Indian Antiquary Vol 57

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 32

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[FEUROARY, 1928
and hence he prefers the alternative reading asau-atitasya to tdm-atitasya, thus taking the word Sindhu as a common noun referring to the river Nirvindhya described by the poet in the preceding verse. (3) The Siprå with Ujjain on its bank. (4) The Gandhavati, a tributary of the Siprå, with the temple of Mahokala which still exists there. (5) The Gambhira, identified with the modern Gambhir. (6) The Chambal. The order of the rivers is only accurate going westwards as they flow north to join the Chambal. The poet mentions the mountain Devagiri with its temple of Skanda, Siva's son, as situate between the last two rivers and this, protty accurately, is the position of Dovagurâda. This mountain with the temples and relios described above is, no doubt, slightly east of Ujjain, but as it is about forty miles to the south of it, and as the Siprå, on whose bank the city stands, takes its rise to the east of Indore and also the mountain, it is natural that the Cloud coming from the north-east would visit Ujjain first; more so, as this was the special object of sight for which it had turned from its pro. per path. The only other place which claims one's attention with respect to the identification is Devgad a few miles to the south-west of Narsingad and about fifty-five miles almost duo west of Bhilsa, but it does not satisfy the conditions of the position of Devagiri as given in the context and noted above. The writer does not know whether there is a mountain of that or similar name in the town and also a temple, intact or in ruins, there ; if not, it is quite probable that Devagiri is no other mountain than Devagurâdâ itself. The philological corruption of the name might be due to the presence of several other villages round about whose names also end in the termination gurida, meaning possibly the machine for the extraction of sugar. cane juice. If our identification be correct, and excavations bring any dated inscription, it would help us to fix the date of the poet Kalidasa himself. At any rate, excavations at Devagurâdâ, one hopes, might lead to interesting discoveries.
MALABAR MISCELLANY.1
BY T, K. JOSEPH, B.A., LT
V. A Rajasimla Inscription at Tajokkad in Cochin. A very large granite slab, 74" x 56", inscribed on both faces, has long been lying unknown even to the Cochin Government Archaologist, although it has been all along in a conspicuous place at the foot of the open-air cross in front of the Roman Catholic Church at TAekkates in the Cochin State, on the west coast of South India. About two years ago. on 13th June 1925, the existence of this importent epigraph was brougit to my notice, and on 19th idem two inked estampages of the inscription on the obverse the subject of this article--were handed to me for dccipherment. They were not clear at all. Still the name Rajasimha Peruman Aţikal, which could be easily deciphered, and the palæographic forms of the characters at once gave me some idea of the importance of the record. But I had to wait impatiently for clear copies until 29h September 1928, when I received a good estam. page of the first five lines, prepared by my friend Mr.M.P. Varkki in accordance with my instructions. Further copies also followed from the serie source, together with an account (gee below) of the interesting vicissitudes of the inscribed slab. In the issue of the daily newspaper, The Western Star (Trivandrum) for Sist December 1926, I published an article on this record, which included a tentative translation of the deciphered portion of it, with a number of lacunae. The reading and translation given below are complete. Vide facsimile facing page 30.
Tho Cloud, however, maintains a northerly cow'so apparently after loaning Ujjain.-C.L.A.W.O.. Jl. Editor.
1 'Continued from Indian Antiquary, vol. II, p. 97.
Unfortunately, the Rev. Fr. H. Hosten, S.J., who (from oth to 23rd February, 1994) ramackad Cochin and its neighbourhood for pro Portuguese Christian antiquitien, did not visit the Talekkan Church.
3 E with a dot below has the sound of e, in other. Tadikad is the pronunciation of the Anglicised foem Thazhekkad. The place is about 7 miles North-East of the well-known Crancanoro.
Wiis'article entitled "Rojasimic;A' New Terurzel' as soon reproduced in the Hindu of Madre And The Times of India, Bombay.