1

Sanskrit grammar inscriptions, Bhojashala, Dhar

Background

Michael Willis wrote an article in Jan. 2012 issue of Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,

attempting to show that the Sarasvati statue in British Museum is NOT that of Sarasvati but that

of Ambika. (Michael Willis, 2012, Dhar Bhoja and Sarasvati: from Indology to Political

mythology and back, JRAS, Series 3, 22,1, pp. 129-153), While he has failed in his attempt (as

detailed in the note Annex A), there has been a greater failure in not reporting on a crucial piece

of evidence establishing that the Sarasvati statue now in the British Museum was IN FACT,

taken from the Sarasvati Temple at Dhar in Madhya Pradesh. This evidence relates to two

inscriptions of Sanskrit grammar in the Sanskrit school set up there by King Bhoja in the temple.

This note discusses the provenance and details of these two inscriptions.

Importance of the finds

1. Bomb. Gaz. Vol. I, p. 180, states that the mosque was an old Sanskrit School founded by

Bhoja himself.

2. The contents of these Dhar sarpabandha (serpentine chart) inscriptions have been read

and are demonstrated to relate to teaching Sanskrit grammar to students in a class room in

Bhoja Shala, i.e. Bhoja’s Sanskrit school.

3. These two Sanskrit grammar inscription charts on stone were found on the pillars which

support the dome of what is today Kamal Mosque.

4. The pillars on which the inscriptions were found relate to the temple for Sarasvati.

5. The Sarasvati statue in British Museum contains an inscription on its base and refers to

her as Ambā, NOT Ambikā. Ambā is another name for Sarasvati as noted in a Annex A

citing Rigveda: ambitame, devitame, naditame Sarasvati. The second statue of Sarasvati

in British Museum is that of Vāgdevi (Divinity of Language. A reference to this statue

also occurs on the inscription at the bast of the first Sarasvati statue where Vararuchi

refers(in the inscription) to the fact that he had a statue of Vāgdevi made and now he is

getting the statue of Ambā..

6. The occurrence of the Sanskrit grammar inscriptions CONCLUSIVELY demonstrates

evidence for the Hindu tradition of Sarasvati as divinity of education, learning,

knowledge.

7. Temple for Sarasvati was part of the temple for Īśvara (i.e.śiva). An iron pillar (now

broken into 3 pieces) comparable to the Delhi iron pillar lies in front of the temple

2

complex of Dhar, attesting to the possibility that this pillar was a dvhajastambham

(sacred pillar) of the temple.

I suggest that Sanskrit experts should try to transcribe Inscription B also and make both the

Sanskrit grammar charts an essential part of all schools teaching Sanskrit. I also suggest that a

booklet be made of these inscriptions to constitute a guide for students and teachers of Sanskrit

grammar in all institutions devoted to the study of Sanskrit.

Excerpt from Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, 1991, Harihar Vitthal Trivedi, ed., Vol. VII, Part

2 Inscriptions of the Paramaras, Chandellas, Kachchapaghatas and two minor Dynasties, Director

General, Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi (pp.86 - 88):

[quote]

No. 26; Plates XXVII-XXIX (Inscription A + duplicate and Inscription B) The Dhar

inscriptions. These inscriptions, which are two in number and called here as A and B, were first

brought to light by Ernest Barnes in his article on Dhar and Mandu, published in the Journal of

the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. XXI, 1900-02, pp. 330 ff., with a

photolithograph between pp. 350 and 351, in which he also incorporated a note on them by KK

Lele, Superintendent of Archaeology in the former State of Dhar. Lele also prepared two official

notes on the records (One of these was written in May, 1902, for presentation to Lord Curzon on

the occasion of his visit to Dhar; and the other, in 1929. I am indebted to Shri AW Wakankar of

Dhar, for lending me the only copies of these notes with him, for utilising them in this article);

and a description of the inscriptions appeared also in his work entitled Dhar and Mandu, on pp.

