana,-the lord Sri-Bhairava, -possessed of the greatness of the glorious emperor who is the king of the serpent-gods; the moon of the nectar-ocean which is the glorious Sômakula; born in the lineage of Sri-Jainadatta; the son of Sri-Gummatâmbâ, who was the noble sister of the glorious king Bhairava, caused to be constructed (an image or temple of) Jinapa, whose glory is made auspicious by three excellent qualities,§ and thus enjoyed complete success.
May (the image or temple of) Jinapa, whose glory is made auspicious by three excellent qualities, be beautiful for a long time;-(that image or temple) which was established by ŚrîBhairavêndra when the year of the glorious era called Sâlisaka, having the excellent name of Vyaya and to be expressed in words by "the elephants, the sky, the arrows, and the moon," had expired, in the bright fortnight of (the month) Chaitra, on Wednesday under the sign of the Bull, and under the excellent astronomical conjunction of Mrigasirsha.
Hail! On Wednesday the fifth day of the bright fortnight of (the month) Chaitra of the Vyaya samvatsara, which was the year of the Sri-Šalivahanasaka 1508 T, under the astronomical conjunction of Mrigasira and under the sign of the Bull, in order that he might obtain prosperity and happiness and good fortune, the glorious sovereign, king Immadi-Bhairava*,-who was the universal emperor of the Kaliyuga; like to Bharatêévara; who was the greatest hero of the twelve (heroes or kings) of Gutti; who was the supreme lord of the city of Pombuchchapura, which is the best of cities; who
Padmavati is the divine being who executed the orders of the twenty-third Arhat of the present Avasarpini (a long period of time, or age, with the Jainas). As used by other sects it is an epithet usually of Lakshmi.
This seems to be the name of a place which cannot at present be identified. (Possibly the reading in the original may be Pombetta, the mountain of gold',-Mahameru.)
In Canarese the form of this name is Panasoge or Hanasoge, and the sect is mentioned in line 45 of No. V of my Ratta Inscriptions referred to above.-J. F. F.
§ The ratnatraya or three excellent things among the Jains are,-1, samyakcharitra, correct conduct; 2, samyagjñana, complete knowledge; and 3, samyagdarsana, accurate perception.
43
protected those who took refuge with him; who was the enemy of such as withstood him; who was the supporter of honourable kings; who was the priest to establish the systems of philosophy; who was the ornament of the Sômavamsa; who was expert in purifying the lineage of Kasyapa; who had acquired the excellent favour of (the goddess) Padmavati of Pombuchcha; who was adorned with all the virtues of propriety of conduct; whose head was purified by perfumed water; who was the greatest of sixty-four chieftains; who was the beloved son of (the queen) Honnamâmbikâ; who was considered to be the son-in-law of the sovereign, king Bhairava; who was the full-moon of the ocean which was the lineage of the glorious king Jinadatta; who was as glorious and as brave as Narasimha; who was the king of the city of Vanganagara; who was the beloved son and the glorifier of the family of (the queen) Sri-Gummațâmbâ; who was the greatest of all those who punish hostile kings, at the city of Pandyanagari of Kâpêkala, in the presence of (the Jain god) Śri-Gummaṭa-Jinêsvara on the hill called Chikkabettat, which resembles the mountain of Kailasa caused to be built a Chaityalaya,‡-of such a kind as to answer to the description "What is the family-abode of the lovely woman Śri?; what is the mine of the happiness of the lovely woman Excellent Fame? ; what is the house in which the lovely woman the Earth enjoys the pleasures of love?; and what, again, is the place in which the bride Excellent Victory disports herself?; it is the arena of Śri-Bharati, consisting of both the six letters§ and excellent morality: Hail!, then, (to find this place,) a man should betake himself to the temple of Sri-Jina, which is the house in which the lovely woman Sri makes her choice of a husband"; the happy habitation of all the Jinas; auspicious in every respect; having four fronts; resembling the form of the three excellent things; the ornament of the three
These words denote the numerals 8, 0, 5, 1, the order of which has then to be reversed to give the date. According to the text in this passage the year 1508 had expired, and consequently the date was Saka 1509, A.D. 1587; by the Table in Brown's Carnatic Chronology Saka 1508 was the Vyaya samvatsara, and Saka 1509 was the Sarvajit sashvatsara.
According to the text here, the Saka year 1508 was
still current.
i.e. Bhairava the second'.
ti.e. the little hill'.
A Jain temple'.
I am unable to explain this.