Talagunda pillar inscription

The Tālagunda pillar inscription is an epigraphic record in Sanskrit giving an account of the Kadamba dynasty. It was set up in the time of the Kadamba king Śāntivarma (c. 455-60).[1]

Talagunda pillar inscription Talagunda
village
Talagunda pillar inscription Location in Karnataka, India
Coordinates: 14.42°N 75.26°E / 14.42; 75.26
Country	India
State	Karnataka
District	Shimoga District
Languages
• Official	Kannada
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	577 450
Telephone code	08187
Vehicle registration	KA-14

Location

The pillar is located beside the Śiva temple of Prāṇaveśvara in Talagunda village, Shikaripur taluk in Shimoga district, Karnataka, India.

Publication

The inscription was published in Epigraphia Carnatica by the celebrated pioneer of historical studies in Karṇāṭaka B. L. Rice.[2] An edition was also published by Kielhorn in Epigraphia Indica.[3] Sircar included the record in his Select Inscriptions.[4] More recent collections have included the inscription again, notably those by B. R. Gopal,[5] and G. S. Gai.[6]

Description and Contents

This inscription, carved vertically on the shaft of the pillar, opens with praise to Sthāṇu i.e. Śiva and recounts the foundation of Kadamba power by Mayūraśarma (for this personality see Mayurasharma). This family of Brāhmaṇas, who belonged to Mānavyagotra, are said to have acquired the name Kadamba from a Kadamba tree near their home. Mayūraśarma went to Pallavendrapurī (i.e. Kāñcī) with his teacher Vīraśarma to complete his studies. Because of a quarrel at the time of a horse-sacrifice (aśvamedha) orangised for the Pallava king where the Brāhmaṇas were not treated with proper respect by the Kṣatriyas, Mayūraśarma became enraged and, taking up the sword, took refuge in Śrīparvata.[7] From there harassed the Pallava frontier and levied tribute from Bṛhat Bāṇa and others. The Pallavas eventually acknowledged him as the king of the country between Aparārṇava (the Western Ocean) and Preharā. Mayūraśarma's son was Kaṅgavarma, described in the record as "famous in battle." His son Bhagīratha was the father of Raghu who was a poet and a scholar. Raghu’s brother was Kākusthavarma (c. 435-55) who "was like the sun and by means of rays (daughters) caused the lotuses of Gupta and other royal families to bloom in friendless, eagerness and love." He came to Sthānakundūru on a hunting expedition and near the temple of Mahādeva who had been worshipped by Śātakarṇi and others previously, caused a big tank to be excavated. His son who had three crowns was Śāntivarma. Śāntivarma caused this inscription to be made. It was composed by the poet Kubja.

Inscription on the Tālagunda pillar.

See also

• Indian inscriptions
• Talagunda

Notes

1. Jan E. M. Houben (1996). Ideology and Status of Sanskrit: Contributions to the History of the Sanskrit Language. BRILL. p. 214. ISBN 90-04-10613-8.
2. Epigraphia Carnatica 7 (Sk.176), p. 200ff.
3. Epigraphica Indica 8, pp. 24-36.
4. D. C. Sircar, Select Inscriptions, p. 450ff.
5. B. R. Gopal, Corpus of Kadamba Inscriptions (Mysore, 1985), pp. 10ff.
6. G. S. Gai, Inscriptions of the Kadambas (Delhi, 1996), p. 64ff.
7. This episode explored, with translation of the relevant passage of the inscription, in Michael Willis, The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual (Cambridge, 2009): chapter 3.

External links

• Inscriptions of the Early Kadambas