12 NAGARi ALPHABET, SIGNS AND SYMBOLS OF PARAMARA INSCRIPTIONS Arvind K. Singh The Paramaras, started their political career the scribe and the engraver was performed by the in the ninth century C.E. as feudatories of the same person. The relevant epigraphic data provide 1 imperial Racmrak0[)'ls1monarch , succeeded in significant details concerning these professionals, 1 building a strong kingdom in the heart of the central and sometimes mention their predecessors as well , India in the tenth century and played a leading as native place, role, occupation and designation j role in the history of the country till fourteenth as applied to poets, scribes and engravers. It is century C.E. During the course of their political obvious from the examples of good epigraphic I' existence, the Paramaras ruled over various poetry that high talented poets were employed for territories, which includes Maiava proper as well composing the inscriptions. The poets were 1 the adjacent districts of Vidisha in the east, Ratlam honored by different ways, even by donating land. in the west, Indore and the parts of Hoshangabad AtrO stone inscription of the time of JayasiAha: in the south-east. In addition the imperial royal V.S. 1314 (C.E. 1258) records the donation by house of Maiava, there was other contemporary JayasiAhadeva of the village Mhaisada (Bhainra) royal houses of the Paramaras over Arbuda­ in the territorial division of PaAvimha in favor of a manda, Maru-mandala, Jalor, and Vaga. The kavicakravartin, mhakkura NarayaGa (no. 55). house that grew to power in the region around · Tilakwada copper-plate inscription of the time of Arbuda-maandala or Mount Abo, subsequently Bhojadeva: V.S. 1103 (C.E. 1046) was composed extended their territories in the neighboring region by Sobhika, son of the Kayastha Aiyala of the of Bhinmal-KiradO, and Jalor and those houses Valabhya family, at the request of the king (no. were known after these places. The rulers of all 15) and with an appeal to excuse him for the these houses were semi-independent chiefs. mistakes th.at may have occurred in the Paramaras of the Abo branch owed their fidelity composition, "Onatiriktamajiianallikhitam to the Caulukya dynasty, while those at Vagada suasanetra yatlpramnameva karttavyam samta% were subordinate to the main line of Maiava. sarvvasahayatah''. Pandita Mahipala, son of Poets, Scribes and Engravers of the Pandita Srngavasa was the poet of Udaipur stone Paramara Inscriptions: inscription of the time of Udayaditya: V.S. 1137 (C:E.1080) (no.19). The poet Auvatthama In general, inscriptions of the Paramaras composed the verses of the Jainad stone are composed by distinguished poets5, written inscription of the time of Jagaddeva (no. 29). The (possibly copied) by skilled scribes, and incised composition is here said to be heart-touching, by engravers: The engraver incised the letters "hrdayamgama", and this epithet is really befitting according to the drawing to retain the accuracy in view of its pleasing, elegant and graceful style. and perform his work neatly. However, this Nagpur Museum stone inscription of Naravarman: practice is not universal, as in some instances, V.S.1161 (C.E. 1105)statedtohavebeenadorned the job of all three categories, namely the author, with many eulogies and hymns composed by the 105 'tft'· ~j . ' ' <::3!.' king himself "tena svayamkrtaneka­ in legal science, "smrti-uastra" (no. 57). Other prauastistaticitritam" (no. 33). The record of the Mandhata copper-plate inscription of Jayavarman: Vidisha stone inscription of the time of V.S. 1331 (C.E. 1274) was composed by Naravarman was composed by mhakkura Ur1 UrTkaGmha, who was a member of the assembly Madhava, a son of the mhakkura SOpama and a of Jayavarman and Trivedin by heritage, grandson of mhakkura NTjasa and a dvija "kulakrar,:iayat[traividyatvemi' and appointed by belonging to the Mathura clan (no. 36). Eulogy of the king himself (no. 60). Vasantagadh stone the Sun-God was composed by Pandita Chittapa, inscription of the time of POrnapala: V.S. 1099 who enjoyed the title of m_a_hakavi-cakravartin. (C.E. 1042) was composed by Srahmana Si rear agrees with Thomas who held that Chittapa Matrasarma, the son of Hari (no. 62). ShadOnd was a contemporary and probably a court-poet of stone inscription of the time of POrnapala: V.S. the Paramara king Shoja (no. 37). Madana was a 1102 (C.E. 1045) is the composition of Ambaditya renowned poet who composes at least four Vyasa, the son•of Upadhyaya Madhava of the inscriptions of the Paramaras. Piplianagar copper­ Kauyapa gotra, who composed it through the grace plate inscription of Arjunavarman: V.S. 1267 (C.E. of Sarasvafi (no. 63). The revered and the 1211) was composed by Rajaguru Madana at the