Someshvara III

Old Kannada inscription dated 1129 CE of King Someshvara III at Balligavi, Karnataka state

Someshvara III (IAST: Someśvara; r. 1127 – 1138 CE) was a Western Chalukya king (also known as the Kalyani Chalukyas), the son and successor of Vikramaditya VI.^[1] He ascended the throne of the Western Chalukya Kingdom in 1126 CE,^[2] or 1127 CE.^[1]

Someshvara III, the third king in this dynasty named after the Hindu god Shiva made numerous land grants to cause of Shaivism and its monastic scholarship.^[3] These monasteries in the Indian peninsula became centers of the study of the Vedas and Hindu philosophies such as the Nyaya school.^[3] Someshvara III died in 1138 CE, and succeeded by his son Jagadekamalla.^[4]

Someshvara was a noted historian, scholar and poet.^[1] He authored the Sanskrit encyclopedic text Manasollasa touching upon such topics as polity, governance, astronomy, astrology, rhetoric, medicine, food, architecture, painting, poetry and music – making his work a valuable modern source of socio-cultural information of the 11th- and 12th-century India.^[4][5] He also authored, in Sanskrit, an incomplete biography of his father Vikramaditya VI, called Vikramankabhyudaya.^[1] His scholarly pursuits was the reason he held such titles as Sarvadnya-bhupa (lit, "the king who knows everything") and Bhulokamala ("the king who is lord of all living beings").^[4]

The Manasollasa

Someshvara III is credited with composing Mānasollāsa (Sanskrit: मानसोल्लास) (meaning "the refresher of the mind"^[2]) or the Abhilaṣitārtha Cintāmaṇi (the magical stone that fulfills desires). It is an encyclopedic work ^[6] in Sanskrit. The treatise deals with a wide range of topics (100 topics^[6]), which include the approach to acquire a kingdom, methods of establishing it and royal enjoyment. It contains valuable information regarding Indian art, architecture, cuisine, ornaments, sports, music and dance.^[5]

The Vikramankabhyudaya

Vikramankabhyudaya, a text found in 1925, is a historical document written by Someshvara III, in the form of a biography of his father.^[1] The first chapter provides a detailed description of the geography and people of Karnataka, the second chapter explains the grandeur of Kalyan, the capital city of the Western Chalukya Empire.^[1] The long third chapter pertains to the history of the Chalukyas starting with a legendary story ending with the sixteenth year of Someshvara III's father, Vikramaditya VI reign when the latter began his war of victory, "digvijaya".^[7] However, the last chapter is incomplete as it terminates abruptly as:"The Brahmanas and the ladies on that day...."^[7]

References

Bibliography

• Banerji, Sures Chandra (1989). A Companion to Sanskrit Literature: Spanning a Period of Over Three Thousand Years, Containing Brief Accounts of Authors, Works, Characters, Technical Terms, Geographical Names, Myths, Legends, and Several Appendices. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-0063-2.
• Kincaid, Charles; Parasanisa, Dattatraya (1918). A history of the Maratha people. Oxford University Press.
• Prakash, Om (1 January 2005). Cultural History of India. New Age International. ISBN 978-81-224-1587-2.
• Prabhavati C. Reddy (2014). Hindu Pilgrimage: Shifting Patterns of Worldview of Srisailam in South India. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-80631-8.
• Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (29 December 2004). Encyclopedia of Kitchen History. Routledge. ISBN 1-135-45571-6.
• Sreedharan, E. (2004). A Textbook of Historiography, 500 B.C. to A.D. 2000. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-250-2657-0.
• Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002). LCCN 80-905179
• Dr. P. Arundhati (1994). Royal Life in Manasollasa, New Delhi: Sundeep Prakashan, ISBN 81-85067-89-9.