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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 33, PLATE XXI B. 143
The column with the present inscription lies, partially buried, north and south, with
the top to the north. The base of it is rectangular, about 3' 4" square by 4' 5" high;
and, as there is no socket at the bottom to indicate that it was fitted into any masonry
foundation, this part must have been buried when the column stood upright. From this
base there rises a sixteen-sided shaft, each face of which is about 8½" broad where it
starts from the base; part of the shaft, about 17' 0 in length, is still connected with the
base, making the length of this fragment about 21' 5", and the present inscription, occu-
pying five of the sixteen faces, is on this fragment, the bottom line being about 2' 2"
above the top of the base. Immediately in continuation of this, there lies the remainder
of the shaft, about 17' 10" long; at the upper end of this, the faces are each about 7"
broad, shewing that the column tapers slightly from bottom to top. The upper end of
this fragment is flat, with a round socket projecting from it; which shews these two
fragments make up the entire shaft, the total length of which was thus about 39' 3", or
34' 10" above the base. This column appears to have broken naturally in falling, and not
to have been deliberately divided, as the other was, in the manner described below. The
next part of this column, the lower part of the capital, lies about forty yards away to the
north, close up to the hedge of the hamlet, and is a fluted bell, about 2' 6" high and 3' 2"
in diameter, almost identical in design with the corresponding part of a small pillar from
an old Gupta temple at Sâñchi, drawn by General Cunningham in the Archæol. Surv. Ind.
Vol. X. Plate xxii. No. 1. In the bottom of it there is a socket-hole, about 11" in dia-
meter, answering in size to the socket on the top of the shaft; and on the top there is a
projecting socket. About twenty-five yards south of this, and fifteen yards north of the
column, I found a flat stone buried in the ground just level with the surface; and, on
excavating it, it proved to be the next portion, the square upper part of the capital. It
measures about 2' 8" high by 3' 10" square: the vertical corner edges are trimmed off.
I could not get at the bottom of it; but there must be there a socket-hole, answering to
the projecting socket on the top of the bell-shaped part that came below it. I only
exposed one side of it; but this was sufficient to shew that it is a lion-capital, exactly
like the capital of the other column, noticed more fully below. On the top surface of it,
there is in the centre a circular socket-hole about 11½" in diameter and 4" deep, with eight
other rectangular socket-holes round it, one in the centre of each side, and one opposite
each corner. The total length of this column, up to the top of the lion-capital, is about
44' 5"; or forty feet above the ground, if it stood with the entire base buried. The
square lion-capital must have been surmounted by a statue or statues, of the same kind
as that which stands on the summit of the column at Êraṇ¹ which has on it Budha-
gupta's inscription, No. 19 above, page 88; but I cannot feel sure of having found it.
I found, indeed, in the same field, towards the west side, in three pieces, a very well
executed sandstone bas-relief slab, 9' 0" high, with a rectangular pedestal 3' 2" broad
by 1' 8" deep and 8" high, of a male figure, standing, somewhat larger than life-size, wearing
a kirîṭa or high head-dress, with necklace and armlets, and draped from the waist down-
wards, with a small figure standing by the right leg. And close by this there were, in two
pieces, the kirîṭa and the head and shoulders of another figure of the same size, evident-
ly a duplicate of the above. Unless, however. there were some intervening parts that

¹ See Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. X. p. 81, and Plate xxvi.

144 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
have been altogether lost, these slabs cannot belong to the columns, since their pedestals
have no sockets to fit into the socket-holes on the tops of the lion-capitals.¹
The other column, with the fragmentary duplicate copy of this inscription, No. 34
below, Plate xxiC., stood, as is shewn by the present position of its base, about twenty
yards north of the column that I have just described. When overthrown, it fell east and
west, with the top towards the west. The base is rectangular, about 3' 3" square by 3' 11" high.
Differing from the first column, the base here is followed by a concave circular part, about
1' 0" high. From this there rises a sixteen-sided shaft, each face of which is about 8"
broad where it starts from the base. But the portion of the shaft that remains attached
to the base is only about 1' 1" long; and a row of chisel-marks all round the column here,
shews that it was deliberately broken by the insertion of wedges. The next piece of the
column,—or rather a remnant of it, as it is broken vertically, and part of it has been lost,
—lies about three yards to the north of the base, and parallel with it, but in an inverted
position, with the upper end to the east. This piece is about 9' 0" long; and the rem-
nant of the duplicate inscription is here, on two of the faces; the bottom line of it being
about 2' 9½" above the square base. The next piece of the shaft is missing altogether,
and is supposed to be entirely buried somewhere in this field. The remainder of the
shaft, about 6' 9" in length, lies, almost entirely buried, a few yards to the west of the
portion including the base and the commencement of the shaft. Each face here is about
7" broad at the top; shewing that this column also tapers slightly from bottom to top.
The top of this fragment is flat, with a round socket projecting from it; which shews that
we have here the end of the shaft. Immediately west of this fragment, there lies the
fluted bell part of the capital, about 3' 0" high and 3' 3" in diameter, similar in design to
the same part of the capital of the other pillar. In the bottom of it there is a socket-hole,
about 11" in diameter, answering in size to the socket on the top of the shaft; and on the
top there is a projecting socket. Just to the west of this there lies, upside down and
partially buried, the next portion of the capital, the square upper part, measuring about
3' 0" high and 3' 10" square; the vertical corner edges are trimmed off. The bottom,
and one entire side and parts of two others, are exposed; and enough is visible to shew
that each side consists of a bas-relief sculpture of two lions, each sitting on its haunches
and facing to the corner, where it merges into the corresponding corner lion on the next
side;² with the head of a conventional siṁha or mythological lion in the centre, over the
backs of the lions. In the bottom of this stone there is a socket-hole, about 10½" in
diameter, answering to the projecting socket on the top of the bell-shaped part that came
just below it. And I dug under one of the corners of the top enough to find there a rec-
tangular socket-hole, which justifies us in assuming that the top has one circular and
eight rectangular socket-holes, just as in the top of the lion-capital of the first column.
As in the case of the first column, I cannot feel sure of having found the statue or statues
which must have stood on the top of it.
The two inscribed columns were evidently intended as a pair, though the full measure
of the second cannot be taken. From the distance between them; from the difference in
the detailed measures; and from the analogous instance of the Êraṇ column, as shewing
¹ There are some similar bas-relief slabs set up in a group under some palm-trees in another
field, about fifty yards away to the east from where the inscribed columns lie; but these, again, do not
appear to belong to the columns.
² Compare the lions on the upper part of the square portion of the capital of the Êraṇ column.

the way in which they must have been finished off at the top,—they can hardly have been
connected by a beam, after the fashion of a tôraṇa or arched gateway; and there are no
traces of any temple to which they can have belonged. They are evidently an actual
instance of two raṇastambhas or "columns of victory in war," such as the Kauthêm¹
grant of Vikramâditya V., dated Śaka-Saṁvat 930 (A.D. 1008-9) expired, speaks of as
having been set up by the Râshṭrakûṭa king Karkara or Kakka III., and as having then
been cut asunder in battle by the Western Châlukya king Taila II.
To return to the inscription on the first column,—the writing, which covers a space
of about 3′ 2½″ broad by 1′ 2½″ high, has suffered a good deal from the weather; and, owing
to the difficulty of obtaining lights and shades, partly in consequence of the letters being
rather shallow, and partly because of the natural light colour of the stone, it is rather
difficult to read on the original column; but, in the ink-impression and the lithograph, it
can easily be read with certainty throughout.—The size of the letters varies from ¼″ to ⅜″.
Differing from the Mandasôr inscription of Kumâragupta and Bandhuvarman, No. 18
above, page 79, Plate xi., the characters here belong to the northern class of alpha-
bets, and are a development, in some respects, of the type of the Allahâbâd posthumous
pillar inscription of Samudragupta, No. 1 above, Plate i., and, in others, of that of the
Mathurâ inscription of Chandragupta II., No. 4 above, Plate iiiB. They include the
rather rare lingual ḍh, in upagûḍha, line 4. In vîrya, line 4, and sâmantair=yasya, line
5, the r is formed on the line of writing, with only a single y below it; in combination
with other consonants, e.g. in sumêrôr=vvighaṭita, line 1, and dharmmasya, line 8, the r
is formed above the top line of writing, and the consonant is doubled, in the usual way.—
The language is Sanskrit; and, except for the two words at the end, recording the
engraver’s name, the inscription is in verse throughout.—In respect of orthography, we
have to notice (1) the use of the upadhmânîya in śikhariṇaḥ-paśchimâd, line 5; (2) the
use of the guttural nasal, instead of the anusvâra, before ś, in aṅśu, line 5, and vaṅśa, line
8; and before s, in têjâṅsi, line 1, and pâṅsu, line 3; (3) the doubling of k and t, in con-
junction with a following r, in âkkrânti, line 4; chakkra, line 7; mâttra and yattra, line
3; anyattra, line 6; and nâyitô=ttra, line 7; but not in kriyantê, line 5, and śatru, line 1;
and (4) the doubling of dh, in conjunction with a following y, in addhyâsint, line 4.
The inscription is one of a king named Yaśôdharman,² whose dominions are de-
scribed as including the whole of the northern part of India, from the river Lauhitya, or
the Brahmaputra, to the Western Ocean, and from the Himâlayas to the mountain

