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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS: No. 5, PLATE III B. 29
No. 5; PLATE III B.
SANCHI STONE INSCRIPTION OF CHANDRAGUPTA II.
THE YEAR 93.
THIS inscription was first brought to notice in 1834, in the Jour. Beng. As. Soc.
Vol. III. p. 488 ff., where a lithograph of it was published (id. Plate xxviii.), reduced
by Mr. James Prinsep from a copy by Mr. B. H. Hodgson. This lithograph was not
accompanied by any details of the contents of the inscription ; and it is a very imperfect
one ; especially in shewing no traces whatever of the first six or seven letters of each line,
all the way down.—And in 1837, in the same Journal, Vol. VI. p. 451 ff., Mr. Prinsep pub-
lished his reading of the text, and a translation of it,¹ accompanied by a lithograph,
reduced from copies on cloth and paper made by Captain Edward Smith, of the Engineers
(id. Plate xxv.)
**Sâñchi, or Sâchi,**² is a village about twelve miles to the north-east of Dîwângañj, the
chief town of the Dîwângañj Tahsîl or Sub-Division of the Native State of Bhôpâl or
Bhûpâl³ in Central India. It is sometimes called Sâñchi-Kânâkhêḍâ, through its name
being coupled with that of another small village immediately on the north of it.
The writing, which covers a space of about 2′ 6¼″ broad by 1′ 9″ high, is on the
outer side of the top rail in the second row, outside and on the south side of the eastern

Purâṇa, the title of one of the Purâṇas, dedicated especially to the glorification of Vishṇu ; and
Bhâgavata, which occurs in line 7 of the Khôh plates of the Mahârâja Jayanâtha of the year 177,
No. 27 below, Plate xvii., and is, to the present time, the name of one of the Vaishṇava sects.
—It may be taken, therefore, that Paramabhâgavata is exclusively a Vaishṇava title.
¹ The translation is reprinted in Thomas’ edition of Prinsep’s Essays, Vol. I. p. 246.
² Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 53. Lat. 23° 28′ N.; Long. 77° 48′ E.—The ‘Sachi, Sacha Kana
Kheyra, and Sachi Kanakera,’ of maps, &c. — The name is pronounced both Sâñchi and Sâchi ;
but with a preference, as far as my observation went, for the nasalised form. The alternative forms
have already been pointed out by Gen. Cunningham in Bhilsa Topes, p. 181, where he suggests that
the name is most probably only the spoken form of the Saṁskṛit śânti, ‘tranquillity, calmness,’ &c.,—
since the term śânti-samgha, ‘the community of tranquillity,’ occurs in the Aśôka inscription at
Sâñchi (Bhilsa Topes, p. 259 ff. and Plate xix. No. 177); and since the Chinese transcribed śânti
by sa-chi. But the ancient name of Sâñchi, at least from the Aśôka to the Gupta period, was
Kâkanâda (see page 31 below, para. 5); and this seems to indicate that the name Sâñchi is of com-
paratively modern introduction. Also, though I could not find the places on the map, I was
informed that there are at least two other villages in the neighbourhood, named Sâñchi or Sâchi,
with no Buddhist remains at them. And this,—with the analogous names of Kâchi-Kânâkhêḍâ,
a village about one and a half miles to the south-west of Sâñchi (in which kâchi is either an Urdu,
or a Rângaḍî or local vernacular, word, meaning ‘gardener’), and of Mâchi, a village somewhere in
the same neighbourhood, which I noticed in a local topographical map, but cannot now find again in
the Indian Atlas,—suggests that Sâñchi or Sâchi is probably a vernacular name, connected in no
way with the Saṁskṛit.
³ This name is written and pronounced Bhôpâl by Musalmâns, and Bhûpâl by Hindus. It has
been suggested that it is a corruption of Bhôj-pâl, ‘the tank or embankment of king Bhoja.’ But
I think it is far more likely that the original and correct name is Bhûpâl, from the Saṁskṛit bhûpâla,
‘a king, or the king.’ The State, however, is a Musalmân State; and Bhôpâl is the form of the
name that has been established by long official usage.

30                          CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
gateway of the Great Stûpa.¹ The inscription is very well preserved, with the exception
that two or three letters are destroyed and quite illegible near the commencement of each
line as far as line 8.—The average size of the letters is ⅝". The characters belong to the
southern class of alphabets, and approximate most closely to, in the present volume, those
of the Mandasôr inscription of Kumâragupta and Bandhuvarman, No. 18 below, Plate xi.,
and, elsewhere, those of the Aihoḷe Mêguṭi inscription² of the Western Chalukya king
Pulikêśin II. of Śaka-Saṁvat 556 (A.D. 634-35). They include, in line 11, forms of the
numerical symbols for 3, 4, and 90.—The language is Saṁskṛit; and the inscription
is in prose throughout.—In respect of orthography, the only point that calls for notice
is the use of the dental s, instead of the visarga or the upadhmanîya, in conjunction with
p, in yaśas-patâka, line 4.
The inscription refers itself to the reign of the Early Gupta king Chandragupta
II. Its date, in numerical symbols, is the year³ ninety-three (A.D. 412-13), on the fourth
day, without any specification of the lunar fortnight, of the month Bhâdrapada (August-
¹ Stûpa, 'a heap or pile of earth; any heap or pile or mound,' is the technical name of a
certain kind of Buddhist monument, consisting of a mound, more or less elaborate, and with or
without masonry work, erected over sacred relics of Buddha and his followers.—The English cor-
ruption, Tope, is from the Prâkṛit form thûpa.—In the country round Sâñchi, I found the popular
term for a Stûpa to be bîṭâ (Hindî, bîṭaurâ), which means literally 'a heap of dried cowdung-cakes
to be used as fuel.' The great Stûpa at Sâñchi is known as Sâs-bahû kâ bîṭâ, "the heap of dried
cowdung-cakes of the mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law." And with this name we may
compare Sâs-bahû kâ dêhrâ, "the temple of the mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law," which is
the popular name of the temple at Gwâlior in which there is the long Sanskrit inscription of the
Kachchhapaghâta prince Mahîpâla, dated Vikrama-Saṁvat 1150 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. p. 33 ff.)
² Ind. Ant. Vol. VIII. p. 241 ff., and the accompanying plate.
³ The text has the abbreviation saṁ, which may stand either for the crude form saṁvatsara, 'a
year,' or for any declensional case that can be used in expressing a date (see page 22 above, note
5). The same remark applies to the form saṁvat, which occurs, for instance, in saṁvat 100 90 1
Śrâvaṇa ba di 7, in line 2 of the Êraṇ posthumous pillar inscription of Gôparâja, No. 20 below, Plate
xiiB.—It was formerly thought that the word saṁvat was used only in connection with the Vikrama
era commencing B.C. 57. But fuller experience has shewn that both the forms are used freely in
respect of the years of any era whatsoever.—They are used sometimes by themselves, as in the present
passage, and in the instance quoted above for saṁvat; and sometimes in composition with the name
of the era; as, for instance, in the Ambarnâth inscription of the chieftain Mâmvâṇi (Jour. Bo. Br. R.
As. Soc. Vol. IX. p. 219, and Vol. XII. p. 329, l. 1), Śaka-saṁvat 782 Jyêshṭha śuddha 9 Śukrê, and in
the Sômnâth-Pâṭhaṇ inscription of Arjunadêva of Aṇhilvâḍ (Ind. Ant. Vol. XI. p. 242, l. 2 ff.), Maham-
mada-saṁvat 662 tathâ śrî-nṛipa-Vikrama-saṁ 1320 tathâ śrî-śrīmad-Valabhî-saṁ 945 tathâ śrî-Siṁha-
saṁ 151 varshê Âshâḍha va di 13 Ravau.—The form saṁvat represents the genitive plural, saṁvat-
sarâṇâm, in such passages as Śaka-nṛipa-kâl-âtîta-saṁvatsara-śatêshv=ashṭasu chatur-navaty-
adhikêshv=aṅkataḥ saṁvat 894 &c., in the Kardâ grant of the Râshṭrakûṭa king Kakka III. (Ind. Ant.
Vol. XII. p. 266, l. 47 f.), as contrasted with Śaka-nṛipa-kâl-âtîta-saṁvatsara-śatêshv=ashṭasu pañcha-
pañchâśad-adhikêshv=aṅkatô=pi saṁvatsarâṇâm 855 &c., in the Sânglî grant of Gôvinda V. of the
same dynasty (id. Vol. XII. p. 251, l. 44 f.); the latter is the only passage that I know of, in which the
full genitive case occurs in connection with the numerals. And it evidently stands for the full loca-
tive singular and plural respectively, in such passages as Saṁvat pañcha-saptaty-adhika-dvâdaśa-śat-
âṅkê 1275 &c., in the Chârwâ inscription of Dêvapâla of Dhârâ (No. 10 of the separate publications
of the Archæological Survey of Western India, p. 111, l. 4), and in Śaka-saṁvat êka-navaty-adhika-
nava-śatêshu saṁvat 991 &c., in the Bassein grant of Sêuṇachandra II. (Ind. Ant. Vol. XII. p. 120,
l. 24 f.)—Monier Williams, in his Sanskrit Dictionary, gives saṁvat as an indeclinable; and of course
it properly is so. I am able, however, to quote two epigraphical instances, of modern date, in which
it is used as a declinable; (1) in verse 30 of Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji's Nêpâl Inscription, No. 19, of
Pratâpamalla, dated Nêpâla-Saṁvat 778 (A.D. 1658-59); Nêpâlê saṁvatê=smin=haya-giri-munibhiḥ

