In the early 1900s the English archaeologist John Marshall began excavations at Bhita (pronounced: bhiTA) near prayAga, modern Uttar Pradesh. He wrote an account of this excavation aided by the native assistants in the archaeological survey of India’s annual report of 1911-12. In that account he describes and pictures a baked clay seal which was discovered during the excavation. It bears the writing in brAhmI:
“shrI vindhyA-vedha-mahArAjasya maheshvara-mahAsena atisR^iShTha-rAjyasya vR^iShadhvajasya gautamIputrasya”
This is taken to mean: “[Seal] belonging to the great vindhyA penetrating king, who donated his kingdom to the great god mahAsena [or whose kingdom was created by the great god mahAsena], vR^iShadhvaja the son of gautamI”
Similar phrases are seen in two inscriptions very far away from prayAga. The first of these comes from the inscription of nAla arthapati bhaTTAraka found at Kesaribeda, Koraput district modern Orissa from the 7th year of the reign of the said ruler. The second, bearing the same phrase is from the inscription of the nAla mahArAja bhavadattavarman from Rithapur in Amaravati district of Vidarbha (modern mahArAShTra).: “maheshvara-mahAsena atisR^iShTha-rAjya vibhava…”
Continued…
Filed under: Heathen thought, History Tagged: tantra