¹ Ind. Ant. Vol. XVI. p. 18.
² Having regard to the frequency with which, in the period of this inscription, varman occurs as
the termination of proper names, and to the rarity of dharman,—there might be some temptation to
suggest that Yaśôdharman should be corrected into Yaśôvarman. But the dh is very distinct in line 7
here, and in the corresponding place in line 7 of the remnant of the original duplicate copy of this
inscription, No. 34 below, Plate xxiC.; and again in line 8 below; and again in the same name
in line 4 of the inscription of Yaśôdharman and Vishṇuvardhana, No. 35 below, Plate xxii.—
The form dharman is not of frequent occurrence. But we do meet with it in other proper names;
e.g. Kṛitadharman, Kshattradharman, Kshêmadharman, Jayadharman, and Sudharman. And it also
occurs in ordinary composition; e.g. in Manv-âdi-praṇîta-vidhi-vidhâna-dharmmâ, in line 5 of the
Mâliyâ grant of the Mahârâja Dharasêna II. of the year 252, No. 38 below, Plate xxiv.; and in
têjôbhir=âditya-samâna-dharmmâ, in line 29 of the Kauthêm grant of Vikramâditya V. of Śaka-
Saṁvat 930 expired (Ind. Ant. Vol. XVI. p. 22).

146 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
**Mahêndra.*¹ We have an important allusion in the statement that he possessed countries
which not even the Guptas and the Hûṇas could subdue; and a still more important
record, in connection with the general history of the period, to the effect that homage was
done to him by even the famous king Mihirakula. It is not dated. But Yaśôdhar-
man's date is now known from the Mandasôr inscription of Mâlava-Saṁvat 589 (A.D.
532-33) expired, No. 35 below, which mentions him and Vishṇuvardhana; and the present
inscription, having been engraved by the same person, Gôvinda, must fall within a few
years on either side of that date. Also, the use of the present tense almost throughout,
coupled with the record that Yaśôdharman himself erected the column, shews that the
inscription is one of his own time, not posthumous. The opening verse contains a Śaiva
invocation; which is in accordance with the boast, in line 6, that Yaśôdharman never
bowed his head to any save the god Śiva. But the record itself is non-sectarian; the
object of it being only to narrate the erection of the column, for the purpose of reciting
the king’s glory and power.
TEXT.²
1 Vêpantê³ yasya bhîma-stanita-bhaya-samudbhrânta-daityâ digantâḥ śriṅg-
âghâtaiḥ Sumêrôr=vvighaṭita-drishadaḥ kandarâ yaḥ karôti |
ukshâṇaṁ taṁ dadhânaḥ kshitidharatanayâ-datta-pañch-âṅgul-
âṅkaṁ drâghishṭhaḥ Śûlapâṇêḥ kshapayatu bhavatâṁ śatru-têjâṁsi
kêtuḥ ||
2 Avirbhût-âvalêpair=avinaya-paṭubhir=llaṅghit-âchâra-mârggair=mmôhâd=aidam-
yugînair=apa-śubha-ratibhiḥ pîḍyamânâ narêndraiḥ | yasya kshmâ
Śârṅgapâṇêr=iva kaṭhina-dhanur-jyâ-kiṇ-âṅka-prakôshṭhaṁ bâhuṁ lôk-
ôpakâra-vrata-saphala-parispanda-dhîraṁ prapannâ ||
3 Nindy-âchârêshu yô=smin=vinaya-mushi yugê kalpanâ-mâttra-vṛit[t]yâ
râjasv=anyêshu pâṁsushv=iva kusuma-balir=nn=âbabhâsê prayuktaḥ | sa
śrêyô-dhâmni samrâḍ=iti Manu-Bharat-Âlarkka-Mândhâtṛi-kalpê kalyâṇê
hêmni bhâsvân=maṇir=iva sutarâṁ bhrâjatê yattra śabdaḥ ||
4 Yê bhuktâ Gupta-nâthair=nna sakala-vasudh-âkkrânti-drishṭa-pratâpair=nn=
âjñâ Hûṇ-âdhipânâṁ kshitipati-mukuṭ-âddhyâsinî yân=pravishṭâ |
dêśâṁs=tân=dhanva-śaila-druma-śa(ga)hana-sarid-vîrabâh-ûpagûḍhân=vîry-âva-
skanna-râjñaḥ sva-gṛiha-parisar-âvajñayâ yô bhunakti ||
5 Â Lauhity-ôpakaṇṭhât=tala-vana-gahan-ôpatyakâd=â Mahêndrâd=â Gaṅg-
âślishṭa-sânôs=tuhinaśikhariṇaḥ=paśchimâd=â payôdhêḥ | sâmantair=
yasya bâhu-draviṇa-hṛita-madaiḥ pâdayôr=ânamadbhiś=chûḍâratn-âṁśu-râji-
vyatikara-śabalâ bhûmi-bhâgâḥ kriyantê ||
6 Sthânôr=anyattra yêna praṇati-kṛipaṇatâṁ prâpitâṁ n=ôttamâṅgaṁ yasy=
âślishṭô bhujâbhyâṁ vahati himagirir=durgga-śabd-âbhimânam |
¹ It is doubtful whether this denotes here the famous Mahêndragiri or Mahêndrâchala in the
Gañjâm District, among the Eastern Ghauts; or another mountain of the same name, not so well
known, which appears to be mentioned also in line 2 of an earlier Nâsik inscription of the nineteenth
year of Siri-Puḷumâyi (Archæol. Surv. West. Ind. Vol. IV. No. 14, pp. 108, 109), and in the Bṛihat-
Saṁhitâ, xiv. vv. 11-16 (Kern's Translation, Jour. R. As. Soc. N. S. Vol. V. p. 83), and must be
located somewhere in the Western Ghauts.
² From the ink-impression.
³ Metre, Sragdharâ; and in the next seven verses

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 33, PLATE XXI B. 147
nichais=tên-âpi yasya praṇati-bhuja-bal-âvarjjana-klishṭa-mûrddhnâ
chûḍâ-pushp-ôpahârair-Mmihirakula-nṛipêṇ-ârchchitaṁ pâda-yugmaṁ ||
7 [Gâ]m=êv-ônmâtum=ûrddhvaṁ vigaṇayitum=iva jyôtishâṁ chakkravâlaṁ
nirddêshṭuṁ mârggam=uchchair-ddiva iva sukṛit-ôpârjjitâyâḥ sva-
kîrttêḥ | tên=â-kalpânta-kâl-âvadhir=avanibhujâ śrî-Yaśôdharmmaṇ-
âyam stambhaḥ stambh-âbhirâma-sthira-bhuja-parighêṇ=ôchchhritiṁ
nâyitô=ttra ||
8 Ś[l]âghyê janm-âsya vaṁśe charitam=agha-haraṁ dṛiśyatê kântam=
asmin=dharmmasy=âyaṁ nikêtaś=chalati niyamitaṁ n=âmunâ lôka-
vṛittaṁ [l*] ity=utkarshaṁ guṇânâṁ likhitum=iva Yaśôdharmmaṇaś=
chandra-bimbê râgâd=utkshipta uchchair-bhuja iva ruchimân=yaḥ
pṛithivyâ vibhâti ||
9 Iti¹ tushṭushayâ tasya nṛipatêḥ puṇya-karmmaṇaḥ | Vâsulên=ôparachitaḥ
ślôkaḥ Kakkasya sûnunâ || Utkîrṇṇâ² Gôvindêna ||
TRANSLATION.
May that very long banner of (the god) Śûlapâṇi destroy the glory of your enemies ;—
(that banner) which bears (a representation of) the bull (Nandi), marked by the five
fingers (dipped in some dye and then) placed on him by (Pârvatî) the daughter of the
mountain (Himâlaya), who causes the distant regions, in which the demons are driven
wild with fear by (his) terrible bellowings, to shake; (and) who makes the glens of (the
mountain) Sumêru to have their rocks split open by the blows of his horns !
(Line 2.)—He, to whose arm, as if (to the arm) of (the god) Śârṅgapâṇi,—the
fore-arm of which is marked with callous parts caused by the hard string of (his) bow,
(and) which is steadfast in the successful carrying out of vows for the benefit of man-
kind,—the earth betook itself (for succour), when it was afflicted by kings of the present
age, who manifested pride; who were cruel through want of proper training; who, from
delusion, transgressed the path of good conduct; (and) who were destitute of virtuous
delights :—
(L. 3.)—He who, in this age which is the ravisher of good behaviour, through the
action simply of (his good) intentions shone gloriously, not associating with other kings
who adopted a reprehensible course of conduct,—just as an offering of flowers (is beauti-
ful when it is not laid down) in the dust ;—he in whom, possessed of a wealth of virtue,
(and so) falling but little short of Manu and Bharata and Alarka and Mândhâtṛi, the
title of “universal sovereign”³ shines more (than in any other), like a resplendent jewel
(set) in good gold :—
(L. 4.)—He who, spurning (the confinement of) the boundaries of his own house,
enjoys those countries,—thickly covered over with deserts and mountains and trees and
thickets and rivers and strong-armed heroes, (and) having (their) kings assaulted by (his)
¹ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh). ² Supply praśastiḥ.
³ samrâj ; ‘a sovereign who rules ove kings and has performed the râjasûya-sacrifice.’—For a
description of the râjasûya, which is a great sacrifice or religious ceremony performed, at the corona-
tion of a supreme sovereign or universal monarch, by the king himself and his tributary princes, see
the Râjasûya-Parva in the Sabhâ-Parva of the Mahâbhârata ; Protap Chandra Roy's Translation,
page 95 ff.
U 2.

