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

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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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 14. PLATE VIII. 61
20 Graishmasya mâsasya tu pûrva-pa[kshê] [‿ ‒ ‒ ‒ pra]thamê=hni
samyak । mâsa-dvayên=âdaravân=sa bhûtvâ dhanasya kṛitvâ
vyayam=a-pramêyam ।(||) Âyamatô hasta-śataṁ samagraṁ vistârataḥ
shashṭir=ath=âpi ch=âshṭau ।
21 utsêdhatô=nyat purushâṇi sa(?)pta(?) [‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ha]sta-śata-dvayasya ।(||
Babandha yatnân=mahatâ nṛidêvân=[abhyarchya(?)] samyag-ghaṭit-
ôpalêna । a-jâti-dushṭam=prathitaṁ taṭâkaṁ Sudarśanaṁ
śâśvata-kalpa-kâlam ।(||)
22 Api¹ cha sudṛiḍha-sêtu-prânta(?)-vinyasta-śôbha-rathacharaṇa-samâhva-krauñcha-
haṁs-âsa-dhûtaṁ । vimala-salila[‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‒] bhuvi ta-
[‿ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‒]da[‒ a]rkaḥ śaśî cha ।(||)
23 Nagaram=api cha bhûyâd=vṛiddhimat=paura-jushṭaṁ dvija-bahu-śata-gîta-
brahma-nirnashṭa-pâpaṁ । śatam=api cha samânâm=îti-durbhiksha[‒ ‒
‿ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒] [॥] [Iti Suda]rśana-taṭâka-
saṁskâra-grantha-rachanâ : [sa]mâptâ ॥
Second Part.
24 Dṛipt²-âri-darpa-praṇudaḥ pṛithu-śriyaḥ sva-vaṁśa-kêtôḥ sakal-âvani-patêḥ ।
râjâdhirâjy-âdbhuta-puṇya-[karmaṇaḥ] [‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‿] [॥]
[‒ ‒ ‿³ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‒] [।] dvîpasya
gôptâ mahatâṁ cha nêtâ daṇḍa-dvi(?)[‒]nâṁ
25 dvishatâṁ damâya ।(||) Tasy=âtmajên=âtma-guṇ-ânvitêna Gôvinda-pâd-ârpita-
jîvitêna । [‒ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒] [॥]
[‒ ‒ ‿⁴ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒]gdhaṁ Vishṇôś=cha pâda-kamalê
samavâpya tatra । artha-vyayêna
26 mahatâ mahatâ cha kâlên=âtma-prabhâva-nata-paurajanêna têna ।(||)
Chakraṁ bibharti ripu[‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒
‿ ‿ ‒] [।] [‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‒] tasya sva-taṁtra-vidhi-
kâraṇa-mânushashya ।(||)
27 Kâritam⁵=avakra-matinâ Chakrabhṛitaḥ Chakrapâlitêna gṛihaṁ । varsha-
śatê=shṭâ-triṁśê Guptânâṁ kâla . . . . . . . [॥] [‒ ‒ ‿⁶ ‒ ‿ ‿
â]rtham=utthitam=iv=Ôrjayatô=chalasya
28 kurvat=prabhutvam=iva bhâti purasya mûrdhni ॥ Anyach=cha mûrddhani
su [‒ ‿ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‿]
29 ruddha-vihaṁga-mârgaṁ vibhrâjatê [‿ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‿ ‿ ‒ ‒] [॥]
TRANSLATION.
First Part.
Perfection has been attained! Victorious is he, (the god) Vishṇu,—the perpetual
abode of the (goddess) Lakshmî, whose dwelling is the waterlily ; the conqueror of distress ;
¹ Metre, Mâlinî ; and in the next verse.
² Metre, Vaṁśastha.—The metre is faulty in the first akshara of the first and third pâdas, which should be short, not long.
³ Metre, Indravajrâ ; and in the next verse. ⁴ Metre, Vasantatilaka ; and in the next verse.
⁵ Metre, Âryâ ; or of this class. ⁶ Metre, Vasantatilaka : and in the following verse.

62 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
the completely victorious one,—who, for the sake of the happiness of (Indra) the lord of
the gods, seized back from (the demon) Bali the goddess of wealth and splendour, who is
admitted to be worthy of enjoyment, (and) who had been kept away from him for a very
long time!¹
(Line 2.)—And next, victorious for ever is the supreme king of kings over kings, whose
breast is embraced by the goddess of wealth and splendour; who has developed heroism
by (the strength of his) arms; and who plucked (and utilised) the authority of (his local)
representatives, who were so many Garuḍas, (and used it as) an antidote against the (hostile)
kings, who were so many serpents, lifting up their hoods in pride and arrogance;²—
Skandagupta, of great glory, the abode of kingly qualities, who, when (his) father by his
own power had attained the position of being a friend of the gods,³ bowed down his enemies,
and made subject to himself the (whole) earth, bounded by the waters of the four
oceans, (and) full of thriving countries round the borders of it;—whose fame, moreover,
even (his) enemies, in the countries of the Mlêchchhas ............ having (their)
pride broken down to the very root, announce with the words—"verily the victory has
been achieved by him;"—(and) whom the goddess of fortune and splendour of her own
accord selected as her husband, having in succession (and) with judgment skilfully taken
into consideration and thought over all the causes of virtues and faults, (and) having dis-
carded all (the other) sons of kings (as not coming up to her standard.)
(L. 5.)—While he, the king, is reigning, verily no man among his subjects falls away
from religion; (and) there is no one who is distressed, (or) in poverty, (or) in misery, (or)
avaricious, or who, worthy of punishment, is over-much put to torture.
(L. 6.)—Thus having conquered the whole earth, (and) having destroyed the height
of the pride of (his) enemies, (and) having appointed protectors in all the countries,
he cogitated in many ways,—"Among all my servants put together, who is there, who—
suitable; endowed with intellect; modest; possessed of a disposition that is not destitute
of wisdom and memory; endowed with truth, straightforwardness, nobility, and prudent
behaviour; and possessed of sweetness, civility, and fame;—loyal; affectionate; endowed
with manly characteristics; and possessed of a mind that (has been tried and) is (found to
be) pure by all the tests of honesty; possessed of an inner soul pervaded by (the inclina-
tion for) the acquittance of debts and obligations; occupied with the welfare of all
mankind;—capable both in the lawful acquisition of wealth, and also in the preservation
of it, when acquired, and further in causing the increase of it, when protected, (and able)
to dispense it on worthy objects, when it has been increased,—shall govern all my
(countries of the) Surâshṭras? I have it; (there is) just one man, Parṇadatta,
competent to bear this burden."

