Indian Antiquary Vol 48

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

Page 137

ACQUAT, 1919) THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHALUKYA VIKRAMADITYA
133
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHÂLUKYA VIKRAMADITYA. BY A. V. VENKATARAMA AYYAR, M.A.; KUMBAKONAM.
(Continued from p. 120.) PART II.-BIRTH AND PARENTAGE OF VIKRAMADITYA : HIS TRAINING UNDER, AND EXPLOITS DURING, THE LIFE-TIME OF HIS FATHER.
Birth of Vikramaditya and his brothers. Bilhana 74 tells us that amidst all his victories and prosperity Ahavamalla was tormente by a profound sorrow as he had not the good fortune to be blessed with & son. The Lakshmi of the Chalukya dominions which had come to nim in unbroken succession from his ancestors was often Anttering, like the bird on the top of the mast of a ship in the mid-ocean, for wart of one ander whom she could take shelter after him. He at last resolved to lay aside all regal pomp, made over the kingdom to the care of his ministers and, accompanied by his wife, retired to a temple of Siva to do severe penance and obtain a son through the favour of his kulad Avata. The royal pair at once exchanged the pomp and plenty for a life of stern simplicity, privation and austerity. Pleased with their penance, their guardian-deity made his appearance and predicted " O King I this your wife shall give birth to three sons. The first and the last will be born to thee by virtue of the merit acquired by thy works, but the second will come to thee by my favour alone and he shall surpass in valour and virtues all the princes of ancient times." In due course the queen bore him a beautiful son who was named 88 mébvara. A second time she became pregnant and then she had wonderful cravings which pregaged the future greatness of the child sho was carrying, and in a most a uspicious hour and under & most favourable conjunction of planets the wished-for son was born. Flowers fell from the sky and the gods rejoiced and he was named Vikramaditya. Not long after, the third son was born and he was called Jayasińha.
Bühler 76 has observed that "the king's performing penance for the sake of a son is in harmony with the Hindu customs and in itself not in the least incredible." Are we then to acoept as a historical truth what Bilhana wishes us to infer that the three sons were born to Ahavamalla long after his accession in A.D. 1042 ? No. A slight reflection and close scrutiny of the inscriptions make this impossible. We learn from these 76 that as early as A.D. 1053 Somèsvara, the eldest son, was in charge of Beļuvola and Puligere districts and only two years later in A.D. 1055 the second son Vikramaditya was governing Gaigapå li, Banavâse, Sântalige and Nolamba påời. They would not have been entrusted by their father with these important viceroyalties, some of them on the Choļa frontier, unless they had already come of age to administer them efficiently. Knowing as we do that Ahavamalla came to the throne about A.D. 1042, we first begin to suspect from the above facts the authenticity of the penance story brought forward by Bilhana and our suspicions are confirmed and doubts set at rest by the Chola records. In the 29th year inscription of Rajadhiraja of A.D. 1047. Vikki who is certainly identical with Vikramaditya.78 the second son of Ahavamalla,
74 Vik. Oharita, IL, 25-91. T5 Bubik'edition of Vik. Charita. Introduction, 29; n. 1. N Bom. Gas., IV, 440, Mulgund Inscription. Ind. Ant., IV, 203. Epi. Oarn., VII, Sk. 11, 83, 152. 37 SII., TIL, No. 28; p. 56
ir 14. pa v si Je@' Vikki is but a shortened form of Vikkalan, #0 common in later Choļa records, and both are Prakritiood forms of Vikramaditya'. . Kakka, Kuckalan, Karkara.