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

Vol. III.
CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM.
Plate vi
A.—Mankuwar Image Inscription of Kumaragupta.—The Year 129.
Inscription A: Mankuwār Stone Image Inscription of Kumāragupta I (Gupta Year 129 / c. 448 CE)
Sanskrit Text in Devanāgarī:
[Line 1] ॐ नमो बुद्धाय ॥ भगवतः सम्यक्सम्बुद्धस्य स्वमताविरुद्धस्य इयं प्रतिमा प्रतिष्ठापिता
[Line 2] भिक्षु-बुद्धमित्रेण ॥ संवत् १०० २० ९ महाराज-श्री-कुमारगुप्तस्य राज्ये ॥
Roman Transliteration:
[Line 1] Ōm̐ namō Buddhāya || Bhagavataḥ samyaksambuddhasya sva-mat-āviruddhasya iyaṁ pratimā pratiṣṭhāpitā
[Line 2] bhikṣu-Buddhamitrēṇa || Saṁvat 100 20 9 Mahārāja-śrī-Kumāraguptasya rājyē ||
English Translation:
[Line 1] Ōm̐! Reverence to the Buddha! This image of the Blessed One, the perfectly enlightened, who was never refuted in his doctrines, has been set up
[Line 2] by the Buddhist monk Buddhamitra, in the year 100 (and) 20 (and) 9, in the reign of the Mahārāja, the illustrious Kumāragupta.

B.—Bihar Pillar Inscription of Skandagupta
Sanskrit Text in Devanāgarī (Northern / Gupta Script):
[Line 1] .... [वि]पुल-कीर्त्तिः ....
[Line 2] .... [सर्व्व-राजोच्छेत्तुः पृथि]व्यामप्रतिरथस्य चतुरूदधि-व्य[वसित-धर्म्मस्य] ....
[Line 3] .... [अश्वमेध-हर्त्तुः श्री-समुद्रगु]प्तस्य पुत्रस्तत्परिगृहीतो महा[देव्यां दत्तदेव्यामुत्पन्नः] ....
[Line 4] .... [परमभागवतो महाराजाधिराज-श्री-च]न्द्रगुप्तस्तस्य पुत्रस्तत्पादानुद्ध्या[तो महादेवाम्] ....
[Line 5] .... [ध्रुवदेव्यामुत्पन्नः परमभागवतो महा]राजाधिराज-श्री-कुमारगुप्तस्त[स्य पुत्रस्तत्पादानुद्ध्यातः] ....
[Line 6] .... [महादेव्याम् उत्प]न्नः परमभागवतो महाराजा[धिराज-श्री-स्कन्दगुप्तः] ....
[Line 7] .... [विस्फूर्ज्जित]-विमल-विक्रमेण ....
[Line 8] .... [स्व]-भुज-बल-निर्ज्जित-सर्व्व-शत्रुः ....
[Line 9] .... [क्षिति-तल-महि]म-प्रसारि-कीर्त्तिः ....
[Line 10] .... [यूपः समु]च्छ्रितोऽयं ....
[Line 11] .... [अतु]ल-बल-पौरुषाणाम् ....
[Line 12] .... [धर्म]-प्रवृद्धये ....
[Line 13] .... [ग्रामः] ....
[Line 14] .... [शासनेनातिसृष्टः] ....
[Line 15] .... [आ-चन्द्रार्क्क-काल-प्रतिष्ठा] ....
[Line 16] .... [प्रदत्तः] ....
[Line 17] .... [भगीरथी]-सलिल-विमल-धौते ....
[Line 18] .... [दूतकोऽत्र] ....
[Line 19] .... [उत्कीर्ण्णं] ....
[Line 20] .... [संवत्] ....
Historical Summary & Genealogy of Bihar Stone Pillar:
[1] Samudragupta: Extirpator of all kings, uncountered hero on earth, performer of the Aśvamedha sacrifice.
[2] Chandragupta II: Son of Samudragupta and Queen Dattadevī; Paramabhāgavata, Mahārājādhirāja.
[3] Kumāragupta I: Son of Chandragupta II and Queen Dhruvadevī; Paramabhāgavata, Mahārājādhirāja.
[4] Skandagupta: Son of Kumāragupta I; Mahārājādhirāja, who secured the imperial realm by the might of his own arms and erected this sacrificial pillar (yūpa) / memorial pillar.

Scale & Publication Details:
J. F. FLEET BO. C.S.
SCALE .50 (for Mankuwār) | SCALE .25 (for Bihar)
W. GRIGGS, PHOTO-LITH.

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 12, PLATE VI B. 47
2 Samvat¹ 100 20 9 mahârâja-śrî-Kumâraguptasya râjyê Jyêshṭha-mâsa
di 10 8 sarvva-duḥkkha²-prahân(n)-ârttham [||*]
TRANSLATION.
Ôm !³ Reverence to the Buddhas !⁴ This image of the Divine One, who thoroughly
attained perfect knowledge, (and) who was never refuted in respect of his tenets, has been
installed by the Bhikshu Buddhamitra,—(in) the year 100 (and) 20 (and) 9; in the reign
of the Mahârâja,⁵ the glorious Kumâragupta; (in) the month Jyêshṭha; (on) the d ay 10
(and) 8,—with the object of averting all unhappiness.
No. 12; PLATE VI B.
BIHAR STONE PILLAR INSCRIPTION OF SKANDAGUPTA.
THIS inscription appears to have been discovered by Mr. Ravenshaw, and to have been
first brought to notice by him in 1839, in the Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. VIII. p. 347 ff. ;
from his remarks it appears that the column was originally found in front of the
northern gate of the old fort of Bihâr, but had been subsequently removed and set up " in
a reversed position, with its base in the air, and its summit in the ground," a little to the
west of the same gate, where it was afterwards found, fallen, by General Cunningham.—In
1866, in the Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. XXXV. pp. 269 ff. and 277 f., Dr. Rajendralala
Mitra published his reading of the text, with a lithograph, from a baked clay impression
made by Major C. Hollings, and sent to the Society in 1861.—And in 1871, in the Archæol.
Surv. Ind. Vol. I. p. 37 f. and Plate xvii., General Cunningham published his own litho-
graph of the inscription.
Bihâr⁶ is the chief town of the Bihâr Sub-Division of the Paṭna District in the
Bengal Presidency. The broken red-sandstone column on which the inscription is, was
eventually removed by Mr. A. M. Broadley, Magistrate of Bihâr, and was set up on a brick
pedestal opposite the Bihâr Court-House,⁷ where it still stands. Mr. Broadley perpetuated
¹ See page 30 above, note 3. ² Read duḥkha.
³ Ôm is an auspicious exclamation, used at the beginning of books, &c. It is made up of the
three letters a, u, and m; and in later times it was looked upon as a mystic name for the Hindu
triad, and as representing the union of the three gods, Vishṇu (a), Śiva (u), and Brahman (m).—
The efficacy of the exclamation is detailed in the Mânavadharmaśastra, ii. 74-85 (Burnell's Transla-
tion, p. 25 ff.)
⁴ With this plural, compare the mention of four Buddhas in the Sâñchi inscription of the year
131, No. 62 below, Plate xxxviiiB.; and also Bhagavatâm samyaksambuddhânâm Buddhânâm,
"of the divine Buddhas, who thoroughly attained perfect knowledge," in line 22 of the Walâ grant
of Dhruvasêna I. (Ind. Ant. Vol. IV. p. 105).
⁵ See page 46 above, para. 4.
⁶ The 'Behar and Bihar' of maps, &c. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 103. Lat. 25° 11' N.; Long
85° 33' E.—The proper form of the name, which is by no means an uncommon one for villages i
Northern and Central India, is of course Bihâr, with the vowel i in the first syllable, from the San-
skrit vihâra, 'a Buddhist (and Jain) temple or convent;' and this is the form that is used by the
people of the Paṭna District.—The Sanskrit name, Vihâra, occurs in line 9-10 of the 'Pesserawa'
inscription, now stored in the collection at Bihâr, where the place is called "Vihâra, the city of the
glorious Yaśôvarman" (Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. XVII. p. 492 ff.)
⁷ Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XI. p. 192 f.

