The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c30.s4.2

v2.c30.s4.2

According to the Harsola plates the first name in the Paramāra genealogy is that of Bappairāja, rightly identified with Vākpatirāja I of other records. But the inscriptions of a later period trace their pedigree to the eponymous Paramāra. The earliest reference to him is probably found in the *Navasāhasāṅka-carita* of Padmagupta (*alias* Parimala),¹ which was composed in the first quarter of the 11th century. There too we first become acquainted with the mythical origin of this personage from the firepit of the sage Vasiṣṭha on Mount Arbuda. The story runs that when Viśvāmitra² forcibly took from Vasiṣṭha his cow³ the latter created from his fire-altar this hero, and when he had slain his enemies and brought back the cow that sage spoke ‘thou wilt become a lord of kings called Paramāra.’¹ In a later period we are sometimes told that he ‘received the appellation of Paramāra from that sage on account of the delight he took in killing his enemies (*Para-māraṇa*).’² Sometimes the line of Paramāra is described as *Vahni-vaṁśa*.³ The first historical person in the line of Paramāra appears to have been Upendrarāja. This name is given by Padmagupta and the Udaipur *praśasti*. But the land-grants of the family often trace the genealogy to one Kṛṣṇarāja. The identification of these two princes is generally accepted.⁴ As Bühler rightly pointed out, the fact that Vairisiṁha II, the fifth prince of the line, is said in the grants to have meditated on Kṛṣṇa's feet, need not cause any difficulty, for the phrase *tatpādānudhyāta* does not always necessarily imply immediate descent.⁵ Padmagupta mentions Upendra as the first king of the line, and tells us that he performed numerous Vedic sacrifices.⁶ The same author related that a poetess named Sītā wrote a *praśasti* on his exploits.⁷ Bühler has pointed out that Merutuṅga actually mentions a poetess named Sītā and her daughter Vijayā, though the Jain author through an evident mistake places her in the reign of Bhoja.⁸ The Udaipur *praśasti*, the only other record which mentions Upendra, confirms Padmagupta's statements.