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

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

74 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
has to be referred to the era, dating from the tribal constitution of the Mâlavas, that is
mentioned specifically in the next inscription, which gives us the year four hundred and
ninety-three for Viśvavarman’s son, Bandhuvarman, the feudatory of Kumâragupta.
This Mâlava era is the Vikrama era,¹ commencing B.C. 57; and the result for the
present inscription is A.D. 423-24 expired, or 424-25 current; which shews that
Viśvavarman, also, was a contemporary of Kumâragupta. The inscription belongs
partly to the Vaishṇava, and partly to the Śâkta or Tântrika form of religion; the object
of it being to record how a certain Mayûrâksha, a minister of Viśvavarman built a
temple of Vishṇu,—also a temple of the divine Mothers,—and also a large drinking-well.
TEXT.²
1 [— — ◡³ — ◡ ◡ ◡ — ◡ ◡ — ◡]masya Vishṇôr=bbhujas=surapati-dvipa-hasta-
[sa]rppa[— — ◡ — ◡ ◡ ◡ — ◡ ◡ — ◡ — — ◡]
2 [— ◡ ◡ ◡ — ◡ ◡ — ◡ ◡ — —] [॥] Prakkhyâta-vîryya-yaśas[âṁ] ksh[i]tip-
âdhipânâṁ vaṁś-ôdbhavô [◡]gativi[◡ ◡ — ◡ — ◡ ◡ ◡
◡ — ◡]
3 [◡ — ◡] kântaś=śrîmân=babhûva Naravarmma-nṛipaḥ prakâśaḥ ॥
Yajñais=surân=muni-gaṇâ[n]=[n]i[ya]mair=udârai[ḥ] [— — ◡ — ◡ ◡ ◡
◡ — ◡ — —]
4 [mânê]na bhṛittya-janam-a-ppratimêna lôkê yô=tôshayat=su-charitaiś=cha
jagat=samaggram ॥ Hasty-aśva-sâdhana[◡ — ◡ ◡ — ◡ — — ◡ ◡
— ◡ ◡]
5 [◡]khaḍga-marîch[i*]matsu ॥(।) saṅgrâma-mûrddhasu mukhaṁ samudîkshya
yasya nâśaṁ=prayânty=ari-gaṇâ bhaya-nashṭa-chêshṭâḥ [॥] [Tasy=âtmajaḥ]⁴
[◡ ◡ ◡ — ◡]
6 [◡ —]jau mahâtmâ buddhyâ Bṛihaspati-samas=sakalêndu-vaktraḥ ॥(।)
aupamyabhûta iva Râma-Bhagîrathâbhyâṁ râ[— ◡ — ◡ ◡]
7 [◡ —] [bhu]vi Viśvavarmmâ ॥ Dhairyyêṇa Mêrum=abhijâti-guṇêna
Vainyaṁ=induṁ prabhâ-samudayêna balêna Vishṇuṁ [।] [saṁ]-
8 [va]rttak-ânalam=a-sahyatamâñ=cha dîptyâ yô vikkramêṇa cha sur-
âdhipatiṁ vijigyê ॥ Vyâvṛitta-mârgga iva bhâ.
9 [nur=asa]hya-mûrttir=vyabbhr-ôday-âdhikatar-ôj[j]vala-ghôra-dîptiḥ ॥(।) yaś=
śakyatê na ripubhir=bbhaya-vihval-âkshair=udvî-
10 [kshituṁ ksha]ṇam=api ppragṛihîta-śastraḥ ॥ Nirbbhûshaṇair=avigat-âsra-
jal-ârdra-gaṇḍair=vvichchhinna-maṇḍanatay=ôj[j*]vala-nashṭa-
itself, the record of Śaka-Saṁvat 867 (A.D. 945-46) for the accession of the Eastern Chalukya
king Amma II. (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 16, line 31), in which the date is expressed by the (eight)
demi-gods called Vasu, the (six) flavours, and the (seven) mountains.—The supposition that the
present passage contains one of these numerical words, is certainly not tenable. And, after full con-
sideration, I can see nothing to be done, save to take the reading chaturshu; to accept the violation
of the metre; and, as we also have yâtêshu, to translate kṛitêshu by 'fully-complete.'—In the same
verse, there is also a violation of the metre (or some other mistake) in the words saumyêshu=asîta;
and, in line 11, the final long î of kâminî is shortened for metrical purposes.
¹ See the Preface.
² From the ink-impression and a paper estampage.
³ Metre, Vasantatilaka; and in the next seventeen verses.