48 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM VOL. III.
the inverted position of the column, upside down; and also disfigured it with an English
inscription, printed in full by General Cunningham, a few letters of which appear in the
lithograph now published. Also, the column, as placed by Mr. Broadley, stands now in the
middle of a house, the roof of which is supported by it; and the last eight lines of the in-
scription, shewn in Dr. Rajendralala Mitra and General Cunningham's lithographs, are now
completely hidden, and rendered quite inaccessible, by a wooden structure placed on the
top, i.e. the proper bottom, of the pillar, in order to connect it with the roof.
The writing originally extended, in the First Part, lines 1 to 13, over four of the
faces of the column, as is shewn by the metres of the extant portion; and in the Second
Part, line 14 ff., over three faces, as is shewn by the number of letters lost in each line.
The extant portion, now lithographed, covers a space of about 1′ 4″ broad by 3′ 5″ high,
and is in a state of fairly good preservation.—The size of the letters varies from ⅜″ to ⅝″.
The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets, and approximate closely to those
of the Allâhâbâd posthumous pillar inscription of Samudragupta, No. 1, p. 1 ff. above,
Plate i. They include, in lines 3 and 11, forms of the numerical symbols for 3, 5, and
30.—The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is in verse as far as line 10, and
the rest in prose.—In respect of orthography, the only points that call for notice are
(1) the use of the dental nasal, instead of the anusvâra, before ś, in anśa, lines 11 and 13;
(2) the doubling of k and t, in conjunction with a following r, e.g. in chakkrê, line 10
(but not in vikramêṇa, line 3), and pauttrasya, line 17; and (3) the doubling of dh, in
conjunction with a following y, in anuddhyâta, line 22.
The first part of the inscription, which is not dated, mentions the Early Gupta
king Kumâragupta, and seems to have recorded the name of his wife, which is not
given in any of the other inscriptions; her name, however, is lost in the part that has
peeled off. But this part of the inscription seems to belong, like the second, to the time
of his son and successor Skandagupta, from the mention of apparently a village named
Skandaguptabaṭa, in line 11. This part of the inscription records the erection of the
column, which in line 10 is called a yûpa or ‘sacrificial post,’ apparently by some
minister whose sister had become Kumâragupta’s wife. And the inscription further
recorded certain shares in the village of Skandaguptabaṭa (?), and in another agra-
hâra, the name of which is lost. From the mention of Skanda, or Kârttikêya, and the
divine Mothers, in line 9, this part of the inscription seems to have belonged to the Śaiva
form of worship, in its Śâkta or Tântrika development.¹
The second part, which also contains no date, is a record of Skandagupta. Not
enough of it remains to shew the form of religion to which it belonged, or to indicate
clearly its purport.
¹ Compare the undoubted instance of this, in the same period, in the Gangdhâr inscription of
Viśvavarman, No. 17 below.—The mâtaraḥ or mâtṛigaṇa, ‘the divine Mothers,’ are ‘the personified
energies (śakti) of the principal deities.’ They are closely connected with the worship of the god
Śiva. Originally they were seven in number,—Brâhmî or Brahmâṇî, Vaishṇavî, Mâhêśvarî, Kaumârî
Vârâhî, Aindrî or Indrâṇî or Mahêndrî, and Châmuṇḍâ,—as representing the Pleiades, the seven
mothers or nurses of Kârttikêya, the son of Śiva. Afterwards the number was increased to eight,
nine, sixteen, and various other figures. The chief object of the Śâkta or Tântrika worship now is
Pârvatî, Durgâ, or Mâhêśvarî, the wife and female energy of Śiva; especially under the name of
Jagadambâ, ‘the mother of the universe.’—Not long after this period, Svâmi-Mahâsêna, or Kârttikêya,
and the divine Mothers, “the seven mothers of mankind,” appear as special objects of worship, and
tutelary deities, of the Early Kadambas (e. g. Ind. Ant. Vol. VI. p. 27), and of the Early Chalukyas
(e.g. Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 162; Vol. VI. p. 74; and Vol. XIII. p. 137 f.)

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 12 PLATE VI B 49
TEXT.¹
First Part.
1 [— —]ḥ² nṛi³-chandra Indrânuja-tulya-vîryyê guṇair=a-tulyaḥ [˘ ˘ ˘ — ˘ — —] [॥]
2 [--] [ta]sy⁴=âpi sûnur=bhuvi svâmi-nêyaḥ khyâtaḥ sva-kîrttyâ [˘ ˘ ˘ — ˘ — —] [॥]
3 [--] [sva]s⁵=aiva yasy=âtula-vikramêṇa Kumâragup[t]ê[na] [˘ ˘ ˘ — ˘ — —] [॥]
4 [--] p[i]tri(tṛi)ṁś=cha dêvâṁś=cha hi havya-kavyaiḥ sadâ nṛiśaṁsy-âdi[˘ ˘ ˘ — ˘ — —] [॥]
5 [— ˘ —] [a]chîkarad⁷=dêvanikêta-maṇḍalaṁ kshitâv=an-aupamya- [˘ ˘ ˘ — ˘ — ˘ —]
6 ......ba(?)ṭê(?)⁸ kila stambha-var-ôchchhri(chchhra)ya-prabhâsê tu maṇḍa.......... [॥]
7 ......bhir=vṛikshâṇâṁ kusuma-bhar-ânat-âgra-śuṁ(?)ga(?)-vyâkamba-stavak......
8 [--] Bhadrâryyayâ⁹ bhâti gṛihaṁ navâbhra-nirmmôka-nirmu[kta — — ˘ ˘ —] [॥]
9 [--] Skanda-pradhânair=bhuvi mâtṛibhiś=cha lôkân=sa su(?)shya(?)[˘ ˘ ˘ — ˘ — —] [॥]
10 [— — ˘] yûp-ôchchhrayam=êva chakkrê [॥*] Bhadrâryy-âdi-
11 ...... [Ska(?)]ndaguptabaṭê aṁśâni 30 5 tâ(?)mrakaṭâku(?)ḥ kala.............
12 ...... pituḥ sva-mâtur=yyady=astu hi dushkṛitaṁ bhajatu tanê..............
13 ........k-âgrahârê aṁśâni 3 Anantasênên=ôpa...........
Second Part.
14 ...... [Sarvva-râj-ôchchhê]ttuḥ¹⁰ pri(pṛi)thivyâm=a-pratirathasya
15 [chatur-udadhi-salil-âsvâdita-yaśasô Dhanada-Varuṇ-Ê]ndr-Antaka-samasya Kṛitânta

¹ As far as line 25, from the ink-impression; the rest, partly from Gen. Cunningham's lithograph, and partly from the lithograph published with Dr. Rajendralala Mitra's reading.
² The first two entire pâdas, and parts of the third pâdas of most of the verses, have peeled off and are lost all the way down.
³ Metre, Upêndravajrâ. ⁴ Metre, Indravajrâ
⁵ The metre is faulty here: since the vi of bhuvi, which should remain short, is lengthened by the following sv.
⁶ Metre, Upêndravajrâ; and in the next verse. ⁷ Metre, Vaṁśastha.
⁸ Metre, apparently Gîti; and in the next verse.
⁹ Metre, Indravajrâ; and in the following two verses.
¹⁰ The passages that are lost in lines 14 to 22, 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 6. The sectarian epithet of Skandagupta, in line 23, is supplied from line 24, and from his silver coins (see Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 66 f.)
H₂