29-30, along with that on the preceding one, as already stated. Subsequently the inscriptions

were noticed briefly in the Annual Reports of the Western Circle of the Survey, for 1904-05, p. 8

(No. 2081) and again for 1912-13, pp. 21 and 55 (No. 2601); and finally, they were edited by KN

Sastri, without facsimiles, in theEpigraphia Indica, Vol. XXXI, p. 29 f., along with the one that

precedes and the other that follows.The inscriptions are edited here from my personal

examination of the originals and from an excellent impression of one of them (B) which I owe to

the Chief Epigraphist of the Archaeological Survey of India.

These inscriptions are on two separate pillars near the tomb of Kamal Maula mosque in the

monument known as Bhoja-shala, in the south-west part of Dhar, the principal town of a district

of the same name in Madhya Pradesh. The pillars are of grey lime stone and are among those

that support the dome of the prayer hall, one on each side of the raised pulpit, Each of the

inscriptions is complete in itself, though they are allied inasmuch as they deal with the same

subject of Nagari alphabet and grammatical terminology. The letters are beautifully engraved

and well preserved except that they have suffered from partial decay and peeling off in some

places, as the material of grey lime stone on which they were cut was not quite suitable for

incisions. (I am thankful to Shri Deshpande, technical assistant in the Arch. Surv. Of India at

3

Mandu, for the information that the stones of the pillars are similar to those found in quarries in

the adjoining region, for example, at Tarapur, etc.) Here we may also point out that quite a large

number of some other inscriptions which were incised on the floor or pavement of the same

structure, appear to have been deliberately chiseled off so as to leave a letter here and there, in

some later time, were all on durable black stone, whereas the inconspicuous position of the

pillars appears to have saved them from the fate which the other inscriptions have undergone due

to vandalism. (Now nothing can be made out of these inscriptions except that they were in

Sanskrit and Prakrit).

A. The first of these inscriptions, which is on the proper right side of the pulpit and faces the

east, measures about 70 cms. in height and 30.5 cms. in breadth. The letters of the alphabet are

about 1 cm. in size, while those of the terminations in the tail are slightly smaller. The inscription

is written in the Nagari alphabet of about the 11-12th

century. The language is Sanskrit. It is an

alphabetical chart and its contents are identical with those of its counterpart in the Mahakala

temple inscription, as seen above. As the alphabet plays the chief part in this inscription, it has

rightly been called alphabetical.

B. This inscription, which is on the proper left side of the raised platform and faces the south, is

bigger in size, being 91.55 cms. high and 45 cms. in breadth. The language is Sanskrit; and the

palaeographical and orthographical peculiarities are the same as stated above. The inscription

commences with two verses in the Anushtubh metre, with the symbol for svasti in the beginning.

They are written in four lines, in a space 17 cms. broad and by 5 cms. high. They are identical

with verses 86-87 of the Ujjain inscription and are not marked. Below the verses and leaving a

vacant space measuring 13 cms. in height, we find a chart (bandha) made up by the intertwining

of two serpents, probably male and female, as Lele has rightly remarked, exhibiting on their

body the personal terminations of ten lakāras (tinvibhaktis) together with 16 dhātu-pratyayas.

The chart may be divided in three parts, viz., the top, the middle and the bottom portions. In the

top section the letters are very indistinct except for the initial atha, and they have been

conjecturally restored by Sastri as atha tin-vibhakti-bandhah; but as already remarked by Sircar

while publishing Sastri’s article, the letters appear as atha… dhātuh. (See Ep. Ind., Vol. XXXI,

p. 29, n. The letters are rather indistinct; but I read atha dhātuh between the heads of the serpents

and the word pratyaya straight down the base.)

