Yashodharman was a ruler of Malwa, in central India, during the early part of the 6th century. He probably belonged to the Second Aulikara dynasty. He conquered much of the Indian subcontinent between c. 530-540 AD
The Huna kings were very cruel and barbaric. Mihirakula had captured Sindh and had a very large elephant and cavalry-driven army. He destroyed several Hindu & Buddhist sites, ruined Budhist monasteries. Yashodharman, had defeated Mihirakula and put an end to Mihirakula.
Mihirakula had initially conquered and, thereafter Gandhara. He had been attempting to conquer central and eastern India as well, but Yashodharman and Narasimhagupta not only stopped his advances but got entire region vacated from his armies. They captured Mihirakula during one of the battles but spared his life as Baladitya’s mother had intervened and argued against his capital punishment.
Inscription number 33.
Mandasor stone Pillar Inscription of Yasodharman. (525-35 A.D.)
Provenance: Mandasor, Madhya Pradesh.
Footnote-1
1. An identical inscription was engraved on each of the pair of magnificent monolith colums found about 5 kms.
to the south-east of Mandasor.
The present column in two pieces shows that it was 39′ 3″ in height.
The lower piece 21′ 5″ in length preserves the complete
9 line inscription. The second identical column was deliberately split vertically. One of its two surviving fragments preserves only the second half of
those very nine lines, which fortunately contains the names of Yasodharman, Mihirakula and Govinda. The
Fragmentary inscription, being a repetition, is left out.
2. From the facsimile in C.I.I,. III,No 43, Pl.XXIB,. opp pp-142.
3. केतु = banner. Here it is used for the pillar.
Footnote-2
1. Or परिस्पन्दि
2. सम्राट = A king who has established hds sovereignty over other kings by performing the Rajasuya sacrifice.
3. This claim implies that he succeeded the Guptas and the Hunas to the sovereignty over Malwa.
4. लौहित्या = river Brahmaputra, तल = ताल = palmyra tree. महेन्द्र = Eastern Ghats Mahendrachala in Tirunelveli District, seems to be meant here. Fleet
and sircar doubt the veracity of this claim.
Footnote-3.
1. सामन्त a courtiers but here, a feudatory ruler.
2. This claim indicates that he undertook a digvijaya campaign over the traditional chakravartti-kshetra.
However, there is no evidence forthcoming to confirm his claim to conquest of all this region.
3. From this verse, we gather some information about Mihirakula, e.g that he was not subordinate to any
other ruler, ie. he was a sovereign emperor ii) that he held sway over some Himalayan region.
Kalhana speaks of him as a king of Kashmir. But at one stage, his empire extended at least to Malwa.
(cf, his Gwalior record (Infra III, 44) and his father, Toramana’s Eran record from where he was ousted by Yosodharman.
His capital, according to Buddhist tradition, was Sakala (modern sialkot) just south of Jammu and Kashmir.
iii) he was a Saiva by faith, which fact v.4 of his Gwalior record seems to Confirm (see infra III ,45)
English Translation of the inscription.
(v.1) 1.1: May (this) lofty banner
(i.e., Flag-post or pillar) of siva destroy the glory of your enemies–
(that banner) bearing the representation of that
bull (of Siva, i.e. Nandi) on whom Girija has printed the mark of her all five-fingered hand, (the bull)
who causes the distant regions, in which the demons are driven to tremble wildly with fear by (his) terrible bellowings; (and) who makes the rocks of caverns of the sumeru (mountain) split asunder by the blows of his
horn
(v.2) 1.2: Afflicted by the present day kings of evil tastes, of manifest arrogance and adept at bad manners who, as a result of infatuation are transgressers of the path of good conduct; the earth betook itself to whose arm which bears the scar of the hard bow-string on its ore end (and) which (arm) is steadfast in
Successful actions in pursuit of his vow of public weal, as if it were that (arm) of sarngapani (Vishnu)
(V.3) 1. 3: In this age, which is the ravisher of good behavior, the title, samrat (= universal king)
even when used only in imagination in association with other kings, of reprehensible conduct, does not shine
as an offering of flowers on a dust-heap (instead of a deity), he, in whom the same (title of universal
Monarch) shines forth brighter, like a resplendent jewel in auspicious gold,( who is the abode of blessings.
and is comparable to Manu, Bharata,
Alarka and Mandhatri-
(V.4) 1.4: He who enjoys, with the contempt of the confines
of his Own house, the (vast) countries, covered with deserts,
mountains, trees, forests, rivers, and are embraced (i.e. protected) by the (mighty) arms of brave men, and whose kings he has subdued by is
prowess. the countries, which were not (even) enjoyed by the Gupta lords, whose valour was seen trampling over the entire earth, nor had been
penetrated by the command, of the Huna rulers, that had established itself on the tiaras of (many) kings.
(v.5) 1.5: He whose lands trom near the Lauhitya (A Brahmaputra river) to the Mahendra (mountain) with its valleys dense with forests of palmyra-trees,
and from the Himalayas with peaks embraced by the Ganges, to the western oceans are made variegated by the mixture of the beams of rays emitted by the crest-jewels while falling on his feet, by chieftains humbled by the prowess his arms.
(V.6) 1.6: Even by that renowned king mihirakula, by whom (his) head has never been brought to the humility by obeisance to any other save (the
god) Siva, the snow-covered mountain Himalaya, bears the pride of impenetrability, because of being
embraced (i.e. defended) by his arms (i.e Yasodharman’s) two feet were saluted by bending low, with offering of
(propitiatory) flowers falling from his diadem, with his head strained at being pressed down in the act of
obeisance, by the prowess of his/arm,
(Yasodharman’s)
(V.7) 1.7: By that famous king, the illustrious Yasodharman, the beams of whose arms, are handsome and
firm as pillars, this pillar has been erected to endure till the dissolution of the universe, as if to measure out the earth, as if to count the cluster
of stars high above, (and) as if to point out the path to high heaven of his Own fame earned by his good actions-
(v.8) 1.8: This pillar which shines refulgent, as if it were an arm of the earth raised high with love to
Write upon the luner disc the excellence of the
virtues of Yasodharman, to the effect that -his birth is in a praise-worthy lineage, there is seen in him a charming behaviour that destroys sin, he
is the abode of morality (or religion), public behaviour regulated by him, does not falter.
(V.9) 1.9: From a desire to praise this king of meritorious actions, (these) verses have been composed by
Vasula, the son of Kakka.
L.9: Engraved by Govinda.