Krishna II (884-913) who came to throne eight years earlier than Bhima and died nine years before him. In every one of his six grants hitherto found, and referred to above, Bhima claims to have defeated Krishna [ II]. We have no inscription of Krishna II setting up a rival claim of conquest of the Vengi country. But in the Wardha and Nurasari plates 28 of Krishna III, Krishna II" is represented as having frightened the Gurjara, humbled the pride of the Lāta, taught humility to Gauda, deprived the people on the seacoast of their repose and exacted obedience from the Andhra, Kilinga, Ganga and Magadha." What his successors say. From the Ederu grant 29 of Amma I it is known that after the death of Gunaga Vijayaditya, the Rattas and other claimants attempted to occupy the Telugu country and Bhima I had to expel them before establishing his undisputed authority. In the language of this grant, "After him, the son of his younger brother Vikramaditya (viz) King Chalukya Bhama, whose other name was Drobārjuna, illuminated the country of Vengi, which had been overrun by the army of Ratta claimants,-just as by dense darkness after sunset-by the flishing of his sword, the only companion of his valour, and became king". Bhima I seems to have been a king of great reputation and his successors mention his name with a sense of high respect for him. His grandson Amma I says of 30 him: "Then having fulfilled, like parents, like a friend (or) like a preceptor, the desires of the distressed, the helpless, the naked, the dancers, the singers, and those who gain their livelihood by (carrying) the banner of virtue, having gratified their minds by gifts, like the tree of Paradise and having ruled for 30 years, he became a companion of Indra, as though he had delighted him by his virtues. A town named after Bhima I. The Pithapur pillar inscription 31 of Mallapa informs us that Chalukya Bhima I "Having been victorious in three hundred and sixty battles, founded a temple of Siva which he called Chaluka Bhimaswara after his own name. This temple still exists under the same name at Bhimavaram in Godavari District (Madras Presidency). This town of Bhimavaram is said to have been built by Bhima I and it was named after him. Though we have not been able to find inscriptions of Bhima there, epigraphical records 32 of later period call the town Chalukya Bhimanagari or Chalukya Bhima Pattana, A mound is shewn here as the ancient site of the palace of a Chalukya Chakriavarti. There is also another Bhimavaram-the seat of a Taluk (Godavari District) and a village of the same name in Krishna District. The Donee. The donee Challava was a woman, and apparently a public woman, who was a famous songstress. Her father was Malapa and her father's mother was Thundaka, who could be compared with a nymph (11. 26-28). It is but natural that the geneology of a public woman should begin with a woman's name, but it may look strange that instead of the mother's name of the donee her father's name is mentioned. In the caste of the public women the daughter takes to the infamous profession of her mother, while the son's wife leads a chaste life just like any other married house-wife. She is not allowed even to enter the drawing room of the daughter where she receives her lovers. The chaste daugher-in-law is looked down upon as a slave intended to lead a subordinate life in the house. She is not therefore considered worthy to be mentioned as a member of the family. Her daughter again leads an unchaste life! Hence the mother of our donee, who must have been the married wife of her father, was not considered worthy to be mentioned in an inscription of the king. The village in which the donee was given the land, etc., was Attili in the Attilivishaya. A village of this name is situated in the Tanuku taluk of Krishna District (Madras Presidency). This Atlilīvishya is mentioned in the Kalachambaru grant . Attili though a small village now, seems to have been the head quarters of a district in former days. $3 93 The executor of the grant was one Kadeyaraja 4. In all the grants of Bhima I referred to above Kadeyaraja is mentioned. as agnapati, just as Panduranga's name is found in all the grants of Gunaga Vijayaditya. And from the published Bezwada plates 34o of Chima I we know that this Kadeyaraja was the grandson of Panduranga; we also find another descendant of this Panduranga in the service of Amma II. We can therefore infer that the family of Panduranga continued to be the hereditary ministers and commanders in the service of the Chalukyas for many generations. Poet Vamana. The poet who composed the inscription was Bhatta Vamana (1 34.) In the Naraspur plates 35 he is called Bhalla Vamana Karivishabha (the