¹ The legend is that the demon Bali, or Mahâbali, by his austerities acquired the dominion over
the three worlds, and caused annoyance and anxiety to the gods. Vishṇu then became incarnate as a
dwarf, appeared before Bali, and asked for as much land as he could cover with three strides. Bali
assented to his request, and Vishṇu with two strides recovered the heavens and the earth, but, in
commiseration for Bali, who then humbled himself, left him the dominion over the lower regions
below the earth.
² Garuḍa, the servant and vehicle of Vishṇu, half man and half bird, was the special enemy
and destroyer of the serpent-race.—There is possibly a secondary allusion to Skandagupta having
overthrown some kings of the well-known Nâga or serpent-lineage.
³ i.e. "had died."

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 14, PLATE VIII. 63
(L. 9.)—(And it was this same Parṇadatta) who, with pressing (and) with diffi-
culty, was appointed by the lord of kings, who had thus deliberated in his mind for many
days and nights, to protect in a proper manner the land of the Surâshṭras. (And) just as
the gods became comfortable, (and) not disturbed in mind, when they had appointed
Varuṇa to the western point of the compass, so the king was easy at heart, when he had
appointed Parṇadatta over the region of the west.
(L. 10.)—His son,—possessed of a filial disposition; his own self, as it were, re-
duplicated; well trained by self-control; worthy to be protected, as if it were his own self,
by the all-pervading spirit; always self-possessed; endowed with a naturally beautiful form;
having a disposition the whole of which was always pervaded with joy through a variety of
charming actions that were in accordance with (his) beauty; having a waterlily of a face
that resembled a bed of waterlilies in full bloom; the refuge of men who came to him for
protection,—was this same one who is renowned on the earth under the name of Chakra-
pâlita; who is beloved of the people; and who confers distinction upon (his) father by his
own noble qualities which are everything except unpolished:—
(L. 11.)—In whom all these qualities dwell to a marked degree, (and) without ever
wandering away (from him),—viz. patience; lordship; modesty; and good behaviour; and
heroism without (too) great an estimation of prowess; eloquence (?); self-control; liber-
ality; and high-spiritedness; civility; the acquittance of debts and obligations; and free-
dom from empty-headedness; beauty; and reprobation of things that are not right; absence
of astonishment; firmness; and generosity. Even in the whole world there is no one to
be found, in whom a comparison with his virtues may be made; verily he has become,
in all entireness, the standard of comparison for men who are endowed with virtuous
qualities.
(L. 12.)—(And it was he) who was appointed by (his) father, after testing in person
(the existence in him of) these same qualities mentioned above, and higher ones even than
them; and who then accomplished the protection of (this) city in a way that quite distin-
guished him above his predecessors. Relying upon the process of his own two excel-
lent arms (?), not on the pride of any other man, he subjected no one in this city to any
anxiety; and he punished wicked people. Even in this time which is a mean one, he
failed not to maintain confidence in the people, together with the inhabitants of the city;
and, by carefully inquiring into faults, he has charmed all the citizens, together with ....
..... and children. And he has made (his) subjects happy by conversations addressed
with smiles, and marks of honour, and presents; by free and reciprocal entering into (each
other's) houses; (and) by carefully nourishing the family ceremonies of affection. En-
dowed with the highest piety, affable, pure, (and) in a suitable manner devoted to charity,
he has, even without any conflict between religion and wealth, applied himself to such
pleasures as may be attained at the proper time. What wonder is there in the fact that
he, [born] from Parṇadatta, is possessed of such proper behaviour?; can heat ever be
produced from the moon, which is cold like a string of pearls or like a waterlily?
(L. 15.)—Then, in due course of time, there came the season of clouds, bursting
asunder with (its) clouds the season of heat, when much water rained down unceasingly
for a long time; by reason of which (the lake) Sudarśana suddenly burst,—making the
calculation in the reckoning of the **Guptas,**¹ in a century of years, increased by thirty and
¹ See page 57 above, note 4.

64 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
also six more, at night, on the sixth day of (the month) Praushṭhapada. And these
(other rivers) which take their source from (the mountain) Raivataka,¹ (and also) this
Palâśinî, beautiful with (its) sandy stretches,—(all of them) the mistresses of the ocean,—
having dwelt so long in captivity, went again, in due accordance with the scriptures, to
their lord (the sea). (And) having noticed the great bewilderment, caused by the excess
of rain, (the mountain) Ûrjayat, desirous of appropriating the wives of the mighty ocean,
stretched forth as it were a hand, consisting of the river (Palâśinî), decorated with the
numerous flowers that grew on the edges of (its) banks.
(L. 17.)—[Then on all sides] the people fell into despair, discussing how they should
act; and, spending the whole night awake in vain, in great anxiety they reflected,—“Here
in a moment, (the lake) Sudarśana has (by the overflowing of its waters) assumed an
unpleasing appearance² towards all the people, (as if it were) a man (?); having
the appearance of the ocean, quite full of water, can it ever (again) become pleasing of
aspect, ................?”
(L. 18.)— ............he³ having become ............ and displaying the height
of devotion towards his father, (and) holding in full view, for the welfare of the king and
of the city also, religion, which has such auspicious results,—in a century of years, in-
creased by thirty and seven others also, .............. attentive to the sacred
writings ................. whose majesty is well known. Then, having sacrificed to
the gods with oblations of clarified butter and with obeisances; and having gratified the
twice-born with (presents of) riches; and having paid respect to the citizens with such
honours as they deserved, and to such of (his) servants as were worthy of notice, and to
(his) friends with presents,—in the first fortnight of the month ...... belonging to
the hot season,⁴ on the first day, he, having practised (all the above) respectful
observances for two months, made an immeasurable expenditure of wealth, and, [built
an embankment] a hundred cubits in all in length, and sixty and eight in breadth, and
seven (?) men's height in elevation, .......... of two hundred cubits. (Thus), having
done honour to the kings, he laboriously built up, with a great masonry work, properly
constructed, the lake Sudarśana, which is renowned as not being evil by nature, so that
it should last for all eternity,—agitated by the defiances of the ruddy-geese which display
(their) beauty along the edges of the firmly-built embankment, and by the settling down
(in its waters) of the herons and the swans ................ pure waters; on the
earth .............. the sun and the moon.
(L. 23.)—And may the city become prosperous; full of inhabitants; cleansed from
sin by prayers sung by many hundreds of Brâhmaṇs; [and free from] drought and famine
for a hundred years .............................. [Thus] ends the composition
of the description of the restoration of (the lake) Sudarśana.
Second Part.
(L. 24.)— ............ of him (Skandagupta), who destroyed the pride of (his)
haughty enemies; who is of great glory; who is the banner of his lineage; who is the lord