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 5, PLATE III, B. 31
September). It is a Buddhist inscription; and the object of it is to record the grant, by
Amrakârdava or Âmrakârdava, the son of Undâna, and apparently an officer of
Chandragupta II., of a village, or an allotment of land, called Îśvaravâsaka, and a sum
of money, to the Ârya-Saṁgha, or community of the faithful, at the great vihâra or
Buddhist convent of Kâkanâdabôṭa, for the purpose of feeding mendicants and main-
taining lamps.
The Kâkanâdabôṭa convent is, of course, the Great Stûpa itself. The name is
partially destroyed in the present inscription; but it is legible in full in line 2 of the other
Sâñchi inscription of the year 131, No. 62 below, Plate xxxviii B. It is not quite certain
what meaning is to be allotted to bôṭa in this name; but it is probably another form of pôṭa,
'the foundation of a house.'¹ The rest of the name, Kâkanâda, lit. 'the noise of the
crow,' is the ancient name of Sâñchi itself. This is shewn by its occurring in at least two
of the inscriptions of the Aśôka period in the neighbourhood, to which my attention was
directed by Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji; thus, (1) an inscription on the outside of the east gate
of the great Stûpa at Sâñchi (Bhilsa Topes, p. 241, and Plate xvi. No. 39) should evidently
be read Kâkaṇâyê bhagavatô pamâna-laṭhi, "the measuring-staff (?) of (Buddha), the
Divine One, at Kâkanâda;" and (2) the inscription on the top of the lid of the steatite
casket found in Stûpa No. 2 at 'Andher' (id. p. 347, and Plate xxix. No. 7) should plainly
be read Sapurisasa Gôtiputasa Kâkanâda-Pabhâsanasa Kôḍiña-gôtasa, "(the relics) of
the virtuous Prabhâsana of Kâkanâda, the Gôtiputra, of the Kauṇḍinya gôtra."
TEXT.³
1 Siddham² [॥*] Kâ[kanâ⁴]dabôṭa-srî-mahâ-vihârê śîla-samâdhi-prajñâ-guṇa-
bhâvit-êndriyâya parama-puṇya-
2 kri . . . . tâya chatur-ddig-abhyâgatâya śramaṇa-puṅgav-âvasathây=âryya-
saṅghâya mahârâjâdhi-
3 râ[ja-ś]r[î]-Chandragupta-pâda-prasâd-âpyâyita-jîvita=sâdhanaḥ anujîvi-satpurusha-
sadbhâva-
4 vri[ttim(?)] jagati prakhyâpayan anêka-samar-âvâpta-vijaya-yaśas-patâkaḥ
Sukuli-dêśa-Na-
5 shṭî . . . . . vâstavya Undâna-putr-Amrakârddavô Maja-Śarabhaṅg-
Âmrarâta-râjakula-mûlya-krî-
6 tam(?) . . . . ya . . Îśvaravâsakaṁ pañcha-maṇḍalyâ[ṁ*] praṇipatya
dadâti pañcha-viṁśatiś(ñ)-cha dînâ-
saṁyutê &c. (Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p. 191); and (2) in an unpublished Chambâ inscription which con-
tains several dates in the Vikrama-Saṁvat ad Lôkakâla, commencing with Vikrama-Saṁvat 1915
(A.D. 1858-59); in line 11 f. we have Saṁvatî 34 Śrâvaṇa-pra° 17 lat saṁvatî 36 dâ Śrâvaṇa-śuddha
..... &c.
¹ In the present series of inscriptions, bôṭa or vôṭa occurs again (1) as part of a proper name
in Raṅkabôṭa, in line 8 of No. 27, Plate xvii. below; and (2) as a territorial name, in the Vôṭa santika
in line 6 f. of No. 29, Plate xixA. below.—Monier Williams, in his Sanskrit Dictionary, gives pôṭâ, bôṭâ,
and vôṭâ, in the sense of 'a woman with a beard; a hermaphrodite; a female servant or slave.'—
And we have Bôṭaka, as a proper name, in line 25 of No. 38 below, Plate xxiv.
² From the original stone.
³ In the original, this word, which is very much damaged and hardly recognisable, stands above
the first two aksharas of line 1.
⁴ These two aksharas are supplied from line 2 of the Sâñchi inscription of the year 131, No. 62
below, Plate xxxviiiB., in which they are quite distinct.
29. A

