The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c20.51

v1.c20.51

(3) *Bengal Asiatic Society’s plate.*—The find-spot of this plate, sometimes spoken of as the ‘Benares plate’ from the fact that it mentions in line 10 Vārāṇasī-*Viṣaya*, is not known. It consists of 17 lines, and is written on one side of a single plate. “On to the proper right side of the plate there is soldered a thick and massive seal with a high raised rim all round it;……it is rectangular, except that the top of it is raised into an arched peak with a slight depression on each side of it. In the arch thus formed, there is a standing figure facing full front of a goddess, doubtless the *Bhagavatī*,” who is mentioned in the inscription. Below this, across the surface of the seal, there is the legend in 16 lines in relief. The seal and legend are exactly similar to those in the Dighwa-Dubauli plate of Mahendrapāla. The additional information in the legend of this inscription is as follows:—*Mahendrapāla-devastasya puttras tat-pādānudhyātaḥ Śrī-Dehanāgā-devyām utpannaḥ Parama-vaiṣṇavo Mahārāja-Śrī-Bhojadevas tasya bhrātā Śrī-Mahendrapāladeva-puttras-tayōḥ-pādānudhyātaḥ-Śrī-Mahī-devī-devyām utpannaḥ Paramādityabhakto Mahārāja-Śrī-Vināyaka-pāladevaḥ*. The inscription begins with *Om svasti*, and then tells us that it was issued from the *Skandhāvāra* situated at Mahodaya. Then it again repeats the genealogy given on the seal. Next it records the gift of ‘*Pratiṣṭhāna-Bhuktau Vārāṇasī-Viṣaya-sambaddha-Kāśī-pāra-Pathaka-Pratibaddha-Ṭikkarikā-grāma*,’ to the Bhaṭṭa Bhullāka, a student of the Atharvaveda, by Vināyakapāla. The village of Ṭikkarikā has been identified with the modern Tikari, 4 miles due south of Benares. The date (*V*) *Saṁvatsara* 988, comes last.¹