¹ Raivataka is the hill opposite to Ûrjayat or Girnâr.
² There is a play on the words su-darśana ‘having a good appearance,’ and dur-darśana
‘having a bad appearance.’
³ i.e. Chakrapâlita.
⁴ Grîshma, the hot season, consists of the two months Jyeshṭha (May-June) and Âshâḍha (June-
July). The name of one or the other of them is now illegible in this line.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 15, PLATE IX A 65
of the whole earth; whose pious deeds are even more wonderful than his supreme
sovereignty over kings; . . . . . . . . . .
(L. 24.)— . . . . . . . . . . . (Parṇadatta), the protector of the island, and the leader
of great . . . . . . . . of armies for the subjugation of (his) enemies.
(L. 25.)—By his son, who is endowed with his own good qualities, (and) whose life
is devoted to (the worship of) the feet of (the god) Gôvinda, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .;
—by him, who causes the citizens to bow down by his own prowess, having there
attained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and the feet, which are like waterlilies, of
(the god) Vishṇu, with a great expenditure of wealth and time [there was built a
temple] of that famous (god Vishṇu) who carries the discus, . . . . . . . . . . . enemies, (and)
who became (incarnate and) human by the exercise of his own free will. (Thus) by
Chakrapâlita, who is of a straightforward mind, there has been caused to be built a
temple of (the god) Chakrabhṛit, in a century of years, together with the thirty-eighth
(year), . . . . . . . . . . . the time of the Guptas.¹
(L. 27.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . uprisen, as it were, of the mountain
Ûrjayat, shines as if displaying (its) lordship on the forehead of the city.
(L. 28.)—And another . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . on the forehead . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
obstructing the path of the birds, is resplendent . . . . . . . . . . . .
No. 15; PLATE IXA.
KAHAUM STONE PILLAR INSCRIPTION OF SKANDAGUPTA.
THE YEAR 141.
THIS inscription appears to have been discovered by Dr. Francis Buchanan (Hamil-
ton),—whose Survey of the Provinces, subject to the Presidency of Bengal, was com-
menced in 1807 and was continued during seven years, and whose manuscript results were
transmitted in 1816 to the Court of Directors of the East India Company,—and to have
been first brought to notice in his reports, from which Mr. Montgomery Martin compiled,
and in 1838 published, the book entitled Eastern India, in which the inscription is noticed
in Vol. II. p. 366 f., with a reduced lithograph (id. Plate v. No. 2).—In the same year, in
the Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. VII. p. 37 f., Mr. James Prinsep published his reading
of the text, and a translation of it,² accompanied by a lithograph (id. Plate i.) reduced
from a copy made by Mr. D. Liston.—In 1860, in the Jour. Amer. Or. Soc. Vol. VI.
p. 530, Dr. FitzEdward Hall published his reading of the first verse of the inscription,
and a translation, which was subsequently revised and reprinted in the Jour. Beng. As.
Soc. Vol. XXX. p 3, note. — In 1871, in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. I. p. 93 f. and
Plate xxx., General Cunningham published another lithograph, reduced from his own ink-
impression. — And finally, in 1881, in the Ind. Ant. Vol. X. p. 125 f., Dr. Bhagwanlal
Indraji published his revised reading of the text, and a translation of it, accompanied by a
lithograph reduced from an impression made by him when he visited Kahâum in 1873.
¹ See page 57 above, note 4.
² The translation is reprinted in Thomas' edition of Prinsep's Essays, Vol. I. p. 250.

