Vajrata and the “Va” of the Manjusri-mula-kalpa
Summary
Krishnakumari J. Virji continues the debate on the mysterious figure named Vajrata. Responding to N. Venkataramanayya, who tried to link Vajrata with a king referred to in the Manjuśrī‑mūla‑kalpa as commencing with the syllable ‘Va’, she argues that this identification is speculative. The Nerur copper‑plates narrate how Vinayāditya and his son Vijayāditya of the Chalukya dynasty defeated a northern sovereign and seized the regal insignia of the pālidhvaja (sun‑banner). Virji analyses the text and points out that the plates, while boasting of conquests, pointedly omit the defeated king’s name. She suggests that ‘Va’ in the Manjuśrī‑mūla‑kalpa may not be a proper name but an initial or an honorific. Comparing the chronological sequence of Chalukya campaigns, she argues that the conflict likely occurred after the death of King Harsa and could have involved a lesser‑known ruler on the northern frontier rather than a major emperor. Virji cautions against drawing firm conclusions from literary allusions and emphasises the need to correlate epigraphic evidence with historical context.
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Conclusion
Virji’s essay highlights the difficulties of matching mythic or truncated names in literary works to specific historical kings. She argues that Vajrata may be a poetic or symbolic designation rather than a literal regnal name, reminding historians to use inscriptions as their primary guide.