32 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
7 rân [II*] Ta[d-da]tta-........ yâd=arddhêna mahârâjâdhirâja-śrî-
Chandraguptasya Dêvarâja iti pri-
8 ya-nâm........y.tasya¹ sarvva-guṇa-sampattayê yâvach=chandr-âdityau
tâvat=pancha bhikshavô bhuñja-
9 tâm ratna-grihê [cha dî]pakô jvalatu [I*] mama ch=âpar-ârddhât=pañch=
aiva bhikshavô bhuñjatâm ratna-grihê cha
10 dîpaka iti [II*] Tad=êtat-pravṛittaṁ ya uchchhindyât=sa gô-brahma-hatyayâ
saṁyuktô bhavêt=pañchabhiś=ch=âna-
11 ntaryyair=iti [II*] Saṁ² 90 3 Bhâdrapada di³ 4 [II*]
TRANSLATION.
Perfection has been attained! To the community of the faithful⁴ in the holy great
vihâra of Kâkanâdabôta,—in which the organs of sense (of the members of it) have
been subdued by the virtues of (good) character, religious meditation, and wisdom; which
............ deeds of the very highest religious merit; which has come together from the
four quarters of the world; (and) which is the abode of most excellent Śramaṇas,—having
prostrated himself in an assembly of five persons,⁵ Âmrakârdava,⁶ the son of
Undâna,—whose means of subsistence have been made comfortable by the favour of the
feet of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Chandragupta (II.); who is publishing in
the world the amiable behaviour of the virtuous people who are the dependents (of the
king); who has acquired banners of victory and fame in many battles; (and) who is an
inhabitant of (the town of) Nashtî...... in the Sukuli dêśa,⁷—gives (the village or
¹ We might very suitably supply the lacunæ by reading Dêvarâja iti priya-nâm=[âmâtyô
bhavat]y=[ê]tasya.
² See page 30 above, note 3.
³ i.e. dina, dinê, divasa, or divasê. And the word properly denotes the solar day, from sunrise
to sunrise, with which a week-day name would be coupled; not the lunar tithi, which may coincide
with, or more or less may differ from, the solar day and week-day.
⁴ Ârya-Saṁgha.
⁵ pañcha-maṇḍalî is evidently the same as the Pañchâît, Pañchâyat, or Pañch, of modern times,
the village-jury of five (or more) persons, convened to settle a dispute by arbitration, to witness and
sanction any art of importance, &c.—Compare pâñchâlî (perhaps a mistake of the engraver for
pañchâlî), which seems to be used in the same sense, in line 16 of Bhagwanlal Indraji's Nêpâl Inscrip-
tions, No. 10 (Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p. 173).—So also pâñchâlika, in No. 4 of the same series, line 11
(id. p. 168), No. 7, lines 13 and 15 (p. 170), and No. 13, line 20 (p. 177), seems to mean the members
of certain Pañchâyats which are in each instance specified by name.
⁶ Or Âmrakârdava.
⁷ dêśa, 'a region, country, province, &c.,' is a technical territorial term, the exact meaning and
bearing of which have not yet been determined. So, also, khaṇḍa, 'a section;' maṇḍala, 'a circle,
district, arrondissement, province, &c.;' râshṭra, 'a kingdom, district, country, region, &c.;' and
vishaya, 'a country, region, district, province, &c.'—Dêsa is sometimes used as a synonym of
maṇḍala. Thus, in line 7 of a grant of Amma II. of about Śaka-Saṁvat 867 or A.D. 945-46 (Ind.
Ant. Vol. VII. p. 16), and in line 6 of another grant of the same (id. Vol. VIII. p. 74), the kingdom of
the Eastern Chalukyas is called the Vêṅgî dêśa. While, in line 17 of a grant of Amma I. (id. Vol.
VIII. p. 79), and in line 8 of another of Bhîma II. (id. Vol. XIII. p. 213), it is called the Veṅgî maṇ-
ḍala. These charters record grants made in the Pennâtavâḍi, Gudrâvâra, and Pâgunavara vishayas;
which would point to vishaya being a subdivision of a dêśa or maṇḍala. And this is in accordance
with line 5 of the Kapâlêśwar grant of Mahâ-Bhavagupta (id. Vol. V. p. 55, where the correct reading
is vishayîya-Raṇḍâgrâmê), recording a gift of the village of Raṇḍâgrâma belonging to the Pôvâ
or Yôvâ vishaya in the Kôśala dêśa. On the other hand, in line 4 of the Têrdâḷ inscription of Śaka-

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 5, PLATE III B. 33
allotment of) Îśvaravâsaka, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . purchased with the endowment¹ of
Maja and Śarabhaṅga and Amrarâta² of the royal household,³ and (also gives) twenty-five
dînâras.
(Line 7.)—From [the interest of the dînâras⁴] given by him,—with half, as long as
the moon and the sun (endure), let five Bhikshus be fed, and let a lamp burn in the jewel-
house,⁵ for the perfection of all the virtues of . . . . . . . . the familiar name of Dêvarâja,⁶
. . . . . . . of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Chandragupta (II.); and with the other

Saṁvat 1046 or A.D. 1124-25 (id. Vol. XIV. p. 16), the terms dêśa and vishaya are both applied to
the division of India that is best known as Bharatakhaṇḍa or Bharatakshetra, and also to the Kûṇḍi
Three-thousand District in the Kanarese country; which would point to dêśa and vishaya being
synonymous.—Khaṇḍa occurs in another grant (unpublished) of Mahâ-Bhavagupta, recording a
gift of the village of Arkigrâma belonging to the Tulumba khaṇḍa in the Kôsala dêśa; which points
to khaṇḍa being a subdivision of a dêśa, and perhaps synonymous with vishaya.—Maṇḍala occurs
also in line 8 of the grant of Mahêndrapâla of Harsha-Saṁvat 155 or A.D. 761-62 (id. Vol. XV.
p. 112), recording the gift of a village belonging to the Vâlayikâ vishaya, which lay in the Śrâvasti
maṇḍala. And this, again, points to a maṇḍala being subdivided into vishayas.—As regards
râshṭra and vishaya, there were two classes of officials called Râshṭrapati and Vishayapati, lit.
‘lords’ or ‘chiefs’ of râshṭras and vishayas. And, on the one hand, such passages as those in line
8 f. of the Kaira grant of Vijayarâja of the year 394 (id. Vol. VII. p. 248), and in line 8 of the Kâvî
grant of Jayabhaṭa of the year 486 (id. Vol. V. p. 114), which mention first the Vishayapati, then
the Râshṭrapati, and then the Grâmamahattara or ‘village-headman,’ point, as indicated by Dr.
Bühler in editing the Kâvî grant, to the vishaya being a larger division than the râshṭra; as also
such expressions as “the cultivators, headed by the Râshṭrakûṭa (‘headman of the râshṭra’), dwelling
in the Pennâtavâḍi vishaya,” in line 39 f. of the grant of Amma II. of about Śaka-Saṁvat 867, referred
to above. But, on the other hand, exactly the opposite of this is indicated by such passages as those
in line 28 f. of the Sâmâṅgaḍ grant of Dantidurga of Śaka-Saṁvat 675 or A.D. 753-54 (id. Vol. XI.
p. 112), in line 35 f. of the Waṇî grant of Gôvinda III. of Śaka-Saṁvat 730 (id. Vol. XI. p. 159), and
in line 60 of the Kauṭhêm grant of Vikramâditya V. of Śaka-Saṁvat 930 (id. Vol. XVI. p. 24), in
which first the Râshṭrapati is mentioned, then the Vishayapati, and then the Grâmakûṭa or
‘village-headman.’ While finally, such expressions as “the Karmarâshṭra vishaya,” in line 12 of the
grant of the second year of Vishṇuvardhana II. (id. Vol. VII. p. 187), and “the Gôparâshṭra vishaya,”
in line 17 of the Nirpaṇ grant of Nâgavardhana (id. Vol. IX. p. 124), point to râshṭra and vishaya
being synonymous terms.—The subject requires further elucidation. And, as in the case of regal
and official titles, it is much better to use the original Saṁskṛit words, than to render them by such
terms as Zillâ, Tâlukâ, &c., which are of modern invention, and which cannot possibly be satisfactory
equivalents, even if they should happen to approach to the relative meanings.
¹ mûlya, lit. ‘an original sum,’ is equivalent to akshaya-nîvî, lit. ‘a capital sum that is not to be
wasted,’ which is of constant use in early inscriptions, and occurs for instance in No. 12, below, Plate
viB., line 26, and No. 62, Plate xxxviiiB., lines 3 and 8.
² Or Âmrarâta. ³ râjakula.
⁴ I supply these words, where the original has been effaced, on the analogy of line 3 f. of the
Sâñchi inscription of the year 131, No. 62 below, Plate xxxviiiB.
⁵ This is the literal meaning of ratna-griha. It seems to denote the Stûpa itself, as the abode of
the three ratnas or ‘jewels or precious things,’ viz. (1) Buddha; (2) Dharma, the Law or Truth;
and (3) Saṁgha, the community or congregation.
⁶ Prinsep translated this passage so as to make Dêvarâja another name of Chandragupta II.
This may be correct. But we have no other authority for giving him this second name. And the
lacunæ in the line render it impossible to say with any certainty whether it denotes him, or some
officer of his.—If the suggestion that I have made above (page 32, note 1) for filling up the
lacunæ, should be accepted, the translation would be—“for the perfection of all the virtues of him
who, having the familiar name of Dêvarâja, is a minister of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious
Chandragupta.”
F.

