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

278 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
(L. 9.)—His disciple, greater (even than himself), (is) he who has the excellent name
of Mahânâman (II.); an inhabitant of Âmradvîpa; a very ocean of a mighty family;
born in the island of Laṅkâ; delighting in the welfare of others;—by him this beautiful
mansion of the Teacher of mankind, who overcame the power of (the god) Smara,¹—
dazzling white as the rays of the moon, with an open pavilion on all sides,—has been caused
to be made at the exalted Bôdhimaṇḍa.
(L. 11.)—By means of this appropriate (action), let mankind,—freed from attachment
to worldly things; having the condition of (mental) darkness dispelled; (and), like (the
flame of) a torch, having no adhesion (to material objects),—enjoy the supreme happiness
of perfect wisdom!
(L. 12.)—As long as the sun, the dispeller of darkness, shines in all directions with
diffused rays; as long as the ocean (is) full on all sides with its circles of waves that are
curved like the hoods of hooded snakes; and as long as (the mountain) Sumêru, the
abode of (the god) Indra, has its summits made beautiful by various jewelled slabs, in
such a way as to be full of lustre,—so long let this temple of the great saint attain the
condition of being everlasting!
(L. 14.)—The year 200 (and) 60 (and) 9; (the month) Chaitra; the bright fort-
night; the day² 7.

No. 72; PLATE XLI B.

BODH-GAYA IMAGE INSCRIPTION OF MAHANAMAN.

THIS inscription, which, also, was published by me quite recently, for the first time, in the
Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. p. 359, is from the pedestal of a Buddhist image that was discovered
in the excavations made by General Cunningham and Mr. Beglar at Bôdh-Gayâ,³ in the
Gayâ District in the Bengal Presidency.
The writing, which covers a space of about 1′ 8¾″ broad by 1¾″ high, is in a state
of almost perfect preservation.—The average size of the letters is about ⅜″. The
characters belong to the northern class of alphabets, and are of precisely the same type
with those of the preceding inscription of Mahânâman.—The language is Sanskrit; and
the inscription is in prose.—The orthography presents nothing calling for remark.
The inscription does not refer itself to the reign of any king, and is not dated; but
the characters allot it to precisely the same time with the preceding Bôdh-Gayâ inscrip-
tion of Mahânâman, of A. D. 588-89. It is a Buddhist inscription. And the object of it
is to record the presentation of the statue, on the pedestal of which it is engraved, by a
Sthavira named Mahânâman, who is obviously the second Mahânâman mentioned in the
preceding inscription.
As pointed out to me by General Cunningham, this inscription shews that
Mahânâman must have been at least thirty years old when he visited Bôdh-Gayâ; by the
Buddhist rules, he could not receive the upasampadâ-ordination, before attaining the age
¹ This refers generally to the subjugation of the passions; but also specially to the temptation
by Mâra, or Love as the Destroyer, which is referred to in Buddh. Rec. West. World, Vol. II. p. 69 ff.
² As regards the interpretation of the symbol for the day, see page 274 above, note 2.
³ See page 274 above, and note 1.