Nalanda Stone Inscription of Yasovarmadeva

Summary

This note critiques Hirananda Sastri’s interpretation of a recently published stone inscription from Nālandā attributed to King Yaśovarmadeva. Sastri suggested that the record links Yaśovarmadeva with King Yaśodharman of Mandasor and that the inscription was set up during the reign of Balāditya, celebrated for defeating the Huna ruler Mihirakula. The author counters that the inscription merely mentions a temple erected by Balāditya and does not prove that Balāditya reigned when the record was made. He further argues that identifying Yaśovarmadeva with Yaśodharman is unwarranted and that the chronological and political contexts of the two kings differ. By scrutinising the language of the inscription and comparing other sources, the note concludes that the Nālandā record cannot support Sastri’s identification.