34 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
half, which is mine,¹ let the same number of five Bhikshus be fed, and (let) a lamp (burn)
in the jewel-house.
(L. 10.)—Whosoever shall interfere with this his arrangement,—he shall become
invested with (the guilt of) the slaughter of a cow or of a Brâhman,² and with (the guilt of)
the five sins that entail immediate retribution !³
(L. 11.)—The year 90 (and) 3; (the month) Bhâdrapada ; the day 4.
No. 6; PLATE IV A
UDAYAGIRI CAVE INSCRIPTION OF CHANDRAGUPTA II.
THIS inscription appears to have been discovered by General Cunningham, and was first
brought to notice by him in 1880, in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. X. p. 51 f., where he
published his own version of the text, and a translation of it by Râjâ Siva Prasad, accom-
panied by a lithograph (id. Plate xix.).—This rendering of the inscription has remained the
standard version up to the present time, except that in 1882, in the Ind. Ant. Vol. XI.
p. 312, Dr. E. Hultzsch pointed out some errors in the last line as published.
The inscription is on the back wall, a little to the left as one enters, inside a cave at
**Udayagiri,**⁴ in Scindia's Dominions in Central India, which is known as the "Tawâ
Cave," from the resemblance of the large flat stone, on the top of the rock in which it is
excavated, to a gigantic tawâ, or 'griddle for baking cakes.
The writing, which covers a space of about 3' 7" by 1' 2", has suffered a good
deal from the peeling off of the surface of the rock on which it is engraved; but the general
purport of it remains complete, and nothing of a historical nature appears to have been
lost.—The size of the letters varies from ¾" to 1¼". The characters belong to the north-
ern class of alphabets, and are of radically the same type with those of the Allahâbâd pos-
thumous pillar inscription of Samudragupta, No. 1, p. 1 ff. above, Plate i. They include in
the numbering of the verses, forms of the numerical symbols for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.—The
language is Sanskrit; and, except for the opening word siddham, the inscription is
in verse throughout, and the verses are numbered.—In respect of orthography, the only
point that calls for notice is the use of the jihvâmûlîya and upadhmânîya in jñah-kaviḥ-
pâṭali, line 4.
The inscription refers itself to the time of the Early Gupta king Chandragupta
II., whose name is recorded in line 1. As no date is given, there might be some doubt as
to whether the Chandragupta mentioned here is the first or the second of the name. But
the standard of the characters, as compared with those of the Allahâbâd inscription,
which was engraved in the time of Chandragupta II.,—and the fact that the inscriptior
records that the Chandragupta mentioned in it came in person to Udayagiri, coupled with
the existence at Udayagiri of the inscription of the year 82, No. 3, p. 21 ff. above, which
¹ It is not quite apparent who is speaking here; but probably Âmrakârdava is intended.
² brahman; see Childers' Pâli Dictionary, s.v. brahmâ.
³ viz. matricide, parricide, killing an Arhat, shedding the blood of a Buddha, and causing
division among the priesthood (see Childers' Pâli Dictionary, s.v. pañchanantariyasammam and
abhithânam.)
⁴ See page 22 above, and note 1.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS: No. 6, PLATE IV A. 35
is proved by its date to be one of Chandragupta II.,—shew that the king mentioned here
is Chandragupta II., not his grandfather, Chandragupta I. It is a Śaiva inscription;
and the object of it is to record the excavation of the cave as a temple of the god Śiva,
under the name of Śambhu, by the order of a certain Vîrasêna, otherwise called Śâba,¹
who was one of the ministers of Chandragupta II
TEXT.²
1 Siddham³ [||] Yad⁴=a[ṁ]tarjjyôtir-arkk-âbham=urvvyâm [— — ᴗ — ᴗ ᴗ —
— — — — ᴗ —]vyâpi Chandragupt-âkhyam=adbhutam [||] 1
2 Vikram-âvakraya-krîtâ dâsya-nyagbhûta-pârtthiv[â] [— — —]mâna-saṁraktâ
dharmma[— — ᴗ — ᴗ —] [||] 2
3 Tasya râjâdhirâj-arshêr-achinty-ô[— ᴗ —]rmmanaḥ anvaya-prâpta-sâchivyô
vyâ[prita-san]dh[i]-v[i]grahaḥ [||] 3
4 Kautsaś-Śâba iti khyâtô Vîrasênaḥ kul-âkhyayâ śabdârttha-nyâya-lôka-
jñaḥ-kaviḥ-Pâṭaliputrakaḥ [||] 4
5 Kritsna-prithvî-jay-artthêna râjñ=aiv=êha sah-âgataḥ bhaktyâ bhagavataś=
Śambhôr-gguhâm=êtâm=akârayat [||] 5
TRANSLATION.
Perfection has been attained! . . . . . . . . . . which shines⁵ like the sun,⁶ radiant
with internal light, . . . . . . . . upon the earth . . . . . . . ., pervades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(and) has the appellation of Chandragupta (II.), (and is) wonderful ;—
(Line 2.)—Bought by the purchase-money of [whose] prowess, [the earth], in which
(all other) princes are humiliated by the slavery (imposed on them by him), . . . . . . .
gratified by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . religion.
(L. 3.)—He who holds the position, acquired by hereditary descent, of being a minister
of that same saintly sovereign,⁷ possessed of inconceivable . . . . . . . ., (and) [has been
appointed to] (the office of arranging) peace and war; (viz.)—
¹ See page 27 above, note 4, for some similar instances of second names.
² From the original stone.
³ In the original this word stands in the margin, opposite the commencement of line 3.
⁴ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh) throughout.
⁵ From the use, in line 5, of the imperfect past tense akârayat, ‘he caused to be made,’—and
from the natural length of time required for the completion of the cave, before the inscription could
be engraved inside it,—a considerable time must have elapsed between the visit of the king and his
minister, and the engraving of the inscription. But there seems no special reason for supposing that
the work was not all finished during the lives of Chandragupta II. and Vîrasêna. Accordingly, in
translating, I have given a present sense to the contents of lines 1 to 4.
⁶ There seems to be intended a play on the words ‘sun’ and ‘moon,’ the latter of which
(chandra) forms part of the king’s name.
⁷ Râjâdhirâja; lit. ‘supreme king of Râjas or kings.’—This was, in earlier times, one of the
technical titles of paramount sovereignty. In its Pâli or Prâkṛit form of Râjadhiraja, it occurs as
the representative of the Greek basileus basileon, sometimes by itself, e.g. on some of the coins of
Maues (Gardner and Poole’s Catalogue of the Coins of the Greek and Scythic Kings of India in the
British Museum, p. 68 ff., Nos. 4, 5, 9, 11, and 17); and sometimes in conjunction with Maharaja
(Mahârâja), e.g. on some of the coins of Azes (id. p. 85 ff., Nos. 138, 140, and 157). And another
almost identical title, viz. Râjâtirâja, lit. ‘superior king of Râjas or kings,’ occurs in the same
F 2,

36 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
(L. 4.)—He who, belonging to the Kautsa (gōtra) is well-known under the name of
Śâba, (but is called) Vîrasêna by (his) family-appellation;—who knows the meanings
of words, and logic, and (the ways of) mankind;—who is a poet;—and who belongs to
(the city of) Pâtaliputra,—
(L. 5.)—He came here, accompanied by the king in person, who was seeking to con-
quer the whole world; and, through devotion towards the divine (god) Śambhu, he caused
this cave to be made.

No. 7; PLATE IV B.

GADHWA STONE INSCRIPTION OF CHANDRAGUPTA II.

THE YEAR 88.