The middle section of the chart is shaped as a square standing vertically on one of the angles of

the top section. It is divided into 180 compartments, each of which is a parallelogram cut by

‘drawing nine parallel lines one way and seventeen the other way across.’ The space between

each pair of parallel lines, as remarked by sastri, ‘is alternately closed by means of projecting

loops at eigther end along the four sides of the square turning the sets of parallel lines into two

running spirals end to end.’ The five loops and the five intervening open spaces between them, in

the upper left arm of the square, contain the initial letters of the terms denoting the different

4

senses in which the ten lakāras, i.e., the tenses and moods of Sanskrit verbs, are used. These

letters are, in serial order, va, sa, vi, hy, a, pa, sva (śva), ā, bha and kri, respectively standing for

vartamāna, sambhāvanā, vidhi, hyastana-atīta, atīta-sāmānya, parokṣa, śvastana-bhaviṣyati,

āśīr, bhaviṣyat and kriyātipatti or kriyākrama, indicating, respectively, the ten lakāras from laṭ

to lṛin, excepting the Vedic lōṭ and taking vidhi-lin and āśīrlin separately. Thus there are

altogether 18 X 10 = 180 verbal terminations, of which, 90 of each set (known as parasmai- and

ātmanepada) are given in the chart.

(In his note Lele red the letter hya as pa and the preceding letter as sa, and took them as for

pancamī and saptamī, remarking that they are so called because they are the 5th

and 7th

in the

usual enumeration of the tenses. But to me the consonant of this letter appears as p and the sign

of the mātrā is clear, though mutilated.)

They are all duly numbered on the right hand side and arranged in slanting columns from the left

to the right, given in the spaces left between the ‘zigzag cross-turnings’ of the serpents. The two

sets of terminations (parasmai- and ātmane-), the three persons (prathama, madhyama and

uttama) and the three numbers (singular, dual and plural) are marked on the left-hand side, in

order, by the initial letters representing them; and the names of the tenses and moods are marked

at the top of each column by the initial letter of each. They may be arranged as under:

Intials Full name Panini’s name English name

1. Va vartamāna laṭ Present

2. sa sambhāvanā lin Potential

3. vi vidhi lōṭ Imperative

4. hya hyastanī lan Imperfect

5. a adyatanī lun Aorist

6. pa parokṣā liṭ Perfect

7. śva śvastanī luṭ First Future

8. ā āśīh āśīrlin Benedictive

9. bha bhaviṣyantī lṛiṭ Second Future

10. kri Kriyātipatti or

kriyākrama

lṛin Conditional

5

The last section of the table is triangular, with its apex above. In its looped corner and also in the

hollow circles along its arms, are engraved the several derivative bases showing causality, desire,

intensity, etc. The portion of the stone in the right corner side, which appears to have contained

at least three circles with a letter in each, is entirely lost; but, to judge from what remains, the

total number of these circles appears to have been 19, as also stated inside the triangle in its

middle. (Sastri read this number as 16, but I am tempted to take the unit figure as 9 because of

the curve at the top which is broader than the one below). These terminations are only of

grammatical interet and therefore need not be dealt with here in detail. (For details of these, see

Sastri’s article referred to above. He also remarked that the terminations are in agreement with

the Chāndra system of grammar whereas, according to Lele, it is in agreement with that of

Kātantra.)

Both these inscriptions are of educational interest, also showing the high interest of the public in

teaching and learning grammar. In this respect, what KK Lele writes in his note referred to above

is highly appealing, and it is given here in his own words. He says: 'they must have been

designed by some ingenious teacher and permanently engraved on the pillars as charts in modern

schools...They confirm the tradition that the mosque (on the pillars of which they are engraved)

was merely a transformation of the Sanskrit School formed by Raja Bhoja and maintained by his

successors. The old foundation too tells the same tale. It is, therefore, beyond doubt that the

mosque was not only built out of the materials of, but stands on the site of the old Schools.'

(Note: In this connection, see Bomb. Gaz. Vol. I, p. 180, where it is stated that the mosque was

an old Sanskrit School founded by Bhoja himself. Attention is also invited to the inscription on

the pedestal of the Sarasvati image, edited above (No. 14).

