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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 78, PLATE XLIII B. 283
this, the legend, in two lines, of which the text and translation are given below; and, at
the bottom, a curved line, which is evidently intended for a nâga or hooded snake. The
legend is in reverse in the original, so as to give a direct impression on documents; and it
is evidently for some purpose or other of this kind that the seal was used. I give
a direct representation of it in the lithograph.—The weight of the seal and ring is about
2½ oz.—The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets.—The language is
Sanskrit; and the legend is in prose.—The orthography presents nothing calling for
remark.
The inscription simply records the name of the Mahârâja Mahêśvaranâga, the
son of Nâgabhaṭṭa, belonging, it may be presumed, to a branch of the well-known
Nâga family or tribe. On palæographical grounds, it may be referred roughly to about
the end of the fourth century A.D.
TEXT.¹
1 Mahârâja-Nâgabhaṭṭa-
2 putra-Mahêśvaranâga
TRANSLATION.
The Mahârâja Mahêśvaranâga, the son of Nâgabhaṭṭa.
No. 78; PLATE XLIII B.
ROHTASGADH STONE SEAL-MATRIX OF THE
MAHASAMANTA SASANKADEVA.
THIS inscription, which has not been previously brought to notice, was discovered by Mr.
Beglar cut in the rock at the hill-fort of Rôhtâsgaḍh or Rôhitâsgaḍh,² twenty-four
miles south by west of Sahasrâm,³ the chief town of the Sahasrâm Sub-Division of the
Shâhâbâd (Arâ) District in the Bengal Presidency.
In the upper part, there is a somewhat damaged representation of a bull, recumbent
to the proper right, and below this, separated by a line about 1/16" broad, the legend, in two
lines, of which the text and translation are given below; the whole being enclosed in a cir-
cle, about 4¼" in diameter, with a breadth of circumference varying from ¼" to ½". I give
a direct representation in the lithograph. But the original, on the rock, is in reverse; and,
with the bull, the circular surrounding line, and the line across the surface, the legend is
countersunk, not in relief. It is plain that what we have here, is a mould or matrix, for cast-
ing copper-seals in relief, to be attached to copper-plate charters.—The average size of
the letters is about 7/16". The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets.—The
language is Sanskrit; and the legend is in prose.—The orthography presents nothing
calling for remark.
¹ From the original seal.
² The ‘Rhotasgurh and Rohtásgarh’ of maps, &c. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 104. Lat. 24° 37′ N.; Long. 83° 55′ E.
³ The ‘Sahasrâm, Sahseram, and Sasseram’ of maps.—The name is understood to be a corruption of the Sanskrit sahasra-grâma, ‘the (circle of a) thousand villages.’
2 N 2