148 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
prowess,—which were not enjoyed (even) by the lords of the Guptas, whose prowess was
displayed by invading the whole (remainder of the) earth, (and) which the command of
the chiefs of the Hûṇas, that established itself on the tiaras of (many) kings, failed to
penetrate:—
(L. 5.)—He before whose feet chieftains,¹ having (their) arrogance removed by
the strength of (his) arm, bow down, from the neighbourhood of the (river) Lauhitya up
to (the mountain) Mahêndra,² the lands at the foot of which are impenetrable through
the groves of palmyra-trees, (and) from (Himâlaya) the mountain of snow, the table-
lands of which are embraced by the (river) Gaṅgâ, up to the Western Ocean,—by
which (all) the divisions of the earth are made of various hues through the intermingling
of the rays of the jewels in the locks of hair on the tops of (their) heads:³—
(L. 6.)—He by whom (his) head has never been brought into the humility of
obeisance to any other save (the god) Sthâṇu;—he, through the embraces of whose
arms (Himâlaya) the mountain of snow carries no longer⁴ the pride of the title of being
a place that is difficult of access;—he to whose two feet respect was paid, with compli-
mentary presents of the flowers from the lock of hair on the top of (his) head, by even that
(famous) king Mihirakula, whose forehead was pained through being bent low down by
the strength of (his) arm in (the act of compelling) obeisance:—
(L. 7.)—By him, the king, the glorious Yaśôdharman,⁵ the firm beams of whose
arms are as charming as pillars, this column, which shall endure to the time of the de-
struction of the world, has been erected here,—as if to measure out the earth; as if to
enumerate on high the multitude of the heavenly lights; (and) as if to point out the path
of his own fame to the skies above, acquired by good actions;—(this column) which
shines refulgent, as if it were a lofty arm of the earth, raised up in joy to write upon the
surface of the moon the excellence of the virtues of Yaśôdharman, to the effect that—
"His birth (is) in a lineage that is worthy to be eulogised; there is seen in him a charm-
ing behaviour that is destructive of sin; he is the abode of religion; (and) the (good)
customs of mankind continue current, unimpeded (in any way) by him."
(L. 9.)—From a desire thus to praise this king, of meritorious actions, (these) verses
have been composed by Vâsula, the son of Kakka. (This eulogy) has been engraved by
Gôvinda.

¹ Sâmanta, lit. 'bordering, neighbouring; a neighbour, a feudatory prince, the chief of a tribu-
tary district,' is a technical official title, denoting a rank next below that of the Mahâsâmanta, which
title occurs, for instance, in several places in the Nirmaṇḍ grant of the Mahâsâmanta and Mahârâja
Samudrasêna, No. 80 below, Plate xliv.—Sâmanta is of constant occurrence, in other inscriptions,
in its technical sense; but it is here used only in a general way, and is translated accordingly.
² See page 146 above, note 1.
³ chûḍâ is a single lock or tuft of hair left on the crown of the head after the ceremony of ton-
sure, which is performed in early childhood.
⁴ To complete the sense, we must apparently supply, in connection with vahati, the negative
particle na from the first pâda of the verse.
⁵ See page 145 above, note 2.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 34, PLATE XXIC. 149

No. 34; PLATE XXIC.

MANDASOR DUPLICATE STONE PILLAR INSCRIPTION OF YASODHARMAN.

THIS inscription, which I published, for the first time, in 1886, in the Ind. Ant. Vol.
XV. p. 257 f., is the remnant, mentioned above, of the original duplicate copy of the
inscription of Yaśôdharman on the second inscribed column, described at page 144 above,
at **Mandasôr,**¹ or more properly Dasôr, the chief town of the Mandasôr District of
Scindia’s Dominions, in the Western Mâlwâ division of Central India. It was discovered
by Mr. Arthur Sulivan, who forwarded his hand-copy of it to General Cunningham in 1879.
And it was this that led to the search which was made under my direction in 1884, and
which resulted in the discovery of the entire copy of this inscription No. 33 above, page
142, and Plate xxiB., and of the inscription of Kumâragupta and Bandhuvarman of the
Mâlava years 493 and 529, No. 18 above, page 79, and Plate xi.
The writing, which covers a space of about 1′ 1″ broad by 1′ 2″ high, is in some
respects in a state of rather better preservation than the entire copy; but nearly three-
quarters of the full inscription is lost here, through the column having cracked vertically
and part of it being now not forthcoming.—The size of the letters varies from ¼″ to ⅜″.
The characters belong, as before, to the northern class of alphabets, and were engrav-
ed by the same person, Gôvinda, who engraved the entire copy, No. 33 above; and this
record appears to have been in all essential details an exact reproduction of the copy that
has been preserved entire. We have the lingual ḍh in upagûḍha, line 4. And the two
methods of forming r in combination with a following consonant, are very well illustrated
by vîrya, line 4, and ôpakhârair=mmihirakula, line 6.—In respect of orthography, we
have to notice (1), as before, the use of the guttural nasal, instead of the anusvâra, before ś,
in anśu, line 5; and before s, in têjâṅsi, line 1; and (2) the doubling of t, in conjunction
with a following r, in yattra; line 3, and nâyitô=ttra, line 7; and also in śattru, line 1,
where it is not doubled in the entire copy.
This fragmentary inscription preserves the names of Yaśôdharman and
Mihirakula. But the passage mentioning the Guptas and the Hûṇas has been lost:
and also that which gives the boundaries of Yaśôdharman’s dominions.

TEXT.³

1 ...... [da]tta²-pañch-âṅgul-âṅkaṁ drâghishṭhaḥ Śûlapâṇêḥ kshapayatu
bhavatâṁ śattru-têjâṅsi kêtuḥ ||
2 ...... jy[â]-kiṇ-âṅka-prakôshṭhaṁ bâhuṁ lôk-ôpakâra-vrata-saphala-
parispanda-dhîraṁ prapannâ ||
3 ...... [Â]larkka-Mândhâtṛi-kalpê kalyâṇê hêmni bhâsvân=maṇir-iva
sutarâṁ bhrâjatê yattra śabdaḥ ||
4 ...... [vî]ra-bâh-ûpagûḍhân=vîry-âvaskanna-râjñaḥ sva-gṛiha-parisar-âvajñayâ
yô bhuṅakti ||

¹ See page 79 above, and note 1.
³ From the ink-impression.
² Metre, Sragdharâ; and in the next seven

150 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
5 ....... pâdayôr=ânamadbhiś=chûḍâratn-âṅśu-râji-vyatikara-śabalâ bhûmi-bhâgâḥ
kriyantê ||
6 ....... [âvar]jjana-klishṭa-mûrddhnâ chûḍâ-pushp-ôpahârair=Mmihirakula-
nṛipêṇ=ârchchitaṁ pâda-yugmaṁ ||
7 ....... [śrî]-Yaśôdharmmaṇ=âyaṁ stambhaḥ stambh-âbhirâma-sthira-bhuja-
parighêṇ=ôchchhritiṁ nâyitô=ttra ||
8 ....... [Yaśôdha]rmmaṇaś=chandra-bimbê râgâd=utkshipta uchchair-bhuja
iva ruchimân=yaḥ pṛithivyâ vibhâti l.
9 ....... [Ka]kkasya¹ sûnunâ || Utkîrṇṇâ² Gôvindêna ||
TRANSLATION.
[It is unnecessary to offer a translation of this fragment, as the contents of it are fully
explained by the translation of the entire copy, at page 147 above. It is sufficient to note
that we have the name of Yaśôdharman,³ complete in line 7, and partially preserved in
line 8; the name of Mihirakula, very clearly legible, in line 6; and, in line 9, the name
of Gôvinda, the engraver of the record.]

