Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s8: Chakravikrama Type

The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s8

Language
English

Chakravikrama Type

c11.s8.1

This type is known from a single specimen found in the Bayana hoard. We proceed to give its full description.

c11.s8.2

Gold; .75"; 116.7 grains (but slightly worn); B.H. Pl. XVIII. 14.

c11.s8.3

*Obv:* God Chakrapurusha, (personification of *Sudarśana-chakra* of Vishnu) is standing to right within a double-rimmed wheel, oval in shape and going round his entire person above the knees. The spokes of the rim are indicated by its knobs appearing outside the inner and outer rims of the wheel and its extant portion shows 38 or 39 of them. The deity is wearing a crown but is bare-bodied, wearing *dhoti*, necklace and wristlets, holding a mace (*gadā*) in the left hand hanging by his side and offering by right hand, bent and raised up, three round objects, held in his palm, to king standing facing him, nimbate, bare-headed, and wearing earrings, necklace, armlets, tunic and trousers with prominent folds round the legs. He is extending his right hand, bent up, to receive the divine gift; his left hand is placed on the hilt of a sword hanging by the left leg. The sword is fastened by a strap to the king's waist, which passes through a hole in the hilt. No legend on the obverse.

c11.s8.4

*Rev:* Within dotted border, Lakshmi, not nimbate, standing three-fourths to left, on a lotus, wearing *sāri*, upper garment and earrings, right hand bent, its forefinger apparently pointing at something, left hand hanging down, slightly bent, and holding a lotus with a long stalk having a bud as well. A conch below the right hand and a symbol above it. Legend on r., *Chakravikrama(h)*.

c11.s8.5

This unique coin does not give the name of the issuer, but its attribution to Chandragupta II is rendered almost certain by the *biruda* Vikrama, which forms part of the legend on the reverse. *Chakravikrama* is similar in composition to *Ajitavikrama* and *Simhavikrama*, which occur on the Horseman and the Lion-slayer types of Chandragupta II.

c11.s8.6

Chandragupta II was a great devotee of Vishnu, as is shown by one of his coin legends which describes him as *paramabhāgavata*. He also appears to have erected a *Garuda-dhvaja* at the famous *tirtha* of Vishnupada somewhere on the Beas in the South-eastern Punjab.¹ The present type shows how he claimed to be the direct recipient of a favour from god Chakrapurusha, one of the *Ayudhapurushas* of Vishnu, who in the Gupta age, was believed to personify the power of Vishnu himself.

c11.s8.7

¹ Mehrauli pillar inscription, *C.I.I.* III, p. 141. Sircar, *Select Inscriptions*, p. 275. It is almost certain that king Chandra of this record is the same as Chandragupta II.

c11.s8.8

The present writer had earlier held the view that the Divine Personage on the obverse should be identified rather with Vishnu than with his *Ayudhapurusha* Chakra, on the ground that, if the king was to be represented as receiving a favour direct from God, he would naturally be represented as Vishnu rather than his *Ayudhapurusha* Chakra.² The new evidence subsequently brought to light by Mr. C. Sivaramamurti³ and Dr. V. S. Agrawala⁴ tends to show that the figure is that of Chakrapurusha rather than that of Vishnu. Vishnu with two hands only is unknown; Chakra-purusha has often two hands, though he sometimes has more. The *Ahirbudhnya-samhitā* shows that Chakra or Sudarśana-chakra, the most effective weapon of Vishnu, was identified with the Golden Purusha inside the Sun and even with the Supreme Being who is the Mover of the Great Wheel of the Universe (*jagachchakra*), i.e. with Vishnu himself.⁵ The glorification of Chakra is carried to the extreme; we are told that whatever can be described as fit to be worshipped is but only a manifestation of Chakra-purusha. This Chakra-purusha is identified with Vishnu himself, *Chakrarūpī svayaṁ Hariḥ*, 41. 37.

c11.s8.9

² *Ante*, p. 23., *J.N.S.I.* X, p. 103., *B.H.*, p. xcii.

c11.s8.10

³ *J.N.S.I.*, XIII, p. 180.

c11.s8.11

⁴ *Ibid*, XVI, p. 97.

