Indian Society for Buddhist Studies 2010 Conference

 namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa

 

Comparative study of the Inscriptions of Kharavela and Vasishithiputra Pulumavi.

Mr. Gautam More

MA Pali

Department of Pali

University of Mumbai

 

Introduction: this paper is an attempt to study in comparison, the brahmi inscriptions of the two powerful kings of their own times, the Chedi King Kharavela of the Kalinga belonging to the 2nd BCE and the Satavahana King Gautamiputra Satakarani of Maharashtra belonging to the 1st CE. The brahmi inscriptions written on the rock-cut excavations are in Pali language and they not only describes their personalities and achievements, but also gives us the glimpse of the historical, geographical and political conditions of their time. A comparative study would bring out the similarities and differences in the personalities of the kings as well as in the literary style of Pali, changing through centuries in the different parts of India.

 

Location: The Hathigumpha inscriptions of King Kharvela is written on the interior as well as on the exterior walls of the Khandagiri group of excavation in the district of Puri in the state of Orissa and the inscription written by the King Vasishthiputra Pulumavi [therefore known as Vasishthiputra Pulumavi inscription] about his father king Gautamiputra Satakarni is on the excavation no. 3, that is on the entrance of the Vihara, at the popularly known Pandavlena on the ancient Trirasmi hill of the Nasik district of Maharashtra. Thus we can say that one is from the eastern and other from the western part of India.

 

Dating: the powerful kings belonged to the different time periods. The ambitious and valorous king of Kharavela belonged to the 2nd BCE and had even rode upto the boundaries Maharashtra then the land of Satavahanas. He is recognized to be a Jain king and patron of Jainism and his inscription found in the Jain excavations is said to be the earliest inscription in Jaina.

The powerful and the great king of Satavahana, the Gautamiputra’s inscription is written in the 1st CE by his son Vashisthiputra Pulumavi after him, which means the period of the kings were little closer than the dating of the inscriptions. The Satavahanas are identified by scholars as the follower of vedic tradition, but the inscriptions show them to be the great patron of Buddhism, specially the king Gautamiputra Satakarni, who is also identified as the king friend of the most noted scholar of Buddhism Nagarjuna.

 

Comparative study of the Inscriptions would yield information about the geographical, social, political and economical conditions of then India.

 

About the inscriptions:

Number of lines and language:

 

Kharavela inscription: 17 lines, Pali language

Pulumavi inscription: 11lines, Pali language

 

Observation: the language of the Brahmi inscriptions is assumed to be Pali and the research is carried out.

 

Names as seen in the inscriptions:

 

Kharavela inscription: the following proper names are seen. Some are identified some are not. They are

 

kalinga nagarī, kaṇha bēṇṇā, musika nagara, tanasulīya vāṭa, vajirāghara, gōradhagirī, rājagaha, madhura, bharadavasa, pithuṇḍa, tramira, magadha, anga, paṇḍarāja, rathika, bhōjaka etc

 

Pulumavi inscription: the following proper names are seen. Some are correctly identified by the scholars, some are still unknown. They are

 

himavata, mandara, asika , asaka , muḷaka , suraṭha, kukara, aparanta, anupa, vidabha, ākarāvanti (ākara+avanti), vijha, chavata, paricāta, sahya, kaṇhagiri, macasiriṭana, malaya, mahida, sētagirī, cakōra, etc

 

Observation: the inscription of Kharvela has more names of the places, towns and cities whereas the Pulumavi’s inscription gives more information of the rivers, mountains and places.

 

Persons and Personalities in the inscriptions:

 

Kharavela inscription: following names of the persons and personalities are observed.

 

sidha, arahanta, mahārājā, mahāmēghavāhana, raṭhika, bhōjakē, nandarāja, yavanarāja, (ḍimita) kalingādhipati, khāravēla, cētirājavaṁsa, kalingarāja, sātakani, brāmhaṇa, utarāpatha rājā, bahasatimita, paṇḍarājā i.

