________________
92
M. A. Dhaky
SAMBODHI
As for the religious sects, Sugata (Bauddha), Kaulaśāsana/ Kaulāgama/ Kauladharma (a branch of tāntrika sect) are noted. A Kāpālika-matha is also referred at one place.
Among the ruling dynasties, Ravivaṁśa (Sūrya-vissa) and, importantly, Turaska (Muslim)8 are noted. As for the famous rulers of the past, only (emerpor) Harsa (of Kanoj/Kanyakubja, c. the first half of 7th cent.) is mentioned just as his famous court-poet Bana. At one place Dravida-narendra (without specifying his name) also figures.
A few autochthonic/tribal races, too, are noted: Śabara, Barbara, Bhilla, Candāla, Domba, Thīvara, and Parardidha (Pārādhi). A few trees such as mucakunda, mandara (kalpvrksa), karnikara, parijata, nameru (unidentified), punnāga, jambū, aśoka, campaka, kesara, ketakī, kāñcanära (kacanar), priyangu (rāyana), etc., occur at proper places in the narrative.
And finally the mangalas or propitious symbols such as the matsyayugala (pair of fish), svastika, cakra, kamala, samkha, vajra, mahādhvaja, śrīvatsa, and askusa are mentioned at relevant places. Among the castes of the tradesmen communities only the "Modhavamsa” finds an allusion and that, too, in the encomium.
The colophon also alludes to one Gopāditya who had got coated with lime the temple of Someśvara at Prabhāsa. This seems the temple rebuilt/ replaced by Bhīmadeva I in c. A.D. 1027 after the desecration and destruction of the previous building of Mūlarāja I who predictably had founded it in c. 960 A.D. (Some of the fragments of the temple by Bhīmadeva I brought to the Government Museum in Prabhāsa Pātan show traces of lime.)
As can be seen from this survey of its content, the Bhuvanasundarikathā incorporates information sufficiently useful to a student of cultural history of medieval India.
Annotations Ed. Vijayaśīlacandra sūri, Prakrit Text Society series No. 39 (2), Ahmedabad 2001 (see there the original author's colophon in the 'kantha-khanda,' pp. 815-817.)
Prabhāsa Pātana is the famous city of Somanātha (more anciently called 'Someśvara') situated on the west coast of Saurāstra, Gujarat State. Pādalipta I ('Pālitta' in Mahārāstrī Prākrta) was contemporary of the Sātavāhana monarch 'Hāla' (Kanha), the royal author of the compilatory Prakrit