50 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
16 [paraśôḥ nyāy-âgat-ânêka-gô-hiraṇya-kôṭi-pradasya chir-ô]tsann-
aśvamêdh-âharttuḥ
17 [mahârāja-śrī-Gupta-prapauttrasya mahârâja-śrī-Ghaṭô]tkacha-
pauttrasya mahârājâ-
18 [dhirāja-śrī-Chandragupta-puttrasya Lichchhavi-dauhittrasya
ma]hâ-dêvyâṁ Kumāradêvyâm=utpannasya
19 [mahârâjâdhirâja-śrī-Samudraguptasya puttra]s=tat-parigṛihîtô
mahâdêvyâṁ
20 [Dattadêvyâm=utpannaḥ svayam=a-pratirathaḥ para]mabhâgavatô
mahârājâ-
21 [dhirâja-śrī-Chandraguptas=tasya puttras=tat-pâd-ânuddhyâ]tô
mahâdêvyâṁ Dhruvadêvyâm=
22 [utpannaḥ paramabhâgavatô mahârājâdhirâja-śrī-Kumāraguptas=
tasya] puttras=tat-pâd-ânuddhyâtaḥ
23 [paramabhāgavatô mahârâjâdhirâja-śrī-Ska]ndaguptaḥ [II*]
24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
parama-bhāgavatô
25 [mahârâjâdhirâja-śrī-Skandaguptaḥ] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[vai]shayik-Âjapuraka-sâ(î)mai(?) -
26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . grā . . . . ka . .
[ak]shaya-nîvî grâma-kshêttraṁ
27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kṛi . . . .
uparika-kumārâmâtya-
28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ṅgikula(?)ḥ(?)
vaṇi[ja*]ka-pâdit-ârika-
29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [â]grahârika-
śaulkika-gaulmik-âsanyâṁ śra(?)-
30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vâs[i]k-âdîn=asmat-prâsâd-
ôpajîvinaḥ
31 [samâjñāpayâmi] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . varmmaṇâ vijñâpitô-smı mama
pitāmahêna
32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . namê bhaṭṭa-Guhilasvāminâ
Bhadrâ[r]yyakâ
33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . g . p[r]ati . . . . . â . âgrôkaya . . . .
nâkaya-
(The rest of the inscription had been broken away and lost,
before the time when it was discovered.)
TRANSLATION.
First Part.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . a very moon of a man; equal in prowess to (the god Vishṇu) the
younger brother of Indra; unequalled in respect of virtuous qualities; . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(Line 2.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . . moreover, his son, docile towards (his) master on the earth;
renowned; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by his own fame.
(L. 3.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . . whose sister, indeed, [was espoused] by Kumâragupta, of
unequalled prowess.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 12, PLATE VI B. 51
(L. 4.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . both the deceased ancestors and the gods, with the oblations
proper for each of them;¹ . . . . . . . always . . . . . . . . . . . things that are injurious to
man, &c.
(L. 5.)— . . . . . . . . . . . caused to be made a group of temples, not [rivalled by] any-
thing else that could be compared with it in the world.
(L. 6.)— . . . . . . . . . . . assuredly in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . which is beautiful with the
erection of (this) best of columns.
(L. 7.)— . . . . . . . . . . . of the trees . . . . . . . . . . . the groups of fig-trees and castor-
oil plants, the tops of which are bent down by the weight of (their) flowers.
(L. 8.)— . . . . . . . . . . . by (the presence of) Bhadrâryâ, the house shines . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . the sky laden with fresh clouds.
(L. 9.)— . . . . . . . . . . . headed by (the god) Skanda, and by the divine Mothers, on
the earth, . . . . . . . . . . . mankind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(L. 10.)— . . . . . . . . . . . [he] made, indeed, the erection of (this) sacrificial post
. . . . . . . . . . . Bhadrâryâ and others . . . . . . . . . . . . . in (the village (?) called)
Skandaguptabaṭa (?), 30 (and) 5 shares . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(L. 12.)— . . . . . . . . . . . if there be any misdeed on the part of (his) father (or) his
mother, let him share . . . . . . . .
(L. 13.)— . . . . . . . . . . . in the agrahâra of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 shares . . . . .
. . . . . . . . by Anantasêna . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Second Part.
(L. 14.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . The son of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious
Samudragupta,—who 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; [who was the son of the son's son of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Gupta];
who was the son's son of [the Mahârâja, the illustrious] Ghaṭôtkacha; (and) who was
[the son] of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, [the glorious Chandragupta (I.), (and) the
daughter's son of Lichchhavi], begotten on the Mahâdêvî Kumâradêvî,—
(L. 19.)—(was) the most devout worshipper of the Divine One, the Mahârâjâdhirâja,
[the glorious Chandragupta (II.)],—who was accepted by him;² [who was begotten on]
the Mahâdêvî [Dattadêvî]; (and) [who was himself without an antagonist (of equal
power.)]
(L. 21.)—[His son], who meditated on [his feet], (and) [who was begotten] on the
Mahâdêvî Dhruvadêvî, (was) [the most devout worshipper of the Divine One], [the
Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Kumâragupta].
(L. 22.)--[His] son, who meditated on his feet, (is) [the most devout worshipper of
the Divine One, the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious] Skandagupta.
¹ lit. “with the havya (the oblation to the gods) and the kavya (the oblation to deceased ances-
tors).”
² i.e. by Samudragupta; see page 12 above, note 1.
U O

52 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
(L. 24.)—[I], the most devout worshipper of the Divine One, [the Mahârâjâdhirâja,
the glorious Skandagupta, issue a command] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of the town
of Ajapura in the . . . . . vishaya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a perpetual endowment
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a village-field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the Uparika,¹ the
Kumârâmâtya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . acquired by the merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
in the seat (of office) (?) of the Âgrahârika,² the Śaulkika,³ and the Gaulmika⁴ . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and others who subsist on Our favour :—
(L. 31.)—" I have been requested by . . . . . varman,—‘ By my father’s father,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by the Bhaṭṭa Guhilasvâmin, . . . . . . . . . . . . . belonging to
Bhadrâryâ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .”

No. 13; PLATE VII.

BHITARI STONE PILLAR INSCRIPTION OF SKANDAGUPTA.

