A note on sīdat sāvādya Cedi (Khajuraho Inscription)

Summary

Sisir Kumar Mitra analyses the phrase “sīdat sāvādya Cedi” occurring in verse 23 of the Khajuraho inscription of the Candella ruler Yaśovarman (Vikrama Saṃvat 1011). The phrase, describing the Kalachuri (Cedi) king as “blameworthy,” has puzzled scholars. Mitra reconstructs the changing relations between the Kalachuris and the Candellas. Early Kalachuri inscriptions suggest cordial ties, and one record even celebrates the marriage of Kalachuri ruler Kokalla’s daughter to a Candella prince. However, during the tenth century the Kalachuris allied themselves with the Rāṣṭrakūṭas against northern powers, entering into a series of marital alliances with the imperial Deccan dynasty; these alliances are detailed through inscriptions and genealogiesfile:///home/oai/share/563030_compressed-109-216.pdf#:~:text=A%20note%20on%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%AF,king%2C%20has%20not%20been%20explained. Mitra argues that this policy alienated their northern neighbours, particularly the Candellas, who resented Rāṣṭrakūṭa incursions into the Ganga–Yamuna region. The Khajuraho inscription’s epithet therefore reflects Candella disdain for the Kalachuris’ collaboration with an enemy power. The article concludes that the phrase “sīdat sāvādya Cedi” should be understood as a deliberate political slur rather than a general moral judgement.