This record, discovered in Vasai and currently housed in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai, belongs to the reign of the Śilāhāra king Mallikārjuna. Engraved on a stone slab, the inscription features two Śiva liṅgas and a yoni paṭṭa. The Sanskrit text is characterised by the Nāgarī script.
The inscription records a series of religious acts such as the repairs of a Śiva temple by the mason Laṣaṇa Vaṅgaka under the guidance of rājaguru Vedaśiva and bhopaka Vyomaśiva. Additionally, the record commemorates the excavation of a well at the preceptor's residence and the formal grant of Lonavāṭaka village, situated within the Pāṭālasaka division of the Kaṭashaḍi viṣaya, to an individual named Lāṣaṇa Upādhyāya. These endowments were made when the state administration was overseen by mahāsāndhivigrahika Prabhākaranāyaka and mahāpradhāna Anantapaiprabhu.
1. siddham | svasti | śaka saṃvat 1083 vṛṣasayasarāntargata
2. pauṣe māsi va di 15 somadine || sūrya parvvaṇi
3. adyeha samadhigatāśeṣapaṃñcamahāśabda mahāsāmantā-
4. dhipatitagarapuraparameśvara | śrīśilāhāranarendra-
5. ityādisamastarājāvalīvirājitaśrīmallikārjunadeva-
6. rājye | mahāsāndhivigrahikaprabhākaranāyakaḥ śrī-
7. karaṇe prathamasyapāṭimahāpradhānaśrī-anantapai prabhu dvitī-
8. sthapāṭi-amukaḥ | satyetasmin kāle pravartamāne sati
9. rājaguruśrīvedaśivaḥ | bhopakavyomaśiva | vivekamūlo
10. guṇapallavaudhaḥ || saṃpatisāpaḥ sa ca kīrtipuṣpaḥ sreyaḥphale
11. jayācakakalpa vṛkṣaḥ | śrībhopakavyamasivo vibhāti || tābhyāṃ ca pu-
12. ruṣābhyāṃ sa jīrṇoddhāraḥ kāritaḥ | mahadugivajñāsutalākha-
13. ṇavaṅgakena kṛtaḥ ………..prasādena | tābhyāṃ gurukule
14. vāpī ca ……..kaṭaṣaḍīviṣayantaḥ pātī | paṭālasakasa | lo-
15. navāṭako | lākhaṇa upādhyāyāya dattaḥ | tathā dhamādāyastapaḥ saukh-
16. yārtha saṃpradattaḥ | jaśca puruṣaḥ | etatpālyati ta vāpaḥ tapi sa dhanaṃ la-
17. bhate . . . . . . na kenāpi prativijñātavyaḥ | yastu paripanthī bhaveta
18. tasya mātā gardabhena . . . . .
