Risthal Inscription of Prakashadharman
Note on Rishthal Inscription
Rishthal Inscription of Aulikara Prakashadharman,Year 572 (Malava?)=515.A.D.
Beautiful poetry in Sanskrit apart, the Risthal Inscription (RI) of Aulikara king Prakashadharman (PD) of the Mandsor region gives out a mine of historical information setting at rest many a speculations among historians. The inscription was discovered in 1983 from village Risthal to the west of Sitamau, a Tehsil head quarter in Mandsor district of Madhya Pradesh and has continued to engage the attention of scholars, especially epigraphists. With the declining fortunes of the discipline of epigraphy the contents of the inscription have not adequately percolated to the level of general students of history of ancient India, what to talk of the masses.
Before the discovery of the above inscription Yashodharman (YD) of the Aulikara family was described as a ruler who rose and fell like a meteor, notwithstanding the expressions like- “prakhyata aulikara-lanchhana atmavansho= yenodito=ditapadam gamito=gariyah” in the Mandsor stone Inscription of YD, which leave no doubt regarding the pedigree of the family of [[Aulikara]s. Mercifully the contents of the RI fully justify the statements made in YD’s inscription. It is no mere co-incidence that the same person viz, Vasula, son of Kakka composed the RI as also the Mandasor Pillar Inscription of YD. The local governor (Rajasthaniya), Bhagvaddosha is mentioned in both the above said inscriptions.The date given in the inscription is 572 Malava samvat? (does the prefix ‘Vi’before Vatsaranam in line 16 stand for Vikrama?) . Scholars are unanimous with regard to the identity of the era here, namely Malava or Krita or Vikrama. It will give us the equivalent A.D. 515. One known date of YD is Malava Samvat 589= A.D.532. YD is known to have defeated Mihirakula. This must have happened after the fifteenth year of the latter’s rule in Gwalior region. (known from his Gwalior Inscription, dated 15 th Regnal year. RI mentions Toramana’s defeat at the hands of (PD). There is hardly any period of time left to accommodate a successor of PD other than YD. Scholars agree that the immediate successor of PD was YD. In all likelihood, the former’s son. The absence of genealogy of YD in his Mandsor Pillar Inscription is not a serious issue. The author perhaps did not want to repeat himself. He had done his best in accommodating all the names of the predecessors in the RI, a poetic composition. There does not appear to be any particular motive behind it.
The RI gives us information about six rulers of the Aulikara family. The founder was Drapa- (or Dravya-) vardhana. His son was Jayavardhana, whose son was Ajitavardhana, his son was Vibhishanavardhana, his son was Rajyavardhana, his son was Prakashadharman. We may note here that the second part of the name changes from ‘vardhana’ to ‘dharaman’ from Prakashadharman onwards.
The scheme of things in term of names and ruling line the Vishnuvardhana (VV) of the Bijayagarh Inscription of 428 Malava ? Samvat=371 A.D. can not be accommodated in the Aulikara line as some writers believe. Also VV’s ‘Varika’ antecedents do not warrant his association with the Aulikaras in any way. We can also safely conclude that YD’s another name was VV.The expression ' नरपति स एव' amply bears it out. There are ample number of kings in history having more than one name.Chandragupta-II had another name, 'Devaraja'.
Risthal inscription Prakasadharman Aulikara of 515 AD
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| Risthal inscription Prakasadharman Aulikara of 515 AD [1] |
The Risthal inscription of Prakasadharman Aulikara Translation in English is as under:
- (V. 1) May the right half of the face of Pinakin (Siva), which exudes peace and which is conjoined with the left half of his face (i.e. Parvati's face) which displays anger because of Siva's submission to Sandhya (here personified as a female-rival), bring you auspiciousness.
- (V. 2) Victorious is Bhagavatprakasa who was the very banner of his family and was the leader of the kings and who constantly keeps the string of his bow taut in battles for the glory of the earth.
- (V. 3) There was the very banner of all the Aulikara families, the king Drapavarddhana who was like a bridge between the established precepts of mankind and their righteous practice; who had attained eminence by destroying the strength of his enemies through his greatness.
- (V. 4) Just as the crescent moon on the head of Pinakin . ([[Siva[[), with its cool and pure rays like the sprinkling of thin shower, is covetable, so also, in the case of this (king), who was the banner of his family, the designation Senapati had become covetable.
- (V. 5) Having thus, through this, confirmed his strength and wealth by his arms, he sired a son, the king Jayavarddhana, who had appropriated victories from his enemies.
- (V. 6) Even as the dark clouds stopped the rays of the sun (from brightening the earth), so did the dust raised by his army and its elephant corps, spreading and covering all the atmosphere, indeed stop the rays of the Sun.
- (V. 7) His son was the king Ajitavarddhana who had earned his manliness from his enemies through his strength and who had established his hegemony over the heads of the enemy kings which were shining with the rays emerging out of the gems of their crowns.