No. 35; PLATE XXII.

MANDASOR STONE INSCRIPTION OF YASODHARMAN AND VISHNUVARDHANA.

THE MALAVA YEAR 589.

THIS inscription, which I published, for the first time, in 1886, in the Ind. Ant.
Vol. XV. p. 222 ff., is from a stone-tablet, which, when shewn to me in 1885, was in the
possession of Sir Michael Filose, K.C.S.I., at Ujjain, but which had come originally from
an old well, somewhere in the lands of Mandasôr,⁴ or more properly Dasôr, the chief town
of the Mandasôr District of Scindia's Dominions in the Western Mâlwa division of Cen-
tral India, where it was found, in the course of repairs, built up with the inscribed surface
inside. I could obtain no accurate information on the point; but possibly this is a large
and ancient well, which immediately attracts attention, just inside the eastern entrance of
the Fort.
The stone is a smooth and beautifully engraved tablet, apparently of slate-stone, mea-
suring about 1' 11" broad by 1' 6¼" high and 2¾" thick. There are no sculptures on it,
connected with the inscription. But, on the back, which is divided into two compart-
ments by what seems to be either a spear with a curved handle, or a shepherd’s crook,
there are engraved in outline, very roughly,—at the upper corners, the sun on the proper
right, and the moon on the proper left; and, lower down, on each side, a man on horse-
back, facing towards the central dividing sculpture; the horseman on the proper right
side carries in his left hand either a chaurî or fly-flap made from the bushy tail of the Bos
Grunniens, or a śaṅkha or conch-shell; the other horseman carries something in his right
hand, but I could not distinguish the object. These sculptures were engraved, of course,
when the tablet was fixed in the position in which it was discovered, with the inscribed
¹ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh).      ² Supply praśastiḥ.
³ See page 145 above, note 2      ⁴ See page 79 above, and note 1.

middle of Line 1:
There is a clear "शू" (loop with subscript u and śa) or "श"?
Wait, look at line 1, character 11:
... [शूलपाणेः] ...
Wait, let's search:
What is the first verse of Yashodharman's pillar inscription?
Let's recite:
1:
वेपन्ते यस्य ... wait, why did "वेपन्ते यस्य भीम-स्तनित" come to mind?
Wait, is it from another inscription, like Aphsad?
Aphsad:
"ॐ। शेषाहेर्भूय इत्थं शमित-भव-भयोत्कम्पम्..." no,
"मूर्त्तौ मन्द-धियाम्..."
What about Deo Baranark?
What about Junagadh of Skandagupta?
"श्रियं परार्द्ध्यां विदधातु विष्णोः..."
What about Eran pillar of Budhagupta?
"जयति विबुध-बन्धुः..."
What about Mandasor of Kumaragupta and Bandhuvarman?
"यो भास्वाञ्छुचि-रश्मिर्..."
What about Mandasor of Yasodharman and Vishnuvardhana (Fleet No. 35)?
"स जयति जगतां पतिः पिनाकी..."
WAIT!
"स जयति जगतां पतिः पिनाकी"!
Is THAT Fleet No. 35?
Yes! "

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Please check and re-upload the correct image.

surface inwards; and it is owing to this position, that the inscription has remained in so
perfect a state of preservation.—The writing covers the entire surface of the stone, with
a margin of from 1" to 1½"; and is in a state of excellent preservation almost throughout,
though there are just a few letters from which it was impossible to clear out the hard in-
crustation of lime, with which the writing was blocked up from beginning to end, sufficient-
ly for them to come out quite perfectly in the ink-impression, and so in the lithograph.
At the ends of lines 1, 2, and 3, a few letters have been lost by the edges of the stone
being chipped here; and at some other places a few letters have been damaged in the
same way. But the only place where the missing letters cannot be supplied, is at the
commencement of line 16.—The average size of the letters is about ¼". The characters
belong to the northern class of alphabets, and are of precisely the same type, being in
fact engraved by the same hand, with those of the Mandasôr duplicate pillar inscriptions
of Yaśôdharman, No. 33 above, page 142, and Plate xxiiB., and No. 34, page 149, and
Plate xxiiC. They include the very rare initial au, in aulikara, line 5; and the lingual
ḍh, in uḍûḍha and gâḍha, line 7; rûḍha, line 11; and ûḍha, line 18.—The language
is Saṁskṛit; and, except for the opening word siddham, and the two words at the
end recording the name of the engraver, the entire inscription is in verse.—In respect of
orthography, we have to notice (1) the use of the guttural nasal, instead of the anus-
vāra, before ś, in vaṅśa, lines 6 and 9; aṅśu, line 9; aṅśa, line 11; and abhraṅśin, line
12; (2) the use of the dental nasal, before s, in bhāyānsi, line 2, and yaśānsi, line 4;
though we have the more usual anusvāra in manāṁsi, line 22; (3) the doubling of t, in
conjunction with a following r, e.g. in śattru, line 4; kalattra, line 11; and pāriyāttra,
line 16; and (4), the doubling of dh, in conjunction with a following y and v, in addhyāsita,
line 16-17, and addhvani, line 18, though not in other places.
The inscription refers itself, in the first instance, to the time of Yaśôdharman,¹ here
called a tribal ruler,² whose name is already on record from his duplicate pillar inscriptions
at Mandasôr, No. 33 above, page 142, and No. 34, page 149. It then mentions a king³
named Vishṇuvardhana, who, though he had the titles of Rājādhirāja and Paramê-
śvara, would appear to have acknowledged a certain amount of supremacy on the part of
Yaśôdharman. Vishṇuvardhana's family is mentioned as the lineage that had the
aulikara-crest.⁴ The inscription is dated, in words, when the year five hundred and

¹ See page 145 above, note 2.
² janêndra; lit. 'a lord of a people or tribe.'
³ narâdhipati; lit. 'a chief ruler of men.'
⁴ aulikara-lâñchhana.—I have not been able to obtain any explanation of the word aulikara;
but it seems to denote either 'the hot-rayed (sun),' or 'the cool-rayed (moon).'—As regards lâñ-
chhana, 'a mark, sign, token, spot,' which I render by 'crest,' it is the technical term for the principal
emblem impressed by kings on the copper-seals attached to their charters, and is quite distinct from
the emblem on their dhvajas or banners. Thus, the Raṭṭas of Saundatti and Belgaum had the
suvarṇa-garuḍa-dhvaja or 'banner of a golden Garuḍa,' but the sindhura-lâñchhana or 'elephant-
crest' (e.g. line 43 of the Têrḍâḷ inscription of Śaka-Saṁvat 1045, &c.; Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 18, and
p. 24, note 24). So also the Kâdambas of Banawâsi, and also those of Goa, had the śâkhâcharêndra-
dhvaja or vânara-mahâdhvaja, 'the banner of a monkey, or of (Hanumat) the king of monkeys,' but
the siṁha-lâñchhana, or 'lion-crest,' which latter appears on the seals of their grants and on their
coins (e.g. line 28-29 of the Kargudari inscription of Śaka-Saṁvat 1030, Ind. Ant. Vol. X. p. 252;
and line 9 of the Golîhaḷḷi inscription, Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. IX. p. 296; see also, for the
seals of their grants, id. p. 230, No. 8, and Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 288; and, for their coins, Jour. Bo.
Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. X. p. xxiv.) The Chalukyas, in all their branches, had the varâha-lâñchhana