⁴ Also tasy=ânujaḥ, “his younger brother,” will suit the metre.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 17, PLATE X. 75
11 [śôbhai]ḥ ||(|) yasy=âri-kâmini -mukhâmburuhair=bbalasya pûrvvaṁ pratâpa-
chakitaiḥ=kriyatê praṇâmaḥ || Ratn-ôdgama-dyuti-
12 [vira]ñjita-kûla-tâlair=uttrasta-nakkra-makara-kshata-ph[ê]na-mâlaiḥ ||(|) chaṇḍ-
ânil-ôddhata-taraṅga-samasta-hastair=yyassy=â-
[rṇṇavai]r=api balâni namahkriyantê || Bhûr=uddhri(ddhṛi)ta-druma-
vikampita-śaila-kîla-vittrasta-vidruta-mṛiga-dvija-śûnya(nya)-gu- ~
14 [lmâ] [|] yassy=ônnata-pravisham[î]kri(kṛi)ta-râjamârggâ ssainya²-prayâṇa-samayê
vinimajjat=îva || Prattyasta-mauli-
15 [ma]ṇi-raśmi-nakha-prabh-ândhair=abbhyudyat-âñjalitayâ śabal-âgragaṇḍaiḥ ||(|)
vidyâdharaiḥ ppriyatamâ-bhuja-pâśa-ba-
16 [ddhair=yya]ssy=âdarâd=divi yaśâ[ṁ]si namahkriyantê || Agrê=pi yâ(yô)
vayasi samparivarttamânaś=śâstr-ânusâra-pari-
17 [varddhita]-śuddha-buddhiḥ ||(|) sad-dharmma-mârggam=iva râjasu darśa-
yishyan=rakshâ-vidhiṁ Bharata-vaj=jagataḥ=karôti || Tasmin=pra-
18 [śâsa]ti mahîṁ=nṛipati-pravîrê svarggaṁ yathâ surapatâv=amita-prabhâvê ||(|)
n=âbhûd=adharmma-niratô vyasan-ânvitô
19 [vâ lôkê] kadâchana janas=sukha-varjjitô vâ || Yâtêshu chatu[r]shu³
kri(kṛi)têshu śatêshu sausyaishvâ(? shṭhâ)śîta-⁴sôttarapadêshv=iha vatsa-
20 [rêshu] ||(|) śuklê trayôdaśa-dinê bhuvi Kârttikasya mâsasya sarvva-jana-
chitta-sukh-âvahasya || Nîl-ôtpala-pra-
21 [sṛita-rê]ṇv-aruṇ-âmbu-kîrṇṇê bandhûka-bâṇa-kusum-ôj[j]vala-kânan-ântê .।(|)*
nidrâ-vyapâya-samayê Madhusûdanasya kâ-
22 [lê prabu]ddha-kumud-âgara-śuddha-târê || Vâpî-taḍâga-surasadmasabh-ôdupâna⁵-
nânâvidh-ôpavana-saṅkrama-dîrghik[â]-
23 [bhiḥ] ||(|) sê(i)shṭâm=iv=âbharaṇa-jâtibhir=aṅganâṁ svâṁ yô Garggarâ-
taṭa-puraṁ sakka(ma)laṅ-chakâra || Râjñas=tritîyam=iva chakshur=udâ-
24 [ra-vṛitti]r=ddêva-dvijâti-guru-b[â]ndhava-sâdhu(?)-bhaktaḥ ||(|) śâstrai[h] stutê*
cha vinay[ê] vyavahâra-hînê yô=pakshapâta-rahitô nidadh[au]*
25 [sva-chint]âm || Sarvvasya jîvitam=a-nityam=a-sâravach=cha dôlâ-chalâm=anu-
vichintya tathâ vibhûtim ||(|) nyây-âga[tê]-
26 [na vi]bhavêna parâñ=cha bhaktim vikkhyâpayann=upaṇ chakkra-gadâ-
dharasya || Pîna⁶-vyâyata-vṛitta-lambi-subhujaḥ=khaḍga-vraṇ[ai]-
27 [r=aṅki]taḥ ||(|) karṇṇ-ânta-pratisarppamâna(na)-nayana[h] gyâ(śyâ)m-âvadâta-*
chchhaviḥ ||(|) darpp-âvishkri(shkṛi)ta-sô(śô)ra-śattru-mathanô dushṭh(shṭ)-
âśva-
28 [--] balî ||(|) bhaktyâ ch=âsuhṛidâñ=cha bândhava-samô dharmm-ârttba-
kâm-ôditah || Prajñâ-śauryya-kul-ôdgatô diśi-
29 [diśi] prakkhyâta-vîryyô vaśî (|) puttrê Vishṇubhatê tathâ Haribhatê
sambaddha-vaṁśa-kriyaḥ ||(|) êta-
¹ The final long î of kâminî is shortened for the sake of the metre.
² Read sainya. ³ See page 73 above, note 1.
⁴ Read saumyêshv=aśîta; which, however, entails another violation of the metre, since aśîta, 'the eightieth,' gives us an amphibrach where an antibacch is required.—We might satisfy the requirements of the metre by reading saumyê=shṭ-âśîta, which would give the 'eighty-eighth (year).' But this would also give us a locative singular, saumyê, where the locative plural, saumyêshu, is required in apposition with śatêshu.
⁵ Read ôdapana, or ôdupâna. ⁶ Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita; and in the next verse.
L 2.