 

Pulumavi inscription: following names of the persons and personalities are observed.

 

vāsiṭhiputa, puḷumāyī, gōtamīputa, saka, yavana, palhava, khakharāta vaṁsa, sātavāhana kula, brāmhaṇa, rāma, kēsava, ajuna, bhīmasēna, nābhāga, nahusa, janamējaya, sakara, yayāti, pavana, garuḍa, sidha, yakha, rākhasa, vijādhara, bhuta, gadhava, cāraṇa, cada, divākara, nakhata, gaha i.

 

Observation: the word brāmhaṇa is seen in both the inscriptions. In the inscriptions of Kharavela mention of kings and kingdoms and their hierarchy is more, whereas the Pulumavi inscriptions along with the king and lineages of kings describes the sun, moon, stars, the constellations, famous personalities, the petas, the rakshasa and the yakshas also.

 

Festivals and fairs in the inscriptions:

 

Kharavela inscription: has the line which describes the festivals or Samaj of the time.

 

nata gīta vādita sandasanāhi

usava samāja kārāpaṇāhi ca kīḍāpayati nagarī

 

The king by organizing the dances, music, playing of instruments, festivals and dramatics use to keep the city engrossed in the play.

 

Pulumavi inscription: has the following line describing his activities regarding the festivals,

 

chaṇadhaṇusava samāja kārakasa   |

 

The one who organizes the festival and fairs

Observation: from the above lines it has been observed that both the kings use to organize the festivals and fairs for the people and do in different ways.

 

How to read the inscription in Pali language?

 

As the language of the inscription is assumed ‘Pali’ the application of the Pali grammar is done and the inscription is read in the following ways. Let us first read Kharavela inscription:

 

mahāvijaya pāsādaṁ kārayati aṭhatisāya satasahasēhi |  

pāli : mahāvijayaṁ pāsādaṁ kārayati admatisāya satasahassēhi |  

pandarasa vasāni

pāli : paṇṇarasa vassāni | or pañcadasa vassāni |  

sitala taḍāga pāḍiyō ca bandhāpayati |  

pāli : sitala taḷāka pāḷiyō ca bandhāpayati |

 

Pulumavi inscription:

 

rañō vāsiṭhīputasa siri puḷumāyisa savacharē

pāli : raññō vāsiṭṭhiputtāssa siri puḷumāvissa saṁvaccharē |

rājarañō gōtamī putasa

pāli : rājaraññō gōtamīputtāssa

bhujagapati pīna vāṭa vipula dīgha sudara bhujasa

pāli : bhujaṅgapati pīṇavadda vipula dīgha sundara bhujānaṁ (bhujassa)

kēsavājuna bhīmasēna tula parakamasa

pāli : kēsava ajjuna bhīmasēna tulya parākammassa

 

Observation: the easy and correct grammatical rendering of the words in Pali proves the inscriptions to be originally in Pali only.

Also the information about construction of the pāsādaṁ and taḷāka is obtained along with the use of similes like the bhujaṅgapati is seen in the above lines.

 

Praise and eulogy in the inscriptions

 

Kharavela inscription:

 

siri khāravēlēna pandarasa vasāni sīri kaḍāra sarīravatā kīḍītā kumāra kīḍītā (1.2)

 

The 15 year old siri kharavela played boys games with his grey body

 

The eulogy of the king Kharavela

 

khēmarājā savaḍharājā sabhikhurājā dhamarājā

pasantō sunantō anubhavatō kalanāni guṇavisēsa

sava pāsaṇḍa pūjakō sava dēvāya tanasakāra

kārakō apatihata caka vāhanabalō cakadharō

gutacakō pavatacakō rājasivasū kula viniśritō

mahāvijayō rājā khāravēla siri  || 16. 17 ||

 

The king of endurance, prosperity, the king of bhikkhus, the king of dhamma, the one who sees, listens, experiences. The king with qualities, the one who worships the pāsaṇḍa, the one who venerates all the gods. The king whose vehicle [wheel] is not opposed, the wheel-holder, the wheel protector, the one who set the wheel into movement, He, who is born in the family of the kings, the great winner, the King Siri Kharavela.

