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

80 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
{ 241. Wa-ta'rîkh al-munajjimîn yata'akhkhar 'an Shg-kâl
{ 241. And the era of the astronomers is posterior to [Śaka]-era
{ 587 wa-'alai-hi buniya zîj Kndkâtk li-Brhmgûpt
{ 587 and on it is built the canon [Khaṇḍakâṭaka] by [Brahmagupta]
{ wa-huwa 'al-ma'rûf 'inda-nâ bi'l-Arknd.
{ and it the known with us (chez nous) by (the name of) Al-Arkand.
{ Fa-'idhan sinû ta'rîkh Shrî-Harish li-sanati-nâ
{ And so then the years of the era of [Śrî-Harsha] to our year
{ 'al-mumaththal bi-hâ 1488 wa-ta'-rîkh Bkrmâdt 1088
{ that is used as an example 1488 and the era of [Vikramâditya] 1088
{ wa-Shg-kâl 953 wa-ta'rîkh Balba 'alladhî huwa 'aidan
{ and [Śaka]-era 953 and the era of [Valabhî] which it also
{ Gûbita-kâl 712.
{ [Gupta]-era 712.
Translation.
“And for this reason they have given them up, and have adopted the eras of Śrî-
Harsha, Vikramâditya, Śaka, Valabhî, and the Guptas. ............ And as regards
the era of Valabhî,—who was the ruler of the city of Valabhî, which was south of
the city of Aṇhilvâḍa by nearly thirty yôjanas,—its beginning was later than the Śaka
era by two hundred and forty-one years. Those who use it put down (the year of)
the Śaka era, and subtract from it the sum of the cube of six and the square of five;
and there remains (the year of) the era of Valabhî. His history is coming in its
proper place.¹ And as regards the Gupta era,—(the members of this dynasty) were, it is
said, a race wicked (and) strong; and so, after they became extinct, people dated by
them. And it seems as if Valabhî was the last of them. And so the beginning of their
era also is later than the Śaka era (by) 241 (years). And the era of the astronomers is
later than the Śaka era (by) 587 (years); and on it is based the astronomical canon
(named) Khaṇḍakhâṭaka, by Brahmagupta, which among us is known by (the name of)
Al-Arkand. So, then, 1488 years of the era of Śrî-Harsha are in correspondence with the
year (of Yasdajird) that we have taken as a gauge; and 1088 of the era of Vikramâditya;
and 953 of the Śaka era; and 712 of the era of Valabhî, which is also the Gupta era.”
The essence of the whole matter, of course, lies in the precise meaning that is to be
given to the words which follow the statement that the Guptas were wicked and powerful.
¹ See, however, page 24 above, note 6.