THE column containing this inscription appears to have been discovered in 1834 by
Mr. Tregear; but the inscription itself was not observed till a short time afterwards, when
General Cunningham found it, on clearing away the earth from the lower part of the shaft.
The discovery was announced in 1836, by Mr. James Prinsep, in the Jour. Beng. As. Soc.
Vol. V. p. 661. And the inscription was first brought to notice in 1837, in the same Jour-
nal, Vol. VI. p. 1 ff., where the Rev. W. H. Mill published his reading of the text, and a
translation of it, accompanied by a lithograph (marked id. Vol. V. Plate xxxii.), reduced
by Mr. Prinsep from a copy made by General Cunningham.⁵—In 1871, in the Archæol.
Surv. Ind. Vol. I. p. 98 and Plate xxx., General Cunningham published another lithograph of
the inscription.—In 1875, in the Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. X. p. 59 ff., Dr. Bhau Daji
published a revised reading of the text, and a translation of it, accompanied by a lithograph,
from a hand-copy made by Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji.⁶—And finally, in 1885, in the Jour. Bo.
Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. XVI. p. 349 ff., Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji has given his own reading of
the text, and a translation of it, with another lithograph reduced from his hand-copy.
Bhitari⁷ is a village about five miles to the north-east of Sayyidpur,⁸ the chief
town of the Sayyidpur Tahsil or Sub-Division of the Ghâzîpur⁹ District in the North-West
Provinces. The red-sandstone column on which the inscription is, stands just outside the
¹ Uparika is a technical official title, the exact purport of which is not known, and a suitable
rendering of which cannot be offered at present.
² Âgrahârika is a technical official title, denoting probably ‘an officer in special charge of
an agrahâra.’
³ Śaulkika is a technical official title, which might be rendered by some such term as ‘superintend-
ent of tolls or customs (śulka).’
⁴ Gaulmika is a technical official title, which might be rendered by ‘superintendent of woods
and forests (gulma).’
⁵ The translation is reprinted in Thomas’ edition of Prinsep’s Essays, Vol. I. p. 242 f.
⁶ This paper was not published till 1875; but it was read before the Society four years earlier,
on the 13th April 1871.
⁷ The ‘Bhitari, Bhitree, Bhitrî, and Bihtarî,’ of maps, &c. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 103. Lat.
25° 35' N.; Long. 83° 17' E.
⁸ The ‘Saidpur and Sydpoor’ of maps, &c.
⁹ The ‘Ghazeepoor’ of maps.

village, on the south side. The inscription is on the eastern face of the square base of the
column ; and the bottom line is only a few inches above the level of the ground.
The writing, which covers a space of about 2' 4½" high by 2' 2¼" broad, has suffered
very much from the effects of the weather ; also the stone has peeled off in a few places ; and
there is a crack running vertically down the inscription, near the left side. With care, how-
ever, nearly the whole of the inscription is legible, on the original stone, with certainty ; and
nothing of a historical nature seems to be lost.—The size of the letters varies from ¼" to 7/16".
The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets, and, though more squarely cut,
are of the same type with those of the Mathurâ inscription of Chandragupta II., No. 4,
p. 25 ff. above, Plate iiiA.—The language is Sanskrit ; and the inscription is in prose as far
as the middle of line 6, and the rest in verse.—In respect of orthography, we have to notice
(1) the use of the guttural nasal, instead of the anusvâra, before ś, in vaṅśa, lines 7, 13,
and 14; (2) the doubling of k, in conjunction with a following r, in vikkramêṇa and
kkramêṇa, line 9; (3) the doubling of t, under the same circumstances, in pauttrasya,
line 3 (but not in prapautrasya, line 2 ; putras, line 4 ; and other places) ; and (4) the
doubling of dh, in conjunction with a following y, in anuddhyâta, line 5
The inscription is one of the Early Gupta king Skandagupta. It is not dated.
It belongs to the Vaishṇava form of religion ; and the object of it is to record the instal-
lation of an image of the god Vishṇu, under the name of Śârṅgin or "the wielder of the
bow of horn named Sârṅga," and the allotment, to the idol, of the village, not mentioned
by name, in which the column stands.
TEXT.¹
1 [Siddham²] [||] [Sar]vva-râj[ô]chchh[ê]ttuḥ pṛithivyâm=a-pratirathasya chatur-
udadhi-salil-[â]svâdita-yaśasô Dhanada-Varuṇ-Endr-[Â]ntaka-sa[masya]
2 Kṛitânta-paraśôḥ nyây-âgat-[â]nêka-gô-hiraṇya-k[ô]ṭi-pradasya chir-ô[t]sann-
âśvamêdh-âharttur=mahârâja-śrî-Gupta-prapautra[sya]
3 mahârâja-śrî-Ghaṭôtkacha-pauttrasya mahârâjâdhirâja-śrî-Chandragupta-
putrasya Lichchhavi-dauhitrasya mahâdêvyâṁ Kum[â]rad[ê]vyâ-
4 m=utpannasya mahârâjâdhirâja-śrî-Samudraguptasya putras=tat-parigṛihîtô
mahâdêvyân=Dattadêvyâm=utpannaḥ svayam=a-pratirathaḥ
5 paramabhâgavato mahârâjâdhirâja-śrî-Chandraguptas=tasya putras=tat-pâd-
ânuddhyâtô mahâdêvyâṁ Dhruvadêvyâm=utpannaḥ parama-
6 bhâgavatô mahârâjâdhir[â]ja-śrî-Kumâraguptas=Tasya [। ] Prathita³-pṛithu-
mati-svabhâva-śaktêḥ pṛithu-yaśasaḥ pṛithivîpatêḥ pṛithu-śrîḥ
7 pi[tri]-pa[r]igata-pâdapadma-varttî prathita-yaśâḥ pṛithivîpatiḥ sutô=yam [॥]
Jagati⁴ bhu[ja]-bal-âḍyô(dhyô) Gupta-vaṅś-aika-vîraḥ prathita-vipula-
8 dhâmâ nâmataḥ Skandaguptaḥ sucharita-charitânâṁ yêna vṛittêna vṛittaṁ
na vihatam=amal-âtmâ tâna-dhîdâ(?)-vinîtaḥ [॥] Vinaya-
9 bala-sunîtair=vvikkramêṇa kkramêṇa pratidinam=abhiyôgâd=îpsitam yêna
la[b]dhvâ svabhimata-vijigîshâ-prôdyatânâṁ parêshâṁ praṇi-
10 hita iva lê[bhê sa]mvidhân-ôpadêśaḥ [॥*] Vichalita-kula-lakshmî-stambhanây=
ôdyatêna kshititala-śayanîyê yêna nîtâ triyâmâ samu-
¹ From the original column.
² There are some faint marks above the sarvva, which seem to be remnants of this word ; but it
is not quite certain.
³ Metre, Pushpitâgrâ. ⁴ Metre, Mâlinî; and in the next four verses.