76 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
30 [t=pâpa]-path-âvarôdhî vipula-śrî-vallabhê(bhai)r=âtmajaiḥ ||[|] Vishṇô[ḥ*]
sthânam=akârayad=bhagava-
31 'taś=śrî]mân=Mayûrâkshakaḥ || Kailâsa¹-tuṅga-śikhara-ppratimasya yassya
dṛishṭv=âkri(kṛi)tiṁ pra-
32 [muditai]r=vvadan-âravindi(ndai)ḥ ||[|] vidyâdharâḥ ppriyatamâ-sahitâḥ su-
śôbham=âdarśi(rśa)-bimba-
33 [m=iva] yânty=avalôkayantaḥ || · Yân²=dṛishṭvâ sura-sundarî-kara-tala-
vyâghṛishṭa-prishṭha-kshaṇam ||[|] prattyâ
34 [vartta]na-śaṅkinô ratha-hayân=âkri(kṛi)shya chañchat-saṭân ||[|] puṇy-ôdarka-
mati-prabhâva-munibhis=saṁ
35 [stû]yamânô=mbarê (||) saṁrajy=âñjali-kuṭṭalan³=nata-śirâ bhîtaḥ prayâtty=
aṁśumân || Mâtṛi(tṝ)ṇâñ⁴=cha
36 [pramu]dita-ghan-âtyarttha-nihrâdinînâm ||[|] tântr-ôdbhûta-prabala-pavan-ôd-
varttit-âmbhônidhinâm ||[|]
37 ── ── ── ◡ ◡]gatam=idaṁ ḍâkinî-saṁprakîrṇṇam ||[|] vêśm=âtyuggraṁ
nṛipati-sachivô=kârayat=puṇya-hêtôḥ || Pâtâlê⁵ [◡ ◡ ─]
38 [◡ ─ ◡]ratibhir=gguptaṁ bhujaṅg-ô[pa*]maiḥ ||[|] śita-svâdu-viśuddha-bhûri-
salilaṁ sôpâni(na)-mâl-ôj[j*]valam ||[|] da(?)[─ ─ ◡ ◡]
39 [─ ◡ ─ ◡]gahanaṁ kshîrôdadhi-sparddhinam ||[|] kûpañ=ch=ainam=akârayad=
guṇa-nidhiḥ śrîmân=Mayûrâkshakaḥ || Yâvach⁶=ch[─ ─ ◡ ◡ ◡]
40 [◡ ◡ ─] sâgarâ ratnavantô nânâ-gulma-druma-vanavatî yâvad=urvvî sa-
śai(?)lâ ||[|] yâvach=ch=êndur=ggraha-gaṇa-chitaṁ vyôma bha[sika]-
41 [rôti tâ]vat=kîrttir=bbhavatu vipulâ śrî-Mayûrâkshakasy=êditi⁷ Siddhir=
astu [||*]
TRANSLATION.
.................................................... the arm of (the god) Vishṇu ;
......................... the serpentine movements of the trunk of (Airâvata) the
elephant of (Indra) the lord of the gods ...................................!
(Line 2.)—Born in a lineage of rulers of the earth who were possessed of renowned
prowess and fame ................................................................
beautiful ............ there was the illustrious king Naravarman, the famous one ;—
who pleased the gods with sacrifices, the saints with observances of a noble nature .....
.................................................. (his) servants with honourable
treatment that was unequalled in the world, and the whole earth with excellent achieve-
ments ;—[who] ............ the appliances of elephants and horses ...............
......... in [battle-fields] which were full of the rays of (his) sword ; (and whose)
enemies, losing the power of motion through fear, are destroyed (by simply) seeing his face
in the van of war.
(L. 5.)—[His son⁸] ........................ magnanimous ; equal to Brihaspati in
intellect ; possessed of a countenance like the full-moon ; the standard of comparison, as it
¹ Metre, vasantatilaka.
² Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita.
³ Read saṁkuchy=âñjali-kuṭmalan
⁴ Metre, Mandâkrântâ.
⁵ Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita.
⁶ Metre, Mandâkrântâ.
⁷ The composer, or the writer, seems to have become confused here between Mayûrâkshakasy=
êti, which is the correct reading, and Mayûrâkshakasya syâd=iti.
⁸ Or possibly "[his younger brother]" ; see page 74 above, note 4.

