Susharman, who was a learned ascetic from Bharadvaja gotra, is the founder of Parivrajaka dynasty. Maharaja Devadhya was a descendant of Susharman, and was succeeded by his son Maharaja Prabhanjana. Prabhanjana was succeeded by his son Maharaja Damodara.
Maharaja Hastin, the son of Damodara,
had fought several battles and emerged victorious. He had many military accomplishments to his credit. He had also participated in Guptas’ war against the Hunas.
Hastin ruled, for at least 42 years in Vindhyan region, which comprised 18 forest kingdoms.
Hastin was a Shaivite, as has been mentioned in Bhumara inscription, The Inscription describes him practicing regular meditation on the feet of Mahadeva.
Inscription number 37.
Jabalpur Plates of Maharaja Hastin— Gupta Year 170.
Provenance: An unnamed village between Rewa and Satna in
Madhya Pradesh. Present whereabouts of this village, are not known.
Script: Eastern variety of Gupta Brahmi.
Language: Sanskrit.
References: Raj Bali Pandey, Ep.Ind. XXVIII, pp.264-67.
Footnote-1.
1. The characters of this inscription differ from the nail-headed variety found in the Majhagawan plates of
Hastin.
2. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind, XXIII, facing pp.266.
The Maha-jyeshtha savat-sara of the twelve year cycle of Jupiter lasted from G. E.166 to G.E. 178 (485 to 497 A. D.).
The known dates of Hastin range from G. E. 156 (=475 A,D.)
to the G.E, 198 (=517 A.D.)
Footnote-2.
1. Pandey: देवशम्र्म
2. Raj Bali Pandey:. रुद्रदत्त of हरिशम्र्म he read only शम्र्म
3. After विशाखदत्त in 1.10, Pandey read
मौन विष्णुस्वामिपुनरपि विष्णुदेव
4. Pandey: मधूकगवा
5. Pandey: समते ( = समेत )
6. चाट is usually translated as irregular troops but Vogel in a letter to Hira Lal pointed out that in the erstwhile Chamba state in western Himachal Pradesh evidently derived from चाट, was the designation of the head of a Pragana. His job was to collect villagers for forced labour (बेगार
in Hindi) for the state and to arrange supplies and load carriers whenever the Raja or some traveller of importance visited his district. The privilege अचार भट प्रावेश्य implies that this begar officer was not allowed to conscript free labour and free supplies for the state.
Second plate
1. सिंहाणक = Marshy Bank of a River.
2. वाहिका = Stream
3. This न is superfluous.
English Translation of the inscription.
Om Obeisance to Mahadeva ! Peace ! In the fief of the empire of the Gupta kings, in the year one hundred increased by seventy, the Mahajyeshtha year, on the fifth of the bright half of the month of Phalguna. On this aforesaid
date, by the illustrious Maharaja Hastin, who was born in the royal family of the Parivrajakas, who was the great-grand son of Maharaja Devadhya, who was the grandson of Maharaja Prabhanjana, who was the son of the illustrious Maharaja Damodara, who was the giver of thousands of cows, any elephants horses and gold coins and of land, who was devoted to the worship of teachers, father and mother, who
was a great devotee of gods and Brahmanas, who was a victor of
more than one hundred battles, who caused joy to his ancestry, has granted for the increase of his religious merit, (the village of madhukagarttika with Bhagavađvishnu hamlet and
Godhika hamlet, attached to it, as an agrahara, together with
the udranga (land tax), together with the uparikara (additional taxes,) not to be entered by the district begar officers, except (in pursuit of) thieves, (and) together with Mahua plantations (sa-madhukah), to the Brahmanas: Kodrava-sarman, Nagasarman, Matridatta, Gangabhadrasvamin, Dhanadatta, Kapilasvamin, Agnisarman, Vishnudeva, Visakhadeva, Gandhasvamin, Paritoshasarman, Krishnasvamin, Devasarman, Rohasarman, Bhavasarman, Devadhya, Dattasarman, Manoratha, Agnidatta, Harisarman, Rudrabhava, visakhadatta,
Daurabhatta, Maunavi Shnusvamin, Punyaratha, Vishņudeva, Svati
and Gangaghosha etc. The boundary marks of the same are:
To the south-west is the marshy bank of the Madhuka pit, to the
north is the range of sallaki trees, to the east is the Batabahikas and the two Kinnatadehikas, to the south-east is the
meeting line (of the boundaries) of Amragarta and Madhuka-garttika. Nobody, arising in our family, or earning
livelihood in service, should cause infringement (of the terms of the grant) even in future times. such being the
order, he who acts otherwise, him I will burn down with great meticulous, even when, I have transmigrated to
another body.
And the great Rishi Vyasa, the editor of
the Vedas, has said-
(Here follows three of the usual imprecatory verses)
Written by Suryadatta, the Senior Minister for Peace and War, the son of Bhogika Ravidatta, the grandaon of
Bhogika Naradatta, (and) the great-grandson of the Minister
Vakra. The Dutaka is Nagasimha.
Seal
Seal of king Hastin.
Footnote.
1. Bahika = A stream
2. Garta = A pit, Gartika = A small pot.