66 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
Kahâum or **Kahâwaṁ,**¹ the ancient Kakubha or Kakubhagrâma of this in-
scription, is a village about five miles to the west by south of Salampur-Majhaulî,² the
chief town of the Salampur-Majhaulî Pargaṇâ in the Dêôriyâ or Dêwariyâ³ Tahsîl or Sub-
Division of the Gôrakhpur District in the North-West Provinces. The grey-sandstone
column on which the inscription is, stands a short distance on the north of the village.⁴
Of the sculptures on the column, the most important are five standing naked figures,
—one in a niche on the western face of the square base; and one in a niche on each side of
the square block immediately below the circular stone with an iron spike in it, which, the
original pinnacle having been lost, now forms the top of the column. As appears to have
been first fully recognised by Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji, these are distinctly Jain images.
He suggested that they represent the five favourite Tîrthaṁkaras,—Âdinâtha, Śântinâtha,
Nêminâtha, Pârśva, and Mahâvîra. And they are in all probability the five images of
Âdikartṛis, or Jain Tîrthaṁkaras, referred to in the inscription itself.
The writing, which covers a space of about 2′ 2½″ broad by 1′ 8″ high, is on the
three northern faces of the octagonal portion of the column; and the bottom line appears to
be about 7′ 6″ above the level of the ground. It is evidently in a state of excellent preservation
throughout.—The size of the letters varies from ⅜″ to ⅞″. The characters belong to the
northern class of alphabets, and are of the same type with those of the Allahâbâd posthu-
mous pillar inscription of Samudragupta, No. 1, p. 1 ff. above, Plate i.—The language is
Saṁskṛit; and, except for the opening word siddham, the inscription is in verse through-
out.—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 vanśa, line 2, and ttrinśat, line 4;
and (2) the usual doubling of k and t, in conjunction with a following r, e.g. in chakkrê,
line 9 (but not in śakrô, line 3), and puttrô, line 6.—My lithograph has been prepared
from a lithograph of the same kind, handed to me by Dr. Burgess, from which was
prepared the opposite lithograph, with the letters in black on a white ground, publish-
ed with Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji’s paper. One or two letters, imperfect in that litho-
graph, have been cleared out on the authority of General Cunningham's ink-impressions,
which, though not adapted for complete reproduction, sufficed for this purpose.
The inscription refers itself to the reign of the Early Gupta king Skandagupta.
It is dated, in words, in the year one hundred and forty-one (A.D. 460-61); and in the
month Jyêshṭha (May-June); but without any specification of the day of the month or fort-
night. As is shewn by the images in the niches of the column, as well as by the tenour of the
record itself, this is distinctly a Jain inscription. And the object of it is, to record that a
certain Madra set up five stone images of Âdikartṛis or Tîrthaṁkaras,—i.e. apparently
the five images in the niches of the column,—and the column itself, at the village of
Kakubha or Kakubhagrâma, i.e. Kahâum.
¹ The ‘Kahaon, Kahong, Kangho, and Kuhaon, of maps, &c. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 103.
Lat. 26° 16′ N.; Long. 83° 55′ E.
² The ‘Sullempoor-Mujhowlee’ of maps.
³ The ‘Deorya’ of maps.
⁴ For a full description, with drawings, of the column and other remains at Kahâum, see Archæol.
Surv. Ind. Vol. I. p. 91 ff. and Plate xxix., and id. Vol. XVI. p. 129 f. and Plate xxix.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 15. PLATE IX A. 67
TEXT.¹
1 Siddham² [II*] Yasy³=ôpasthâna-bhûmir=nṛipati-śata-śiraḥ⁴-pâta-vât-âvadhûtâ
2 Guptânâṁ vanśa-jasya pravisṛita-yaśasas=tasya sarvv-ôttam-arddhêḥ
3 râjyê Śakr-ôpamasya kshitipa-śata-patêḥ Skandaguptasya śântê
4 varshê ttriṅśad-daś-aik-ôttaraka-śatatamê Jyêshṭha-mâsi prapannê I(II)
5 Khyâtê=smin=grâma-ratnê Kakubha iti janais=sâdhu-saṁsarga-pûtê I⁵
6 puttrô yas=Sômilasya prachura-guṇa-nidhêr=Bhaṭṭisômô mahât[m]â
7 tat-sûnû Rudrasôma[ḥ*] prithula-mati-yaśâ Vyâghra ity=anya-saṁjñô I⁶
8 Madras=tasy=âtmajô=bhûd=dvija-guru-yatishu prâyaśaḥ prîtimân=yaḥ I(II)
9 Puṇya-skandhaṁ sa chakkrê jagad=idam=akhilaṁ saṁsarad=vîkshya bhîtô
10 śrêyô-rtthaṁ bhûta-bhûtyai pathi niyamavatâm=arhatâm=âdikarttṝn
11 pañch=êndrâṁ(n) sthâpayitvâ dharaṇidharamayân=sannikhâtas=tatô=yam
12 śaila-stambhaḥ su-chârur=giri-vara-śikhar-âgr-ôpamaḥ kîrtti-karttâ [II*]
TRANSLATION.
Perfection has been attained! In the tranquil⁷ reign of Skandagupta, whose hall
of audience is shaken by the wind caused by the falling down (in the act of performing
obeisance) of the heads of a hundred kings; who is born in the lineage of the Guptas;
whose fame is spread far and wide; who excels all others in prosperity; who resembles
(the god) Śakra; (and) who is the lord of a hundred kings;—in the one hundredth year,
increased by thirty and ten and one; the month Jyêshṭha having arrived;—
(Line 5.)—In this jewel of a village, which is known by people under the name of
Kakubha, (and) which is pure from association with holy men,⁸—(there was) the high-
minded Bhaṭṭisôma, who (was) the son of Sômila, that receptacle of many good qualities.
His son (was) Rudrasôma, of great intellect and fame, who had the other appellation of
Vyâghra.⁹ His son was Madra, who (was) especially full of affection for Brâhmans and
religious preceptors and ascetics.
¹ From Gen. Cunningham’s ink-impression, together with the lithograph from which my
lithograph is reduced.
² In the original, this word is in the margin; the si opposite the commencement of line 2, and
the ddham opposite, and partly above, the commencement of line 3.
³ Metre, Sragdharâ, throughout.
⁴ The mark in the original after this visarga would seem to be an accidental slip of the engra-
ver’s tool, rather than intended for a mark of punctuation, which is not required here.
⁵ and ⁶. In each case, the mark of punctuation is unnecessary.
⁷ śântê.—It is unnecessary to explain in detail the interpretation of this word. The difficulty
is,—not the correct rendering of it, which is perfectly obvious,—but to comprehend how it ever came
to be read śântêḥ, and to be interpreted by "of the repose, i.e. death," i.e. "after the decease (of
Skandagupta);" or, being read śântê correctly, to comprehend how it ever came to be interpre-
ted as meaning "(the empire of Skandagupta) being quiescent," or "(the empire of Skandagupta)
being extinct (for the hundred and forty-first year)."—The correct interpretation appears to have
been first pointed out by Bhau Daji; "in the year one hundred and forty-one, in the peaceful reign
of Skandagupta" (Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. VIII. p. 246.)
⁸ The proper context is—"(there was) Madra;" who is mentioned in line 8. The intervening
genealogical matter is by way of a parenthesis.
⁹ For some similar instances of second names, see page 27 above, note 4.
K 2.