152 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
eighty-nine had expired from the tribal constitution of the Mâlavas, and, therefore, when
the year five hundred and ninety (A.D. 533-34) was current; but no further details of the
date are given. The opening invocations are addressed to the god Śiva. But the record
itself is non-sectarian; the object of it being only to record the construction of a large well
by a person named Daksha, the younger brother of Dharmadôsha, who was a minister
of Vishṇuvardhana, in memory of their deceased uncle Abhayadatta, who had formerly
held the same office for the tract of country bounded by the Vindhyas and the Pâriyâtra
mountain, and the (Western) Ocean.
The genealogy of this family of ministers is given; and it includes a somewhat notice-
able name in that of Bhânuguptâ, the wife of Daksha's grandfather, Ravikîrtti. Her
date would be just about one generation before that of the king Bhânugupta, for whom
we have the date of Gupta-Saṁvat 191 (A.D. 510-11) from the Êraṇ posthumous pillar
inscription of Gôparâja, No. 20 above, page 91, and Plate xiiB.; and the coincidence of
name and time is such, that it is almost impossible not to imagine some family connection
between him and her. Bhânugupta, of course, must have been a Kshatriya; and Bhânu-
gupta's husband, Ravikîrtti, was evidently a Brâhmaṇ. But the ancient Hindu law
authorised the marrying of Kshatriya wives by Brâhmaṇs. And we have an epigraphi-
cal instance of this practice in the Ghaṭôtkacha cave inscription of Hastibhôja, a minister
of the Vâkâṭaka Mahârâja Dêvasêna; it tells us that Hastibhôja's ancestor, the Brâhmaṇ
Sôma, "in accordance with the precepts of revelation and of tradition" married a
Kshatriya wife, through whom Hastibhôja was descended, in addition to some other wives
of the Brâhmaṇ caste, whose sons, and their descendants, applied themselves to the
study of the Vêdas.¹
TEXT.²
1 Siddham [॥*] Sa³ jayati jagatâṁ patiḥ Pinâkî smita-rava-gîtishu
yasya danta-kântiḥ। dyutir=iva taḍitâṁ niśi sphurantî tirayati
cha sphuṭayaty=adaś=cha viśvam॥ Svayambhûr⁴=bhûtânâṁ sthiti-
laya-[samu]-
2 tpatti-vidhishu prayuktô yên=âjñâṁ vahati bhuvanânâṁ vidhṛitayê।
pitṛitvaṁ ch=ânîtô jagati garimâṇaṁ gamayatâ sa Śambhur=bhûyâṁsi
pratidiśatu bhadrâṇi bhava[tâṁ]॥ Phaṇa⁵-maṇi-guru-bhâr-[âkk]r[â]-
3 nti-dûr-âvanamraṁ sthagayati rucham=indôr=mmaṇḍalaṁ yasya mûrdhnâm [।*]
sa śirasi vinibadhnan=randhriṇîm=asthi-mâlâṁ sṛijatu bhava-sṛijô vaḥ
klêśa-bhaṅgaṁ bhujaṅgaḥ॥ Shashṭyâ⁶ sahasraiḥ Sagar-âtmajânâṁ
khâta[ḥ]
‘boar-crest,’ which appears on the seals of all their charters, and on their coins; and the special con-
nection of the lâñchhana with the śâsana or ‘charter,’ is shewn by a passage in lines 73 ff. of the
Korumelli grant of Râjarâja II., “on whose charter the mighty form, that of the first boar, of
(the god) Vishṇu, which lifted up the entire circle of the earth on the tip of (its right-hand) tusk, be-
came in a pleasing way the crest” (id. Vol. XIV. p. 85)
¹ Archæol. Surv. West. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 140 and note.
² From the original stone.
³ Metre, Pushpitâgrâ.
⁴ Metre, Śikhariṇî.
⁵ Metre, Mâlinî.
⁶ Metre, Upajâti of Indravajrâ and Upêndravajrâ.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS : No. 35, PLATE XXII. 153

4 kha-tulyâṁ rucham=âdadhânaḥ । asy=ôdapan-âdhipatêś=chirâya yaśâṁsi pâyât=
payasâṁ vidhâtâ ॥ Atha¹ jayati janêndraḥ śrî-Yaśôdharmma-
nâmâ pramada-vanam=iv=ântaḥ śattru-sainyaṁ vigâhya vraṇa-
5 kisalaya-bhaṅgair=yyô=ṅga-bhûshâṁ vidhattê taruṇa-taru-latâ-vad=vîra-kîrttîr=
vvinâmya ॥ Âjau² jiti vijayatê jagatîm=punaś=cha śrî-Vishṇuvarddhana-
narâdhipatiḥ sa êva । prakhyâta aulikara-lâñchhana âtma-
6 vaṁśô yên=ôdit-ôdita-padaṁ gamitô garîyaḥ ॥ Prâchô nṛipân=su-bṛihataś=
cha bahûn=udîchaḥ sâmnâ yudhâ cha vaśa-gân=pravidhâya yena [।*]
nâm=âparaṁ jagati kântam=adô durâpaṁ râjâdhirâja-paramê-
7 śvara ity=udûḍham ॥ Snigdha³-śyâm-âmbud-âbhaiḥ sthagita-dinakritô
yajvanâm=âjya-dhûmair=ambhô-mêghyaṁ Maghôn=âvadhishu vidadhatâ
gâḍha-sampanna-sasyâḥ । saṁharshâd=vâṇinînâṁ kara-rabhasa-hṛit-ô-
8 dyâna-chût-âṅkur-âgrâ râjanvantô ramantê bhuja-vijita-bhuvâ bhûrayô yêna
dêśâḥ ॥ Yasy⁴=ôtkêtabhir=unmada-dvipa-kara-vyâviddha-lôdhra-drumair=
uddhûtêna van-âdhvani dhvani-nadad-Vindhyâdri-randhrair=bbalaiḥ balê-
9 ya-chchhavi-dhûmarêṇa rajasâ mand-âṁśu saṁlakshyatê paryâvṛitta-
śikhaṇḍi-chandraka iva dhyâmam ravêr=mmaṇḍalam ॥ Tasya⁵
prabhôr=vvaṁśa-kṛitâṁ nṛipânâṁ pâd-âśrayâd=viśruta-puṇya-kîrttiḥ ।
bhṛityaḥ sva-naibhṛitya-jit-â-
10 ri-shaṭka âsîd=vaśyân=kila Shashṭhidattaḥ ॥ Himavata⁶ iva Gâṅgas=
tuṅga-namraḥ pravâhaḥ śaśabhṛita iva Rêvâ-vâri-râśiḥ prathîyân [।*]
param=abhigamanîyaḥ śuddhimân=anvavâyô yata udita-gari-
11 mnas=tâyatê Naigamânâm ॥ Tasy⁷=ânukûlaḥ kulajât=kalattrât=sutaḥ
prasûtô yaśasâṁ prasûtiḥ । Harêr=iv=âṁśaṁ vaśinaṁ var-ârhaṁ
Varâhadâsaṁ yam=udâharanti ॥ Sukṛiti⁸-vishayi-tuṅgaṁ rûḍha-mûlaṁ
12 dharâyâṁ sthitim=apagata-bhaṅgâṁ sthêyasîm=âdadhânam [।*] guru-śikharam=
iv=âdrês=tat-kulaṁ sv-âtma-bhûtyâ ravir=iva Ravikîrttiḥ su-prakâśaṁ
vyadhatta ॥ Bibhratâ⁹ śubhram=a-bhraṁśi smârttaṁ vartm=ôchitaṁ
satâm [।*] na visaṁbvâ(va)-
13 ditâ yêna Kalâv=api kulinatâ ॥ Dhuta-dhî-dîdhiti-dhvântân=havirbhuja
iv=âdhvarân [।*] Bhânuguptâ tataḥ sâdhvî tanayâṁs=trîn=ajîjanat ॥
Bhagavaddôsha ity=âsît=prathamaḥ kâryya-vartmasu । âla-
14 mbanam bândhavânâm=Andhakânâm=iv=Ôddhavaḥ ॥ Bahu¹⁰-naya-vidhi-Vêdhâ
gahvarê=py=artha-mârggê Vidura iva vidûraṁ prêkshaya prêkshamâṇaḥ ।
vachana-rachana-bandhê saṁskṛita-prâkṛitê yaḥ kavibhir=udi-
15 ta-râgaṁ gîyatê gîr-abhijñaḥ ॥ Praṇidhi-dṛig-anugantrâ yasya bauddhêna
ch=âkshṇâ na niśi tanu davîyô v=âsty=a-dṛishṭaṁ dharittryâm [।*]
padam=udayi dadhânô=nantaraṁ tasya ch=âbhût=sa bhayam=Abhayadattô
nâma .

¹ Metre, Mâlinî.
² Metre, Vasantatilaka ; and in the next verse.
³ Metre, Sragdharâ.
⁴ Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita
⁵ Metre, Indravajrâ.
⁶ Metre, Mâlinî.
⁷ Metre, Upajâti of Indravajrâ and Upêndravajrâ.
⁸ Metre, Mâlinî.
⁹ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh) ; and in the next two verses.
¹⁰ Metre, Mâlinî ; and in the next verse.

W.

