Indian Antiquary Vol 14

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 15

JANUARY, 1885.]
SANSKRIT AND OLD-KANARESE INSCRIPTIONS.
point very clearly to the ancient Sanskrit name 1 (the name of the moon,”-that the Adhiraja of Byânâ being Sripathi.
Vijaya was "moon-produced, or of the Lunar This inscription has been noticed in some race, and a second Krishna." detail by Mr. A. C. L. Carlleyle, who deduces In connection with his account of Byîna, from it, "with some diffidence," the following Mr. Carlleyle has devoted eleven pages of print remarkable genealogy of kings :
to the object of shewing that the name is Sri Vishnu Sâryâsano.
derived from that of the demon Biņasura, who (A.D. 970 ?)
was overthrown by Kțishna. At my visit to
the place, I could find out nothing about the Sri Nabkámyaka, or Mat-Kamyaka ? derivation of the name Byânâ, except that (A.D. 995 ?)
the fuller and older form of it was Böhaya ni."
But Mr. Carlleyle's derivation of it from Sri Mansûri Maheswar.
Baņasura may be dismissed with the remark (A.D. 1020)
that his arguments in support of it are
based on nothing except his inability to recogSri Vijayâdhi-raja nripatè.
nise the difference between béna, 'an arrow,' Sri Sri Paghøyâ ñsuri.
vana, 'a forest,' banh (for báhr), an arm,' (Samvat 1100.-A.D. 1043)
bhains (mahisha), 'a buffalo,' and Bais, the with an expression of “doubt as to whether name of a tribe, and between asura, 'a demon,' the long string of titles last mentioned referéúra, 'a hero,' stiri, 'a learned man' or 'a Jain to one or to two individuals." I quote this teacher,' and surya, the sun.' genealogy as an instance of the utter futility Mr. Carlley le also states that the anof a certain class of writing, unfortunately cient name of Bijayagadh was Såntipur." invested with the authority of Govern- The name of Santipura may be connected ment publication, which can serve no possible with the locality; I can only say that, on the purposo, except to mislead.' The name of the occasion of my visit, I could not obtain any first of these imaginary kings, is, in the information in support of it. But this much original, simply a locative case meaning "in is certain,-that the name Sântipara does not the seat of the holy Vishņusûri." "The second occur in the other inscription at Byânâ, at the name simply comes from a misunderstanding foot of a pillar in the Ukha-Mandar." Of of the word śrímat, glorious or holy,' coupled this inscription only the first twenty-seven with Kamyaka, the name of the gachchha oror so letters of each of the twenty-three lines sect that is referred to. The third name, of which it consists are visible, the rest of the which Mr. Carlleyle translates by "the fortu- stone being inaccessible through being permanate Mansûri, the great lord," is made up of nently built in below the bottom of the pillar, a mixture of the words érimán=sári-Mahéjvarah, and the part that is accessible being a good deal
the glorious, or holy, Sari Mahåśvara.' And damaged in places. The inscription is in the the second string of "titles" attached to the Sanskrit language, and in Nagari characters fourth name, is, in the original, simply two of the Kutila type, probably a century, or locative cases in apposition, which mean "at perhaps two centuries, older than the inscription the glorious city of Sripatha." Mr. Carlleyle of the Adhiraja Vijaya." It is an inscription further deduces, from part of the passage of a local ruler named Mangalar aja (line recording the date,-viz. from the words Soma. 12); and, being a Vaishnava prasasti (1. 18), sa[hi]tá krishná dvitiya, which mean "the composed by the Karanika Srisakti (1. 23), it second day of the dark fortnight, coupled with shows that this temple was originally one of • Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. VI. p. 52, with a lithograph,
p. 82, and deduced from this and another inscription at but by no means a facsimile, in Plate vi.
MAchmi,' must be equally imaginative and misleading. Another similar instance is the genealogical table of 4. The name is now dissyllabio, By And not trisylla. "sovereign Rajas" given in id. p. 240, and deduced from bio, Baiana, BayAna, or Bianah, Mr. Carlley lo writes some inscriptions at Bijoli;' the names given here are,
it. in reality, simply those of a succession of Jain bhatta Takas or baint-And, -judzing from the extraordinary
Archaol. Suru. Ind. Vol. VI. pp. 40 and 54ff. version of the text, and interpretation of it, given in
10 id. p. 50. id. p. 791, of an inscription at Machadi (100 id. 11 The date, if any was recorded, must be in the por. Plato il.), -the whole of tho genealogy given in id. tion of the stone that is hidden from view.