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Lakshmikarna (IAST: Lakśmi-Karṇa; 1041–1073 CE), also known as Karna, was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh.
The most famous king of his dynasty, Lakshmikarna raided territories of several neighbouring kingdoms, including those of the Chandra dynasty, the Chola dynasty, the Kalyani Chalukyas, the , the , and the Pala Empire. After several military successes, he assumed the title of Chakravartin in 1052-1053 CE. Around 1055 CE, he played an important role in the downfall of the Paramara dynasty king Bhoja, and captured a part of the Paramara kingdom of Malwa after Bhoja's death. By the end of his reign, however, he suffered several setbacks and lost control of Malwa to Bhoja's brother Udayaditya.
The Rewa inscription also claims that Lakshmikarna attacked Kanchi in the south. This suggests that he fought with the Chola dynasty king Rajadhiraja.
In the inscription, Lakshmikarna claims to have seized the fortune of the king of Kuntala country, who is identified with the Kalyani Chalukya king Someshvara I. However, the Chalukya court poet Bilhana claims that Someshvara destroyed the power of Lakshmikarna. This suggests that the war between the two kings was indecisive.
The Rewa inscription further states that Lakshmikarna invaded the Gurjaradesa country, where he turned the local women into widows. An Apabhramsha verse cited in Prakrita-paingala also suggests that Lakshmikarna defeated a Gurjara king. This king can be identified with the Chaulukya king Bhima I. It appears that peace was established between the two kingdoms, as Bhima later participated in one of Lakshmikarna's campaigns.
Lakshmikarna also bore the common grand titles Paramabhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, and Parameshvara. He inherited the title Trikalingadhipati from his father. In addition, he also assumed the title Rajatrayadhipati (Lord of three forces: horses, elephants and men). His successors also continued to use these titles, although they were not as powerful as Lakshmikarna.
According to the 14th century chronicler Merutunga, Bhoja died just as the two kings attacked Malwa. Bhima and Lakshmikarna had agreed to divide Bhoja's kingdom among themselves. But, Lakshmikarna annexed the entire Malwa region after Bhoja's death. As a result, Bhima invaded Lakshmikarna's kingdom and advanced up to his capital Tripuri. Lakshmikarna engineered a peace treaty by gifting him elephants, horses and the golden mandapika of Bhoja.
Lakshmikarna lost the control of Malwa within a few months. Bhoja's successor Jayasimha sought assistance from the Kalyani Chalukya king Someshvara I to restore the Paramara rule in Malwa. Someshvara sent his son Vikramaditya VI to help Jayasimha. Lakshmikarna achieved early successes against Vikramaditya, but was ultimately defeated. Jayasimha gained back his ancestral throne in 1055 CE.
Lakshmikarna appears to have retained his control over a part of the Chandela territory for more than a decade. However, he was ultimately ousted by Kirttivarman, sometime before 1075-76 CE.
The Siyan stone slab inscription from Nayapala's reign states that Lakshmikarna was defeated. According to Tibetan accounts, the Buddhist monk Atisha engineered a peace treaty between Nayapala and the "king of Karnya of the West". Historian R. C. Majumdar identifies the second king as Lakshmikarna.
The 12th century Jain author Hemachandra states that Lakshmikarna defeated the king of Gauda, and that the king of Gauda offered Lakshmikarna a heavy tribute to save his life and his throne. According to V. V. Mirashi, this king might have been Nayapala's successor Vigrahapala III. The two kings ultimately concluded a peace treaty, with Lakshmikarna's daughter Yuvanashri marrying the Pala king.
Lakshmikarna patronized several Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhramsha scholars. These included the noted Sanskrit poet Bilhana, whose Vikramnka-deva-charita states that he defeated one Gangadhara in a poetic competition held at Lakshmikarna's court. His other court poets included Villana, Nachiraja, Karpura and Vidyapati.
Lakshmikarna built the Karna-meru temple at Varanasi; it was probably dedicated to Shiva. He commissioned the Karna-tirtha ghat at Prayaga (modern Allahabad). He also established the Karnavati agrahara (village) for .
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