154 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
16 chi[nva?]n=prajânâṁ || Vindhyasy¹=âvandhya-karmmâ śikhara-taṭa-patat-
pâṇḍu-Rêv-âmbu-râśêr=ggôlângûlaiḥ sa-hêlaṁ pluti-namita-tarôḥ
Pâriyâttrasya ch=âdrêḥ | â sindhôr=antarâlaṁ nija-śuchi-sachiv-
âddhyâ-
17 sit-ânêka-dêśaṁ râjasthânîya-vṛit[t*]yâ suragurur=iva yô varṇṇinâṁ
bhûtayê=pât || Vihita²-sakala-varṇṇ-âsaṅkaraṁ śânta-ḍimbaṁ Kṛita iva
kṛitam=êtad=yêna râjyaṁ nirâdhi | sa dhuram=ayam=idânîṁ
18 Dôshakumbhasya sûnur=guru vahati tad-ûḍhâṁ dharmmatô Dharmmadô-
shaḥ || Sva-sukham=an-ativâchchha(ñchha)n=durggamê=ddhvany=a-saṅgaṁ
dhuram=ati-guru-bhârâṁ yô dadhad=bhartur=arthê | vahati nṛipati-vêshaṁ
kêvalaṁ lakshma-mâttraṁ
19 valinam-iva vilambaṁ kambalaṁ bâhulêyaḥ || Upahita-hita-rakshâ-maṇḍanô
jâti-ratnair=bhuja iva pṛithul-âṁsas=tasya Dakshaḥ kanîyân [।*]
mahad=idam=udapânaṁ khâtayâm-âsa bibhra-
20 ch=chhruti-hṛidaya-nitânt-ânandi nirddôsha-nâma || Sukh³-âśrêya-chchhâyaṁ
pariṇati-hita-svâdu-phala-daṁ gajêndrêṇ=ârugṇaṁ drumam-iva Kṛitântêna
balinâ | pitṛivyaṁ prôddiśya priyam=Abhayadattaṁ pri-
21 thu-dhiyâ prathîyas=tên=êdaṁ kuśalam=iha karmm=ôparachitaṁ || Pañchasu⁴
śatêshu śaradâṁ yâtêshv=êkân-na-navati-sahitêshu | Mâlava-gaṇa-sthiti-
vaśât=kâla-jñânâya likhitêshu || Ya-
22 smin⁵=kâlê kala-mṛidu-giraṁ kôkilânâṁ pralâpâ bhindant=îva Smara-
śara-nibhâḥ prôshitânâṁ manâṁsi | bhṛiṅg-âlînâṁ dhvanir=anu-vanaṁ
bhâra-mandraś=cha yasminn=âdhûta-jyaṁ dhanur=iva nadach=chhrûyatê pushpa-
23 kêtôḥ || Priyatama⁶-kupitânâṁ râmayan=baddha-râgaṁ kisalayam=iva
mugdhaṁ mânasaṁ mâninînâṁ [।*] upanayati nabhasvân=mâna-bhaṅgâya
yasmin=kusuma-samaya-mâsê tattra nirmmâpitô=yam ||
24 Yâvat⁷=tuṅgair=udanvân=kiraṇa-samudayaṁ saṅga-kântaṁ taraṅgair=âliṅgann=
indu-bimbaṁ gurubhir=iva bhujaiḥ saṁvidhattê suhṛittâṁ [।*] bibhrat=
saudh-ânta-lêkhâ-valaya-parigatiṁ muṇḍa-mâlâm=iv=âyaṁ sat-kûpas=
tâvad=â-
25 stâm=amṛita-sama-rasa-svachchha-vishyandit-âmbuḥ || Dhîmâṁ(n)⁸ Dakshô
dakshiṇaḥ satya-sandhô hrîmâṁch=chhûrô vṛiddha-sêvî kṛitajñaḥ |
baddh-ôtsâhaḥ svâmi-kâryyêshv=a-khêdî nirddôshô=yaṁ pâtu dharmmaṁ
chirâya || Utkîrṇṇâ⁹ Gôvindêna ||
TRANSLATION.
Perfection has been attained! Victorious is he, (the god) Pinâkin, the lord of
(all) the worlds,—in whose songs, hummed with smiles, the splendour of (his) teeth, like
the lustre of lightning sparkling in the night, envelops and brings into full view all this
¹ Metre, Sragdharâ. ² Metre, Mâlinî; and in the next two verses.
³ Metre, Śikhariṇî. ⁴ Metre, Âryâ.
⁵ Metre, Mandâkrântâ. ⁶ Metre, Mâlinî.
⁷ Metre, Sragdharâ. ⁸ Metre, Śâlinî.
⁹ Supply praśastiḥ.

Here is the transcription of the Mandasor Stone Inscription of Yashodharman and Vishnuvardhana (Malava Samvat 589 / c. 532 CE), preserved in the Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. III (Fleet, 1888), Plate XXII:

Header

CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, Vol. III, Plate xxii
Mandasor Inscription of Yasodharman and Vishnuvardhana
(The original plate is oriented landscape; the text runs horizontally in 24 lines).

Devanagari Inscription Text

सिद्धम् [॥] स जयति जगतां पतिः पिनाकी फण-मणि-रीति-मरीचि-भासितानाम् [।] कर-रुह-किरणैर्ज्जितास्थि-खण्डां सुरुचिर-रूप-चमत्कृतिं दधानः [॥]
शशि-भृत इव शम्भोरर्क-रश्मि-प्रतानः कपपि-कनक-पिङ्गस्तप्त-जाम्बूनदाभः [।] दिशतु शुभ-फलानि प्राप-तारा-तारा-तारा-राविशुद्धो भुवन-भवन-दीपाः कामिनो भानु-मूर्त्तेः [॥]
स्रि-भुवन-जय-धाम धाम-वन्तं प्रकाशं शशि-रुचि-सित-कान्त्या कान्त-मूर्त्तावलम्बी [।] जनयतु तव सिद्धिं लोक-लोकोत्तरोऽयं विरचयतु समृद्धिं सर्व्वतो भानु-बिम्बः [॥]
जयति जगदुपादान-हेतुः स्वभावः प्रवितत-तनुरन्तर्यामिनी सूक्ष्म-मूर्तिः [।] अपरिणमित-नानामूर्ति-भूतात्म-धाता शम-दम-मुनि-गम्यः साङ्ख्य-सिद्धान्ति-गीतः [॥]
अथ जयति जनेन्द्रः श्री-यशोधर्म्म-नामा सुर-पति-सम-वीर्य्यो मेदिनी-मण्डलैशाः [।] प्रह्व-नृपति-किरीट-प्रोल्लसद्रत्न-पाश्वैः समुचित-मणि-राजिः संस्तुतो विप्र-मुख्यैः [॥]
क्षितिमवनत-शत्रुर्भूभुजां श्री-निकेतः सम-विषम-सहानां विष्टरेष्वाससञ्ज [।] पर-हित-विधि-दक्षा दक्षिणस्या दिशोऽस्या धृत-विपुलो-यशः-श्री-भूषितो विष्णुवर्द्धः [॥]
व्यधुष्ट-नृप-पताका-वाहिनी-व्यूह-शालिन्-मुकुट-कनकमिश्रैः पट्टिका-कान्त-चूलैः [।] अविकल-पद-लक्ष्मी-संश्रया भ्राजिष्णु-मूर्त्तिर्नियम-शमित-शत्रुर्विष्णुवर्द्धो जनौघैः [॥]
स जयति जित-भूभृन्मण्डलो लोक-पालः शशिशिखर-जटा-जूटाभ्र-विभ्रान्त-कान्तिः [।] निचित-तर-यशश्च-स्तोमसम्पन्न-देहः प्रभव-सकल-सामन्तानुकम्पी नृपेन्द्रः [॥]
तस्य च नृपति-मुख्यास्यात्म-तुल्य-प्रभावः कुल-विभव-विनीतः प्रांशुरिन्द्रानुकारी [।] भुज-युगल-धराया भर्त्तरुन्मृष्ट-शत्रुर्मति-सचिव-धुरीणो मान-हेतुर्बभूव [॥]
रविरिव रुचिर-तेजा मन्त्र-दृग्ज्ञान-नेत्रः शशधर इव कान्त्या पूरिताशेष-विश्वः [।] वरुण इव गभीरो वीत-दोषोऽभिरामो यम इव जित-दण्डः साधु-वृत्तेषु वश्यः [॥]
स नृप-पति-नियोगी सर्व्व-कार्य्येषु दक्षः स्व-कुल-कुमुद-चन्द्रः कीर्त्तिकान्त-प्रमोदः [।] नय-विनय-विशिष्टः श्री-वराह-प्रणीतः प्रणयि-जन-मनोज्ञो राज-कार्य्येषु युक्तः [॥]
पञ्चसु शतेषु शरदां यातेष्वेकान्न-नवति-सहितेषु [।] मालव-गण-स्थितिवशात्काल-ज्ञानाय लिखितेषु [॥]
फाल्गुन-मास-प्रथिते शुक्ल-पक्षे दिने कृत-सपर्य्ये [।] इदमुदपानं परमं पुण्य-निधिं निर्ममे धीमान् [॥]
अलिकुल-दल-नील-स्वच्छ-विस्तीर्ण-तोयं विविध-कमल-गर्भ-भ्रान्त-भृङ्गोपगीतम् [।] सुर-भवन-निकाशं तृप्त-तर्ष-प्रशान्त्यै जगति सकल-लोकोत्तुङ्ग-तुष्ट्यै विशाले [॥]
विमल-विपुल-तोयं यस्य तीरे तरु-गणाः कुसुम-भर-नताङ्गाः शीतलच्छाय-रूपाः [।] दिशि दिशि परिपीतं सर्व्व-सत्त्वैः समन्ताद्भवतु सुकृत-हेतोर्द्दारिद्र्य-दोष-प्रणाशः [॥]
यावच्छ्रुति-पथ-निपुणैर्गीयते वेद-मार्गः क्षिति-जल-पवनाकाशैः स्थिरा मेदिनी च [।] तावदिदमनुकम्प्यं तोय-पूर्णाशयं स्यान्निखिल-भुवन-हेतोः कीर्त्ति-सम्भोग-सद्म [॥]
उत्कीर्णा गोविन्देन [॥] प्रशस्तिरियमवनि-पतेः कुल-विविध-गुण-विस्तारिणी सुवृत्ता [।] रचिता वासुल-नाम्ना कविना कान्ताक्षरैः स्फुटिता [॥]
प्रणत-नृपति-चूडा-रत्न-दीप्र-प्रभाभिः स्फुरित-रुचिर-पादाम्भोज-युग्मो नृपेन्द्रः [।] अभय-विविध-दानान्निर्ज्जिताशेष-शत्रुः सततमवतु भूमिं विष्णुवर्द्धाभिधानः [॥]
यत्पाद-पद्म-युगलं प्रणमन्ति नित्यं राजान उग्र-बल-विक्रम-चारु-मूर्त्तेः [।] तस्यात्मजेन रचितं गुण-धाम-सद्म कूपं कृतं मुदित-मानव-तृप्त-हेतोः [॥]
यावत्सूर्य्य-शशाङ्कौ दिवि विचरत एव स्थिर-तर-मूर्त्ती [।] तावद्भवतु सुकीर्त्तिः सुदृढा सत्त्व-प्रिया लोके [॥]
यावत्क्षीरोद-तीरे तरव इव रयात्कुसुम-सुरभि-गन्धाः [।] तावत्कीर्त्तिर्नृपाणां भुवन-तल-तते तिष्ठतु स्फार-भासा [॥]
धर्मात्मनां स्थिर-मतेर्विहितस्य कार्य्याद्गोविन्द-नाम्ना घटितं शुभ-रूप-युक्तम् [।] उत्कीर्ण-चारु-पद-पङ्क्ति-मनोज्ञ-मूर्त्तिर्भूयाज्जगत्प्रथित-कीर्त्ति-वितान-हेतुः [॥]
संवत् ५८९ [॥]
सिद्धिरस्तु ॥ श्रीः ॥

