Impact of Vedic Culture on Society
by Kaushik Acharya | 2020 | 120,081 words
This page relates 鈥楳ingling of Cultures (M): The Shailodbhavas鈥� of the study on the Impact of Vedic Culture on Society as Reflected in Select Sanskrit Inscriptions found in Northern India (4th Century CE to 12th Century CE). These pages discuss the ancient Indian tradition of Dana (making gifts, donation). They further study the migration, rituals and religious activities of Brahmanas and reveal how kings of northern India granted lands for the purpose of austerities and Vedic education.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Mingling of Cultures (M): The 艢ailodbhavas
After the downfall of the Matharas, the 艢ailoabhavas rose into prominence and established their political powers. They were also ardent followers of vedic worship. 惭腻诲丑补惫补谤腻箩补 II and his son Madhyamar膩ja I, are known to have performed 础艣惫补尘别诲丑补 and 痴腻箩补辫别测补 sacrifices.[1] Although they were staunch 艢aivites, they showed greater interest in the Vedic practices to establish their imperial status[2] as the sacrifices associated with the consecration of an Emperor. They also issued land to the learned 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 called 叠丑补峁弓补蝉. They does that for religious merits and to get the support from the 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 in consolidating their authority as well.[3] In the Copperplate charters of the 艢ailodbhavas we notice some of the donees and officers bearing the name M膩dhavaSv膩m墨.
Puru峁ttampur Plates of Sainyabhita Masdhavavarman II 艢riniv膩sa (c. 633 CE)[4] issued by the King M膩dhavavarman II of 艢ailodbhava dynasty records a land grant of a village Amba-驳谤腻尘补 to a 叠丑补峁弓补-狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 of the 颁丑腻苍诲o gya 肠补谤补峁嘺 (厂腻尘补惫别诲补) for augmentation of merit to his parents and himself. Again, 笔耻谤墨 Plates of Madhavavarman (c. 633 CE)[5] records a land grant of a village to 叠丑补峁弓补-vittadeva of Kauthuma-艣腻办丑腻 of 肠丑腻苍诲o gya-肠补谤补峁嘺 (厂腻尘补惫别诲补) for the same purpose.
The 艢ailodbhava rulers followed 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘. The word 鈥溑歛ilodbhava鈥� etymologically means 鈥渂orn out of rocks.鈥� Their myth of origin attributes the emergence of the dynasty鈥檚 founder to 艢颈惫补. The oldest surviving temple in Bhubaneswar the Para艣ur膩me艣vara 艢颈惫补 Temple was probably built during the reign of M膩dhavavarman II.
The 艢ailodbhava inscriptions begin with an invocation of 艢颈惫补 and describe the king as 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补 (a great devotee of 艢颈惫补). But the engraving issued by the 艢aivite 艢ailodbhava King M膩dhavavarman II, as mentioned above, clearly shows the vedic learning and religious practices at that time.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
EI, vol. XI, pp. 281-287.
[2]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-厂补峁僪颈迟腻 (11, 7, 6, 1) and 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 (V, 6, 2, 1) mention 惫腻箩补辫别测补 as a ceremony associated with the consecration of an Emperor.
[3]:
EI, vol. XIII, pp. 123-31.
[4]:
USVAE, vol. IV, part I, pp. 453-456.
[5]:
Ibid., pp. 457-462.