Early History of the Dekkan down to the Mahomedan Conquest c17.71

c17.71

No inscription has yet come to light showing any close relations between the Buddhists and the Châlukya princes But that the religion dıd prevaıl, and that there were many Buddhıst temples and monasterıes, ıs shown by the account gıven by Hwan Thsang Stıll there ıs lıttle questıon that ıt was ın a condıtıon of declıne Wıth the declıne of Buddhısm came the revıval of Brâhmanısm and especıally of the sacrıfıcıal relıgıon The prevalence of the relıgıon of Buddha had brought sacrıfıces ınto dıscredıt, but we now see them rısıng ınto ımpcrtance Pulakesı I ıs mentıoned ın all the ınscrıptıons ın whıch hıs name occurs as havıng performed a great many sacrıfıces and even the Asvamedha I have elsewhere⁵⁴ remarked that the names of most of the famous Brâhmanıcal wrıters on sacrıfıcıal rıtes have the tıtle of *Svâmın* attached to them, and that ıt was ın use at a certaın perıod, and was gıven only to those conversant wıth the sacrıfıcıal lore The perıod of the early Châlukyas appears to be that perıod Amongst the Brâhman grantees of these prınces we have Nandısvâmın, Lohasvâmın, and Bhallasvâmın,⁵⁵ Dâsasvâmın the son of Jannasvâmın and grandson of Revâsvâmı-Dîkshıta,⁵⁶ Devasvâmın, Karkasvâmın, Yajñasvâmın, Nâgammasvâmın, another Devasvâmın, Gargasvâmın, Rudrasvâmın,⁵⁷ Prabhâkarasvâmın, Kesavasvâmın,⁵⁸ &c There are others whose names have not thıs tıtle attached to them Among these names there are three borne by the great commentators on sacrıfıcıal sûtras and rıtes, vız Karkasvâmın, Devasvâmın, and Kesavasvâmın [60] Though ıt would be hazardous to assume that these wrıters were exactly the persons who are mentioned in the grants with those names, still it admits of no reasonable doubt that they are to be referred to the period when the Châlukyas reigned in Mahârâshṭra, and probably flourished in the Dekkan or the Telugu and Kanarese countries For the revival of Brahmanism was carried on vigorously in the Southern India The ritual of the sacrifices must during the previous centuries have become confused, and it was the great object of these writers to settle it by the interpretation of the works of the old Ṛishis