68 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
(L. 9.)—He, being alarmed when he observed the whole of this world (to be ever)
passing through a succession of changes, acquired for himself a large mass of religious
merit. (And by him),—having set up, for the sake of final beatitude (and) for the wel-
fare of (all) existing beings, five excellent¹ (images), made of stone,² (of) those who led
the way³ in the path of the Arhats who practise religious observances,—there was then
planted in the ground this most beautiful pillar of stone, which resembles the tip of the
summit of the best of mountains, (and) which confers fame (upon him).
No. 16; PLATE IX B.
INDOR COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF SKANDAGUPTA.
THE YEAR 146.
THIS inscription was discovered in 1874 by Mr. A. C. L. Carlleyle, First Assistant to
the Director-General of the Archæological Survey of India; and was first brought to
notice, in the same year, in the Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. XLIII. Part I. p. 363 ff., where
a lithograph of it was published, prepared by General Cunningham (id. Plate xix.), accom-
panied by a version of the text, and a translation of it, by Dr. Rajendralala Mitra.
The inscription is on a copper-plate which was found in a small stream at Indor,
the ancient Indrapura and Indrâpura of the inscription, a large and lofty mound about
five miles to the north-west of Dibhâî,⁴ the chief town of the Dibhâî Pargaṇâ in the
Anupshahar⁵ Tahsîl or Sub-Division of the Bulandshahar District in the North-West Pro-
vinces. Until recent years, Indôr was a small inhabited village; but it is now only a khêḍâ,
or deserted mound, and is not shewn in maps. I obtained the original plate, for examina-
tion, from the possession of General Cunningham.
The plate is a single one, inscribed on one side only, measuring about 8¼" by 5¼" at the
ends and 5⅞" in the middle. The edges of it are here and there slightly thicker than the
surface of the plate, with small depressions inside them at the same places; but there does
not seem to have been any intention of purposely fashioning the edges thicker all round,
so as to serve as a rim to protect the writing.⁶ The surface of the plate is in some places
¹ indrân.—Bhagwanlal Indraji, in his published version, first pointed out the kind of meaning
to be given to this word here.
² lit. ‘made of (the substance of) mountains.’
³ âdikartrîn; lit. ‘originators.’—Bhagwanlal Indraji first pointed out the correct meaning of
this word, as referring here to five of the Tîrthaṁkaras or sanctified teachers of the Jains.
⁴ The ‘Dabhai, Dhubhai, Dibai, and Dubhaee,’ of maps, &c. Indian Atlas Sheet, No. 67. Lat.
28° 12' N.; Long. 78° 18' E.—The position of Indôr, with reference to Dibhâî, is shewn in the sketch
map given in Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XII. Plate i
⁵ The ‘Anoopshuhur and Anupshahr’ of maps, &c.
⁶ Dr. Burnell allotted the earliest instances of arranging for the preservation of the writing or
copper-plates, by beating up the margins round the plates and then flattening the edges, to the ninth
or tenth century A.D. (South-Indian Palæography, p. 92). But there are plenty of earlier instances,
in the south, as well as in the north of India. These raised rims were obtained, at first, by thickening
the plates at the edges, in the process of fashioning them. Afterwards, it became customary to beat
the plates out quite smooth, and then to turn them up at the edges and fuse them together at the cor-
ners; and some of the Eastern Chalukya plates, made in this way, have raised rims a good quarter of
an inch high.

CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM.

Vol. III.
Plate ix.

A.—Kahaum Pillar Inscription of Skandagupta.—The Year 141.

Text

यस्मिन्वर्षे शते यत्परिकथयति गुप्तराज्यप्रवृत्तौ
चत्वारिंशदेकयुक्तेऽथ समनुविहिते ज्येष्ठमासे प्रपन्ने [। *]
ख्यातेऽस्मिन्ग्रामरत्ने ककुभ इति जनैर्यः सदा स्तूयतेऽय-
न्तत्रेभाढ्यो द्विजन्मा श्रितमुनिरमलप्रख्यकीर्त्तिर्यशस्वी [॥ १॥]
सोमिलस्तत्सुतोऽभूत्कविकुलवृषभः शम्भुपुत्रप्रकल्पः
पुत्रस्तस्यापि रुद्रस्तुलितपितृगुणो रुद्रसोमाभिधानः [। *]
तत्सूनुः शान्तरूपो गुरुयतिरुचितो मद्रनामा प्रदिष्टः
प्रख्यातो यस्य जातो विजितरिपुगणः साधुवृत्तस्तपस्वी [॥ २॥]
पुण्यस्कन्धं स कृत्वा स्वकुलमितरदप्युद्धरन्नात्मनेन
शैलेन्द्रस्तम्भमुच्चन्द्विजवरनमितं स्थापयामास कान्तम् [। *]
चक्रे चेहात्मपञ्च प्रतिमतनुमतां कार्तिकेयाञ्जिनेन्द्रान्
नीत्वा श्रेयोऽभिवृद्धिं सकलजनहितं श्रेयसे मद्रनामा [॥ ३॥]

B.—Indor Plate of Skandagupta.—The Year 146.

Text

सिद्धम् [॥ *] संवत्सरशते षट्चत्वारिंशदधिके गुप्तनृपराज्यभुक्तौ परम-
भट्टारक-महाराजाधिराज-श्री-स्कन्दगुप्त-प्रवर्द्धमान-विजय-राज्य-
संवत्सरेऽन्तर्वेद्यां विषयापति-शर्व्वनागे भोगानुमोदिते
ब्राह्मण-देवविष्णुना वत्स्यसगोत्रेण छन्दोग-कौथुम-सब्रह्मचारिणा
उपरिष्टाद्-भर्तृपुर-प्रावेश्यान्तर्भूते इन्द्रपुरके क्षत्रिय-
अचलावर्म्म-भ्रुकुण्ठाभ्यां भगवतः सवितुः प्रवर्त्तित-दीर्घ-सत्रस्य
तस्यैवायतनस्य दीपोपयोगार्थं मयैवाग्रतः सतताविच्छिन्न-
दीपार्थं क्षत्रिय-जयदत्ताचलाश्रितेभ्यः इन्द्रपुर-वास्तव्य-
अष्टाविंशति-तैलिकानां श्रेण्याः प्रदत्तं पल-द्वयं तैलस्य
नित्यं यैरेतद्-अनुपालयद्भिः न कश्चिद्-व्याघातः कर्त्तव्यः [। *] यश्-
चैतत्प्रवर्त्तितं दीप-सत्रं विलोपयेत् स पञ्चभिर्-महा-पातकैः
संयुक्तः स्यात् [॥ *] फाल्गुन-मासस्य शुक्लैकादश्याम् [॥ *]

