History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.165

v4.c62.165

Huviṣka, the Kuṣaṇa emperor, is styled *Mahārāja-rājātirāja-devaputra* (E. I. vol. I. pp. 371, 386). Samudragupta is simply mahārāja (Gupta Inscriptions p. 8). But later emperors styled themselves paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja (Gupta Inscriptions p. 70, Indore copperplate of Skandagupta of Gupta year 146 i. e. 465-66 A. D.) or sometimes 'parama-bhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-parameśvara' (Gupta Inscriptions No. 39, p. 176 copperplate of the Valabhī king Śīlāditya in 447 of the Valabhī era i. e. 766-67 A. D.). Ancient works are not very particular about the epithets they employ when speaking of a king or an emperor. Śānti (68.54) says that a king is praised with the epithets rājan, bhoja, virāṭ, samrāṭ, kṣatriya, bhūpati and nṛpa.¹⁰² Daśaratha is styled rājā in Ayodhyā 2.2. and mahārāja in 18.15 and 57.32. The Rājanīliratnākara (pp. 3-4) holds that kings are of three kinds; viz. emperor (samrāṭ), one who pays tribute and one who does not pay even tribute (but is not a samrāṭ), quotes several verses from a work of Nārada on politics and states that the words cakravartin, samrāṭ, adhīśvara and mahārāja are synonyms. Kings aspiring to be called samrāṭ performed the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha in ancient India. The Sabhāparva 13.30 speaks of Rājasūya as fit to be performed by a samrāṭ. Senāpati Puṣyamitra (about 180 B. C.) is said to have performed two Aśvamedhas (vide E. I. vol. XX p. 54, 57). The Ghosundi Inscription (E. I. vol. 16 p. 25 and E. I. vol. 22 p. 198) speaks of Sarvatāta, a great devotee of Viṣṇu, as a performer of Aśvamedha. Khāravela (who was a Jain) performed Rājasūya (E. I. vol. XX at p. 79). The Vākāṭaka king Pravarasena I had performed four Aśvamedhas (E. I. vol. III. p. 258 and Gupta Inscriptions No. 55). In the Vākāṭaka copperplates the Bhāraśivas are extolled as having performed ten Aśvamedhas (E. I. III. 258 at p. 260). The Sālaṅkāyana king Vijayadevavarman, whose capital was at Veṅgī in Āndhra, is said to have performed an Aśvamedha (E. I. IX p. 56, about 350 A. D). The Cālukya king Pulakeśin I had performed Aśvamedha (E. I. vol. VI p. 1 and IX. p. 100) about 550 A. D. Puṣyamitra is styled simply Senāpati in the Mālavikāgnimitra Act V when he sends a message to his son about attending the Rājasūya in which he had been engaged. For the significance of the Abhiṣecanīya rite in Rājasūya vide H. of Dh. vol. II pp. 1216-1218. The Kadambas are said to have performed Aśvamedhas in the Nilambur plates (E. I. vol. VIII p. 148). The Viṣṇukuṇḍin Mahārāja Mādhavavarman performed eleven Aśvamedhas and one thousand Agniṣṭomas (I. H. Q. vol. IX p. 278). Vide H. Dh. vol. II pages 1238-1239 for a few more historic examples of the performers of Aśvamedha.