54 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
11 dita-ba[la]-kôshân=Pushyamitrâṁś=cha [j]itvâ kshitipa-charaṇa-pîṭhê sthâpitô
vâma-pâdaḥ [||] Prasabham-anupam[ai]r=vvidhvasta-śastra-pratâpai[r]=
vina[◡ ◡]mu-
12 [◡ - -]kshânti-śaury[ai]r=nnirûḍhaṁ charitam=amala-kîrttêr=ggîyatê yasya
śubhraṁ diśi-diśi paritushṭair=â-kumâraṁ manushyaiḥ [||] Pitari
divaṁ=upê[tê]
13 viplutâṁ vaṁśa-lakshmîṁ bhuja-bala-vijit-ârir=yyaḥ pratishṭhâpya bhûyaḥ
jitam=iti paritôshân=mâtaraṁ sâsra-nêttrâṁ hata-ripur=iva Krishṇô
Dêvakîm=abhyupê-
14 [ta]ḥ [||] Sv[ai]r¹=ddaṇḍ[aih] [◡ ◡] ra(?)tyu[-]t-prachalitaṁ vaṁśaṁ prati-
shṭhâpya yô bâhubhyâm=avaniṁ vijitya hi jitêshv=ârttêshu kṛitvâ dayâm
n=ôtsiktô [na] cha vismitaḥ pratidinaṁ
15 saṁvarddhamâna-dyutiḥ gîtaiś=cha stutibhiś=cha vandaka-ja(?)nô(?) yaṁ
prâ(?)payaty=âryyatâm [||] Hûnair=yyasya samâgatasya samaré
dôrbhyâṁ dharâ kampitâ bhîm-âvartta-karasya
16 śatrushu śarâ[— — ◡ — — ◡ — — — ◡ ◡ — ◡ —] vira(?)chi(?)taṁ
prakhyâpitô [-]î[◡]î[-] na dyô(?)ti[◡]nabhî(?)shu lakshyata iva
śrôtrêshu Gâṅga-dhvaniḥ [||]
17 S[v]a²-pituḥ kîrtti[— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
— — — — ◡ ◡ — —] [||] [Karttavyâ] pratimâ kâchit=pratimâṁ
tasya Śârṅgiṇaḥ
18 s[u]-pratitaś=chakâr=êmâṁ y[âvad=â-chandra-târakam] [||] Iha ch=ainam
pratishṭhâpya su-pratishṭhita-śâsanaḥ grâmam=ênaṁ sa vidadh[ê] pituḥ
pu[ṇ]y-âbhivṛiddhayê [||]
19 Atô bhagavatô mûrttir=iyaṁ yaś=ch=âtra saṁsthi(?)ta(?)ḥ ubhayam
nirddidêś=âsau pituḥ puṇyâya puṇya-dhîr=it. [||*]
TRANSLATION.
[Perfection has been attained] ! The son of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious
Samudragupta,—who 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; who was the son of the son’s son of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Gupta; who
was the son’s son of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Ghaṭôtkacha; (and) who was the son
of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Chandragupta (I.), (and) the daughter’s son of
Lichchhavi,³ begotten on the Mahâdêvî Kumâradêvî,—
(Line 4.)—(was) the most devout worshipper of the Divine One, the Mahârâjâdhirâja,
the glorious Chandragupta (II.), who was accepted by him;⁴ who was begotten on the
Mahâdêvî Dattadêvî; (and) who was himself without an antagonist (of equal power).
¹ Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita; and in the next verse.
² Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh); and in the following three verses.
³ The usual form of this name is Lichchhavi, with the vowel a in the second syllable. As
regards the present variant, see page 16 above, note 1.
⁴ i.e. by Samudragupta; see page 12 above, note 1.

Vol. III Plate vii
CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM.
Bhitari Pillar Inscription of Skandagupta

Text of the Inscription (in Sanskrit / Gupta Brahmi Script):
[1] [सर्व्वराजोच्छेत्तुः पृ]थिव्यामप्रतिरथस्य चतुरुदधिपयिलादस्वादितयशसो धनदवरुणेन्द्रान्तकसमस्य
[2] कृतान्तपरशोर्न्यायागतानेकगोहिरण्यकोटिप्रदस्य चिरोत्सन्नाश्वमेधाहर्त्तुर्महाराजश्रीगुप्तप्रपौत्रस्य
[3] महाराजश्रीघटोत्कचपौत्रस्य महाराजाधिराजश्रीचन्द्रगुप्तपुत्रस्य लिच्छविदौहित्रस्य महादेव्याङ्कुमारदेव्या-
[4] मुत्पन्नस्य महाराजाधिराजश्रीसमुद्रगुप्तस्य पुत्रस्तत्परिगृहीतो महादेव्यान्दत्तदेव्यामुत्पन्नः
[5] स्वयम्प्रतिरथः परमभागवतो महाराजाधिराजश्रीचन्द्रगुप्तस्तस्य पुत्रस्तत्पादानुद्ध्यातो महादेव्यान्ध्रुवदेव्या-
[6] मुत्पन्नो महाराजाधिराजश्रीकुमारगुप्तस्तस्य [।] प्रथितपृथुमतिस्वभावशक्तेः पृथिवीपतेः पृथुश्रीः [।]
[7] पितृपरिगतपादपद्मवर्ती प्रथितयशाः पृथिवीपतिः सुतोऽयम् [॥] विचलितकुललक्ष्मीस्तम्भनायोद्यतेन
[8] क्षितितलशयनीये येन नीता त्रियामा [।] समुदितबलकोशान्पुष्यमित्रांश्च जित्वा क्षितिपचरणपीठे
[9] स्थापितो वामपादः [॥] चरितममलकीर्त्तेर्गीयते यस्य शुभ्रं दिशि दिशि परितुष्टैराकुमारम्मनुष्यैः [।]
[10] पितरि दिवमुपेते विप्लुतां वंशलक्ष्मीं भुजबलविजितारिर्यः प्रतिष्ठाप्य भूयः [।] जितमिति परितोषान्मातरं
[11] साश्रुनेत्रां हतरिपुरिव कृष्णो देवकीमभ्युपेतः [॥] स्वैर्दण्डैः क्षितिपकुलैश्चरितं नयद्भिर्गीतं च
[12] यस्य चरितं प्रथितेन ... [।] हूणैर्यस्य समागतस्य समरे दोर्भ्यां धरा कम्पिता भीमावर्त्तकरस्य
[13] ... [तस्य] च ... [।] ...
[14] ...
[15] ... [अनेन] ...
[16] ... [पितुः कीर्त्तिकर्त्तनाय] ...
[17] ... शार्ङ्गिणो ... [प्रतिमा प्रतिष्ठिता] ...
[18] ... [ग्रामोऽतिसृष्टः] ...
[19] ... [अक्षयनीवी] ...

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS ; No. 13, PLATE VII. 55
(L. 5.)—His son (was) the most devout worshipper of the Divine One, the Mahâ-
râjâdhirâja, the glorious Kumâragupta, who meditated on his feet, (and) who was
begotten on the Mahâdêvî Dhruvadêvî.
(L. 6.)—The son of him, the king, who was renowned for the innate power of (his)
mighty intellect (and) whose fame was great, (is) this (present) king, by name Skanda-
gupta, who possesses great glory ; who subsisted (like a bee) on the wide-spreading
waterlilies which were the feet of (his) father ;¹ whose fame is spread far and wide ;—who
is amply endowed with strength of arm in the world ; who is the most eminent hero in the
lineage of the Guptas ; whose great splendour is spread far and wide ; by whom, prac-
tising (good) behaviour, the conduct of those who perform good actions is not obstructed ;
who is of spotless soul ; (and) who is well disciplined in the understanding of musical
keys(?) :—
(L. 8.)—By whom,—having, with daily intense application, step by step attained his
object by means of good behaviour and strength and politic conduct,—instruction in the art
of disposition (of resources) was acquired, (and) was employed as the means of (subduing
his) enemies who had put themselves forward in the desire for conquest that was so highly
welcome (to them) :—
(L. 10.)—By whom, when ne prepared himself to restore the fallen fortunes of
(his) family, a (whole) night was spent on a couch that was the bare earth ; and then,
having conquered the Pushyamitras,² who had developed great power and wealth, he
placed (his) left foot on a foot-stool which was the king (of that tribe himself) :—
(L. 11.)—The resplendent behaviour of whom, possessed of spotless fame,—inherent,
[but increased] by . . . . . . . and patience and heroism which are emphatically unequalled,
(and) which destroy the efficacy of the weapons (of his enemies),—is sung in every region
by happy men, even down to the children :—
(L. 12.)—Who, when (his) father had attained the skies, conquered (his) enemies by
the strength of (his) arm, and established again the ruined fortunes of (his) lineage ; and
then, crying “the victory has been achieved,” betook himself to (his) mother, whose eyes
were full of tears from joy, just as Kṛishṇa, when he had slain (his) enemies, betook himself
to (his mother) Dêvakî ;—
(L. 14.)—Who, with his own armies, established (again) (his) lineage that had been
made to totter . . . . . . . . . (and) with his two arms subjugated the earth, (and) shewed
mercy to the conquered peoples in distress, (but) has become neither proud nor arrogant,
¹ This expression is very analogous in its purport to the tat-pâd-ânudhyâta of line 5 above.
Compare Amôghavarshadêva-pâdapaṅkaja-bhramara, “a bee at the waterlilies which are the feet of
Amôghavarshadêva,” in line 17 f. of the Śirûr inscription of Śaka-Saṁvat 788 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XII.
p. 219.)
² The second syllable of this name, like the rest of the inscription, is damaged. But, as regards
the lower component,—comparing it with the subscript y of this inscription, e.g. in pradasya, line 2, and
dauhitrasya, line 3 ; and contrasting it with the subscript p, e.g. in tat-parigṛihîtô, line 4, and tat-pâdá,
line 5,—it is plainly y. This passage, therefore, shews that the correct form of the first part of this name
is pushya, not pushpa ; a point which Dêvanâgarî manuscripts have not sufficed, and cannot suffice, to
settle. And it bears out the Prâkṛit form, Pûsamitta, of the name of the early king Pushyamitra,
the contemporary of Patañjali, in the passages given by Dr. Bühler from the Prâkṛit Gâthâs accord-
ing to Mêrutuṅga, Dharmasâgara, and Jayavijayagaṇi (Ind. Ant. Vol. II. p. 362 f.)—Pushyamitra is
the correct form according to Prof. Weber also (Sanskrit Literature, p. 223, note 237).

