Vol. VIII, No. 3.] The Atapura Inscription. 87 
[N.S.] 
the first of them, i.e. Mahideva, isthe chief term, on the true 
interpretation of which the final determination of the truth of 
this vexed question entirely depends. In examining the mean- 
ing of the term Mahideva, we see that itis undoubtedly a com- 
pound Sanskrit word, formed of Mahi, the earth, and deva, a 
king or a Brahmana. There is, of course, a double-entendre on 
this word Mahideva which means ‘a king’ as well as ‘a 
Brahmana.’ It is an epithet or attribute of Guhadatta or 
Vijayaditya expressing the real quality ascribed to them, that 
is, it expresses that they were really kings, and no doubt at all 
that they were the kings, who were the delighter of the family 
of Nagar-Brahmanas. Mr. Lakshmana Ramchandra, M.A., 
.B., and Professor Wilson have given in their Sanskrit- 
English Dictionaries the both meanings of this most disputed 
term deva, ‘a king’ or ‘a Brahmana.’ Besides the term deva 
is also a title of honour used in addressing a king as—‘‘ Your 
Majesty.’’ In this meaning it is used in Kavyaprakasha X as 
—Zaimag 4a Fa aear ae vq Baratfeayq. When the 
word deva is susceptible of double interpretation here, we must 
prefer the appropriate meaning of a king and not that of a 
of descent has never been doubted. Thus, when a term is 
plainly susceptible of double interpretation, then it is, in our 
humble opinion, quite unnecessary to prefer an inappropriate 
or far-fetched meaning of it. 
IV. There now remains one point only, the question of 
dates of Guhadatta or Guhila and that of his successors of 
descendants to be critically examined in connection with this 
transcript. Mr. Bhandarkar has given the following dates of 
the earlier Kings of Mewar in his paper on Guhilots and in 
his list, copy of which is appended to this paper by us as 
marked E:— 
Guhadatta or Guhila, 4.p. 546. 
Sila, v.s. 703. 
. Aparajit, v.s. 718. 
- Khumman I. alias Bappa: abdicated his throne in 
ODT 
v.s. 810. 
17. Allata, v.s. 1008 and 1010. 
18. Naravahana, v.s. 1028. 
90, Saktikumara, v.s. 1034. 
