Prithivishena 2, was a ruler of the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch of the Vakataka dynasty. He succeeded his father Narendrasena as Maharaja.
Prithivishena was born to Ajjhitabhattarika, a princess of kuntala.
wife of Narendrasena.
When Prithivishena was a youth of about 20 years, he aided his father in repulsing the nalas of the bastar region who had invaded the Vakataka kingdom.
He fought a war with the aggressive Traikutaka king Dahrasena, who is known to have performed an ashwamedha horse sacrifice and whose growing kingdom bordered the Vakataka realm on the west. These are two important military accomplishments of Prithvishena as has been discovered from his seals.
Prithivishena believed in Vaishnavism and has been described as a devout worshipper of Bhagavat Vishnu.
Prithivishena was inspired by the Vaishnavite faith of his great-grandmother Prabhavatigupta , because just like his great-grandmother Prithivishena issued his first public charter from the Vaishnavite religious sanctuary of Ramagiri.
Inscription number 11.
Balaghat Copper Plate Inscription of Prithivishena II
(First quarter of the 6th century A.D.)
Provenance: Balaghat district, Found hanging to a tree in the Jungle) Madhya Pradesh.
Script: Box headed variety of the Southern Class of Brahmi.
Language: Sanskrit.
References: F.Kielhorn, Ep.Ind. IX, pp.267-71.
Footnote-1
1. The plates are five in number of which, two contain no writing. Of the other three the second is
engraved on both sides and the first and third, on one side only. Kielhorn assigns this record to the Second half of the 8th century A.D. But see D.C. Sircar in the classical Age, pp.179, n.1.
2. From the Facsimile in Ep.Ind, IX, Plate facing pp.270 and 271.
3. Kielhorn records that the visarga is clearly visible on the original. But in the facsimile lt is absent. Here, as elsewhere in the plate, the rules of samdhi have not been observed.
Second plate first side
1. There is a superfluous mark of punctuation, resembling a tick-mark, after it.
2. Here, as also in the rest of the plate, nn is denoted by the mark that really. should stand for nn.
3. Here the words, महाराज श्री भवनाग दौहित्रस्य गौतमिपुत्रस्य वाकाटकानाम of the cognate plates, have been left out through oversight.
4. Kielhorn, unnecessarily amends to पात्रागत भकतत्व
5. Engraved originally was later corrected to rvva.
Second plate second side
Footnote
The line commences in the middle, one-third space, in the beginning having been left blank
2. Of the grants of Pravarasena 2, only the siwani grant has the passage beginning here with वाकाटकानाम्महाराज to द्विष: in 1.22. See Gupta Inss. pp.246 11.14-15.
3. The chammak and Siwanl grants of Pravarasena 2, have दधृति instead of दधृत. Here follows a Superfluous punctuation mark.
Third plate
Footnote
1. I.e the district round Amarakaņtak hill in chedi country from where the river Narmada, also called Mekala-kanya, springs.
2. A Superfluous mark of punctuation follows.
3. According to Kielhorn, त is clearly visible in the original plate.
4. Here the text abruptly ends, leaving it incomplete. In some other Vakataka grants, the phrase is completed
as सर्वाध्यक्ष नियोग नियुक्ता:.. It seems that for some reason, the charter was neither completed nor issued significantly, the word दृष्टं present on the
margin of the grants of Pravarasena 2, as also the initial word स्वस्ति or सिद्धं
are missing here. दृष्टं ie. seen, must have been inserted in Copper-plates after the issuing authority had
examined the text and approved it. The occasion did not arise here.
English Translation of the inscription
L.1. From (his) residence in- – Vembara.
L1.30-35: All our serving officers appointed in supervisory assignments (should be ordered) at the command of the most devout worshipper of Lord
Vishnu, the Maharaja Sri Prithivishena 2, of the family of the Vakatakas, who was begotton on the chief queen Ajjhitabhattarika, the daughter of
the king of Kuntala, who is the common abode of majesty and forbearance, who is the redeemer of the two sunken families (the maternal as well as paternal)
L1.26-30: Who is the son of Maharaja Sri Narendrasena of the
Vakataka family, who was the chastiser of (his) enemies that were subdued by his prowess, whose commands were obeyed by the rulers of Kosala,
Mekala and Malava, royal fortune of whose dynasty, was stolen away because of the confidence that he had earlier placed in virtues.
L1.20-26: Who was the son of Maharaja Sri Pravarasena 2, of the Vakataka family, who ( Pravarasena 2)
had become an ornament to the Vakataka lineage;
who had delivered the righteous age (Kritayuga) with (god) Sambhu’s favour, (and) who was begotten on
Prabhavatigupta, the daughter of Maharijádhiraja Sri Devagupta; who stuck to the path followed by earlier
kings (and) who had annihilated all (his) enemies by his excellent statesmanship, prowess and valour.
L1.17-20: who was the son of Maharaja Sri Rudrasen 2, of the Vakataka family, vho had attained (his) rising fortune through the favour of Lord (vishnu), the
wielder of a disc.
L1.11-17 Who was the son of Maharaja Sri Prithivishena 1, of the Vakataka family who was extremely devoted to
(the god) Mahesvara ($iva) who had risen high with the qualities of truthfulness, straightforwardness,
compassion, heroism, prowess, Political wisdom, modesty
high mindedness, wisdom, devotion to worthy people, achieving conquests through piousness, purity of mind
and others who was the possessor of treasures, armed forces, and other means of governance, growing over a
hundred years, and had a growing succession of sons and grand sons and whose conduct was like that of
Yudhishthira.
L1.5-11: who was tho son of Maharaja Sri Rudrasena 1, of the Vakataka family, who was an excessively devout
devotee of (the god) Svami Maha Bhairava, who was the daughter’s son of the Maharaja Sri Bhava-naga of the Bharasiva family, whose royal line owed
its origin to the great satisfaction of (the god) Siva, caused by (their) carrying a linga of Siva placed as a load upon (their) shoulders, (and) who
were besprinkled on the forehead with the pure water of the Ganges, that had been obtained by their valour (and) who performed ablutions after the
celebration of ten horse sacrifices.
L1.1-5 who (i.e. Rudrasena 1) was the son of Gautamiputra and who (i.e. Rudrasena I) was the grand son of the
Emperor, Maharaja Sri Pravarasen a 1. of the Vakataka family, who celebrated the agnishtoma, aptoryama,
ukthya, sodashin, atiratra, vājapeya, brihaspatisava, sadyaskra
and four asvamedha sacrifices, and was of Vishnu-vriddha gotra.