THIS inscription, and the following two inscriptions of Kumâragupta, Nos. 8 and 9, are
on a stone that was discovered in 1871-72 by Râjâ Siva Prasad, and were first brought to
notice by General Cunningham in his Archæological Reports.
**Gaḍhwâ,**¹ which means literally 'a fort,' is the name of several villages in the Arail
and Bârâ Parganâs in the Karchhanâ Tahsîl or Sub-Division of the Allahâbâd District in
the North-West Provinces. The particular Gaḍhwâ, where these inscriptions were found,
is in the Bârâ² Parganâ, eight miles to the west by south from Bârâ, and one and a half miles
south of the village of Bhaṭgaḍh.³ It is entered in the map simply as a "Fort."⁴ The
stone containing the inscriptions was found built into the wall of one of the rooms of a
modern dwelling-house inside the enclosure of the fort; and is a rectangular sandstone
fragment, measuring about 9½″ broad by 4″ thick and 2′ 6½″ high. It is now in the Imperial
Museum at Calcutta.
The stone is inscribed on three faces,—on the front, as it stands in the Museum, and
on the two sides. It is entire towards the bottom; but the top of it, containing two or
three lines of writing, has been broken away and lost. In addition to this, the sides now con-
tain only about half of each line of the inscriptions engraved on them; and this, with the
unfinished roughness of the present back of the stone, shews that about half of it has been
pared away, in adapting it to some other purpose than that for which it was originally
intended.

sense of paramount sovereignty, but coupled also with Mahârâja; e.g. in the Mathurâ inscription of
Huvishka of the year 47 (Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. III. p. 33, No. 12, and Plate xiv.), and in the
Mathurâ inscription of Vâsudêva of the year 87 (id. p. 35, No. 18, and Plate xv.). But, by the Early
Gupta period, these two titles appear to have been permanently supplanted, for technical purposes,
by the fuller form of Mahârâjâdhirâja (see page 10 above, note 3). The form Râjâtirâja cannot
be traced at all. And Râjâdhirâja occurs only in metrical passages, where it was inconvenient or
impossible to introduce the prefix mahâ; thus, in addition to the present passage, in line 6 of the
Mandasôr inscription of Yasôdharman and Vishṇuvardhana, No. 35 below; in line 62 of the Alînâ
grant of Śîlâditya VII., No. 39 below; and, in the derivative râjâdhirâjya, in line 24 of the Junâgaḍh
rock inscription of Skandagupta, No. 14 below, in line 2 of which we also have, again for metrical
reasons, another variety of the title, viz. Râjarâjâdhirâja.
¹ The 'Garhwa' and 'Gurhwa' of maps, &c.
² The 'Barah' of maps.
³ The 'Badgarh, Bhatgarh, and Budgudh' of maps, &c.
⁴ Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 88. Lat. 25° 13′ N.; Long. 81° 38′ E.

CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM. Plate iv
Vol. III.
A.—Udayagiri Cave Inscription of Chandragupta II.
(Scale .14)
Text of Inscription A (Udayagiri Cave Inscription of the year 82):
[Line 1] सिद्धम् [॥] यस्यान्वग्-ज्योतिर्-अर्क-द्युति-धुरम् असकृत्-साधन-व्यग्र-कीर्त्तिर्
[Line 2] व्विश्वं व्यापि ज्वलन्त्या द्युति-समुदय-लब्धावकाश-प्रदीप्तं [।]
[Line 3] स श्री-चन्द्रगुप्त-प्रथितावदात-कीर्त्तिर्-ज्जयत्य्-अद्भुत-कर्म-कारी [॥]
[Line 4] सोढव्या यस्य नासीन्-नृप-वर-तरणोर्भूरि-सत्वावमर्द्दे
[Line 5] गुप्तेन प्राग्-उदञ्चो जयति परिभवात्-सर्व्व-राज्ञाम्-अजेयः [॥]

B.—Gadhwa Inscription of Chandragupta II. The Year 88.
[Line 1] ..... [प्र]तिष्ठापितस्य .....
[Line 2] ..... [परमभागवत-महाराजाधिराज-श्री-चन्द्रगुप्तस्य]
[Line 3] ..... [प्रवृद्धमान-विजय-राज्य-संवत्सरे] .....
[Line 4] ..... [अष्टा]शीत्युत्तरे ८० ८ .....
[Line 5] ..... [सदा]सत्रे .....
[Line 6] ..... [ब्राह्मणानां भोज]नाय .....
[Line 7] ..... दीनारा .....
[Line 8] ..... [दत्ता] .....

C.—Gadhwa Inscription of Kumaragupta.
[Line 1] [सिद्धम् ॥ कुमारगुप्तस्य] .....
[Line 2] ..... [परमभागवत-महाराजाधिराज-श्री-] .....
[Line 3] ..... कुमारगुप्तस्य प्रवर्द्धमान-[विजय-राज्य-] .....
[Line 4] ..... सत्रे ब्राह्मणानां .....
[Line 5] ..... भोजनाय .....
[Line 6] ..... दीनाराः .....

D.—Gadhwa Inscription of Kumaragupta. The Year 98.
[Line 1] [सिद्धम् ॥ संवत्सरे ९० ८] .....
[Line 2] ..... परमभागवत-महाराजाधिराज-श्री-कुमारगुप्तस्य .....
[Line 3] ..... [सदा]-सत्रे ब्राह्मण-भोजनाय .....
[Line 4] ..... दीनारा द्वादश १२ .....
[Line 5] ..... अक्षयनिवि-प्रदत्ता .....
[Line 6] ..... यः कश्चिद्-व्यतिक्रमं कुर्य्यात्-स पञ्चभिर्-महापातकैः .....

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 7, PLATE IV B. 37
On the front of the stone, towards the top, traces are visible of eleven lines of writing,
each of about thirteen letters, in characters of the same period with those of the inscriptions
that I now publish. But no part of this inscription, which seems to have been quite distinct
from those on the sides, can be read; and the traces of it that remain are not worth
being lithographed.
The inscription of Chandragupta II. now published, is on the upper part of the present
proper left side of the stone, and the writing covers a space of about 4″ broad by 1′ 4½″
high. It was originally brought to notice, in 1873, by General Cunningham, who published
his reading of the text of lines 10 to 17 in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. III. p. 55, with a
lithograph of the whole (id. Pl. xx. No. 1). The first two entire lines, and the last half of
each of the remaining lines, have been broken away and lost. The remnant of the inscription,
however, is fairly well preserved and easy to read.—The average size of the letters is ⅝″.
The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets, and are of the same type with
those of the Allâhâbâd posthumous pillar inscription of Samudragupta, No. 1, p. 1 ff. above,
Plate i. They include, in lines 7, 11, and 16, forms of the numerical symbols for 8, 10,
and 80.—The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is in prose throughout.—In
respect of orthography, the only point requiring notice is the doubling of y and v after the
anusvâra, in saṁyyukta, line 9, and saṁvvatsarê, line 11.
In the first part of the inscription, lines 1 to 9, the date and the name of the king are
entirely broken away and lost. So also the name in the second part. But, in the latter
part, lines 10 to 17, we have the date, in numerical symbols, of the year eighty-eight (A.D.
407-8). And this, coupled with the epithet paramabhâgavata in line 10, followed by the
beginning of the title Mahârâjâdhirâja, shews that the inscription, in this part, certainly
belongs to the time of the Early Gupta king Chandragupta II. And the first part is
so plainly engraved by the same hand,—and is, moreover, not separated by any dividing
line,—that it must certainly be allotted to the same reign. So little remains of the two
parts of this inscription, that the form of religion to which they belong cannot be deter-
mined; nor can the object of them; except that each part records a gift of ten dînâras,
apparently as a contribution to the perpetual maintenance of a sattra, or charitable hall or
almshouse.
In line 12 we have a mention of the city of Pâtaliputra, the modern Paṭna in Bihâr;
but there is nothing to indicate, of necessity, that it is mentioned as a capital of Chandra-
gupta II.
TEXT.¹
First Part.
1 [Paramabhâgavata²-mahârâjâdhirâja-śrî-Chandragupta-râjya]-
2 [saṁvvatsarê]³ .................................................... [asyâṁ]
3 divasa-pûrvvâyâṁ⁴ ....................................................
¹ From the original stone.
² This first line is entirely broken away and lost; but, from the date in line 11, there can be no
doubt that the name and titles of Chandragupta II. have to be filled in here, as also in line 10.—In
the second line, remnants are visible of the first four or five aksharas, including one or two numerical
symbols; but not enough of them remains to shew with any certainty what the latter are.
³ To be corrected into râjyê saṁvvatsarê; see page 38 below, note 5.
⁴ Supply tithau.

