गुप्त अभिलेख संग्रह (जे. एफ. फ्लीट - गुप्त सम्राटों एवं परवर्ती नरेशों के ऐतिहासिक पाषाण व ताम्रलेख)

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 19, PLATE XII A. 89
century A.D. The letter r, as the first part of a compound consonant, is formed some-
times within the top line of the writing, e.g. in arṇṇava, line 1, and sometimes above it,
e.g. in paryyaṅka, in the same line. The characters include, in line 3, forms of the nu-
merical symbols for 5, 60, and 100.—The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is
in verse as far as line 4, and the rest in prose.—In respect of orthography, the only
point that calls for notice is the constant doubling of t, in conjunction with a following r,
e.g. in maittrāyaṇīya, line 5; pauttrēṇa, line 6; and pittrôḥ, line 8.
The inscription refers itself to the reign of Budhagupta, whose feudatory, the Mahâ-
râja Suraśmichandra, was governing the country lying between the river Kālindī, or
the Jamnā, and the Narmadā. It is dated, completely in words, and partly in numerical
symbols, in the year one hundred and sixty-five (A.D. 484-85), on the twelfth lunar day
of the bright fortnight of the month Âshâḍha (June-July), and on Suraguruvâra or Thursday.
It is a Vaishṇava inscription. And the object of it is to record the erection of the column,
which is called a dhvaja-stambha or 'flag-staff'¹ of the god Vishṇu, under the name of
Janârdana, by a Mahârâja named Mâtṛivishṇu and his younger brother, Dhanya-
vishṇu.
TEXT.²
1 Jayati³ vibhus=chatur-bhujaś=chatur-arṇṇava-vipula-salila-paryyaṅkaḥ jagataḥ
sthity-utpatti-nya[y-âdi⁴]-
2 hêtur=Ggaruḍa-kêtuḥ [॥*] Śatê pañcha-shashṭy-adhikê varshāṇāṁ bhûpatau
cha Budhaguptê | Âshâḍha-mâsa-ś[ukla]-
3 dvâ⁵daśyâṁ Suragurôr=ddivasê | (॥) Saṁ 100 60 5 [॥*] Kālindî⁶-
Narmmadayôr=mmadhyaṁ pâlayati lôkapâla-guṇair=jjagati mahâr[âja]-
4 śriyam=anubhavati Suraśmichandrê cha | (॥) Asyâṁ saṁvatsara-mâsa-
divasa-pûrvvâyâṁ⁷ sva-karmm-âbhiratasya kratu-yâji[naḥ]
5 adhîta-svâdhyâyasya vipr-a..shêr=Mmaittrâyaṇîya-vṛishabhasy=Êndravishṇôḥ pra-
pauttrêṇa pitur=guṇ-ânukâriṇô Varuṇav[i]sh[ṇôḥ]
6 pauttrêṇa pitaram=anu-jâtasya sva-vaṁśa-vṛiddhi-hêtôr=Harivishṇôḥ puttrêṇ-
âtyanta-bhagavad-bhaktêna Vidhâtur=ichchhayâ svayaṁvaray=êva r[â]ja-
7 lakshmy=âdhigatêna chatuḥ-samudra-paryyanta-prathita-yaśasâ akshîṇa-mâna-
dhanên=ânêka-śattru-samara-jishṇunâ mahârâja-Mâtṛivishṇun[â]
8 tasy=aiv=ânujêna tad-anuvidhâyin[â] tat-prasâda-parigṛi[hî]têna Dhanya-
vishṇunâ cha | mâtṛi(tâ)pittrôḥ puṇy-âpyâyan-ârtham=êsha bhagavataḥ |⁸
9 puṇyajan-ârdanasya Janârddanasya dhvaja-stambhô=bhyuchchhritaḥ [॥*]
Svasty=astu gô-brâhmaṇa-p[u]rôgâbhyaḥ sarvva-prajâbhya iti | (॥)
¹ Compare dhvaja, 'standard,' as applied to the Mêharaulî column, in line 6 of No. 32 below,
Plate xxiA.
² From the original stone.
³ Metre Âryâ; and in the next verse.—In the first pâda of this, and of the second verse,
we have the proper number of twelve syllabic instants; but they are not arranged in accordance with
the usual rule for this metre.
⁴ I have adopted Dr. Hall's suggestion for supplying the effaced letters. In the last legible
syllable, part of the subscript y is quite distinct, and the consonant above it seems to be a broken n;
and the requirements of both the metre and the sense are properly met by supplying yâdi for the
effaced syllables.
⁵ This akshara is somewhat damaged; but it is very distinctly dvâ. Prinsep's reading of
trayôdaśyâṁ is proved to be wrong by the metre, if by nothing else.
⁶ Metre, Âryâ. ⁷ Supply tithau. ⁸ This mark of punctuation is unnecessary.
N₂