Here is the complete transcription of the page, including the plate headings, the text of the Gangdhar Stone Inscription of Viśvavarman (Vikrama / Mālava Year 480 = 423–424 CE; Fleet No. 17, Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. III, Plate X), and the accompanying epigraphical apparatus.

Plate Headings & Metadata

Vol. III
Plate X
CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM.
Gangdhar Inscription of Visvavarman — The Year 480

Sanskrit Text of the Inscription (Fleet No. 17)

(Metres: vv. 1–3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14–16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33, 34, 38–41, Śārdūlavikrīḍita; vv. 4, 7, 9, 12, 17, 18, 20, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35–37, Vasantatilakā; v. 5, Sragdharā; vv. 13, 19, 22, Mālinī)

[१] [सिद्धम् ॥] [य]स्य [स्मृ]ति-[मा]त्रे[ण . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[२] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[३] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[४] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[५] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[६] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[७] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[८] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[९] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[१०] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[११] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[१२] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[१३] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[१४] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[१५] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[१६] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[१७] [यात]ष्व् अतीतेषु कृतेषु पक्षे त्रि[षु चापि मासि] कार्तिक-[शुक्लस्य]
[१८] त्रयोदशी-दिने विहित-शुभ-कर्मणि ।
[१९] यातेषु चतुर्षु वर्ष-शतेषु व्यधिकेषु चाशीतौ
[२०] [गतेषु सम्वत्सर-गणे]षु मालवानां गणाश्रिते ।
[२१] तस्याभूत् सचिवो विपुल-मतिरमात्य-मुख्यः
[२२] मयूरक्षकाख्यः सतत-विहित-पुण्य-क्रिया-विशुद्ध-धीः ।
[२३] विष्णु-स्थानं कारितमनेन सुविशालं कैलास-शिखराकारम्
[२४] जगति विख्यातं परम-भक्त्या भगवतो विष्णोः ॥
[२५] मातृणां च प्रमुदित-घनोद्भूत-डाकिनी-सम्प्रकीर्णम्
[२६] वेइमात्युग्रं डाकिनी-सम्प्रकीर्णोदित-घोर-नादम् ।
[२७] तन्त्रोद्भूत-तन्त्र-विधि-युक्तं कारितमनेन
[२८] लोक-रक्षार्थं धर्म-कीर्ति-प्रवर्धनम् ॥
[२९] तथा च कूपः कारितो ऽनेन महा-सलिलाशयः
[३०] पुण्य-यश-विवृद्धये सर्व-सत्त्व-हितैषिणा ॥
[३१] यावत्-सूर्य-शशाङ्कौ दिवि भातो यावद्-वसुन्धरा
[३२] तावत्-कीर्ति-प्रसाद-कर्मेदं तिष्ठतु शाश्वतम् ॥
[३३] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[३४] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[३५] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[३६] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[३७] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[३८] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[३९] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[४०] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
[४१] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