c11.s8.12

⁵ षोडषं कालाख्यचक्रस्य प्रेरकः पुरुषोऽव्ययः । युगचक्रस्य नेतारमेनमेव विदुबुधाः । एवमहंपर्योऽप्याहुरुच्चक्रं प्रवर्तकम् ।। 36. 33-4.

c11.s8.13

There is therefore nothing improbable in the mint-masters having decided to represent the king as the recipient of an invaluable favour from Chakra-purusha, rather than Chakra-dhārin or Vishnu. The legend on the reverse, *Chakravikrama*, should therefore be interpreted as *Chakravat-vikramaḥ*; ‘One whose valour is like that of Chakra, i. e. Chakra-purusha.’ An alternative explanation would be *Chakrāt prāptaḥ vikramaḥ yena saḥ*, ‘One who has derived his valour or invincibility from Chakra or Chakra-purusha himself.’

c11.s8.14

The representation of the Chakra-purusha on the obverse of the coin is in remarkable conformity with that given in the *Ahirbudhnyasaṁhitā*.¹ The king desirous of winning military glory and scoring great victories is advised to meditate on Chakra-purusha in the middle² of a wheel,³ having two rims and 64 spokes; he is to have two arms only. The divine figure on the obverse of our coin has also two arms and is standing in the middle of a wheel which has two rims, very clearly indicated. The dots on the rims are obviously intended to stand for the ends of the spokes. In that portion of the wheel which is visible, their number is about 39; we can therefore well presume that the entire wheel was intended to have 64 spokes as stated in the *Saṃhitā*.¹

c11.s8.15

¹ एवं भूते महाचक्रे चतु:पष्टचरसंयुते । नेमिद्वयान्विते देवं मध्ये ध्यायस्व भूपते ।। 42. 66.

c11.s8.16

² The portion of the figure down the knees is not included in the *Chakra*; but this is a minor irregularity necessitated by the circumstance that the king also had to be accommodated on the die. As the deity is shown in the middle of the wheel, its spokes could be indicated only by their ends.

c11.s8.17

³ The circular object round the divine figure cannot be taken to be a halo, for the latter is usually around the face or head only. It is only in the late Pāla period, that Vishnu images in Bengal begin to show a halo around the entire figure, but they have four and not two hands.

c11.s8.18

¹ It may be however, pointed out that Sudarśana-purusha or Chakra-purusha, as described in the *Śilparatna*, is considerably different. He is to have a grim appearance, matted hair, eight or sixteen hands and is to be surrounded by a circle ( G. Rao, *Hindu Iconography*, Vol. I, p. 291 ). This conception is probably a later one and related to Nṛisiṃhāvatāra.

c11.s8.19

We may therefore well presume that the obverse of this unique coin represents Chandragupta II as receiving a divine favour direct from Chakrapurusha, who is manifesting himself before him for that purpose. the *prasāda* in the form of the three round objects may well be taken to symbolise threefold royal power consisting of *prabhuśakti*, *utsāhaśakti* and *mantraśakti*, which together constitute the *kriyāśakti* of a king, as Chakrapurusha was a representation of the *kriyāśakti* of Vishnu (*Ahirbudhnyasaṃhitā*, 36-56).

c11.s8.20

It is not easy to determine the chronology of the different types of gold coins of Chandragupta II enumerated above. Archer type, class I, the Standard type and the Couch type were probably issued early in the reign as suggested by their reverse motif, showing the goddess as seated on throne and not on lotus. Chhatra type was perhaps a little later; it recalls the reverse of the Lyrist type of Samudragupta. The Archer type Class II, the Lion-slayer type and the Horseman type seem to have been issued throughout the reign. The king-and-the-Queen-on-the-Couch type is known from a solitary piece; its light weight and analogy to the Couch type would suggest that it was issued early in the reign like the latter. The chronology suggested here is purely tentative.

c11.s8.21

Most of the coins of Chandragupta II are well executed and show considerable artistic skill. The art shown in depicting the energetic and determined action of the king when engaged in a deadly struggle with the lion and the masterly manner in which the charm of his muscular body or the grace of the person of Lakshmī are shown are both remarkable. The mint-masters seem to be always eager to show new variations in the accepted and popular types, as shown by the numerous varieties of the Archer, the Lion-slayer and the Horseman types. The best coins of Chandragupta II are also among the best coins of ancient India.

Linked texts (3)