 

Pulumavi inscription: In the inscription of the Vasishthiputra Pulumavi the description is of his father Gautamiputra Satkarni.

 

rājaraññō gōtamīputasa himavata mēru mandara pavata samasārasa asika asaka muḷaka suraṭha kukurāparanta anupa vidabha ākārāvanti rājasa vijha chavata paricāta sayha kaṇhagiri macasiriṭana malaya mahida sēṭagiri cakōra pavata patisa savarāja lōka maṇḍala patigahīta sāsanasa divasa karaka ravibōdhita kamala vimala sadisa vadanasa ti samuda tōya pīta bāhanasa paṭipūṇañcanda maṇḍala sasirīka piyadasanasa vara vāraṇa vikama cāru vikamasa bhujagapati bhōgapīna vāṭa vipula dīgha sudara bhujasa abhayōdaka dāna kilina nibhaya karasa : 1 ,2, 3, 4  

 

The king Gautamiputra is competent like the mountains of himavanta and mandāra. He is the ruler of the areas known as the asika , asaka , mūḷaka , sūrata, kukura, aparānta, anupa (marshy land) vidabha-, ākara (khāna) and is the king of avanticā. He is the master of the mountains by the name vindhya, ṛkṣavata, pāricāta, sayha (sahyādrī), kaṇhagiri (kānhērī), malaya, mahindra, sētagiri (śvētagiri) and, cakōra.

 

The physical beauty of the king is expressed in a very poetical way by comparing his face, his arms, and his hands giving similes. He is given the adjective of the king whose horse has drunk the water of the three oceans.

 

Observation: in the Kharavela inscriptions we find more of his qualities and achievements, whereas in the Pulumavi inscriptions we find more description of the physical beauty of the king along with the adjectives. Both the description pictures the personalities of the kings very vividly.

 

Beneficial work for the subjects:

 

Kharavela inscription: the lines describe the beneficial work done by the king for the betterment of his people.

 

1) anugaha anēkāni satasahasāni visajati pōra jānapadaṁ

 

Meaning: endowments to many and distribution of thousands to his subject

 

2) kaparukhē haya gaja ratha sahayati

 

sava gharāvāsa … sava gahaṇaṁ ca karayitũ

brādvaṇānaṁ jaya parihāraṁ dadāti |

 

Meaning: goes with the kalparukṣahorse, elephant, and chariot. All residential places and all acceptable things, portables which he wins for the Brahmins, he donates.

 

Pulumavi inscription: the information regarding his donations and charities.

 

-  abhayōdaka dāna kilina nibhaya karasa |

 

Meaning: the fearless hands of the king are cleansed with the water of donations.

 

- pōrajana nivisēsa sama sukha dukhasa |

 

Meaning: he is equally absorbed in the sorrow and happiness of his subject.

 

Observations: from the above lines we can say that both the kings were concerned about their subjects and did charity works for the benefits of the people.

 

Description of bravery

 

Both the kings were brave and valorous. The description of their achievements and military expeditions are given in their inscriptions.

 

Kharavela inscription: about bravery

 

aiñcatayitā sātakanĩ pachima disaṁ

haya gaja nara radha bahulaṁ daṇḍa paṭhāpayati |

 

Without getting disturbed the Kharavela king charged to the west on Satakarni with his army of elephants, horses, men and chariots and penalized and fined heavily to the kings.

 

Military expeditions

 

kanhabaṁēṇā gatāya ca sēnāya vitāsiti asika nagaraṁ | -4

 

Went upto the rivers kanha and benna and broke up the city of Asika.

