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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS ; No. 38, PLATE XXIV. 167
28 dêv-âgnihôtr-âtithi-paṁchamahâyajñikânâṁ kriyâṇâṁ samutsarppaṇ-ârttham=
â-chandr-ârkk-ârṇṇava-sarit-kshiti-sthiti-samakâlînaṁ putra-pau-
29 tr-ânvaya-bhôgyaṁ udaka-sarggêṇa nisṛishṭaṁ [।*] Yatô=sy=ôchitayâ
brahmadeya-sthityâ bhuñjataḥ kṛishataḥ karshayataḥ pradiśatô vâ
30 na kaiśchit=pratishêdhê varttitavyam [।*] [Â*]gâmi-bhadra-nṛipatibhiś=ch=
Asmad-vaṁśa-jair=a-nityâny=aiśvaryyâṇy=a-sthiraṁ mânushyaṁ sâmânyaṁ
cha bhûmi-
31 dâna-phalam=avagachchhadbhir=ayam=asmad-dâyô=numantavyaḥ paripâlayitavyaś=
cha [।*] Yaś=ch=ainam=âchchhindyâd=âchchhidyamânaṁ v=ânu-
32 môdêta sa paṁchabhir=mmahâpâtakai[ḥ*] ll¹ s-ôpapâtakai[ḥ*] ll² sa[rbb*]-
yuktas=syâd=ity=Uktan cha bhagavatâ vêda-vyâsêna Vyâsêna ॥(।)
33 Shashṭiṁ³ varsha-sahasrâṇi svarggê tishṭhati bhûmi-daḥ âchchhêttâ
ch=ânumantâ cha l⁴ tâny=êva narakê vasêt ॥ Pûrvva-dattâṁ
34 dvijâtibhyô yatnâd=raksha Yudhishṭhira ॥(।) mahî[m*] mahimatâṁ
śrêshṭha ॥⁵ dânâch=chhrêyô=nupâlanam ॥ Bahubhir=vvasudhâ bhuktâ
35 râjabhis=Sagar-âdibhiḥ ॥(।) yasya yasya yadâ bhûmiḥ tasya tasya tadâ
phalam=itiḥ⁶ ॥(॥) Likhitaṁ⁷ s[â*]ndhivigrahika-Skandabhaṭêna ॥
36 Sva-hastô mama mahârâja-śrî-Dharasênasya ॥ Dû⁸ Chirbbira[ḥ*] ॥ Saṁ
200 50 2 Vaiśâkha ba 10 5 [॥*]
TRANSLATION.
Ôm! Hail! From (the city of) Valabhî :⁹—(There was) the illustrious Sênâpati¹⁰
Bhaṭârka, a most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara,—who was possessed of
glory acquired in a hundred battles fought with the large armies, possessed of unequalled
strength, of the Maitrakas, who had by force bowed down (their) enemies;¹¹ (and) who
¹ and ² In each case, the engraver seems to have formed the mark of punctuation by mistake
for a visarga.
³ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh); and in the following two verses.
⁴ and ⁵ In each case, the mark of punctuation is unnecessary.
⁶ Read iti. ⁷ Supply śâsanam. ⁸ i.e. dûtakaḥ.
⁹ The proper context is "the Mahârâja, the illustrious Dharasêna, being in good health, issues
a command," &c., in line 19 ff. The intervening genealogy is by way of a parenthesis.
¹⁰ Sênâpati, lit. 'lord or chief of the army; a general,' is a technical military title.—The next
grade above this was that of the Mahâsênâpati, whose title occurs, for instance, in line 1 of the
Bijayagadh inscription of the Yaudhêyas, No. 58 below, Plate xxxvi B.
¹¹ The correct interpretation of this important passage was first conclusively pointed out by
Professor Kielhorn, in re-editing the Walâ grant of Śîlâditya I. of the year 286 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV.
p. 328 f.) Dr. Bhau Daji, however, evidently had an idea as to the proper meaning; since he wrote
(Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. VIII. p. 244 f.)—"A sentence in the copper-plate, which has hitherto
not been translated correctly, shows that they" (the rulers of Valabhî) "triumphed over a sun-wor-
shipping people (Maitrakas)." Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar's translation (Ind. Ant. Vol. I. p. 14) was—
"(Bhaṭârka), who obtained greatness by a hundred wounds received in the midst of a circle of
friends of matchless might, who with main force had subjugated their enemies." Dr. Bühler's (id.
Vol. IV. p. 106) was—"Bhaṭârka, who obtained an empire through the matchless power of his friends
that humbled his enemies by main force;—who gained glory in a hundred battles fought at close
quarters." Mr. V. N. Mandlik, following Dr. Bhau Daji, translated (Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc.
Vol. XI. p. 346)—"(Bhaṭârka), who had achieved success in hundreds of battles occurring in the