56 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
though his glory is increasing day by day; (and) whom the bards raise to distinction with
(their) songs and praises :—
(L. 15.)—By whose two arms the earth was shaken, when he, the creator (of a disturb-
ance like that) of a terrible whirlpool, joined in close conflict with the Hûnas; ......
among enemies ...... arrows ............ proclaimed ............ just as if it were
the roaring of (the river) Gaṅgâ, making itself noticed in (their) ears.
(L. 17.)— ... the fame of his father ....................................
................................ (Saying to himself that) an image of some kind or other
[should be made], he, the very celebrated one, made this image of that (famous) (god)
Śârṅgin, [to endure as long as the moon and stars may last]. And, having here installed
this (god),¹ he, whose commands are well-established, has allotted this village (to the idol),
in order to increase the religious merit of (his) father.²
(L. 19.)—Accordingly, this image of the Divine One, and (this village) which has
been here agreed to,³—both of these, he, the pious-minded one, has assigned for (the
increase of) the religious merit of (his) father.

No. 14; PLATE VIII.

JUNAGADH ROCK INSCRIPTION OF SKANDAGUPTA.

THE YEARS 136, 137, AND 138.

THE discovery of this inscription appears to have been first announced in 1838, by Mr.
James Prinsep, in the Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. VII. p. 347 f.—In 1844, in the Jour. Bo.
Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. I. p. 148, there was published a lithograph of it, reduced from a
copy, made by General Sir George LeGrand Jacob, Mr. N. L. Westergaard, and a Brâh-
man assistant, which had been submitted to the Society two years previously.—In 1862, in
the same Journal, Vol. VII. p. 121 ff., Dr. Bhau Daji published his reading of the text,
and a translation of it, accompanied by a lithograph reduced from a cloth tracing made in
1861 by Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji.—And in 1876, Dr. Bhau Daji's text and translation, the
latter revised by Professor Eggeling, were reprinted in the Archæol. Surv. West. Ind. Vol. II.
p. 134 ff., accompanied by a slightly reduced reproduction of the original lithograph from
Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji's copy (id. Plate xv.)
Junâgaḍh⁴ is the chief town of the Junâgaḍh Native State in the Kâṭhiâwâḍ⁵ Penin-

¹ Or, perhaps, "having here set up this (pillar)."
² It was through reading mahêśa-prîta-gupta, "the Gupta attached to, or beloved of, Śiva,"
instead of ênam sa vidadhê pituḥ, line 18,—and through failing to see that pitari divam=upêtê, "when
(his) father had attained the skies," line 12, refers to the death of Kumâragupta,—that Dr. Mill
came to speak of "a young prince, a minor at the date of this inscription," and to suggest that he was
probably the Mahêndragupta (sic.; but in reality Mahêndrâditya, a title of Kumâragupta), whose name
occurs on some of the coins of the dynasty. This double mistake in Dr. Mill's genealogy was repeat-
ed by Mr. Thomas in his Gupta genealogy (Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. II. p. 19). And Mahêndragupta's
name is also given in Mr. Fergusson's last list (Cave-Temples of Western India, p. 191).
³ Or perhaps, "and (this column) which stands here"
⁴ The 'Joonaghur, Junagad, Junagarh, and Junagurh,' of maps, &c. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 13.
Lat. 21° 31' N.; Long. 70° 36' E.
⁵ The 'Kathiawar and Kattywar' of maps, &c.

sula in the Bombay Presidency. The city itself, or its ancient representative, is spoken of
in this inscription; but its ancient name is not given. The name occurs, however, in line
1 of Rudradâman's inscription,¹ as Girinagara, or 'the city of, or on, the hill.' This
name subsequently passed over to the mountain itself, Girnâr, which in the inscriptions is
called Ûrjayat; and this fact rather tends to indicate that the ancient city stood, not
where the modern town stands, but closer up to the mountain, and perhaps on the rising
ground at the foot of it. The inscription is on the north-west face of a large granite bould-
er, containing also fourteen Asôka edicts and a long inscription of the Mahâkshatrapa
Rudradâman, now under a shed specially built to protect it, about a mile to the east of the
town, and at the commencement of the gorge that leads to the valley which lies round the
mountain Girnâr.
The writing, which covers a space of about 10' 0" broad by 7' 3" high, is in a state of
fairly good preservation; and it is only in line 22 ff., where the rock has actually peeled off,
that there are any extensive lacunæ in the inscription. It is, however, not very easy to
read; owing partly to the irregular, and occasionally rather shallow, nature of the engrav-
ing; partly to the roughness of the rock, and the way in which the natural marks of it
mix themselves up a good deal with the letters; and partly to the fact that at several
places the engraver, in consequence of unusual irregularities of the surface, passed over con-
siderable portions of the rock and left them blank.²—The size of the letters varies from
about ⁷/₈" to 1¼". The characters belong to the southern class of alphabets; but the type
is a later development of that which was used in the inscription of the Mahâkshatrapa
Rudradâman on the same rock;³ it may be called the Saurâshṭra or Kâthiâwâḍ alphabet
of the fifth century A.D. One of its most marked characteristics is the way in which the
subscript y is represented by the full form of the letter, not, as in other alphabets, by a cur-
tailment of it; e.g. in buddhyâ, line 5; vyasanî, line 6; and nyâyâ, line 8.—The
language is Sanskrit; and, except for the opening word siddham, and a few words in line
23, the entire inscription is in verse.—In respect of orthography we have to notice (1) the
use of the guttural nasal, instead of the anusvâra, before ś, in vaṅśa, line 24; (2) the
doubling of dh in conjunction with a following y, in buddhyâ, line 5; and (3) the indifference
about the doubling of consonants in conjunction with a preceding r; e.g. the consonant
is doubled in ârttham, line 1, ârttir, line 2, and darppô, line 3; but not in vîryô, line 2,
paryanta, line 3, sarvân, line 5, ârjavau, line 7, and ârjanê=rthasya, line 8.
The first part of the inscription refers itself to the reign of the Early Gupta king
Skandagupta; and, after an invocation of the god Vishṇu and five verses in praise of
the reigning king, it narrates how he appointed a certain Parṇadatta to govern his
territories in the Surâshṭras or the Kâthiâwâḍ country. In his turn, Parṇadatta
appointed his son, Chakrapâlita, to govern the city at which the inscription is. The
inscription then proceeds to its real object; viz. to record that, "making the calculation
in the reckoning of the Guptas,"⁴ in the year one hundred and thirty-six (A.D. 455-56),
¹ Archæol. Surv. West. Ind. Vol. II. p. 128.
² These blank spaces lie especially on each side of the large natural fissure running almost down
the centre of the inscription.
³ Archæol. Surv. West. Ind. Vol. II. p. 128, Pl. xiv.
⁴ As is quite clear even in the lithograph with which Bhau Daji worked, the correct reading here
(line 15) is Gupta-prakâlê gaṇanâṁ vidhâya; not Guptasya kâlâ[d]=gaṇanâṁ vidhâya, "counting
from the era of Gupta," as it was taken to be by Bhau Daji and was afterwards specifically confirmed