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universe! May he, (the god) Śambhu, confer many auspicious gifts upon you,—employed
by whom in the rites of (effecting the) continuance and the destruction and the produc-
tion of (all) things that exist, (the god) Svayambhû, is obedient to (his) commands, for
the sake of the maintenance of (all) the worlds; and by whom, leading (him) to dignity in
the world, he has been brought to the condition of being the father (of the universe)!
May the serpent of the creator of existence¹ accomplish the allayment of your distress,—
(that serpent) the multitude of whose foreheads, bowed down afar by the pressure of the
heavy weight of the jewels in (their) hoods, obscures the radiance of the moon (on his
master's forehead); (and) who (with the folds of his body) binds securely on (his master's)
head the chaplet of bones which is full of holes (for stringing them)! May the
creator of waters,² which was dug out by the sixty thousand sons of Sagara, (and) which
possesses a lustre equal to (that of) the sky, preserve for a long time the glories of this best
of wells!
(Line 4.)—Now, victorious is that tribal ruler,³ having the name of the glorious
**Yaśôdharman,**⁴ who, having plunged into the army of (his) enemies, as if into a grove of
thornapple-trees, (and) having bent down the reputations of heroes like the tender creep-
ers of trees, effects the adornment of (his) body with the fragments of young sprouts
which are the wounds (inflicted on him).
(L. 5.)—And, again, victorious over the earth is this same⁵ king of men,⁶ the glo-
rious Vishṇuvardhana, the conqueror in war; by whom his own famous lineage, which
has the aulikara-crest,⁷ has been brought to a state of dignity that is ever higher and
¹ bhava-sṛij.—Originally, Brahman was the creator; Vishṇu, the preserver; and Śiva, the de-
stroyer. But of course the Vaishṇavas and the Śaivas invested their own special gods with all three
attributes. As regards Śiva, we may also refer to line 51 of the Alînâ grant of Śîlâditya VII. of the
year 447, No. 39 below, Plate xxv., where, under the name of Paramēśvara, he is again clearly refer-
red to as the creator. While, as regards Vishṇu, in the Vishṇu-Purâṇa, book I, chap. ii. (Hall's
edition of Wilson's Translation, Vol I. p. 41), he is described as himself becoming Brahman, and so
engaging in the creation of the universe.—That bhava-sṛij here dēnotes Śiva, is shewn by the gene-
ral purport of the preceding two verses, and especially by the mention of the chaplet of bones in this
verse. He is always represented with a necklace of skulls, a serpent hanging round his neck, and
the crescent moon on his forehead.
² The ocean. The allusion in this verse is to the legend that the bed of the ocean was exca-
vated by the sons of Sagara in their search for their father's aśvamēdha-horse, which was stolen from
their custody by the sage Kapila, and was only found by them when they had dug down through the
earth into the lower regions. Kapila, in his anger, reduced them to ashes; but subsequently restored
the horse on the intercession of Aṁśumat, the grandson of Sagara. The obsequies, however, of the
sons of Sagara remained unperformed, and their transfer to heaven was barred, until Bhagîratha, the
grandson of Aṁśumat, brought the river Ganges down from heaven, and led it over the earth to the
chasm made by the sons of Sagara. Flowing down through this, it washed their bones and ashes; by
which they were raised to heaven. And, as such of its waters as remained in the chasm constituted
the ocean, the latter was called sâgara in commemoration of Sagara and his descendants.
³ janêndra; see page 151 above, note 2.
⁴ See page 145 above, note 2.
⁵ This expression looks at first sight as if Yaśôdharman and Vishṇuvardhana were one and the
same person. But the general structure of this verse, as well as the use of the two distinct titles
janêndra and narâdhipati and of the expression âtma-vaṁśô, shews that this is not the case. "This
same" simply means "this reigning king," in whose time and territory the inscription is written.
⁶ narâdhipati; see page 151 above, note 3.
⁷ aulikara-lâñchhana; see page 151 above, note 4.
W 2.