illustrious, TilakaprabhasQri was the poet of instance of maha-pandita Un SilhaGa (no. 47). Jhalod1stone inscription of the time of Dharavarca: Two Sehore copper-plate inscriptions of v.s. 1255 (C.E. 1198) (no. 73). Vaijaditya Arjunavarman: V.S. 1270 (C.E. 1213) and 1272 composed the Giravad stone inscription of the time (C.E. 1215) were also composed by the same poet of Pratapasimha: V.S. 1344 (C.E, 1288). His but first was composed with the consent of SilhaGa · parents were Pandita DharanTdharaand Campala as mahasandhivigrahika while the second with the (no. 82). ArthOna Stone Inscription of consent of Raja SalakhaGa as the Camundaraja: v.s. 1136 (C.E. 1080) told that in mahasandhivigrahika (nos. 48, 49). Mandhata the Sadhara family was born one Sumati, an ear­ copper-plate inscription of Devapala: V.S. 1282 ring of the goddess Sharan (Sarasvat1), and his (C.E. 1225) was also composed by Madana (no. son was Vijaya, whose younger brother CaAdra 51). Harsauda stone inscription of the·time of composed the praceasti (no. 84). ArthOna image Devapala: V.S. 1275 (C.E. 1218) was composed inscription of the time of Vijayaraja: V.S. 1165 (C.E. by Devauarmana (no. 50). The learned SrahmaGa 1107) was composed bl( Narayana (no. 89) while Vamana was the poet of the eulogy of the ModT another ArthOna stone inscription_ of the same stone inscription of the time of Jayavarmadeva: ruler: V.S. 1166 (C.E. 1109) informs us that the V.S. 1314 (C.E. 1258) who composed it in sixteen stanzas beginning from the fourth, along ,.sadalamkara (no. 56). Mandhata copper-plate with the first were composed by the learned inscription of Jayavarman: V.S. 1317 (C.E. 1261) Kamuka while the rest (stanzas 2-3) was the work was written (likhitam rajauasanam), probably of Shamuka, son of the Srahmana Savada and composed by the learned Harcadeva, the son of grandson of Sha.ilia <if the Valla family (no. 90). the learned GavTua, under the approbation of Kira.dustone inscription of Somesvara: V.S. 1218 Pandita Maladhara, who was employed a minister (C.E. 1161) states that the eulogy was composed, of war and treaty by the maharajadhiraja Ur1 with the order of king, by Narasimha (no. 94). Jayavarmadeva at Mandapa-durga, and that it was The author of the records many times wrote revised by the grammarian ( uabdika) Amadeva, a it in the sense that they gave the final draft of the disciple of the wise Goseka who was well versed record to the scribe who was proficient for writing 106 or copying it on stone, metal and other similar is stated to have been engraved by Pandita objects with a skilful hands. For clear and beautiful Harcuka (no. 22). Amera stone inscription of the writing of the royal inscription, in general, skilled time of Naravarman: V.S. 1151 (C.E. 1094) was II scribes were employed'. Of the scribes of the inscribed by Saumatika (no. 30). Vidisha stone Paramara inscriptions, Gunadhara was the inscription of Trailokyavarman: V.S. 1216 (C.E. I Kayastha who had written the two Harsola copper­ 1158) was engraved by Vasudeva (no. 42). Sehore plate grants of Siyaka: V.S. 1005 (C.E. 949) (no.1- copper-plate inscriptions of Arjunavarman were 2). Chaddaka, son of Amnaka was the writer of engraved by Pandita Bapyadeva (nos. 48, 49). The the Modasa copper-plate inscription of the time of artisan (rOpakara) Kanhada was the engraver of Bhojadeva:-17.S: 4067 (C.E. 1011) (no. 8). The two Mandhata copper-plate inscriptions (nos. 57, charter is neither carefully engraved nor shows 60). Dhamna, son of sOtradhara SarQka was the the symmetry or beauty in formation. British i engraver of the Varman stone inscription of the ! Museum image inscription of Bhojadeva: V.S. time of P0rnapala: V.S. 1099 (C.E. 1043) (no. 61), 1091 (C.E. 1034) was written by Sivadeva (no. while Vasantagadha stone inscription of the time 14). The minister of peace and war, the illustrious of same ruler was engraved by Uivapala, who was Jogeravara ofthe twice born race was the writer the son of the sOtradhara Deuka, the grandson of of Ka.Ivan copper-plate inscription of the time of Durga and the great-grandson of the sthapati Bhojadeva (no. 16). Dongaragaon stone (architect) Naga (no. 62). Dhareuvara, Deua, inscription of the time of Jagaddeva: Saka Samvat Devau and Lahampa were the engravers of 1034 (C. E. 1112) was written by Viuvsvamin (no. P0rnapala s Bhadund stone inscription of V.S. 28). Pandita Ra.jape.lahas written the Amera stone 1102 (C.E. 1045) and possibly also the excavators inscription of the time of Naravarman: V.S. 1151 of the well (no. 63). Ajhar'i stone inscription of the (C.E. 1094) (no. 30). Arth0na stone inscription of time of Yasodhavala: V.S. 1202 (C.E. 1146) was Camundaraja: v.s. 1136 (C.E. 1080) told that engraved by sOtradhara Cadadeva (no.