38 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
4 ka-Mātridāsa-pra[mukha] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [puṇy-ā]-
5 pyāyan-ārtthaṁ rachi[ta] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [sa]-
6 dā-sat[t*]ra-sāmānya(nya)-brāhma[ṇa] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 dīnārair-ddaśabhiḥ 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [॥]
8 Yas=ch=ainaṁ dharmma-skanda(ndha¹)ṁ [vyuchchhindyāt=sa
pañcha-mahāpātakaiḥ saṁ]-
9 yyukta[ḥ*] syād-iti ॥(॥)
Second Part.
10 Paramabhāgavatā - mahā[rājādhirāja - śrī - Chandragupta - rāj -
11 jya-saṁvvatsarē² 80 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [asyāṁ divasa]-
12 pūrvvāyāṁ³ Pāṭā(ta)liput[t]ra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [gṛi]-
13 hasthasya bhāryyā v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 .=ātma-puṇy-ōpachay-[ārtthaṁ] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 sadā-sattra-sāmānya-b[rāhmaṇa] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16 dīnārāḥ daśa 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [॥] [Yaś=ch=ainaṁ
17 dharmma-skanda(ndha)n vyuchchhindyā[t=sa pañcha
mahāpātakaiḥ saṁyuktaḥ syād-iti [॥]
TRANSLATION.
First Part.
[In the reign of the most devout worshipper of the Divine One, the Mahārājādhirāja
the glorious Chandragupta (II.); in the year] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;
[on this] (lunar day), (specified) as above by the day (&c.) :—
(Line 3.)— . . . . . . . . . . headed by Mātṛidāsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . for the purpose of
increasing [the religious merit] . . . . . . . . fashioned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the Brāhmans
of the community of a perpetual almshouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by ten dīnāras, (or in
figures) 10.
(L. 8.)—And whosoever [shall interfere with] this branch of religion,—[he] shall
become invested [with (the guilt of) the five great sins⁴] !
Second Part.
(L. 10.)—In the reign⁵ of the most devout worshipper of the Divine One, the
Mahārājādhirāja, [the glorious Chandragupta (II.) ]; in the year 80 (and) 8; . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [on this] (lunar day), (specified) as above [by the day, (&c.)] :—

¹ In line 17 below, the reading is again skandam. But this is undoubtedly a mistake for skan-
dhaṁ, which we have distinctly in the same imprecation in line 12 of the Gaḍhwā inscription,
No. 64 below, Plate xxxixB.—We also have a similar expression, puṇya-skandhaṁ, in line 9 of the
Kahāuṁ pillar inscription of Skandagupta, No. 15 below, Plate ixA.
² Read rājyē saṁvatsarē; see note 5 below.
³ Supply tithau.
⁴ The pañcha mahāpātakāni, or 'five great crimes, are—slaying a Brāhmaṇ; drinking intoxi-
cating liquor; theft (of the gold belonging to a Brāhmaṇ); adultery with the wife of a spiritual pre-
ceptor; and associating with any one guilty of these crimes; see the Mānavadharmaśāstra, ix. 235,
and xi. 55 to 59; Burnell's Translation, pp. 287, 331.
⁵ The original, if accepted as it stands, would have to be translated "in the year eighty-eight
of the reign of Chandragupta." But the numerals, both here and in the still more pointed instances
given below, shew that the expression cannot possibly refer to regnal years.—This method of expres-

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 8, PLATE IV C. 39
(L. 12.)— ...... Pāṭaliputra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the wife
of the householder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [for the purpose] of adding to (her) own
religious merit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the Brâhmaṇs of the community of a perpetual
almshouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ten dînâras, (or in figures) 10.
(L. 16.)—[And whosoever] shall interfere with [this] branch of religion,—[he shall
become invested with (the guilt of) the five great sins]!
No. 8; PLATE IV C.
GADHWA STONE INSCRIPTION OF KUMARAGUPTA.
THIS is another of the inscriptions on the stone discovered by Râjâ Siva Prasad, in
1871-72, at Gaḍhwâ,¹ in the Allahâbâd District in the North-West Provinces. It was
first brought to notice, in 1873, by General Cunningham, who published his reading of the
text in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. III. p. 55, accompanied by a lithograph (id. Plate xx.
No. 1).
This inscription is on the lower part of the proper left side of the stone, immediately
below the preceding inscription of Chandragupta II., No. 7 above, from which it is separated
only by a line across the stone.
The last half of each line has been entirely broken away and lost. The remnant of
the writing, however, covering a space of about 4" broad by 10" high, is fairly well pre-
served and easy to read.—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 as those of
the preceding inscription, No. 8, being probably engraved by the same hand. They in-
clude, in lines 3 and 6, forms of the numerical symbol for 10.—The language is
Sanskrit; and the inscription is in prose throughout.—The orthography presents nothing
calling for remark.
The inscription refers itself to the reign of the Early Gupta king Kumâragupta.
The date, however, except in respect of the day, is broken away and lost. So little re-
mains of the inscription that the form of religion to which it belongs cannot be determined;
nor can the object of it; except that it seems to record two gifts,—one of ten dînâras, and

sion was a very common one in early times; and is due, of course, to the fact that the early years of
most eras were regnal years, and that, after the death of the founder of each era, the expression was
continued mechanically in the case of his successors.—As similar instances, we have in the present
series of inscriptions, (1) line 6 of the Bilsaḍ pillar inscription of Kumâragupta, No. 10 below, Plate
v., " in the year ninety-six of the augmenting victorious reign of Kumâragupta;" (2) line 3 of the
Indôr grant of Skandagupta, No. 16 below, Plate ixB., " while the year one hundred, increased by
forty-six, of the augmenting victorious reign of Skandagupta, is current;" and (3) line 1 of the
Gaḍhwâ inscription of the year 148, No. 66 below, Plate xxxixD., "in the year one hundred, in-
creased by forty-eight, of the augmenting victorious reign of ........;" and in other series,
(4) line 2 f. of the Guṇḍa inscription of Rudrasiṁha (Ind. Ant. Vol. X. p. 157), " in the year
one hundred, increased by two, or in figures 100 and 2, of the Mahâkshatrapa, the Svâmin Rudrasîha ;"
and (5) line 1 of a Mathurâ inscription of Vâsudêva (Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. III. p. 35, and Pl. xv.
No. 20), "in the year 90 and 8 of king Vâsudêva."—In every passage like those of this series, a
suitable expression and translation are at once arrived at by the very simple emendation of reading
rājyê saṁvatsarê instead of rājya-saṁvatsarê.
¹ See page 36 above, and note 1.

40 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
the other of an uncertain number,—as a contribution to the perpetual maintenance of a
sattra, or charitable hall or almshouse.
TEXT.¹
1 Jitaṁ bhagavatâ । Pa[ramabhâgavata²-mahârâjâdhirâja]-
2 śrî-Kumâragupta-râjya-[saṁvatsarê³] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 divasê 10 [asyâṁ divasa-pûrvvâyâṁ] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 . . . . sadâ-sat[t*]ra-sâ[mânya] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 [da]ttâ dînârâḥ 10 ta(?) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 ti sattrê cha dînârâs=traya⁴ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [॥]
[Yaś=ch=ainaṁ dharmma-skandhaṁ vyuchchhi]-
8 ndyât=sa pañcha-mahâpâ[takaiḥ saṁyuktaḥ syâd=iti [॥]
9 Gôyindâ Lakshmâ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TRANSLATION.
Victory has been achieved by the Divine One! In the reign⁶ of [the most devout
worshipper of the Divine One, the Mahârâjâdhirâja], the glorious Kumâragupta; [in the
year] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; on the day 10; [on this (lunar day), (specified) as above
by the day (&c.)] :—
(Line 3.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [the community of] a perpetual almshouse . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . there were given ten dînâras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and in
the almshouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . three dînâras . . . . . . . . . .
(L. 7.)—[And whosoever shall interfere with this branch of religion],—he [shall
become invested] with (the guilt of) the five great sins!
(L. 9.)—Gôyindâ, Lakshmâ, . . . . . . . . . . . . .