[unquote]

6

7

8

9

T U E S D A Y , M A R C H 2 9 , 2 0 1 1

Saraswathi Temple Makes Way For Mosque

MOSQUE INSIDE A SARASWATHI TEMPLE

The Paramara dynasty which ruled part of the present day Madhya Pradesh from the 8th Century

A.D. onwards reached the pinnacle of its glory during the reign of King Bhojaraja during the first

half of the 11th Century A.D. He was known as the ruler of Ujjain and Dhara. This Dhara is the

same as the State of Dhar which was a part of the Central Provinces, now renamed Madhya

Pradesh. King Bhoja was probably a boy of 15years or so when he ascended the throne and

during his reign from 1010 to 1060 A.D, the country attained the highest state of eminence and

the Paramaras rose to the zenith of their power.

Bhoja Raja was not only a great and popular king but was an equally great man of letters who

authoured nearly 30 works on diverse subjects like Astronomy and Astrology, Medicine,

Sanskrit Grammar, Philosophy, Alankara, Poetry and Prose, Lexicography, Dharma Shastra,

Economics and Administration etc. In fact, he had read all the available books in Sanskrit on

Kingcraft and Administration. He was skillful in the use of 36 weapons used in those days in

warfare. His erudition was such that he could hold his own in learned debates against the greatest

scholars at that time. His versatile mind did not limit the activity only to the business of war and

writing. It was also extended towards building up a good number of educational institutions and

temples

and thus make Malwa an ideal kingdom. It is unfortunate that a good number of those

constructions built during his regime were destroyed subsequently by the first conquest of

Malwa by the Muslim rulers. Even the Bhojashala [college] founded by him in Dhar and housing

a Saraswathi temple inside, was partially destroyed and made way for a mosque.

The present day Kamal Mouli Mosque at Dhar stands at the same site which was once occupied

by the Bhojashala. It is still recognized and called as Bhojashala by the local Hindus. The

existing modern structure is Islamic in style and architecture and was constructed with the

materials got out of demolishing the Saraswathi temple which stood on the same site as the

college. When King Bhoja built the temple, he had installed an Ashtadhatu idol of Goddess

Saraswathi [bust only] which is now in the custody of the British Museum in London. Late Dr.

V. Raghavan, well-known Sanskrit scholar from Madras and President , International

Association of Sanskrit Studies, who visited the British Museum a couple of years back, has

confirmed his having seen the idol in the British Museum. Raghavan has also stated that the idol

has an inscription at the base mentioning the date of inscription as 1034 A.D which coincides

with the period of Bhojaraja’s reign. The Goddess is in the ‘Abhanga’ pose with four hands,

partially damaged. She wears a crown; her ear-rings hang down to her shoulders; she wears a

pearl necklace; a pearl-embroidered band encircles her breast and her waist is decorated all

round. She is in a meditative mood with a serene and lovely face. [The description is from a copy

of the photograph with me].

Though it was an established fact that the mosque had come up in the place originally occupied

10

by the Saraswathi temple, it was difficult to prove the same with concrete evidence. The reason

was that for a thorough study of the structure of the mosque, the permission of the Mosque

authorities was necessary which was all along denied. However, after India became independent,

the Department of Epigraphy. Government of India, got the permission and a delegation was sent

to examine the structure of the mosque. After a thorough study of the structure, it could be

established that the iconoclastic Muslim rulers of Malwa in the 15th Century had destroyed the

Saraswathi temple and used the same materials to put up the present Kamal Moulvi Mosque. A

large portion of the flooring of the mosque prayer hall is paved with black marble slabs which

were used to build the temple, but with the face turned inwards. These slabs, when removed and

examined, disclosed that they contained some Sanskrit inscriptions which were hidden by their

being turned upside down.

A curious and unexpected incident revealed as to how the mosque walls were constructed. The

walls have been lined with granite slabs. At the junction of two walls, crevices have been left,

wide enough to allow a hand to go in. Some visitor to the mosque, out of sheer curiosity put his

hand inside the crevice and felt the backside of the lining. He was amazed to discover that they

contained some inscriptions. When the matter was further examined after removing a slab from

the lining, to the amazement of one and all, it was found that it contained an inscription in the

form of a wheel containing Sanskrit shlokas pertaining to grammar. The idea behind the wheel is

that the science of language---Grammar—must form part of the temple of Saraswathi, the

Goddess of speech. From a close look at the inscriptions on the wheel in the form of Shlokas,

one can Sanskrit grammar without much effort. It is because of the fact that the science of

language, the grammar, is worthy of worship, that the wheel with the grammar inscriptions was

installed in the temple. The Department of Epigraphy has now published the text of the

inscription with an English translation.

