The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c30.s4.68

v2.c30.s4.68

The Dharampuri and Ujjain inscriptions noticed above give us a number of *birudas* of Vākpati II, *viz.*, Amoghavarṣa, Pṛthvīvallabha, and Śrīvallabha. These were all exclusively Rāṣṭrakūṭa titles, and their assumption by Vākpati so soon after the extinction of the Malkhed branch not only seems to confirm the suspicion of the descent of the Paramāras from the Rāṣṭrakūṭas, but also perhaps indicates that Vākpati now considered himself to be the legal successor of Amoghavarṣa-Nṛpatuṅga-Kakkala (Kakka II). This explains to some extent his persistent and bitter hostility to the Cālukyas of Kalyāṇi and his repeated irruptions into the Deccan to oust the usurper Tailapa from the possessions of his ancestors. Besides these names Vākpati appears to have been known to his contemporaries by at least two others. One of these, Utpala-rāja, is supplied by the *Navasāhasāṅka-carita*.¹ The other name, Muñjarāja is found in the Nagpur *praśasti* of Naravarman.² Bühler pointed out that in Dhanika's commentary on the *Daśarūpa* the same verse is attributed at one place to "the illustrious king Vākpatirāja" and in another to "the illustrious Muñja."³ The *Prabandha-cintāmaṇi* contains a story that Vākpati was known as Muñja because he was picked up as a foundling by Siṁhadantabhaṭa (Sīyaka) from the midst of a thicket of Muñja reeds.⁴ Though Bühler rejected this story as unhistorical, it may be pointed out that it has found a place in Abu'l Faz̤l's *Ā'īn-i-Akbarī*.⁵