No. 9; PLATE IV D.

GADHWA STONE INSCRIPTION OF KUMARAGUPTA.

THE YEAR 98.

THIS is the last of the inscriptions on the stone discovered by Râjâ Siva Prasad, in
1871-72, at Gaḍhwâ⁵ in the Allahâbâd District in the North-West Provinces. It was not
noticed when the stone was first discovered; but was afterwards found, on clearing away
the lime under which it was hidden, by General Cunningham, who then, in 1880, published
his reading of the text in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. X. p. 9, with a lithograph (id. Plate
v. No. 1.)
¹ From the original stone.
² This epithet is completed from line 5 of the Bilsad pillar inscription of Kumâragupta, No. 10
below, and line 5 f. of the Bhitarî pillar inscription of Skandagupta, No. 13 below.
³ Read râjyê [saṁvatsarê]; see page 38 above, note 5.
⁴ This may be completed into either trayaḥ, trayôdaśa, trayôviṁśati, or any other numeral
commencing with trayas.
⁵ See page 38 above, note 5.
⁶ See page 36 above, and note 1.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 9, PLATE IV D. 41
This inscription is on the upper part of the proper right side of the stone. Almost
the whole of the first line, and the first half of each of the remaining lines, has been entirely
broken away and lost. The remnant of the writing, however, covering a space of about 4"
broad by 9" high, is fairly well preserved and easy to read.—The size of the letters varies from
¼" to ½". The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets, and are of precisely
the same type as those of the preceding two inscriptions, Nos. 7 and 8, being probably
engraved by the same hand. They include, in the date, forms of the numerical symbols
for 8 and 90.—The language is Saṁskṛit; and the inscription is in prose throughout.—
The orthography presents nothing calling for remark.
The name of the king is broken away and lost in the first half of line 2. But the
inscription is dated, in numerical symbols, in the year ninety-eight (A.D. 417-18); and
this shews that the record must belong to the time of the Early Gupta king
Kumâragupta. So little remains of it, that the form of religion to which it belonged,
cannot be determined; nor can the object of it; except that it records a gift of twelve
dînâras, apparently as a contribution to the perpetual maintenance of a sattra, or charitable
hall or almshouse.
TEXT.¹
1 [Jitam bhagavatâ || Para]mabh[â]gavata-[mahârâjâdhi]-
2 [râja-śrî-Kumâragupta-râjya-saṁvatsa]rê² 90 8 ......
3 ...... [asyâṁ divasa]-pûrvvâyâṁ³ paṭṭa ....
4 ............................................ nê(?)n=âtma-puny-ôpa[cha]-
5 [y-ârtthaṁ] ............................. kâliyaṁ sadâ-sat[t]ra-
6 ..................................... kasya talakanivanśê(?) ..
7 ................................... tya(?)ṁ dînârâḥ dvâdaśa
8 ............................... sy=âṁkur-ôdbha(?)sta-chchha ......
9 .................................... [saṁ]yukta[ḥ*]⁴ syâd=iti ||(||)
TRANSLATION.
[Victory has been achieved by the Divine One!] [In the reign⁵] of the most devout
worshipper of the Divine One, [the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Kumâragupta]; in
the year 90 (and) 8; ............................; [on this] (lunar day), (specified) as above
by the day (&c.) ;—
(Line 3)— .................... [for the purpose] of adding to (his) own religious
merit .................... (to endure) for the same time with ............................
a perpetual almshouse ............................ twelve dînâras ....................
(L. 9.)— .................... shall become invested with ....................
¹ From the original stone.
² To be corrected into râjyê saṁvatsarê; see page 38 above, note 5.
³ Supply tithau.
⁴ The measure of the lines of this inscription seems to shew that it did not contain here the
full formula of the preceding two, Nos. 7 and 8.
⁵ See page 38 above, note 5.
G₂

42 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
No. 10; PLATE V.
BILSAD STONE PILLAR INSCRIPTION OF KUMARAGUPTA.
THE YEAR 96.
THIS inscription was discovered in 1877-78 by General Cunningham, and was first brought
to notice by him in 1880, in his reading of the text, and translation of it, published in the
Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XI. p. 19 f., accompanied by a lithograph (id. Plate viii.)
Bilsaḍ or Bilsaṇḍ¹ is a village,—consisting of three parts, called respectively Bilsaḍ-
Puvâyaṁ, or Eastern Bilsad; Bilsaḍ-Pachhâyâṁ, or Western Bilsaḍ; and Bilsaḍ-Paṭṭî,² or
Bilsaḍ Suburb,—about four miles towards the north-east of Alîgañj,³ the chief town of the
Alîgañg Tahsîl or Sub-Division of the Êtâ⁴ District in the North-West Provinces. At the
south-west corner of Bilsaḍ-Puvâyaṁ, or the eastern division of the town, there are four broken
red-sandstone monolith columns,—two of them, towards the west, round; and two of them,
towards the east, square. Each pair of columns stands almost due north and south; and the
two western columns are both inscribed. The inscription now published is on the eastern
side of the northern column of the west pair.
On the eastern side of the southern column of the west pair, there is also an inscrip-
tion, which, as shewn by the remains of it, was a duplicate copy of that on the northern
column; but it was arranged somewhat differently, being, as counted by General Cunning-
ham, in sixteen somewhat shorter lines, instead of thirteen. From General Cunningham's
ink-impression, hardly any appreciable portion of this second inscription remains, except the
second and third lines, and lines 12 to 16; and these are not in sufficiently good order to
be lithographed, though they are of use in supplying more clearly a few letters which are
doubtful in the two verses at the end of the inscription on the northern column. In this
second inscription, line 2 begins with the svâdita-yaśasô of line 1 of the one now published;
—line 3, with the gat-ânêka of line 2;—line 12, with about the parshadâ of line 9;—line
13, with the kaubêrachchhanda of line 10;—line 14, with the [sa]ttra of line 11;—line 15,
with the .... śubhâ of line 12;—and line 16, with the yên=âpûrvva of line 13.
With this pair of duplicate inscriptions, we may compare the duplicate inscriptions of
Yaśôdharman on the two columns at Mandasôr, Nos. 33 and 34 below. But Yaśôdharman's
pillars were jayastambhas or 'columns of victory,' not connected with any building;
whereas the two inscribed Bilsaḍ pillars seem to have had a direct connection with a
temple, now ruined, the remains of which must be hidden under the rubbish that has accu-
mulated over the site,—viz. the temple of the god Svâmi-Mahâsêna, or Kârttikêya, referred
to in the inscription.
The writing of the inscription now published covers a space of about 2' 1½" broad
by 1' 10½" high. The first four lines are almost entirely destroyed, and a good deal of
¹ The 'Beelsur and Bilsar' of maps, &c. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 68 Lat 27° 33' N.; Long.
79° 16' E.—The name is written and pronounced optionally with or without a nasal in the second
syllable; compare Aphsad, and Aphsaṇḍ, in the case of the inscription of Âdityasêna, No 42 below.
² The 'Beelsurpowa, Beelsurpucha, and Beelsurputtee,' of maps.
³ The 'Aliganj and Ulleegunje' of maps, &c.
⁴ The 'Eeta, Etah, and Eytuh,' of maps, &c.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 10, PLATE V. 43
damage has been done to the rest; but nothing of a historical nature seems to have been
lost.—The average size of the letters is about $\frac{3}{8}$". The characters belong to the
northern class of alphabets; but they present a very pointed difference from the charac-
ters of the same class in the preceding inscriptions, in respect of the very marked mátrás
or prolonged horizontal top-strokes of the letters.—The language is Sanskrit; and the
inscription is in prose as far as the end of line 9, and the rest in verse.—In respect of
orthography, the only point that calls for notice is the doubling of t, in conjunction
with a following r, e.g. in puttrasya, line 4.
The inscription refers itself to the reign of the Early Gupta king Kumâragupta.
It is dated, in words, in the year ninety-six (A.D. 415-16); but without any specification
of the month and day. It belongs to the Saiva form of worship; and the object of it is to
record the accomplishment by a certain Dhruvaśarman, at a temple of the god Kârttikêya
under the name of Svâmi-Mahâsêna, of certain works, viz. (1) the building of a pratôlî,
or 'gateway with a flight of steps;'¹ (2), the establishment, apparently, of a sattra
or charitable hall or almshouse; and (3) the erection of the column with the inscription on
it, to record the above acts.
**TEXT.**²