The provided image is completely blank and contains no visible text, inscription, or content to transcribe.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 16, PLATE IX B. 69
a good deal corroded by rust ; the inscription, however, with care, is legible with certainty
throughout. The plate is fairly thick ; but the letters, being rather deeply engraved,
shew through distinctly on a great part of the back of it. The engraving is clean and
well executed ; the majority of the letters, however, shew, as usual, marks of the working
of the engraver's tool.—There is no hole in the plate for a ring with a seal on it ; nor
are there any indications of a seal having been soldered on to it, as,—from the instance
of the spurious Gayâ grant of Samudragupta, No. 60 below, Plate xxxvii. ; illustrated
also, in the present series by the Asîrgaḍh seal of Śarvavarman, No. 47 below, Plate xxxA.,
and the Sônpat seal of Harshavardhana, No. 52 below, Plate xxxiiB. ; and, elsewhere,
by the Dighwâ-Dubaulî grant of the Mahârâja Mahêndrapâla¹ and the Bengal Asiatic
Society's grant of the Mahârâja Vinâyakapâla,²—seems to have been the early custom
in the north of India.—The weight of the plate is 1 lb. 2 oz.—The average size
of the letters is between ⅛" and ⅜". The characters belong to the northern class of
alphabets, and in essential details are of the same type with those of the Mathurâ inscrip-
tion of Chandragupta II., No. 4, p. 25 ff. above, Plate iiiA. The initial i has an entirely
different form from that of the other northern type ; contrast it in indrapura and itô,
line 8, with iva in Plate i. page 9 above, line 30, and iti in Plate ixA. page 67 , line 7. In
line 10, we have a form of the numerical symbol for 2.—The language is Sanskrit ;
and all the formal part of the inscription, from paramabhaṭṭâraka, line 3, to samakâlîyaṁ,
line 10, is in prose. From a linguistic point of view, we have to notice the affix ka, in
chandrâpuraka, line 5, indrâpuraka,³ line 6, and especially pratishṭhâpitaka, line 7. It
is a weaker form, without vṛiddhi of the vowel in the first syllable, of the ka with which
the adjectives of locality, used in lines 19 and 20 of the Allahâbâd posthumous pillar
inscription of Samudragupta, No. 1, page 7 above, are formed ; and it is the origin of
the modern Hindî genitive terminations kâ, kê, and kî, and of similar declensional forms.
Other instances of it are given by No. 25 below, Plate xvB. line 13, kâritaka ; No. 26.
Plate xvi. line 10, utpadyamânaka ; No. 27, Plate xvii. line 9, pratishṭhâpitaka, and line
12, utpadyamânaka ; No. 28, Plate xviii. line 13, anumôditaka, line 14, uparilikhitaka and
pratishṭhâpitaka, and line 18, utpadyamânaka ; No. 29, Plate xixA. line 10, uparilikhitaka
and line 15, utpadyamânaka ; No. 31, Plate xx. line 9, utpannaka, lines 9 and 16
utpadyamânaka, and line 11, kâritaka ; No. 41, Plate xxvii. line 11, atisṛishṭaka ; and
No. 62, Plate xxxviiiB. line 4, pravishṭaka.—In respect of orthography, we have to
notice (1) the use of the guttural nasal, instead of the anusvâra, before ś and h, in
chatvâriṅśad, line 3 f., and siṅha, line 6; (2) the doubling of k, and usually of t, in
conjunction with a following r, e.g. in apakkramaṇa, line 8 f., and pauttraḥ, line 5, (but not
in putrô in the same line); and (3) the doubling of v after the anusvâra, in saṁvvatsara,
line 3.
The inscription refers itself to the reign of the Early Gupta king Skandagupta,
whose feudatory, the Vishayapati⁴ Śarvanâga, was governing Antarvêdi⁵ or the country
¹ Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. p. 105 ff. ² id. p. 138 ff.
³ As regards these two words, Monier Williams, in his Sanskrit Dictionary, gives puraka as
another form of pura, 'a city;' but refers only to 'Arghâshṭapuraka' as an authority for the word.
This city, however, only owes its existence to one of the early misreadings of Mantarâja-
Paishṭapuraka in line 19 of the Allahâbâd inscription, No. 1, page 7 above.
⁴ Vishayapati is a technical official title, meaning 'the lord, or governor, of a vishaya.'—
See p. 32 above, note 7.
⁵ Antarvêdî may perhaps also denote any Doab or region between two rivers of repute and
sanctity.—It also means, as an adjective, 'belonging to the inside of the sacrificial ground.'—It occurs,

Jîvanta-pravarâyâ itô=dhishṭhânâd=apakkrama-
9 ṇa-saṁpravêśa-yathâsthirâyâḥ âjasrikaṁ grahapatêr=dvija-mûlya-dattam=Anayâ
tu śrêṇyâ yad=abhagna-yôgam
10 prattha(tha)m-ârh-âvya[va*]chchhinna-saṁsthaṁ dêyaṁ tailasya tulyêna⁷ pala-
dvayaṁ tu⁸ 2 chandr-ârkka-samakâlyaṁ [ll*]

Wait, let's look at Yaṁ in line 1:
Is it Yam¹ or Yaṁ²?
Wait, look at line 1:
"1 Siddham [ll*] Yaṁ¹ viprâ..."
Wait, why would it be Yam¹ if footnote 1 is "From the original plate"?
Wait! Look at the top:
TEXT.¹ has ¹.
Then Yam¹? Wait, look at Yam: does it have a superscript 1 or 2?
Look at footnote 2: "² Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita."
If footnote 2 is Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita, then the superscript in line 1 MUST be ²!
Wait, look at

