Kurmastakadvyam

Author(s): Bhojdev Maharaj
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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1. Epigraphia Indica, Volume, VIII, (1905-06), pp. 96, 241-260. 2. H. V. Trivedi, Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghātas and Two
Minor Dynasties, Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. VII, Part-I, p. 187; Also
Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report, 1934-35, p. 60. 3. Epigraphia Indica, VIII, pp. 96ff. 4. H. V. Trivedi in Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. VII, Part-I, p.187. 5. V. Raghavan, Bhoja's Srngāra Prakāśa, Volume 1, Part 1, Bombay, 1940, Preface. 6. V. S. Agrawala, Introduction to Samarāngana-Sūtradhāra, Oriental Institute, Baroda,
1966, p. xii. Also H.V. Trivedi, op.cit. p. 192. 7. Eng. Tr. by C.H. Tawney, Calcutta, 1901, p. 73. 8. K. Mankodi, "Scholar-Emperor and a Funerary Temple”, in Royal Patrons and Great
Temple Art, Ed. Vidya Dehejia, Marg Publications, Bombay, 1988, pp. 101ff. T. A. G. Rao, Elements of Hindu Iconography, II, I, 1916, p.307. Rao quotes the Suprabhedāgama, which mentions that the karkāla held by Siva is that of Visnu, and thereby he says that the Purānic story of the murder by Siva of Visvaksena (doorkeeper of Visnu) is accepted and followed. Also Siva-Kosha, S. K. Ramachandra Rao, Bangalore, 1998, Vol. 2, pp. 288-89, and the Kurma Purāna, II, 31, gives this story. Dr. R. Nagaswamy, Former Director, State Archaeology, Tamil Nadu, writes in a reply to my query on Krsna's kankāla carried by Siva : "There is no work in Agama or Silpa or Tamil works that refer to Śiva carrying the skeleton of Krsna. I have not been able to get any reference so far. But what is of interest is that the colour of the kankāla (skeleton) is mentioned as Krsnavarna in two texts. Obviously the colour of the skeleton was to be painted black in colour.
So could it be that that the verse of Bhoja you cite mentions the colour as Krsna." 10. H. V. Trivedi in Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. VII, Part-I, p. 21; Pratipal Bhatia,
The Paramāras, New Delhi, 1970, p. 78; The Struggle for Empire, HCIP, second edition,
Bombay, 1966, p. 66. 11. J. Gonda, Aspects of Early Visnuism, Leiden 1954, pp. 126-29;
N. P. Joshi, Brahmanical Sculptures in the State Museum, Lucknow, Part 2 - Volume I,
Lucknow, 1989, p. 138. Joshi uses the word ādi-kūrma for cosmic tortoise. 12. Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, Vol. I, 1946, pp. 110-111. 13. Devangana Desai, The Religious Imagery of Khajuraho, Mumbai, 1996, pp 64-65. 14. Translation by N. G. Suru, who has edited Vākpatirāja's Gaüdavaho, 1975, p. 2.
I thank Dr. Kulkarni for drawing my attention to this gātha by Vākpatirāja. The Prakrit. gātha is as under.
जअइ धरमुध्धरंतो भर-णी सारिअ-मुहग्ग-चलणेण । णिअ-देहेण करेण व पंचंगुलिणा महा-कुम्मो ।। (जयति धरामुद्धरन् भरनिः सारित मुखाग्रचरणेन। निजदेहेन करेणेव पञ्चाङगुलिना महाकूर्मः ।।) गाथा क्रमाङ्क १७