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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 37, PLATE XXIII B 163
8 . . . . di(?)tyêna || Yâvach¹=Chharvva-jaṭâ-kalâpa-gahanê vidyôtatê chandramâ
divya-strî-charaṇair=vvibhûshita-taṭô yâvach=cha Mêrur=nagaḥ yâvach=
ch=ôrasi nîla-nîrada-nibhê Vishṇur=vvi(bbi)bharty=uj[j*]valâṁ Śrîms=
tâvad²=giri-mûrdhni tishṭhati
9 [śilâ(?)-prâ]sâda-mukhyô ramê ||
TRANSLATION.
[Ôm !] May he (the Sun) protect you, who is victorious,—dispelling the darkness
of the banks of clouds with the masses of the multitude of his rays that light up the sky ;
(and) decorating the top of the side of the mountain of dawn with (his) horses, which
have the tossing ends of (their) manes dishevelled through the fatigue (induced) by (their)
startled gait ;—(and) who,—having (his) chariot-wheels (?) swallowed (?) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
the mountain of dawn ; dispelling distress ; (being) the light of the house which is the
world ; (and) effecting the destruction of night,—creates the fresh beauty of the water-
lilies by (his) rays which are of the colour of molten gold !¹
(Line 2.)—(There was) a ruler of [the earth], of great merit, who was renowned by
the name of the glorious Tôramâṇa; by whom, through (his) heroism that was specially
characterised by truthfulness, the earth was governed with justice.
(L. 3.)—Of him, the fame of whose family has risen high, the son (is) he, of un-
equalled prowess, the lord of the earth, who is renowned under the name of Mihirakula,
(and) who, (himself) unbroken, [broke the power of³] Paśupati.
(L. 4.)—While [he], the king, the remover of distress, possessed of large and pellucid
eyes, is governing the earth ; in the augmenting reign, (and) in the fifteenth year, of (him)
the best of kings ; the month Kârttika, cool and fragrant with the perfume of the red and
blue waterlilies that are caused to blossom by the smiles of the rays of the moon, having
come ; while the spotless moon is shining ;⁴ and a very auspicious day,—heralded by the
chiefs of the classes of the twice-born⁵ with the noise of the proclamation of a holy day,
(and) possessed of the (proper) tithi and nakshatra and muhûrta,—having arrived ;—
(L. 5.)—The son's son of Matritula, and the son of Mâtṛidâsa, by name Mâtṛichêṭa,
an inhabitant of . . . . . . . . . . . . on the hill, has caused to be made, on the delightful
mountain which is speckled with various metals and has the appellation of Gôpa,⁶ a stone-
temple, the chief among the best of temples, of the Sun, for the purpose of increasing the
religious merit of (his) parents and of himself, and of those who, by the . . . . . . . . of the
king, dwell on this best of mountains.
(L. 7.)—Those who cause to be made an excellent house of the Sun, like in lustre to
the rays of the moon,—their abode is in heaven, until the destruction of all things !
(L. 7.)—(This) very famous proclamation of the true religion⁷ has been composed
through devotion to the Sun, by him who is renowned by the name of Kêśava and by
. . . . ditya.
(L. 8.)—As long as the moon shines on the thicket that is the knot of the braided
hair of (the god) Śarva; and as long as the mountain Mêru continues to have (its) slopes

¹ Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita.
² Read śrîṁ tâvad.
³ See page 162 above, note 6.
⁴ i.e. in the bright fortnight of the month.
⁵ i.e. by the Brâhmaṇs.
⁶ See page 162 above, note 1.
⁷ i.e. this inscription.
X 2.