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Dr. A. K. Chatterjee
is further described as Tunga-Gangakulotsadi and Pallavapralayanala which suggest his success over the Western Ganges and Pallavas. Then we are told that, while residing at Vaijayanti, through devotion of his father (Säntivarman), he caused to be built a Jinālaya at the town of Palāśika ( Halsi ) and gave to the holy Arhats thirty three nivartanas of land between the river Mātrsarit and Ingini sangama for the Yāpaniyas, Nirgranthas and Kurcakas The executor of the grant was Bhojaka Dāmakirti. Fleet takes the bhojakas as the official priests in Jaina temples. But who were the Kurcakas mentioned in this inscription ? It appears that they were bearded ascetics" and were distinguished from other Nirgrantha monks, who did not keep any beard. Some other grants of Mrgeśavarman are meant for the Brahmins and other non-Jainas, which show that he was not a converted Jaina'?.
The next king Ravivarman was not only a very able ruler and a great conqueror but also a sincere patron of the Jaina religion. We must at first refer to his Halsi grant'3 dated in the eleventh year of his reign, which refers to his brother Bhānuvarman, who was probably the governor of Palāśikal under Ravivarman. We are told that Bhānuvarman and one Pandara Bhojaka granted land to the Jina at Palāśika, which was situated in a village called Kardamapati. We are further told that the land was given for the purpose of worshiping the Lord Jina on every fullmoon day. We must then refer to two undated Halsi grants of the time of Ravivarman both of which are of great importance.
The first undated Halsi grant15 of Ravivarman records the interesting history of a family that received favour from the days of king Kākutsthavarman. According to it, in former days a Bhoja named Srutakirti, who acquired great favour of Kākutsthavarman named Srutakirti, enjoyed the village of Kheta. We have already taken note of the fact that king Kākutsthavarman granted a field in that village to senapati Srutakirti for serving him. After Srutakirti's death, at the time of Sāntivarman, his eldest son Mrgesa, after taking his father's permission, granted the village to the mother of Dāmakirti. It appears that Dāmakirti was the son of Śrutakirti. The eldest son of Dāmakirti was pratihāra Jayakirti, whose family is said to have been established in the world by an ācārya named Bandhusena. In order to increase his fortune, fame and for the sake of religious merit, Jayakirti, through the favour of king Ravi gave the village of Parukhetaka (probably larger Kheta ) to the mother of his father. This interesting grant further refers to the 8-day festival of Lord Jina at Palāśika in which king Ravivarman himself participated. We are further told that the expenses for this Astāhnika festival in the month of Kārttika should be met from the revenue of the village. The grant further refers to the Yāpaniya
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