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 16, PLATE IX B. 71
11 Yô¹ vyakkramêd²=dâyam=imam nibaddham gô-ghnô guru-ghnô dvija-
ghâtakaḥ saḥ³ taiḥ pâtakai[ḥ*]
12 pañchabhir=anvitô=dhar=gachchhên⁴=naraḥ s-ôpanipâtakaiś=ch=êti ||
TRANSLATION.
Perfection has been attained! May that Sun, the rich source of rays that pierce (the
darkness which is) the envelope of the earth, protect you,—whom Brâhmaṇs, of enlightened
minds, (have recourse to)⁵ according to due rite, (and thus become) the utterers of praises
in meditation, which are directed solely to him; whose limit, either vertically or from side to
side, neither the gods nor the demons could ascertain; (and) by having recourse to
whom, mankind, when they have lost control of themselves through much disease and
agitation of the mind, acquire consciousness (again)!
(Line 3.)—In the augmenting victorious reign⁶ of the Paramabhaṭṭâraka and Mahâ-
râjâdhirâja, the glorious Skandagupta; in the year one hundred, increased by forty-six;
(and) while the month Phâlguna is current for the increase of the enjoyment, in (the land
of) Antarvêdî, of the Vishayapati Śarvanâga, who has been accepted (with favour) by
his⁷ feet;—
(L. 5.)—The Brâhmaṇ Dêvavishṇu, who belongs to the community of Chaturvêdins
of Padmâ of the town of Chandrâpura,—who is the son of Dêva, (and) the son's son of
Haritrâta, (and) the son of the son's son of Duḍika; who always recites the hymns of the
agnihôtra-sacrifice;⁸ who belongs to the Râṇâyanîya (śâkhâ); (and) who is of the
Varshagana gôtra,—for the increase of his own fame gives an endowment, (of which the
interest is) to be applied to (the maintenance of) a lamp for the divine Sun, which has
been established (in a temple) by the Kshatriyas Achalavarman and Bhrukuṇṭhasiṁha,
merchants of the town of Indrâpura,⁹ on the east of the settlement, (and) actually
touching.......¹⁰ of the settlement of the town of Indrapura.
(L. 8.)—This gift of a Brâhmaṇ's endowment of (the temple of) the Sun, (is) the per-
petual property of the guild of oil-men, of which Jîvanta is the head, residing at the town
of Indrapura, as long as it continues in complete unity, (even) in moving away from this
settlement. But there should be given by this guild, for the same time as the moon and
the sun endure, two palas¹¹ of oil by weight, (or in figures) by weight 2, uninterrupted in
use, (and) continuing without any diminution from the original value.
(L. 11.)—Whosoever shall transgress this grant that has been assigned,—that man,
(becoming as guilty as) the slayer of a cow, (or) the slayer of a spiritual preceptor, (or)
¹ Metre, Indravajrâ. ² Read yô vikkramêd; or, better, yô=tikkramêd.
³ Read sa. ⁴ Read dhô gachchhên.
⁵ Supply saṁśritya, from the third pâda of the verse.
⁶ See page 38 above, note 5.
⁷ i.e. Skandagupta's.
⁸ agnihôtra, 'an oblation to the god Agni, consisting chiefly of milk, oil, and sour gruel, offered
every morning and evening; the maintenance of the sacred fire.'
⁹ Here, line 6, the vowel of the second syllable is long; in lines 7 and 8 below, it is short.
¹⁰ The meaning of mâḍḍasydta is not apparent.
¹¹ pala, a particular weight, = 4 suvarṇas (gold-pieces), or 64 mâshas (beans); see the Mâna-
vadharmaśâstra, viii. 135, Burnell's Translation, p. 200.

72 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM. VOL. III.
the slayer of a Brâhmaṇ, shall go down (into hell), invested with (the guilt of) those (well-
known) five sins,¹ together with the minor sins.²

No. 17; PLATE X.

GANGDHAR STONE INSCRIPTION OF VISVAVARMAN.

THE YEAR 480.

