Old Bramhi Inscriptions In Udaygiri And Khandagiri

SR No.: 020516
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Benimadhab Barua
Publisher: University of Calcutta
Publication Year: 1929
Total Pages: 354
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

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OLD BRAHMI INSCRIPTIONS
There is nothing in the Hathi-Gumpha inscription to indicate that Prince Kharavela was sent out of Kalinga for his education to such a place as Taxila, which was famous as an ancient seat of learning. On the other hand, the recorded facts go to show that he spent the first twentyfour years of his life in Kalinga. In all probability he was placed during the first fifteen years of his life under an experienced tutor,-a vṛddha in the language of the Artha-Sastra, just in the same way that Prince Siddhartha was placed, according to the Lalita-Vistara, under a tutor named Viśvāmitra, and the Yadu princes Balarama and Vasudeva were placed, according to the Bhagavata-purana, under a tutor named Sandipani. It also seems probable that, while a crown-prince, he received a practical training in the art of administration at the hands of the high functionaries in charge of various departments, and acquired the knowledge of the systems of religion and philosophy at the hands of the saintly and far-famed ascetic and recluse teachers in Kalinga.
The numerical strength of family members, relations and retinues is another primary condition to be fulfilled by a prince destined to be a king overlord. On this point we are supplied with some information in the Hathi-Gumpha record of Kharavela's thirteenth regnal year where we read that his queens, sons, brothers, relatives and the royal servants cooperated with him in excavating one hundred and seventeen caves on Kumārī-pavata, the Kumari hill, to provide resident Arhats (Jain saints) with accommodations and shelters for resting their bodies.
The old Brahmi inscription No. II records the upper cave of the Mañcapuri group as an excavation of Kharavela's chief queen and a dedication to the recluses in Kalinga. Thus this inscription furnishes us with a corroborative evidence of the truth of the Hathi-Gumph record of Khāravela's thirteenth regnal year. The expression "the recluses in Kalinga" may be viewed as explanatory of the Hathi-Gumpha expression "resident Arhats."
The very fact that she has been honoured as the chief queen (agamahisi) of His Graceful Majesty Kharavela, the king overlord of Kalinga, goes to prove that King Kharavela had queens more than one, that his chief queen was not the only queen, and that she was just the queen consort, the chief one among the queens, although we cannot definitely say among how many queens in all. Although this is a fact that Kharavela had queens more than one, we do not know altogether how many caves were donated by his queens. Asoka's "Queen's Edict" introducing Kaluvāki as his second queen (dutiya devi) enables us to say that King