1. ......³ [Sarvva-râj-ôchchhêttuṇ prithivyâm=a-pratirathasya chatur-uda]dhi-
   salil-âsvâdita-yaśasô
   2 [Dhanada-Varuṇ-Êndr-Ântaka-samasya Kṛitânta-paraśôḥ nyây-âgat-ânêka-gô-
   hi]raṇya-kôṭi-pradasya chir-ôtsann-âśvamêdh-âharttuḥ
   3 [mahârâja-śrî-Gupta-prapauttrasya mahârâja-śrî-Ghaṭôtkacha-pauttrasya ma]hâ-
   râjâdhirâja-śrî-Chandragupta-puttrasya
   4 Lichchhavi-dauhi[tt]r[asya mahâdêvyâṁ Kumâradêvyâm-utpannasya
   mahârâ]jâdhirâja-śrî-Samudragupta-puttrasya⁴
   5 mahâdêvyâṁ Dattadêvyâm-utpannasya svaya[m=a-pratirathasya] [parama]-
   bhâgavatasya mahârâjadhiraja-śrî-Chandragupta-puttrasya⁵
   6 mahâdêvyâṁ Dhruvadêvyâm-utpannasya mahârajadhirâja-śrî-Kumâra--
   guptasy=âbhivarddhamâna-vijaya-râjya-saṁvatsarê⁶ shaṇ-navatê [l*]
   ¹ As pointed out by Gen. Cunningham, pratôlî, according to the Dictionaries, means 'a broad
   way; a high-street; a principal road through a town.' But the meaning of 'gateway' was given to
   him by a Paṇḍit. And that the word has the meaning in the present inscription of 'a gateway with a
   flight of steps,' seems to be shewn by the comparison of the pratôlî with a svarga-sôpânâ or 'flight of
   steps, or ladder, leading to heaven,' and by its being described as "white with the radiance of pieces of
   crystalline gems (in the stones of which it was constructed)."
   ² From Gen. Cunningham's ink-impression; so also the lithograph. The passages that are ille-
   gible in lines to 3 are supplied from No. 1, lines 24, 26, 28, and 29, page 8 above, and from the
   Bhitarî pillar inscription of Skandagupta, No. 13 below, Plate vii., lines 1 to 3.
   ³ Probably siddham stood here.
   ⁴ Read Samudraguptasya puttrasya, the separate genitive Samudraguptasya being required in
   apposition with the genitives ending in prapauttrasya, pauttrasya, puttrasya, dauhittrasya, and
   utpannasya, in line 3 f.—Here, and in line 5, the drafter of the inscription seems to have been led into
   his mistake through following blindly the Chandragupta-puttrasya, which is quite correct, at the end
   of line 3.
   ⁵ Read Chandraguptasya puttrasya, the separate genitive Chandraguptasya being required
   in apposition with the genitives utpannasya, apratirathasya, and paramabhâgavatasya in this line.—
   See the preceding note.
   ⁶ Read râjyê saṁvatsarê, see page 38 above, note 5.
   G 2.

44 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
7 Asyâṁ=divasa-pûrvvâyâṁ¹ bhagavatas=trailôkya-têjas-saṁbhâra-saṁtat-âdbhuta-
mûrttêr=Brahmaṇya-dêvasya
8 ........ nivâsinaḥ Svâmi-Mahâsênasy=âyatanê=smin=Kârttayug-âchâra-
saddharmma-vartm-ânuyâyina .
9 . âta ....................... [pa]rshadâ mânitêna Dhruvaśarmmaṇa
karmma mahat=kṛit=êdam² ।(॥)
10 Kṛit[v]â³ [--â]bhirâmâṁ muni-vasati[◡-] svargga-sôpana-r[û]pâṁ ।⁴
kaubêrachchhanda-bimbâṁ sphaṭika-maṇi-dal-âbhâsa-gaurâṁ⁵ pratôlîm ।
11 prâsâd-âgr-âbhirûpaṁ guṇa-vara-bhavanaṁ [dharmma-sa(?)]ttraṁ yathâvat ।
puṇyêshv=êv=âbhirâmaṁ vrajati śubha-matis=tâta-Śarmmâ dhruvô=stu ।(॥)
12 [--]â[--]î[--]sya⁶ [◡-]śubh-âmṛita-vara-prakhyâta-labdhâ bhuvi । [--]ê[--]ê
bhaktir=ahîna-sat[t*]va-samatâ kas=taṁ na saṁpûjayêt ।
13 yên=âpûrvva⁷-vibhûti-sañchaya-chayaiḥ [--]ai[--]î[◡---◡-]ḥ । tên=âyaṁ
Dhruvaśarmmaṇâ sthira-varas=[st]aṁbh-ôch[chhr]ayaḥ kâritaḥ ।(॥)
TRANSLATION.
(Line 6.)—In the ninety-sixth year, (and) in the augmenting victorious reign⁹ of
the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Kumâragupta,—
(L. 5.)—Who is the son, begotten on the Mahâdêvî Dhruvadêvî, of the Mahârâjâ-
dhirâja, the glorious Chandragupta (II.), who was himself without an antagonist (of
equal power); who was a most devout worshipper of the Divine One; (and)
(L. 4.)—Who¹⁰ was the son, begotten on the Mahâdêvî Dattadêvî, of the Mahârâjâ-
dhirâja, the glorious Samudragupta,—
(L. 1.)—[Who¹¹ was the exterminator of all kings; who had no antagonist (of equal
power) in the world]; whose fame was tasted by the waters [of the four oceans]; [who was
equal to (the gods) Dhanada and Varuṇa and Indra and Antaka; who was the very axe of
(the god) Kṛitânta]; who was the giver of [many] millions of [lawfully acquired cows and]
gold; who was the restorer of the aśvamêdha-sacrifice, that had been long in abeyance;
(and)
(L. 3.)—[Who¹² was the son of the son's son of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Gupta;—
the son's son of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Ghaṭôtkacha];—(and) the son of
the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Chandragupta (I.), (and) the daughter's son of
Lichchhavi, begotten on the Mahâdêvî Kumâradêvî;—
(L. 7.)—On this (lunar day), (specified) as above by the day (&c.),¹³—at this temple
of the divine (god) Svâmi-Mahâsêna, whose wondrous form is covered over with the accu-
¹ Supply tithau. ² Read kṛitam=idam. ³ Metre, Sragdharâ.
⁴ Here, and below, the marks of punctuation at the end of the first and third pâdas of each verse
are unnecessary.
⁵ The reading is gaurâṁ, instead of the usual form gaurîṁ, also in the original duplicate of this
inscription on the other column.
⁶ Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita.
⁷ These four aksharas are supplied from the ink-impression of the duplicate inscription, in which
they are quite distinct.
⁸ We should expect sthirataras; but the duplicate inscription also reads sthira-varas.
⁹ See page 38 above, note 5.
¹⁰ i.e. Chandragupta II. ¹¹ i.e. Samudragupta. ¹² i.e. Samudragupta.
¹³ The day and other details, however, are not specified

Header & Plate Details

CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM.
Vol. III.