- (V. 8) The lord of the gods (Indra) having gone to the earth repeatedly because of his ardent desire for imbibing the soma drink at the sacrifices (performed by the king Ajitavarddhana), Sachi (Indrani) became worried about separation from her husband, with her chin resting on her fore-arm.
- (V. 9) His son who was famed in the world for his good qualities and who was like the banner of his family was Vibhishanavarddhana whose thoughts were profound because of learning ; he was possessed of firmness, and was powerful and his fame was full-blown like a newly flowered tree.
- (V. 10) He rendered the worlds devoid of darkness by his good qualities which were ever on the increase, resplendent, brilliant, of Prakasadharman Aulikara all pervading and increasingly auspicious even as the sun brightens the worlds with his rays which are well-risen, resplendent, brilliant, all pervading and increasingly bright..
- (V. 11) His son was Rajyavarddhana who expanded his kingdom in keeping with his family's practice and who shouldered the burden (of the kingdom) which had been borne by the earlier kings who were protectors of worldly stability.
- (V. 12) The members of the harem of his enemy kings lamented, got bewildered, suffered, sighed and fainted, their minds beings tortured by the heat of his valour .
- (V. 13) Of that leader of kings the son was Prakasadharmma, the great king who had imbibed all the lustre of his adversaries by the strength of his arms, whose lustrous merit was built of good characters
- (V. 14) Who had come by the royal status of his elders who were of unstained fame, worthy abodes of greatness, were possessed of valour which was considered great by the entire world and enjoyed the unbroken love of their subjects
- (V. 15) Who bore the noble royal grandeur, which was the source of auspicious results, for the sake of helping his subjects and not for the mere creation of pleasure, that royal grandeur which had come down through proper successions in his own family and which had been thrust upon him and not appropriated by him from his father.
- (V. 16) By him, who had established himself in the kingdom of the Huna ruler through his foot-stool being flooded with the brightness of the gems of the kingly crown of the king Toramana, the word addhiraja was rendered false in the battle.
- (V. 17) He (Le. Prakasadharmma) presented to the asectics shining Bhadrasanas made of the long-ivory tusks of the rutting elephants of the vanquished king which had been felled with large arrows on the battle-field.
- (V. 18) From the same king who had been quickly beaten in the battle field, by him (i.e. Prakasadharmma) were taken the choicest ladies of the harem and they were presented to the god Vrshabhadhvaja (Siva) as a symbol of the world-illuminating valour of his arms.
- (V. 19) By him was excavated this tank called Vibhishana-saras, which looked like the replica of the extensive Bindusaras, after having apportioned in a praiseworthy gesture the meritorious fruits thereof to his grandfather, the king Vibhishanavarddhana.
- (V. 20) Besides, he got constructed a temple almost equal to that of the foot of the Himalayan mountain for the god Sthanu (Siva) who the cause of the creation of the three worlds and whose dark-blue neck was shining because of being covered by the rays emitted by the crescent moon which had slipped during his forceful dancing.
- (V. 21) When a total of five hundred and seventy two (Vikrama) years had been completed, when the god of Love was manifested in the interiors of the fountain-houses where were seen, along with their beloveds, damsels emaciated by the heat of the summer Sun.
- (V.22-23) By the directions of that king who was like the very symbol of Bharatavarsha, he (i.e. Bhagavaddosha whose name occurs in verse 26 below) got constructed, in Dasapura, the palace. And, inside the same township (he got constructed) the beautiful temple of Brahman, which, with its cloud-barring pinnacles, was, as if, measuring the very skies
- (V. 24) Who, for the refuge of ascetics and for those who were intent upon practising sankhyayoga, established habitations named after Krishna and Bujjuka.
- (V. 25) Who, averse as he was to injustice, got implemented many acts of philanthropy and piety such as (the construction of ) halls, wells, monasteries (mathas), pleasure gardens, and temples of the gods
- (V. 26-27) By him, Bhagavaddosha, the Rajasthaniya, who shunned demerits and who was the son of the minister of the predecessor of this king, this extensive tank, which puts to shame the sea itself, and this temple of Shulin (Siva), which pierces through the clouds, were respectively excavated and got constructed.
- (V. '28) For as along as the wind, which carries the pleasant fragrance of sweet smelling flowers turning the tender sprouts of the creepers, blows, this lovely tank and the temple of Sambhu may till then spread their fame devoid of all evil
- (V. 29) The euology of this king, who was a person of meritorious deeds, was composed by Vasula, the son of Kakka in the above words of praise.
Note: the latest inscription discovered fro Risthal, a village in the Sitamau tehsil of Manasor district makes it clear that Yashodharman was a descendant of Prakashadharman of the family of the 'Aulikaras'. He had no connection with Vishnuvardhana, the 'Varika'.That Yashodharman had another name 'Vishnuvardhana' is a different matter. Dr S S Rana
References
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Author : Dr S S Rana
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