Indian Antiquary Vol 42

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 61

MARCH, 1913.]
SOME PUBLISHED INSCRIPTIONS RECONSIDERED
57
SOME PUBLISHED INSCRIPTIONS RECONSIDERED.
BY D. R. BHANDARKAR, M.A.; POONA.
1--Harsha stone inscription of Vigraharaja. THE inscription, of which a transcript is given below, is engraved on a large slab of black
1 stone, which lies in the porch of the temple of what is known as purand Mabadeva on a hill noar the village Haras situated in the Sikar principality of the Sekhåvâți province, Jaipur State. The record was last published by Prof. Kielhorn in the Epigraphia Indica, Vol. II, p. 116 ff. But as he had no local knowledge of the place, he fell into some inaccuracies. Besides, many inscriptions have since been discovered, which throw a new light on some of the verses contained in this record. No excuse is, therefore, needed for re-editing it.
The record contains forty lines of writing which cover a space of about 2' 11" broad by 2 10" high. The corners have been knocked off a little, and the right and left marging slightly damaged. A few letters have also peeled off in the body of the inscription. Still the inscription is on the whole fairly well-preserved. The characters belong to the northern class of alphabet, that was prevalent in the 10th century. Attention may be drawn in this connection to (1) the single instance of the character 6 employed in bdh-atkshepaih 1.2, (2) the initial au in auttares(varah 1,22, (3) the subscriptau 'in om=upalaughaiḥ 1. 29, and (4) po in lingarúpo 1. 7. The language is Sanskrit, and the inscription, excepting a few short lines in prose, is in verse to nearly the end of line 33. The remaining portion, excepting the closing benedictory verse, is in prose. In respect of orthography, it is sufficient to note (1) that t is throughout doubled in conjunction with a preceding r, except in svarga-khasida 1. 30; (2) the same letter is invariably doubled after a vowel in conjunction with a following r; (3) the sign for v is also used for b except once in I. 2; (4) a single ; is employed twice instead of jj in ujvalaḥ 1. 16 and visphura-jñana", 1. 22; (5) the dental s is substituted for the palatal á, in auttaresvarah, I. 22, and in Chandasiva, I. 29; (6) the dental nasal is used instead of anus vara in dhvansa, I. 22, and (7) in conjunction with a following letter of the dental class, in sannivásan, 1. 18 and in bharanan=tatha, 1, 28; and (8) the dental n has wrongly been changed to the lingual ņ in prasannah 1. 15, and incorrectly retained in nirnndsita, 1. 17. As regards lexicography, the following words may be noticed as being rare or unusual: (1) niruddhan, 1. 33 in the sense of until;' (2) desi, 1. 38. meaning a guild (for this word see Ep. Ind., Vol. I. p. 187, 1. 8; and Vol. XI., p. 43; I. 3); (3) kutaka, 1. 38, corresponding to the Marathi word kuda, a measure of capacity, and (4) heddrika, 1. 38, equivalent to headvuka, as shown by Kielhorn, and signifying a horse-dealer (cf. the Mitákshard on Yajñavalkya, II. 30).
Verse 1 opens with an obeisance to the god Gajanana or Gaņeśa. The next ten verses except one are devoted to the glorification of Siva, who was here worshipped under the name of Harshadeva. The exception is verse 9, which, we are told, was composed by one Sùra and which informs us that the hill also was called Harsha after the god. Verse 7 is important, for, if we read between the lines, it will be found to contain the information that there were two temples, dedicated to the god Harsha, one on this hill and the other down below.
Verse 12 describes what the temple where the inscription lies was like, and as Prof. Kielhorn's translation of it, owing to his lack of local knowledge, is not satisfactory, I give here mine: "Glorious is the mansion of the divine Harshadova, which is charming with the expanse of (its) spacious hall (trand apa), exquisite with the splendour of a gold shell, (and) lovely in consequence of the statues of) Vikata and the song of Påņdu set up in the row of structures along (its) sides. Resembling (in height) the peak of Meru, it is pleasant on account of an excellent arched doorway (torana-dvára) and well-carved bull (Nandt), and is full of manifold objects of enjoyment.". All the parts of the temple referred to in this verse can be traced among its ruins on