 

sava raṭhika bhōjakē pādē vadāpayati | 6

 

Made all the raṭhika and bhōjaka to touch his feet

 

mahatasēna gōradhagiriṁ ghātāpayitā rājagahaṁ upapīḍapayati | 7,8

 

His Destroys the gōradha mountain and makes the Rajgiri suffer

 

pīthuṇḍaṁ gadabha nangalēna kāsayati | 11

 

Ploughs the fields with donkeys on the pīthuḍa [means destroys it completely]

 

sahasēhi vitāsayati utarāpatha rājānō | 11

 

Dispersed all the kings in thousands of uttarapatha.

 

uttarāpathāñcyā rājānnā hajārōnnī vikharuna ṭākatō

māgadhaṁ ca rājānaṁ bahasatimitaṁ pādē vandāpayati | 12

 

makes the king of Magadha-the Bruhaspatimitra touch his feet.

 

anga magadha vasu ca nayati | 12

 

Takes away the treasure of the Kingdoms of Anga and Magadha.

paṇḍarājā… mutamani ratanāni āhārāpayati idha satasahasāni | 13

 

the Makes the king Panda bring the jewels in thousands.

 

abhutamachariyaṁ ca hathī nivāsa parihara… | 13


Accepts miraculous house of the elephants

 

..….vāsīnō vasī karōti | 14

 

Brings under control the one who stays…

 

These are some of his military achievements told in the inscriptions

 

Pulumavi inscription: the description of the bravery of the king Gautamiputra Satakarni is done in the inscription by his son Pulumavi.

 

khatiya dapamāna madanasa | 5

 

The ego of the Khattiyas was crushed by Gautamiputra Satakarni.

 

kharakharāta vasaniravasēsa karasa | 6

 

The lineage of the Kharakharata was destroyed by him

 

sātavāhana kula yasa patithāpana karasa | 6

 

Established the name and fortune of the Satavahana family.

 

sava maṇḍalābhivādita caraṇasa | 6

 

All the people around worships at the feet of the King Satakarni.

 

aparājita vijayapatākā | 6

 

His victorious glory was undefeated.

 

The above lines show his fame and courage. At the same time we have a line which informs us that this king Gautamiputra never tortured or slay even his enemies.

 

kitāparādhē pi sutajanē apāṇahisā | 5

 

Numbers and Chronology in the Kharavela inscription: the Kharavela inscriptions starts with the obeisance to the arhats and siddhas. Since his coronation at the age of 25 years, the inscription gives in chronology the deeds and achievements of the king as per the year. Such chronology and detail is not seen in the inscription of the king Pulumavi.

 

padhamē vasē….

dutiyē ca vasē …

tatiya puna vasē … ityādī


in the Kharavela inscriptions we have metaphors and similes used in describing the achievements of the king which means something else altogether. For eg.

 

gadabha nangalēna kāsayati | 11

 

Meaning: destroyed completely

 

gangāya pāyayati | 12

Meaning: subjugated the person

 

Pulumavi inscription: Such figures of speech are not much seen in the inscriptions of the king Gautamiputra though we have the lines such as his horse drinking the water of three oceans,

 

ti samuda tōya pīta bāhanasa

 

Meaning: rode and conquered the land upto the boundaries of the three oceans.

 

Observations: there are still more aspects which can be compared and similarities and differences could be pointed out.

 

This paper is a small attempt to look at the two important historical inscriptions through the angle of Pali language.

 

[The paper will be presented with the help of powerpoint presentation.]

 

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References

 

purābhilēkhavêāi

 

- śōbhanā gōkhalē, kāranṭinēnṭala prakāśana,puṇē, 2007.

vākāṭaka rājavaṁśa kā itihāsa.

 

- vāsudēva mirāśī, tārā pablikēśansa, vārāṇasī, 1964.

 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS OF THE SĀTAVĀHNAS AND THE WESTERN KSHATRAPAS. - Dr.V.V. Mirashi,

 

Maharashtra State Board for Litrature and Culture, Bombay,1981

 

 

 

 

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