The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c20.22.1

v1.c20.22.1

The situation however has been further complicated by the discovery of the name of Vināyakapāla as ‘protecting the earth’ at the end of the Khajuraho inscription of Dhaṅga, dated in 954 A.D. A critical examination of the passage leaves no doubt that the name of Vināyakapāla was mentioned as that of the sovereign ruler. Now if this Vināyakapāla is identified with the Vināyakapāla of the Gurjara inscriptions, the attempt to identify Devapāla of the Khajuraho inscription at once falls to the ground. The identification of the two Vināyakapālas is however difficult on account of the date of the Khajuraho inscription (954 A.D.); for we know from the Partabgarh inscription that Mahendrapāla, the son of Vināyakapāla, was already on the throne in V. S. 1003 (A.D. 945-46). The suggestion that the name of Vināyakapāla occurred in the original record of Yaśovarman some time before 954 A.D. and that after the latter's death the record was set up in his son's reign in 954 A.D. with some verses ‘added at the end to describe the martial exploits of Dhaṅga’ seems to me rather improbable.¹ It is unlikely that in an official document a dead king should be referred to ‘as protecting the earth.’ Thus if we accept the suggestion that the Vināyakapāla of the Khajuraho inscription was a Gurjara prince, we are driven to assume the existence of a second Vināyakapāla who ruled after Mahendrapāla II.