१। सिद्धम् । स्वस्ति । शक संवत् १०८३ वृषसयसरान्तर्गत
२। पौषे मासि व दि १५ सोमदिने ॥ सूर्य पर्व्वणि
३। अद्येह समधिगताशेषपंञ्चमहाशब्द महासामन्ता-
४। धिपतितगरपुरपरमेश्वर । श्रीशिलाहारनरेन्द्र-
५। इत्यादिसमस्तराजावलीविराजितश्रीमल्लिकार्जुनदेव-
६। राज्ये । महासान्धिविग्रहिकप्रभाकरनायकः श्री-
७। करणे प्रथमस्यपाटिमहाप्रधानश्री-अनन्तपै प्रभु द्विती-
८। स्थपाटि-अमुकः । सत्येतस्मिन् काले प्रवर्तमाने सति
९। राजगुरुश्रीवेदशिवः । भोपकव्योमशिव । विवेकमूलो
१०। गुणपल्लवौधः ॥ संपतिसापः स च कीर्तिपुष्पः स्रेयःफले
११। जयाचककल्प वृक्षः । श्रीभोपकव्यमसिवो विभाति ॥ ताभ्यां च पु-
१२। रुषाभ्यां स जीर्णोद्धारः कारितः । महदुगिवज्ञासुतलाख-
१३। णवङ्गकेन कृतः ………॥प्रसादेन । ताभ्यां गुरुकुले
१४। वापी च ……॥कटषडीविषयन्तः पाती । पटालसकस । लो-
१५। नवाटको । लाखण उपाध्यायाय दत्तः । तथा धमादायस्तपः सौख्-
१६। यार्थ संप्रदत्तः । जश्च पुरुषः । एतत्पाल्यति त वापः तपि स धनं ल-
१७। भते । । । । । । न केनापि प्रतिविज्ञातव्यः । यस्तु परिपन्थी भवेत
१८। तस्य माता गर्दभेन । । । । ।
Prose section
siddham | svasti | śaka saṃvat 1083 vṛṣasayasarāntargata pauṣe māsi va di 15 somadine || sūrya parvvaṇi adyeha samadhigatāśeṣapaṃcamahāśabda mahāsāmaṃtādhipatitagarapuraparameśvara | śrīśilāhāranareṃdraityādisamastarājāvalīvirājitaśrīmallikārjunadevarājye | mahāsāṃdhivigrahikaprabhākaranāyakaḥ śrīkaraṇe prathamasyapāṭimahāpradhānaśrī-anantapai prabhu dvitīsthapāṭi-amukaḥ | satyetasmin kāle pravartamāne sati rājaguruśrīvedaśivaḥ | bhopakavyomaśiva |
Verse 1
vivekamūlo guṇapalavaudhaḥ
saṃpatisāpaḥ sa ca kīrtipuṣpaḥ |
sreyaḥphalo yācakakalpavṛkṣaḥ
śrībhipakavyamasivo vibhāti || (upajāti)
Prose section
tābhyāṃ ca puruṣābhyāṃ sa jīrṇoddhāraḥ kāritaḥ | mahadugivajñāsutalākhaṇavaṅgakena kṛtaḥ ………..prasādena | tābhyāṃ gurukule vāpī ca ……..kaṭaṣaḍīviṣayantaḥ pātī | paṭālasakasa | lonavāṭako | lākhaṇa upādhyāyāya dattaḥ | tathā dhamādāyastapaḥ saukhyārtha saṃpradattaḥ | jaśca puruṣaḥ | etatpālyati ta vāpaḥ tapi sa dhanaṃ labhate……na kenāpi prativijñātavyaḥ | yastu paripaṃthī bhaveta tasya mātā gardabhena ……
प्रोसे सेच्तिओन्
सिद्धम् । स्वस्ति । शक संवत् १०८३ वृषसयसरान्तर्गत पौषे मासि व दि १५ सोमदिने ॥ सूर्य पर्व्वणि अद्येह समधिगताशेषपंचमहाशब्द महासामंताधिपतितगरपुरपरमेश्वर । श्रीशिलाहारनरेंद्रैत्यादिसमस्तराजावलीविराजितश्रीमल्लिकार्जुनदेवराज्ये । महासांधिविग्रहिकप्रभाकरनायकः श्रीकरणे प्रथमस्यपाटिमहाप्रधानश्री-अनन्तपै प्रभु द्वितीस्थपाटि-अमुकः । सत्येतस्मिन् काले प्रवर्तमाने सति राजगुरुश्रीवेदशिवः । भोपकव्योमशिव ।
वेर्से १
विवेकमूलो गुणपलवौधः
संपतिसापः स च कीर्तिपुष्पः ।
स्रेयःफलो याचककल्पवृक्षः
श्रीभिपकव्यमसिवो विभाति ॥ (उपजाति)
प्रोसे सेच्तिओन्
ताभ्यां च पुरुषाभ्यां स जीर्णोद्धारः कारितः । महदुगिवज्ञासुतलाखणवङ्गकेन कृतः ………॥प्रसादेन । ताभ्यां गुरुकुले वापी च ……॥कटषडीविषयन्तः पाती । पटालसकस । लोनवाटको । लाखण उपाध्यायाय दत्तः । तथा धमादायस्तपः सौख्यार्थ संप्रदत्तः । जश्च पुरुषः । एतत्पाल्यति त वापः तपि स धनं लभते……न केनापि प्रतिविज्ञातव्यः । यस्तु परिपंथी भवेत तस्य माता गर्दभेन ……
Line 1-8