156 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
higher. By him, having brought into subjection, with peaceful overtures and by war, the
very mighty kings of the east and many (kings) of the north, this second name of "su-
preme king of kings¹ and supreme lord,"² pleasing in the world (but) difficult of attain-
ment, is carried on high. Through him, having conquered the earth with (his own) arm,
many countries,—in which the sun is obscured by the smoke, resembling dense dark-blue
clouds, of the oblations of the sacrifices; (and) which abound with thick and thriving
crops through (the god) Maghavan pouring cloudfuls of rain upon (their) boundaries;
(and) in which the ends of the fresh sprouts of the mango-trees in the parks are eagerly
plucked in joy by the hands of wanton women,—enjoy the happiness of being possessed
of a good king. Through the dust, grey like the hide of an ass,—stirred up by his armies,
which have (their) banners lifted on high; (and) which have the lōdhra-trees³ tossed
about in all directions by the tusks of (their) infuriated elephants; (and) which have the
crevices of the Vindhya mountains made resonant with the noise of (their) journeying
through the forests,—the orb of the sun appears dark (and) dull-rayed, as if it were an
eye in a peacock's tail reversed.⁴
(L. 9.)—The servant of the kings who founded the family of that lord, was Shash-
thidatta,—the fame of whose religious merit was known far and wide through the protec-
tion of (their) feet; who by his resoluteness conquered the six enemies (of religion);⁵
(and) who was indeed very excellent. As the torrent, flowing high and low, of (the river)
Gaṅgā (spreads abroad) from (the mountain) Himavat, (and) the extensive mass of the
waters of (the river) Rēvā from the moon,—(so) from him, whose dignity was manifested,
there spreads a pure race of Naigamas, most worthy to be sought in fellowship.
(L. 11.)—Of him, from a wife of good family, there was born a son, resembling
him (in good qualities), the source of fame,—whom, (being named) Varāhadāsa, (and)
being full of self-control (and) of great worth, people speak of as if he were an (incarnate)
portion of (the god) Hari.
(L. 11.)—As if it were the sun (illumining) the mighty summit of a mountain,
Ravikīrtti with the wealth of his character illumined that family, which was made eminent
by men who combined good actions with worldly occupations; which had its foundations
well established in the earth; (and) which maintained a very firm position of endurance
that was free from (any risk of) being broken;—(Ravikīrtti), by whom, sustaining the
pure (and) undeviating path of traditional law that is acceptable to good people, nobility
of birth was not made a thing of false assertion (even) in the Kali age. From him,
(his) chaste wife Bhānuguptā gave birth to three sons, who dispelled the darkness (of
ignorance) with the rays of (their) intellects,—as if (she had produced three) sacrifices
from a fire.
(L. 13.)—The first was Bhagavaddōsha, the prop of his relatives in the paths of
religious actions, just as Uddhava (was) of the Andhakas,—who was a very Vēdhas in
displaying much prudence in the hard-to-be-traversed path of the meaning (of words);
who, like Vidura,⁶ always looked far ahead with deliberation; (and) who is with great
¹ Rājādhirāja; see page 35 above, note 7. ² Paramēśvara; see page 10 above, note 3.
³ lōdhra, also rōdhra; the tree Symplocos Racemosa.
⁴ i.e. "looked at from the wrong side of the feathers."
⁵ The ari-shaṭka or ari-shaḍ-varga, 'the aggregate of six hostile things,' viz. desire, wrath,
covetousness, bewilderment, pride, and envy, which impede the practice of religion.
⁶ An epic hero, the younger brother of Dhṛitarāshṭra and Pāṇḍu, described as the wisest of all
prudent and sagacious people.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 35, PLATE XXII. 157
pleasure sung of by poets, in Sanskrit and Prâkṛit construction of the arrangement of
sentences, as being well versed in speech.
(L. 15.)—And after him there came that (well-known) Abhayadatta, maintaining a
high position on the earth, (and) collecting (in order to dispel it) the fear of (his) sub-
jects (?);—by whose eye of intellect, which served him like the eyes of a spy, no trifle,
however remote, remained undetected, (even) at night;—(Abhayadatta), of fruitful actions,
who like (Bṛihaspati) the preceptor of the gods, to the advantage of those who belonged
to the (four recognised) castes, with the functions of a Râjasthânîya¹ protected the region,
containing many countries presided over by his own upright counsellors, which lies
between the Vindhya (mountains), from the slopes of the summits of which there flows
the pale mass of the waters of (the river) Rêvâ, and the mountain Pâriyâtra, on which
the trees are bent down in (their) frolicsome leaps by the long-tailed monkeys, (and
stretches) up to the (western) Ocean.
(L. 17.)—Now he, Dharmadôsha, the son of Dôshakumbha,—by whom this kingdom
has been made, as if (it were still) in the Kṛita-age, free from any intermixture
of all the castes, (and peaceable through) having hostilities allayed, (and) undisturbed by
care,—in accordance with justice proudly supports the burden (of government) that had
(previously) been borne by him;²— (Dharmadôsha), who,—not being too eager about his
own comfort, (and) bearing, for the sake of his lord, in the difficult path (of administra-
tion), the burden (of government), very heavily weighted and not shared by another,—
wears royal apparel only as mark of distinction (and not for his own pleasure), just as a
bull³ carries a wrinkled pendulous dew-lap.
(L. 19.)—His younger brother, Daksha,—invested with the decoration of the pro-
tection of friends, as if he were (his) broad-shouldered (right) arm (decorated) with choice
jewels; (and) bearing the name of "the faultless one," which causes great joy to the ear
and heart,—caused to be excavated this great well. This great (and) skilful work
was achieved here by him, who is of great intellect, for the sake of his paternal uncle, the
beloved Abhayadatta, who was cut off (before his time) by the mighty (god) Kṛitânta,
just as if he were a tree, the shade of which is pleasant to resort to (and) which yields
fruits that are salutary and sweet through ripeness, (wantonly) destroyed by a lordly
elephant.

¹ Râjasthânîya, lit. 'one who belongs to a Râjasthâna or king's abode;' or perhaps 'one who
occupies the position of a Râja,' is a technical official title, the exact grade of which remains to be
determined. The explanation of the word in Kshêmêndra's Lôkaprakâśa, iv., as given by Dr. Bühler
(Ind. Ant. Vol. V. p. 207) is prajâ-pâlan-ârtham=udvahati rakshayati cha sa râjasthânîyaḥ, "he who
carries out the object of protecting subjects, and shelters them, is called a Râjasthânîya, i.e. 'a
viceroy.'" But, though 'viceroy' is a fair enough rendering of the word on etymological grounds, it
seems to be in reality too exalted a title to be a suitable equivalent. In line 21 of the Mâliyâ grant of
the Mahârâja Dharasêna II. of the year 252, No. 38 below, Plate xxiv., and in line 9 of the Dêô-
Baranârk inscription of Jîvitagupta II., No. 46 below, Plate xxix B. (where Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji
proposed to render it by 'political agent, or regent'), the Râjasthânîya is mentioned rather low down
in the list of officials; so also in line 33 of the Bhagalpur grant of Nârâyaṇapâla (Ind. Ant. Vol.
XV. p. 306), and in the passage in connection with which it was explained by Dr. Bühler.
² i.e. Abhayadatta.—Dôshakumbha, the father of Dharmadôsha, must be the younger brother of
Abhayadatta, and the third and youngest of the sons of Ravikîrtti and Bhânuguptâ.
³ bâhudhya; this meaning is not given in Monier Williams' Sanskrit Dictionary; and I owe it,
and the explanation of one or two other passages in this inscription, to Pandit Durga Prasad,
of Jaypur.

158 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
(L. 21.)—Five hundred autumns, together with ninety less by one, having elapsed
from (the establishment of) the supremacy¹ of the tribal constitution of the Mâlavas,
(and) being written down in order to determine the (present) time ;—in the season² in
which the songs, resembling the arrows of (the god) Smara, of the cuckoos, whose
utterances are low and tender, cleave open, as it were, the minds of those who are far
away from home ; and in which the humming of the flights of bees, sounding low on
account of the burden (that they carry), is heard through the woods, like the resounding
bow of (the god Kâmadêva) who has the banner of flowers, when its string is caused to
vibrate :—in the season in which there is the month of the coming on of flowers, when the
wind, soothing the affectionate (but) perverted thoughts of disdainful women who are angry
with their lovers, as if they were charming fresh sprouts arrayed in colours, devotes itself
to breaking down (their) pride,—in that season this (well) was caused to be constructed.
(L. 24.)—As long as the ocean, embracing with (its) lofty waves, as if with long
arms, the orb of the moon, which has its full assemblage of rays (and is more) lovely
(than ever) from contact (with the waters), maintains friendship (with it),—so long let
this excellent well endure, possessing a surrounding enclosure of lines at the edge of the
masonry-work, as if it were a garland worn round a shaven head, (and) discharging pure
waters the flavour of which is equal to nectar !
(L. 25.)—May this intelligent Daksha for a long time protect this act of piety,—
(he who is) skilful, true to (his) promises, modest, brave, attentive to old people, grateful,
full of energy, unwearied in the business-matters of (his) lord, (and) faultless ! (This eulogy)
has been engraved by Gôvinda.

No. 36; PLATE XXIIIA.

ERAN STONE BOAR INSCRIPTION OF TORAMANA.

THIS inscription was discovered in 1838 by Captain T. S. Burt, of the Engineers, and
was first brought to notice in the same year, in the Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. VII. p. 631 ff.,
where Mr. James Prinsep published his reading of the text, and a translation of it,³ accom-
panied by a lithograph (id. Plate xxx.), reduced from an ink-impression made by Captain
Burt.—And in 1861, in the same Journal, Vol. XXX. p. 20 ff., Dr. FitzEdward Hall pub-
lished his revised reading of the text, from the original pillar, and a translation of it.
This is another inscription from Êraṇ⁴ in the Khurâî Sub-Division of the Sâgar Dis-
trict in the Central Provinces. It is on the chest of a colossal red-sandstone statue of
a Boar, about eleven feet high, representing the god Vishṇu in his incarnation as such,
that stands, facing east, in the portico of a ruined temple at the south end of the well-known
group of temples about half a mile to the west of the village.⁵
The Boar is covered all over with elaborate sculptures, chiefly of Ṛishis or saints
¹ vasât ; but it is very difficult to find a really satisfactory meaning for this word in this passage.
² i.e. the spring.
³ The translation is reprinted in Thomas' edition of Prinsep's Essays, Vol I. p. 249 f.
⁴ See page 18 above, and note 1.
⁵ Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. X. page 82 ff., and Plates xxv. and xxvi.