excellent poet.) We are not able to identify tnis poet, as there is no other distinguishing epithet given in the grant. However, I would like to point out that Vamana, the author of Kavya inkara Sutras lived at a time which cannot be earlier than the ninth century and later than the tenth century 36. Our grant belongs to the beginning of the tenth century. Vamana of Kavyalankara is generally supposed to belong to Kashmer. But, this theory had its origin in the false indentification of the Vamana of Kasika with the Vamana of Karyalankara. Fut this theory is now exploded and there is nothing to show that the Alankarika Vamana did not belong to the south. Translation. Ll. 1-6. Hail! Satyasaraya Vallabbendra adorned the family of the Chalukyas who are glorious, who belonged to the Manavya Gotra which is praised throughout the whole world; who are the sons (descendants) of Hariti, who have acquired Boveriegnty by the superior blessing of Kausiki, who have been nourished by the company of devine mothers, who meditate on the feet of God Mahasena, who conquer the territories of their enemies at the sight of the excellent banner of the Boar which was acquired through the favour of holy Narayana and who purify their bodies by sacred baths taken after celebrating horsesacrifices; Ll. 6-10. His brother Kubja-Vishnuvardhana (ruled) for eighteen years; his son Jayasinha (ruled) for thirty-three years; his younger brother's son Vishnuvardhana (ruled) for nine years; his son Mangiyuvaraja (ruled) for twenty-five (years); his son Jayasimha (ruled) for thirteen (years); his younger brother Kokkili (ruled) for six months; his elder brother Vishnuraja having deposed him (ruled) for twenty-seven (years); his son Vijayaditya Bhattaraka (ruled) for ninteen (years); his son Vishnuraja (ruled) for six years. 10-12. His son by name Vijayaditya, who defeated one Bhima Salki and the army of the southren Gangas which was on his side, and who was the author of the hundred and eighteen temples dedicated to Isvara (Siva) ruled for forty years. Ll. 12-13. His son Vishnuvardhana ruled for a year and half. Ll. 13-14 His son [Vijayaditya] having burnt the cities. of Kiranapura, Achalapura and Uru Nellurupura had acquired the everlasting famous appellation of Maheshvara who destroyed the three cities in human form. Ll. 14-16. And he took away easily silver, etc., from the Gangas of Kalinga, elephants &c. from the King of Kosala, gold, etc., from the Pandyas and the Pallavas. Ll. 16-17. He placed Gangas on Gangakuta, cut off the head of Mangi; who else is able to talk of defeating the most daring Krishna? Ll. 17-18. That Vijayaditya ruled the Vengi country with annual increasing prosperity for forty years. Ll. 18-19. The dear son of his younger brother Vikramaditya who had occupied the whole by valour [was] Ll. 19—22. The glorious Chalukya Bhima who was crowned to the kingdom of the whole earth surrounded by the moats of the four oceans, to the satisfaction of all the people, on Monday the second day of the dark fortnight of the month of Chaitra, when the sun was in the sign of Aries and the moon was in the mansion of Maitra (Anuratha) in the Saka year 814 on the raising of the star yugma (mithuna-muhurta). Ll. 22-23. The army of Krishnavallabha who was (Bhima's) rival melted away like an army of wind in a chess when drowned in the ocean of his (Chalukya Bhima's) sword. Ll. 23-26. He, Sarvalokasraya (the asylum of the universe) Sri Vishnuvardhana Chalukya Bhima, the overlord of great kings, the supreme lord, the devout worshipper of Brahmanas, orders the house-holders (Kutumbis) and the chiefs of the Rashtrakutas in the Attili Vishaya thus :Be it known to you that Ll. 26-28. One Thundaka who could be compared with a nymph (apsara) had a son called Mallappa who was like Thumbura. He had a daughter by name Challava who is proficient in the art of music. Ll. 28-30. To her are given in the village of Attili to the north-east a ground occupied by one thousand betel-nut trees, to the north-east a field so wable with fifty khandis of paddy seed and a house-site. Ll. 80-82. None should injure this [object of donation]. One who injures it becomes guilty of the five great sins. Ll. 32-38. Vyasa has also said "A giver of land enjoys the heaven sixty thousand years; one who objects to it and one who approves of that objection suffer in hell for the same period." Ll. 33-35. Executor of this (charity) is Kadeyaraja. This inscription is composed by Bhatta Vamana, it is written by Chamikurracharya. TEXT.(1) 1. स्वस्ति स्वस्ति श्रीमतां सकलभुवन संस्तूयमानमानव्यसगोत्राणं 1(0) हारीतिपु 2. त्राणां कौशिकीवरप्रसादलब्धराज्यनां मातृगण परिपालितानां स्वामिमहा 1 From the original plates : 1(a) Read गोत्रायां । |