Jignasa Journal Of History Of Ideas And Culture Part 02

Author(s): Vibha Upadhyaya and Others
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 28

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Jijriäsā
(Brhaspati) and that once there was a seven day long śāstric dispute between the two in which Bphaspati was defeated by the young boy. Being angry at his defeat, the preceptor of the god's cursed the boy to be born on the earth. The boy's mother Sarasvati then appeased Brhaspati who consoled the daughter of Brahınā by predicting that a young son would be born in a family of pious Brāhmaṇas and would become a great scholar
The inscription seems to indicate the popularity of the works of Bāna-Bharta in the area. The story of Sarasvati's son having been cursed by Brhaspati in Brāhma-Loka and born on the earth reminds us of a similar story told in the first chapter of Bāna's Harşacharita, how Sarasvati herself was cursed by Durväsas in Brähma-Loka and was compelled to live on the earth (on the bank of the river Sona) where she was married to a mortal and gave birth to a great scholar'
The last stanza (verse 35) puts the following words in Brhaspati's mouth: "Verily this child will again come back to you as a result of being drowned in the waters of) the sea after having seen Puruşottama in thc Odra country." The reference here is to Lord Puruşottama-Jagannātha of Puri in Oddissa.
Verses 35-40 describe Damodara's career on the earth, the first two stanzas (Verses 35-36) stating that, at the time Bphaspati was consoling Sarasvati in heaven, Dämodara, the son of Dēvadhara, was born on the earth. It is further stated that as predicted by the preceptor of the gods, he stayed in his father's house till he became sixteen years old. The following two stanzas (verses 37-38) state how then Dāmodara left his parents, friends and relations and resolving to set out on pilgrimage, reached in due course the seashore where he saw the god Puruşottama. Verse 40 states that Damodara went back to the Brāhma-Loka. It appears that he must have lost his life while bathing in the waters of the sea (Bay of Bengal) near the temple of Purushottama-Jagannātha in Oddissa "S.
The reference to Dāmodara's pilgrimage to Puri is very interesting. There is evidence to show that the Lord Purusottama-Jagannātha of Puri in Oddissa was a celebrated deity in the latter part of the eleventh century C.E., when Krishnamiśra composed Prabodhachandrodaya Nataka" at the court of Chandela king Kirtivarman (C. 1070-1100 C.E.). This drama was performed at Kalinjara in the Sabhāmandapa of Nilakantha Temple, the presiding deity of the fort. It is now clear from the present record that Lord Jagannātha was enjoying the same celebrity as early as the middle of the tenth century and probably even some time earlier.
Verse 41 says now Damodara's father Dēvadhara became greatly mortified at the news of his son's death. Verses 45-46 state bow Dēvadhara built a temple for the goddess Sarasvati in his son's memory'? It seems that Dēvadhara received help in that connection from his friend Madhusudana, a banker, who is described as responsible for the building of many temples and other charitable institutions (verses 42-43).
The temple referred to is no doubt the one in which the goddess Sāradā of the Maihar was originally installed on the hills. Verse 51, with which the eulogy ends, contains the prayer that the goddess (i.e., the image of Sarasvati or Sārdā now worshipped on the hill at Maihar) may last forever
Maihar praśasti was composed by a Saiva ascetic named Sāmba 20 Sambhū who was a terror to the Chārvāka school of philosophers and a great exponent of the Buddhist and Jaina doctrines as well as the āgamas of the Saivas. The eulogy was written by Bhāva and it was engraved by Nāgadēva ?