Dhruvasena 1, the younger brother of Dronasimha, was the third son of Bhatarka. During his rule, Yashodharman of Malwa had defeated Harisena of the Vakataka dynasty, as well as the Huna king Mihirakula.
Therefore he had to rule as a subordinate king of .
Yashodharman. Maitrakas were followers of Lord Siva, while Dhruvasena himself is called ‘Paramabhagavata’, the great Vaishṇava, though He was liberal in religious beliefs, he had made a Buddhist monastery at Valabhi, built by his Buddhist niece Dudda. He had made several grants to Brahmanas of Vadnagar, also. The Jain council at Vallabhi was held during his rule which was arranged by his wife Chandralekha.
There is a mention of consolation on loss of his son by Vallabhi council in one of the plates.
Kalpa Sutra, the Jain text, was compiled probably during the reign of Dhruvasena, which was close to 1000 years after the death of Mahavira. Kalpa Sutra mentions that the public reading of it started at Anandapura (Vadnagar) to relieve Dhruvasena from the grief of the death of his son. Based on his grants, it is known that his kingdom extended from Dwarika to Valabhi, whole Saurashtra peninsula and as far as Vadnagar in the north
Dhruvasena 1, was succeeded by his younger brother Dharapatta, who reigned for a very short period. He was also a sun-worshipper.
During his rule, the Garulakas or Garudakas had accepted the Maitrakas as their overlord. The Garulaka had captured Dwarika probably with help of the Maitrakas. They had an emblem of the Garuda.
Inscription number 59.
Palitana Plates of Dhruvasena 1-(Gupta_Valabhi-Year 206 (525-526 AD)
Provenance: Palitana, Saurashtra.
Script: Brahmi /Western variety of the Southern class.
Language: Sanskrit.
References: Sten Konow Ep.Ind, XI,
pp-104 ff.
Footnote-1
1. Sten Konow (Ep.Ind. 1911-12, pp-104) reported that about 40 years earlier twelve plates strung together, by a thick copper wire are discovered from an
underground chamber, adjoining a tank in Palitana, Two of these formed a grant of Somanta-Maharaja Simhaditya.
Of the rest, three complete and one incomplete grant of Dhruvasena were engraved on seven plates while the
eighth plate contained the grant of another valabhi king Siladitya 1, Dharmaditya of the year 286 (605-606 AD.).
The three complete grants of Dhruvasena 1, eg. one of the years of 206. and two grants of the year 210, are
being re-edited in these pages. The fourth incomplete grant is omitted, because it repeats only the stereotyped
genealogy found in all the other grants of Dhruvasena 1.
2. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind.. facing
pp-106.
3. Expressed by the spiral symbol
Footnote 2
1. हस्तवप्र is identified with modern Hathab,
Bhavnagar district, and also with Astakampra or Astakapra of Ptolemy.
2. Konow ढ़िण्डक
3. Or तथा (s) तिनिषक
English Translation of the inscription.
1. Om Hail !
From Valabhi.(In the lineage) of those
Maitrakas, who forced their enemies to submit, (was born the general/the devout worshipper of Mahesvara, the glorious Bhatakka, who gained,
power in hundreds of battles fougat within the circuit of territories of adversaries of immeasurable strength,
who gained devotion from those who submitted to his valour, by gifts, honours and straight forwardness who obtained the joy of royalty by the strength of the array of devoted hereditary servants and friends.
2. His son was the General Dhara-sena whose head was purified, and made tawny by the dust of his (father’s)
feet while bowing to him the rays (emanating) from the rows of the nails of whose feet were mingled with the
lustre of the crest jewels of his foes when they bent their heads (before him) whose wealth was being lived
upon by poor and helpless people, who was a devout worshipper of Mahesvara.
3. His Younger brother the devout worshipper of Mahesvara
(was) Maharaja Dronasimha whose spotless crest jewel became praiseworthy by bowing down to his (brother’s) feet, who dutifully established the laws laid down by
Manu and others who like Dharmaraja (i.e Yudhishthira or Yamaraja) fixed the path of the laws of good conduct
whose royal glory was purified by the great conferment, the anointment to kingship having been performed in
per son by the paramount sovereign, the lord of the vast sphere of the whole earth.
3. His younger brother, who like a Lion, is the sole Conqueror, by the strength of his own arm of the array
of the elephant troops of his enemies, the refuge, of those who seek for refuge, who has grasped the real
purport of the meaning of the Sastras, who like the Kalpa -tree, has granted the enjoyment of rewards according
to the wishes of his friends and Favourites, the devout worshipper of Bhagavat, who meditates on the
Seet of the paramount lord the Maha-samanta, the
Maharaja Dhruvasena, being in good health has issued he
Following order to all ayuktakas, viniyuktakas. drangikas. Mahattares, chatas, soldiers dhruvadhi-karanikas, dandapasikas and others so concerned.
4. Be it known to you that I have granted as a Brahma-day, with libation of water, to last for the same time, as the moon, the sun, the ocean,
the earth, the rivers and mountains last, to be enjoyed by the succession of their sons and grandsons in the
Hastavapra aharani in the village Madkana, and hundred and forty padavartas belonging to the householder Isvara and an irrigation step-well with a periphery of sixteen padavartas further in the Tapasiya village, hundred and forty padavartas, the holding of
Tthindaka further on in Tinishka village, on it’s north-eastern border, hundred padavartas, together with a step-well and) to the two Brahmanas, the
residents of sankara-vataka, (namely) kumara-sarmen and
Jarabhajyi, of sandilya gotra (and) students of the chchhandoga school, or the increase of the religious
merit of my mother and Father and in order to obtain for myself in this world and the other such rewards as
I wish for the purpose of, perfomance of bali, _charu, vaisvadeva and
other rites.
5. where fore, not even a slight obstruction should be made by any persons to these two while they are
enjoying it in accordance with the proper conditions of a Brahma-daya, cultivating it for assigning it
(to others). and this our gift should be assented to by those born in our lineage and by future pious
kings, bearing in mind the impermanence of royal
power, the instability of human life and common share in the reward of a gift of land and he who confiscates
it or assents to its confiscation, incurs the guilt of the five great sins together with the minor sins.
There are also in this context two verses sung by Vyasas.
Here follow the two of the traditional imprecatory verses.
6. signature from my own hand, of Mahasumanta, Maharaja Dhruvasena.
The executor is the Pratihara Mammaka, written by Kikkaka.
7. The year 200 (+)6, (the month) Bhadrapada the bright fortnight, the 5th tithi.