THIS inscription, which is now published for the first time, was brought to my notice
in 1883, through a photograph sent to me by Colonel W. Muir, then Political Agent at
Kôṭâ in Central India.
Gaṅgdhâr³ is a village about fifty-two miles south-west of Jhâlrâpâṭaṇ, the chief
town of the Jhâlâwâḍ⁴ State in the Western Mâlwa division of Central India. The
inscription is on a stone-tablet standing under a tamarind-tree about a mile to the north
of the village; evidently on the site of an old ruined temple.
At the top of the stone there is some sculpture, which I cannot quite make out in the
rough drawing of it that was brought to me with the ink-impression; but it is probably a
sixteen-leaved waterlily.—The writing covers the entire front of the stone, about 2' 0¾"
high by 3' 8" broad. Twelve letters are broken away and lost in the first part of line 1;
eleven in line 2; three in line 3; and two or three all the way down from there as far as
line 36. In lines 4 to 36, however, it is in most cases easy to supply what has been lost.
In lines 37 to 40, again, from three to six letters are broken away at the beginning, and
from two to four at the end of each line. The inscription was thus of a somewhat
irregular shape, lines 1 to 6 and 37 to 41 being rather longer than lines 7 to 36; which
looks as if the stone on which it was engraved was a panel in the wall of a temple.—The
size of the letters varies from about ⅜" to ⁹⁄₁₆". The characters belong to the southern
class of alphabets; and give a specimen of what may be called the Western Mâlwa
alphabet of the fifth century A.D. They include, however, in khaḍga, line 5, and in
several other places, not merely a separate form of the lingual ḍ, as distinct from the
dental d, in accordance with the custom of the northern alphabets, but a quite unique
form of it, which does not occur in any other early inscription that I know of, and which
is the clear prototype of the modern Dêvanâgarî form of this letter. They also include
the very rare initial au, in aupamya, line 6.—The language is Saṁskṛit; and except for
the words siddhir=astu at the end, the inscription is in verse throughout.—In respect of
orthography, we have to notice (1) the use of the jihvâmûlîya, e.g. in chakitaik=kriyatê,
¹ i.e. the pañcha mahâpâtakâni; see page 38 above, note 4.
² The upanipâtakâni,—or more usually upapâtakâni; the longer form being used in this verse
for the sake of the metre,—are sins of the second degree, such as killing a cow, sacrificing for those
for whom sacrifices ought not to be made, &c.. &c.: see the Mânavadharmaśâstra, xi. 60 to 67, Bur-
nell's Translation, p. 332 f.
³ The 'Gangrar, Gungra, and Gungurar,' of maps. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 35. Lat. 23° 56' N.;
Long. 75° 41' E.—The modern name must be connected with Gargarâ, the ancient name, according to
line 23 of this inscription, of the small river, now called 'Kalisind,' on which it stands. But it is not
apparent how the dental dh came to be introduced into it; nor why it appears as r in the corrupt
English forms.
⁴ The 'Jhalawar, Jhallawar, and Jhallowa,' of maps, &c.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 17, PLATE X. 73
line 11, and subhujaḥ=khadga, line 26; (2) the use of the guttural nasal, instead of the
anusvâra, before ś, in vaṅśa, line 29, and aṅśumân, line 35; but not in vaṁsa in line 2;
(3) the frequent doubling of k, g, t, and p, in conjunction with a following r, e.g. in
vikkramêṇa, line 8; samaggraṁ, line 4; vittrasta, line 13; and appratimêna, line 4; and
of bh, in vyabbhra, line 9; and (4) the same in respect of kh, t, bh, and s, in conjunc-
tion with a following y, e.g. in prakkshyâta, line 2, and vikkhyâpayan, line 26; bhrittya,
line 4, and prattyasta, line 14; abbhyudyata, line 15; and yassya, lines 11, 12, 14, 16,
and 31.
The inscription is of the time of a prince named Viśvavarman. It is dated, in
words, when four hundred and eighty years had expired, i.e. in the four hundred and
eighty-first year, on the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of the month Kârttika
(October-November).$^1$ The era is not specified in this record; but of course the date
$^1$ The passage containing the date, line 19 f., is not an easy one to deal with. — The date of
four hundred and ninety-three, given in the next inscription, for Visvavarman's son Bandhuvarman,
shews that the number of the centuries in the present passage must be four. And the reading that
I give is exactly in accordance with the appearance of the original. But there are the objections,
(1) that it is a violation of the metre, since it gives us, in chaturshu, an amphibrach where a
dactyl is required; and (2) that it leaves kritêshu, 'made, done, performed,' as a superfluous and
rather unmeaning word, unless we somewhat strain its meaning by giving it the sense of 'fully
completed (years).'—In the sense of '(years) accomplished, i. e. expired,' kritêshu occurs in line 1
of the Byânâ inscription of Vishṇuvardhana, of the year 428, No. 59 below, Plate xxxviC. But,
though this use of it is unusual, it is justifiable there, as it is not accompanied by yâtêshu,
'having gone by,' or any similar word.—My first inclination about the present passage was,
that kritêshu was used in the sense of 'made, effected, established by;' and that the three aksharas
preceding it contained the name of the founder of the era. But Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar, with whom I
discussed the passage, was of opinion that krita could not be used in such a sense; and I am not
able to quote anything opposed to his opinion. Moreover, that interpretation would have left us
without any word to specify the centuries of the date.—My next inclination was to read cha tsapu-
kritêshu, which would satisfy the metrical requirements, and may be justified by the appearance of
the original; and to look upon tsapu as intended for a vocalisation of the numerical symbol for four
hundred; "made by (the utterance of) tsapu." The very peculiar expression, sôttarapadêshu,
which follows, seemed to point to something of this kind being intended. And Dr. Bühler has given
an instance of a pronunciative value being certainly allotted to the symbol for four (Ind. Ant. Vol.
VI. p. 47 f.) But to this interpretation there are the objections, (1) that the word cha would be rather
superfluous and unmeaning; and (2) that the symbol for four hundred does not resemble the syllables
tsapu. — Dr. Bhandarkar also suggested that the word 'four' is expressed by kṛita (in kritêshu).
But this would leave the preceding two or three aksharas altogether unexplained. And, though Kṛita,
as the name of the first of the four ages, is capable, on the numerical-word system, of being used to
represent the number four, this system was not in use in inscriptions in India at this early time. The
period of the invention of the system in question still remains to be determined. That the use of it
was known to Varâhamihira (died A.D. 587; Jour. R. As. Soc. N. S. Vol. I. p. 407), is shewn by
his employing, in the Brihat-Saṁhitâ, viii. 20, 21, the words Rudra for 'eleven,' Râma for 'three,'
aga (mountain) for 'seven,' and śara (arrow) and vishaya (object of sense) for 'five.' And it has been
supposed that it was used by Âryabhaṭa (born A.D. 476; id. p. 405); but Dr. Bhau Daji (id. p. 404) has
pointed out, from his own MS., that the half-verse in question, the only apparent instance, giving the
number of the revolutions of the planet Jupiter in numerical words, is not really Âryabhaṭa's (a point
that is supported also by the metre; for the two lines together make up a verse in the Upagîti metre;
whereas Âryabhaṭa used the Âryâ metre, and the first line is the second half of a verse in that metre),
but is an addition, in all probability by Utpala or Bhaṭṭôtpala (about A.D. 966; id. p. 410). The
earliest epigraphical instances, at present available, are, in Cambodia, the Bayang inscription, dated
Śaka-Saṁvat 526 (A.D. 604-5) and 546 (Barth's Inscriptions Sanscrites du Cambodge, p. 36, line 11),
where the dates are expressed by the (five) arrows (of Kâmadêva), Dasra (one of the two Aśvinau),
and the (six) flavours, and by the (five) senses, the (four) oceans, and the (six) seasons; and, in India
L