58 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
at night, on the sixth day of the month Praushṭhapada (August-September), the lake
Sudarśana (formed in the valley round the foot of Girnâr, by an ancient embankment
across the gorge, near where the inscription is) burst in consequence of excessive rain.
The date, here, and in the two passages further on, is expressed fully in words, not in
numerical symbols. The restoration of the breach, by renewing the embankment, was
effected under the orders of Chakrapâlita after two months' work, in the year one hun-
dred and thirty-seven (A.D. 456-57).
The second part, line 24 to the end, seems to have mentioned Skandagupta and
Parṇadatta again, in passages in line 24 that are now illegible. And then, in
accordance with the general Vaishṇava tendency indicated by the opening invocation of
the whole inscription, it goes on to record that, in the one hundred and thirty-eighth year,
in the time or reckoning of the Guptas (A.D. 457-58), Chakrapâlita caused to be built
a temple of the god Vishṇu under the name of Chakrabhṛit or the 'bearer of the discus.'
After this, the inscription ends with two verses, of which not enough now remains to shew
their purport.
TEXT.¹
First Part.
1 Siddham [||*] Śriyam²=abhimata-bhôgyâṁ naika-kâl-âpanîtâṁ tridaśapati-
sukh-ârtthaṁ yô Balêr=âjahâra | kamala-nilayanâyâḥ śaśvataṁ dhâma
Lakshmyâḥ
by Thomas (Jour. R. As. Soc. N. S. Vol. XIII. p. 538).—In the present series of inscriptions, this
passage, and the genitive plural Guptânâṁ, governed apparently by kâla, in line 27 below, are the
only ones that tend in any way to connect the name of the Guptas with the era used by them. But
not either of them suffices to shew that the era was established by the Guptas themselves; or even
that it had, at this time, received the accepted name of "the Gupta era." And, what the wording
of the first of them really shews, is simply that the date was being recorded in an era which was not
the one in customary use in that part of the country.—The only other passage of a similar tendency is
the date in line 16 f. of the Môrbî copper-plate grant of Jâïṅka, as it has always been accepted up to
now in accordance with Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar's reading and translation,—Paṁch-âśîtyâ yutê=tîtê
samânâṁ śata-paṁchakê | Gauptê dadâv=adô nṛipaḥ s-ôparâgê=rkka-maṇḍalê ||;—"five hundred
and eighty-five years of the Guptas having elapsed, the king granted this, when the disc of the sun
was eclipsed" (Ind. Ant. Vol. II. p. 258.)—But this rendering takes no notice of the fact that the
real reading, in line 17, is not gauptê at all, but gôptê. It is only by the correction of ô into au
that the name of the Guptas can be introduced into this passage. But we may with just as much
reason correct gôptê into gôptṟê, 'to the protector, i.e. the local governor' (compare this word in line
6 of the present inscription); and this is even more sustainable; for the word is entirely separated
from the date in the preceding half of the verse, and it stands immediately before the word dadau,
'he gave,' in connection with which we have every reason to look for a dative (or some other) case
Or, again, without any correction at all, we may translate "the king gave this (charter) at (the village
of) Gôpta;" and thus obtain a village-name that may quite reasonably be taken as the ancient form
of the modern Gôp, which occurs, for instance, in Kâṭhiâwâḍ, about seventy-five miles south-west of
Môrbî, twenty-five miles south of Nawânagar or Jâmnagar, and fifty miles east of Dhiniki, where there
was found the copper-plate grant (genuine or spurious, as may be settled hereafter) of a king Jâikadêva,
dated Vikrama-Saṁvat 794 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XII. p. 151 ff.).—I must not be understood as disputing
in this note, that the Môrbî date is recorded in the era that had been used by the Guptas. My object
is only to shew that there is nothing in the passage containing the date, that compels us to connect
the name of the Guptas with it. The difficulty in disposing finally of the whole bearing of the
Môrbî inscription, is, that the first plate was lost sight of before it was procured for examination at
all; and now, even the second plate also, the published one, has been mislaid and is not forthcoming.
¹ From the original stone. ² Metre, Mâlinî; and in the next two verses.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; NO. 14, PLATE VIII. 59
2 sa jayati vijit-ārttir=Vvīshṇur=atyanta-jishṇuḥ || Tad=anu jayati śaśvat śrī-
parikshipta-vakshâḥ sva-bhuja-janita-vīryô râjarâjâdhirâjaḥ | narapati-
3 bhujagânâṁ mâna-darpp-ôtphaṇânâṁ pratikṛiti-Garuḍ-âjñā[ṁ] nirvvishī[ṁ]
ch=âvakarttâ || Nṛipati-guṇa-nikêtaḥ Skandaguptaḥ pṛithu-śrīḥ chatur-
udadhi-ja(?)l(?)-ântâṁ sphīta-paryanta-dêśâṁ |
4 avanim=avanat-ârir=yaḥ chakâr=âtma-saṁsthâr. pitari sura-sakhitvaṁ
prāptavaty=âtma-śaktyâ || Âpi¹ cha jitam=[ê]va têna prathayanti
yaśâṁsi yasya ripavô=pi âmūla-bhagna-darpâ niva......²
Mlêchchha-dêśêshu ||
5 Kramêṇa³ buddhyâ nipuṇaṁ pradhârya dhyâtvâ cha kṛitsnân=guṇa-dôsha-
hêtūn | vyapêtya sarvân=manujêndra-putrâṁ=llakshmīḥ svayaṁ yaṁ
varayâṁ-chakâra || Tasmin⁴=nṛipê śâsati n=aiva kaśchid=dharmmâd=
apêtô manujaḥ prajâsu |
6 ârttô daridrô vyasanī kadaryô daṇḍ[yô] na vâ yô bhṛiśa-pīḍitaḥ syât ||*
Êvaṁ sa jitvâ pṛithivīṁ samagrâṁ bhagn-âgra-darpâ[n] dvishataś=cha
kṛitvâ | sarvvêshu dêśêshu vidhâya gôptṛi(ptrī)n saṁchintayâ[m-â]sa
bahu-prakâram || Syât=kô=nurūpô
7 matimân=vini(nī)tô mêdhâ-smṛitibhyâm=anapêta-bhâvaḥ | saty-ârjav-audârya-
nay-ôpapannô mâdhurya-dâkshiṇya-yaśô-nvitaś=cha || Bhaktô=nurakto nṛi-
v[i]ś[ê]sha-yuktaḥ sarvv-ôpadhâbhiś=cha viśuddha-buddhiḥ | ânṛiṇya-
bhâv-ôpagat-ântarâtmâ⁵ sarvvasya lôkasya hitê pravṛittaḥ ||
8 Nyây-ârjanê=rthasya cha kaḥ samarthaḥ syâd=arjitasy=âpy=atha rakshaṇê
cha | gôpâyitasy=âpi [cha] vṛiddhi-hêtau vṛiddhasya pâtra-pratipâdanâya ||
Sarvvêshu bhṛityêshv=api saṁhatêshu yô mê praśishyân=nikhilân=
Surâshṭrân | Âṁ jñâtam=êkaḥ khalu Parṇadattô bhârasya tasy=
ôdvahanê samarthaḥ ||
9 Êvaṁ viniśchitya nṛip-âdhipêna naikân=ahô-râtra-gaṇân=sva-matyâ | yaḥ
saṁniyuktô=rthanayâ kathaṁchit samyak-Surâshṭr-âvani-pâlanâya ||
Niyujya⁶ dêvâ Varuṇaṁ pratīchyâṁ svasthâ yathâ n=ônmanasô
babhūvu[ḥ] [|] pūrvvêtarasyâṁ diśi Parṇadattaṁ niyujya râjâ
dhṛitimâṁs-tath-âbhût |(||)
10 Tasy=âtmajô hy=âtmaja-bhâva-yuktô dvidh=êva ch=âtm=âtma-vaśêna nītaḥ |
sarvvâtman=âtm=êva cha rakshaṇīyô nity-âtmavân=âtmaja-kānta-
rūpaḥ |(||) Rūp-ânurūpair=lalitair=vichitraiḥ nitya-pramôd-ânvita-sarva-
bhâvaḥ | prabuddha-padmâkara-padmavaktrô nṛiṇâṁ śaraṇyaḥ śaraṇ-
âgatânâm |(||)
11 Abhavad⁷=bhuvi Chakrapâlitô=sâv=iti nâmnâ prathitaḥ priyô janasya |
sva-guṇair-an-upaskritair=udâtt[ai]ḥ pitaraṁ yaś=cha viśêshayâṁ-chakâra |(||)
Kshamâ⁸ prabhutvaṁ vinayô nayaś=cha śauryaṁ vinâ śaurya-
mah-[â?]rchchanaṁ cha | vâ(?)kya(?)m damô dānam=adinatâ cha