The Mosque was closed for several years and in the year 1940 Muslim devotees were allowed to

offer Namaz. In 2003 the Bhojashala Complex was also opened to the Hindus to enable them to

offer Pooja. This was done in compliance with the directive of the Archaeological Survey of

India [A.S.I.] which directed that that Hindus should be allowed to perform Pooja inside the

Complex every Tuesday from dawn to dusk with flowers and rice. Apart from Tuesdays, the

Hindus are also allowed Pooja facility on the ‘Basant Panchami Day’ once in a year. Muslims

are allowed to do Namaz every Friday for two hours from 1 P.M to 3 P.M. Tourists are allowed

entry into the historic Complex on other days by paying a nominal admission fees.

B.M.N.Murthy

Source Material:

1. Hindu Dharma by Paramacharya of Kanchi

2. The Vedas by Paramacharya of Kanchi

3. Immortal Bhoja’s Royal House by Sri. M.K. Ranganathan

4. An Anthology on Aspects of Indian Culture by Dr. V.Raghavan.

5. Cultural History of Ancient India by R.Sathianathaier, Annamalai University.

11

ARTICLE NO. 472--MOSQUE INSIDE a SARASWATHI TEMPLE

Created: Friday, November 7, 2008 10:38 AM

http://murtymandala.blogspot.in/2011/03/saraswathi-temple-makes-way-for-mosque.html

On Sun, May 6, 2012 at 9:32 AM, S. Kalyanaraman <kalyan97@gmail.com> wrote:

Excerpt from Chandrasekhara Sarasvati, of Kanchi Sankara Mutt's book: Hindu

Dharma:(Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan)

I recently came across another piece of evidence like the Vengi inscription to prove how in the

old days our rulers nurtured and propagated the science of grammar.

Dhar was a state in the formal Central Provinces(now a part of Madhya Pradesh). It is the same

as Dhara which was the capital of Bhojaraja who was a great patron of arts and who made lavish

gifts to poets and artists. There is a mosque in the town of Dhar now. Once a cave was

discovered in the mosque which on examination revealed some writings in Sanskrit. But the

department of epigraphy could not carry out any investigations until some years after freedom.

Then, with the permission of the authorities of the mosque, they studied their finding.

To their amazement they saw a wheel inside with verses dealing with grammar inscribed on it in

the form of a chart. The mosque stands today where a temple to Sarasvati stood during

Bhojaraja's time. The idea behind the wheel is that the science of language (grammar)must form

part of the temple to Sarasvati, the goddess of speech---and grammar is the Vedapurusa's mouth.

They say that grammar could be learnt at a glance from this wheel. It is because the science of

language is worthy of worship that the wheel inscribed with grammar was installed in the temple.

With the blessings of Vagdevi(Sarasvati) we have obtained the wheel, though long after the

mosque was built at that site. The department of epigraphy has published the text of the

inscription with an English translation.

We learn thus that sastras like grammar were not regarded merely as of worldly interest but in

fact considered worthy of worship. That is why rulers promoted them.

http://www.kamakoti.org/newlayout/print-

it.php?content=L2hpbmR1ZGhhcm1hL3BhcnQ3L2NoYXA2Lmh0bQ==&sendpagetitle=Lingui

stic+Studies+and+Religion+from+the+Chapter+%26quot%3BVyakarana%26quot%3B%2C+in+

Hindu+Dharma

12

Annex A

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/120726592/Sarasvati-pratimaa-and-temple-in-Dhar_-Madhya-Pradesh The pdf document demonstrates that the two statues of Sarasvati NOW in the British Museum belong to the temple in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. British Museum is asked to return the two statues to the temple for worship by devotees.