The following inscription is very interesting in nature. The inscription is inscribed on a pillar on the top of Indrakīla mountain Bezwada, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. Kirātārjuna episode is sculpted on the pillar. The same is recorded in the 1915 ARE report with the number 33.
The inscription is very interesting because it refers to the place where Arjuna did penance to get Pāśupatāstra. The pillar was erected by some Peccavāṭi Trikoṭi Boyi, son of KaliyamaBoyi. He claims that he is the incarnation of some Yakṣa who guided Arjuna to Indrakīla to do penance.
The inscription is inscribed with characters of 10th CE of Cālukya dynasty. The inscription is in Sanskrit language and inscribed in Telugu letters.
The text is as follows.
Line 1: అర్జ్జునః ఫల్గుణ[:] పార్త్థ[:] కిరీటీ శ్వేతవాహ
Line 2: నః వీభత్సుర్వ్విజయ[:] క్రిష్ణః సవ్యసాచీ ధనం
Line 3: జయః స్వస్తి శ్రూయతే ఖలు ద్వైతవనే పాణ్డవా
Line 4: న్దృష్ట్వా తత్పక్షపాతేన వ్యగ్రో అర్జ్జున ఇన్ద్రకీలం గత్వా
Line 5: విష్ణుసాహాయ్యతో తపసా మహేన్ద్రమారాధ్య తదుప
Line 6: దేశాత్ మహేశ్వరమారాధయతః పాశుపతాస్త్రా
Line 7: ర్త్థం చాతిగహనమిన్ద్రకీలం అయం యక్షః ప్రాప
Line 8: యిష్యతి త్వామిత్యాదిష్టవానితి స చ యక్షః శాపా
Line 9: న్తరాత్కలౌ పెచ్చవాడకలియమబోయి పుత్రః
Line 10: త్రికోటి బోయి నామా ధార్మ్మికః ప్రాదురభూ
Line 11: ద్యః కర్ణ్ణ ఇవ బలపరాక్రమోపేతో వదా
Line 12: న్యశ్చl మాతలిరివ సర్వ్వకార్య్యకుశలః స్వా
Line 13: మిభక్తశ్చl హనుమానివ విదితజన్మాన్త
Line 14: రావతారో స్వకులోత్తమచరితశ్చl సః పూ
Line 15: ర్వ్వమర్జ్జున మైత్ర్యాజ్జన్మాన్తరవేదీ తత్పా
Line 16: శుపతాస్త్రావాప్తికలాన్నిదానమిన్ద్రకీలే
Line 17: స్వయశోనిధిమివ స్వకులాభివృద్ధయే
Line 18: స్తమ్భమాస్థాపయత్l ఇన్ద్రకీలో గిరి
Line 19: ర్య్యావత్ ద్యావచ్చేయమ్మహానదీ త్రి
Line 20: కోటిబోయి ధర్మ్మోయం స్థేయాన్నాపద్భవేది
Line 21: హl విజయాచార్య్యస్య లిఖితంll
Text in Roman
Line 1: arjjunaḥ phalguṇa[:] pārttha[:] kirīṭī śvetavāha
Line 2: naḥ vībhatsurvvijaya[:] kriṣṇaḥ savyasācī dhanaṁ
Line 3: jayaḥ svasti śrūyate khalu dvaitavane pāṇḍavā
Line 4: ndṛṣṭvā tatpakṣapātena vyagro arjjuna indrakīlaṁ gatvā
Line 5: viṣṇusāhāyyato tapasā mahendramārādhya tadupa
Line 6: deśāt maheśvaramārādhayataḥ pāśupatāstrā
Line 7: rtthaṁ cātigahanamindrakīlaṁ ayaṁ yakṣaḥ prāpa
Line 8: yiṣyati tvāmityādiṣṭavāniti sa ca yakṣaḥ śāpā
Line 9: ntarātkalau pĕccavāḍakaliyamaboyi putraḥ
Line 10:trikoṭi boyi nāmā dhārmmikaḥ prādurabhū
Line 11:dyaḥ karṇṇa iva balaparākramopeto vadā
Line 12:nyaścal mātaliriva sarvvakāryyakuśalaḥ svā
Line 13:mibhaktaścal hanumāniva viditajanmānta
Line 14:rāvatāro svakulottamacaritaścal saḥ pū
Line 15:rvvamarjjuna maitryājjanmāntaravedī tatpā
Line 16:śupatāstrāvāptikalānnidānamindrakīle
Line 17:svayaśonidhimiva svakulābhivṛddhaye
Line 18:stambhamāsthāpayatl indrakīlo giri
Line 19:ryyāvat dyāvacceyammahānadī tri
Line 20:koṭiboyi dharmmoyaṁ stheyānnāpadbhavedi
Line 21:hal vijayācāryyasya likhitaṁll
The first two and half lines lists the name of the Mahābhārata hero Arjuna like Arjuna, Phalguna, Pārtha, Savyasācī etc and the story follows thus:
It is heard that in Dvaita vana, as per the ordinance of Kriṣna for the protection of Pāṇḍavas, Arjuna went to Indra kīla hill and did penance to please Mahendra. As per his advice he did penance to please Maheśvara to get Pāśupatāstra. Further Indra told that a Yakṣa will lead him to the deep hills of Indra kīla. The same Yakṣa took incarnation in the Kali age as Trikoṭi Boyi son of Peccavāḍa Kaliyama Boyi. He was a great donor and valorous like Karṇa. He was expert in all works like Mātali. He knew his previous birth like Hanumān and had a great conduct. By the grace of the friendship he had with Arjuna, he could recollect his previous birth. So, he knew the place where Arjuna got Pāśupatāstra in Indrakīla. He erected this pillar in the place as a symbol of his fame. This pillar should stand stable till the hill Indrakīla and Mahānadī exist.
Thus the inscription is very interesting which state the rebirth of a Yakṣa who guided Arjuna and erected pillar on the same place by remembering his previous birth.
Those who believe can take this as an evidence to the Mahābhārata and those who don’t believe, can read it as an inscription.
In my opinion this would indicate the use of epic myths and concepts like reincarnation to claim exalted status. Boy I would indicate tribal origin. The inscription places this individual, possibly a tribal chief, within the early mediaeval political ethos by means of this story and values such as gift-giving. The comparison with Karna is instructive.
i agree with Malini Adiga. There are many folk tales where some chatacters from the two Epics are incorporated into the narrative , giving them some sort of legitimacy .
Very interesting and thought provoking. thanks.
You are the re incornation of the poet who composed the sloka.