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112
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ JULY, 1919
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHÂĻUKYA VIKRAMADITYA.
BY A. V. VENKATARAMA AYYAR, M.A., L.T., KUMBAKONAM. PART 1- INTRODUCTORY : VIKRAMADITYA'S ANCESTRY.
The name Chankya' and its variants. The Chalukyas are variously known in inscriptions as Chauļukyas', 'Chaulukyas', Chaļukyas', 'Chalukyas', 'Chalikyas', 'Chalikyas', 'Chalkyas', 'Chalkyas', and Bilhana 1 calls them in addition Chuļukyas' or Chulukyas'. In Guzerât they are more commonly known as the Solankis or Solakis'.
Movie The Chalukyas and their modern representatives. They are at present represented by the Salabkis in Rajputana, by the Chalkes and the Saluokes, in the Marathi-speaking districts and by the Chalhuks in Bihar.
The mythical origin of the Chalakyas. The legendary origin of the Chalukyas, according to Bilhaņa," is as follows - Brahma was once engaged in his Sandhya devotions when Indra came to him to complain of the growing godlessness on earth and requested him to create a hero that would be a terror to the wrong-doers. He then direoted his eyes to the 'chuluka', i.e., the hand hollowed for the reception of water in the course of devotional exercise, and from it sprang a mighty warrior whose descendants were known as the Chalukyas. A somewhat similar account is also to be found in the Handarki insoription of about the same date as that of Bilhana's work. Another version, slightly different in its details, is that the Châļukyas were the descendants of one sprung from the 'chuluka' of Drôna when he was once ready to ourse Drupada of Pañohala for having insulted him. Elsewhere they are said to have sprung from the chuluka of the northern sage Håriti Pânchasika. These accounts represent merely the tradition that was current about the origin of the Chalukyas and clearly betray by their variance an effort on the part of their authors to trace the origin to a mythical ancestor born of 'chuluka'- an origin suggested by the name itself.
Their original stock, In Prithvirajardsa? of Chand Bardai we are told that the Chalukyas were the descendante of the Agnikulas, but as there is not a single epigraphic record in which their origin from the fire-altar is even hinted at and as the statement stands almost alone unsupported by any other literary work, it cannot be taken seriously.
+ Vikraman kad&va charita, V, 55. Risley's Oastes and Tribes of Bengal, 176; Ind. Ant., XL. 2 Vik. charita, I, 31-56.
JRAS., IV, 8. Epi. Ifed., I, 257. Inscription of Yuvarâja II of the Haihaya or Kalachuri family. f und. Int., VII, 74; Bom. Gaz., IV, 339. + Tod's A als of Rajasthan; Ojha's Hist. of the Solan kts.
Ind. Ant., XL, 9 Pandit M aghavayyangar has included the Chalukyas among the Vélir kings (vide infra 118). In Puraniniru, verse 201, Irungovê is mentioned as one of the forty-nine Vesir kings sprung from the • Taqavu' or Lay' of the northern sage. The stanza runs as follows - 'yu Costiere தடவினுட் டோன்றி . . . . . . நாற்பத் தொன்பது வழி முறை வந்த வேளிருள் வேளே.” The leaned commentator of the Puranan su interprets the word ' Slay''as homa kunda or fire pot. If the above meaning be accepted the Agnikua theory of the origin of the Chalukyas would upnear to derive some support from the Puraninaru. But Pandit M. Raghavayyanger has taken it to mean the sacrificial pot to suit the traditional origin of the ChAļukyas (Voirvaraliru, 12). May not the word itself be takon as the Tamil equivalent of Sanskrit (chufuka') (hollow palm) so as to best flt in with the soverai ætiological stories regarding the origin of the Chalukyas ! Tollappia outra ISLOH Qara GameLOP @FW ' (e. fo@frolu 28) would appear to lend support to the above interpretation put on the word.