Footnotes

¹ Metre, Aryâ.
² ? nirvachand.
³ Metre, Upajâti of Indravajrâ and Upêndravajrâ.
⁴ Metre, Indravajrâ; and in the next six verses.
⁵ Read âtmâ.
⁶ Metre, Upajâti of Indravajrâ and Upêndravajrâ; and in the next two verses.
⁷ Metre, Vaitâlīya-Aupachchhandasika.
⁸ Metre, Upajâti of Indravajrâ and Upêndravajrâ; and in the next three verses.

60 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
dâkshiṇyam=ânṛiṇyam=aś[û]nyatâ cha । (॥) Sauṁdaryam=âryêtara-
nigrahaś=cha a-vismayô dhairyam=udîrṇatâ cha ।
12 ity=êvam=êtê=tiśayêna yasminn=a-vipravâsêna guṇâ vasanti । (॥) Na vidyatê=sau
sakalê=pi lôkê yatr=ôpamâ tasya guṇaiḥ kriyêta । sa êva
kârtsnyêna guṇ-ânvitânâṁ babhûva nṛi(nṛi)ṇâm=upamâna-bhûtaḥ । (॥)
Ity=êvam=êtân=adhikân=atô=nyân=guṇân=par[î]kshya svayam=êva purâ ।
yaḥ saṁniyuktô nagarasya rakshâṁ viśishya pûrvân=prachakâra
samyak । (॥)
13 Âśritya¹ vî(vi)ryaṁ su(?)-bhu(?)ja(?)-dvayasya svasy=aiva n=ânyasya narasya
darpaṁ । n=ôdvêjayâm-âsa cha kaṁchid=êvam=asmin=purê ch=aiva śaśâsa
dushṭâḥ(n) । (॥) Visrambham=alpê na śaśâma yô=smin kâlê na lôkêshu
sa-nâgarêshu । yô lâlayâm-âsa cha paura-vargân [— — ◡]putrân=su-
parîkshya dôshân । (॥) Saṁraṁjayâṁ cha prakṛitîr=babhûva
pûrvasmitabhâshaṇa-mâna-dânaiḥ ।
14 niryantraṇ-ânyônya-gṛiha-pravêśa:[ḥ*] saṁvarddhita-prîti-gṛih-ôpachâraiḥ । (॥)
Brahmaṇya-bhâvêna parêṇa yuktaḥ śaklaḥ śuchir=dâna-parô yathâvat ।
prâpyân=sa kâlê vishayân=sishêvê dharm-ârthayôś=ch=â[py=a*]-
virôdhanêna । (॥) Yô [— ◡ — — ◡ ◡] Parṇadattât=sa nyâyavân=atra
kim=asti chitraṁ । muktâkalâp-âmbuja-padma-śîtâch=chandrât=kim=ushṇaṁ
bhavitâ kadâchit । (॥)
15 Athâ² kramêṇ=âmbuda-kâla âgat[ê] n[i]dâgha-kâlaṁ pravidârya tôyadaiḥ ।
vavarsha tôyaṁ bahu saṁtataṁ chiraṁ Sudarśanaṁ yêna
bibhêda ch=âtvarât । (॥) Saṁvatsarâṇâm³=adhikê śatê tu
triṁśadbhir=anyair=api shaḍbhir=êva । râtrau dinê Praushṭhapadasya
shashṭhê Gupta-prakâlê gaṇanâṁ vidhâya⁴ । (॥)
16 Imâś⁵=cha yâ Raivatakâd=vinirgatâ[ḥ*] Palâśin=îyaṁ sikatâ-vilâsinî । samudra-
kântâḥ chira-bandhan-ôshitâḥ punaḥ patiṁ śâstra-yathôchitaṁ yayuḥ । (॥)
Avêkshya varsh-âgama-jaṁ mah-ôdbhramaṁ mah-ôdadhêr=
Ûrjayatâ priy-êpsunâ । anêka-tîrântaja-pushpa-śôbhitô
17 nadîmayô hasta iva prasâritaḥ । (॥) Vishâdya[mânâḥ khalu sarvatô ja]nâḥ
kathaṁ-kathaṁ kâryam=iti pravâdinaḥ । mithô hi pûrv-âpara-
râtram=utthitâ vichintayâṁ ch=âpi babhûvur=utsukâḥ । (॥) Ap=îha
lôkê sakalê Sudarśanaṁ pumâṁ(n) hi durdarśanatâṁ gataṁ
kshaṇât ।
18 bhavên=nu s-âmbhô nidhi-tulya-darśanaṁ su-darśanaṁ [— ◡ ◡ — ◡ — ◡ —] । [॥]
[◡ ◡⁶ — — ◡]vanê sa bhûtvâ pituḥ parâṁ bhaktim=api pradarśya ।
dharmaṁ purô-dhâya śubh-ânubandhaṁ râjñô hit-ârthaṁ
nagarasya ch=aiva । (॥) Saṁvatsarâṇâm=adhikê śatê tu
19 triṁśadbhir=anyair=api saptabhiś=cha । pra [— ◡ — — ◡ ◡]śâstra-chêttâ
vi(?)śvê(?)=py=anu jñâta-mahâ-prabhâvaḥ । (॥) Âjya-praṇâmaiḥ vibudhân=
ath=êshṭvâ dhanair=dvijâtîn=api tarpayitvâ । paurâṁs=tath-âbhyarchya
yathârha-mânaiḥ bhṛityâṁś=cha pûjyân=suhṛidaś=cha dânaiḥ । (॥)
¹ Metre, Indravajrâ ; and in the next four verses.
² Metre, Vaṁśastha. ³ Metre, Indravajrâ.
⁴ As regards the reading here, see page 57 above, note 4.
⁵ Metre, Vaṁśastha; and in the next three verses.
⁶ Metre, Upajâti of Indravajrâ and Upêndravajrâ ; and in the next five verses.

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