Success! Hail! In the śaka Year 1083, on Monday, the 15th tithi of the dark fortnight of the month Puṣya (Pauṣa) included in the cyclic year Vṛṣa, on the holy occasion of a solar eclipse, on this day here, during the reign of the illustrious Mallikārjuna, who has obtained all the five mahāśabdas and who is adorned with all royal titles such as mahāsāmantādhipati, tagarāpura-parameśvara and the illustrious Śilāhāra king, while the administration is carried on by the mahāsāndhivigrahika Prabhākaranāyaka, the senior sthapāti (treasurer) of the Government, the illustrious mahāpradhāna Anantapaiprabhu and the junior sthapāti (treasurer) Amuka—at such a time, when the holy Vedaśiva is the Rājaguru and Vyomaśiva, is the Bhopaka—
Line 9-18
There shines the illustrious Bhopaka Vyomaśiva, who is a Kalpavṛkṣa (wishfulfilling tree) to suppliants, having discrimination as its root, merit as its mass of foliage, wealth as its branches, fame as its flowers and spiritual well-being as its fruit.
These repairs have been caused to be made by those two. The work has been executed by Lakhaṇa Vaṇgaka, son of Mahadugiva Jhā. By the same two a well has been dug at their preceptor’s place, Loṇavāṭaka in the territorial division of Paṭālasaka included in the viṣaya of Kaṭaṣaḍi has been donated to Lakhaṇa Upādhyāya. This religious gift has been given for the penance and happiness of the donor.
That person who would preserve this gift… … would obtain wealth. None should object to this gift. The mother of him, however, who would cause obstruction… … by an ass.
Glossary
Bhopaka – Title of an officer, here Vyomaśiva.
Kalpavṛkṣa – Mythical wish-fulfilling tree; metaphor for Vyomaśiva’s virtues.
Mahāsāmantādhipati – High royal title, “lord over great feudatories.”
Mahāsāndhivigrahika – Minister for peace and war, here Prabhākaranāyaka.
Rājaguru – Royal preceptor, here Vedaśiva.
Śaka 1083 / Vṛṣa – Date of the inscription, corresponding to 1161 CE.
Sthapāṭi – Treasurer or finance officer in administration.
Bibliography & Research
- Hemachandra. (1900). Kumārapālacarita. Canto VI, v. 40-70. Nirnaya Sagar Press.
- Mirashi, V. V. (Ed.). (1977). Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. VI: Inscriptions of the Śilāhāras. Archaeological Survey of India, pp xviii-xix and 153-156.
- Sankalia, H. D., & Upadhyaya, S. C. (1935–1936). Six Śilāhāra inscriptions of the Prince of Wales Museum. Epigraphia Indica, 23, 269-281, here 274-276.
| Dynasty: | Śilāhāra |
| Source: | |
| Ruler: | Mallikārjuna |
| Date: | 17th January 1162 CE (Vṛṣa year, Pauṣa Kṛṣṇa 15, Monday, Śaka 1083) |
| Place: | Bassein (Vasai) |
| Donee: | Lakhaṇa Upādhyāya |
| Language: | Sanskrit |
| Deities: | Śiva |
| Nature of grant: | Land donation |
| Purpose: | For penance and spiritual welfare of the donors |
| Provenance of inscription: | Bassein (Vasai), Maharashtra |
| Type of Inscription: | Stone Inscription |