Bottom Margin Labels

J. F. FLEET, BO. C.S.
SCALE .28
W. GRIGGS, PHOTO-LITH.

Historical and Epigraphical Summary

• Find-spot: Gangdhār (गंगधार), Jhalawar district, Rajasthan.
• Dynasty / King: Aulikara dynasty of Western Malwa; King Viśvavarman (Śrī-Viśvavarman), son of King Naravarman.
• Date: Mālava / Kṛta / Vikrama Samvat 480 (यातेषु चतुर्षु वर्षशतेषु व्यधिकेषु चाशीतौ = 480 expired), month of Kārttika, bright fortnight, 13th day (śukla trayodaśī) = c. October/November 423 CE.
• Sponsor / Officer: King Viśvavarman's prime minister, Mayūrākṣaka (Mayūrākṣa).
• Purport:
  1. Erection of an imposing temple of Viṣṇu resembling the peak of Mount Kailāsa.
  2. Construction of an esoteric shrine/temple dedicated to the Mātṛs (Divine Mothers / Sapta Mātṛkās), accompanied by Ḍākinīs and constructed according to Tantric rites (Tantrodbhūta / Tantra-vidhi). This is historically one of the earliest epigraphical mentions of Tantra and Ḍākinīs in ancient India.
  3. Excavation of a deep well (vāpī) with abundant water for public welfare and merit.

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 17, PLATE X. 77
were, for (even) Râma and Bhagîratha; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . on the earth,
(was) Viśvavarman;—who surpassed (the mountain) Mêru in firmness, Vainya in here-
ditary virtue, the moon in development of lustre, (the god) Vishṇu in strength, and the
most unendurable fire of universal destruction in brilliance, and (Indra) the lord of the
gods in prowess;—who, when he grasps (his) weapon, cannot be gazed upon even
for a moment by (his) enemies, whose eyes are blinded by fear, just like a sun, which,
turning back upon (its) course, has an unendurable form and a brilliant and terrible lustre
that is heightened by rising in a cloudless sky;—to whom obeisance is performed by the
waterlilies which are the faces of the lovely women of (his) enemies, frightened before-
hand by (hearing of) the prowess of (his) strength, (and now) destitute of ornaments,
moist on the cheeks with the water of the tears that cling there, (and) deprived of beauty by
having their wearing of adornments stopped;—whose forces, moreover, have reverence done
to them by [the oceans], the palmyra-trees on the shores of which are beautified by the
lustre of the production of jewels (from the waters); the rows of the foam on which are
broken through by the terrified sharks and marine monsters; (and) all of whose hands,
which are their waves, are shaken about by a fierce wind;—at the time of the journeying
forth of whose army, the earth has (its) thickets emptied of the beasts and birds which
flee away from fear of the lances that uproot the trees and make the mountains tremble,
and, having (its) highways made uneven by protuberances, sinks down as it were (under
the tread of his troops);—whose reputation has respect paid to it in a reverential manner
in the sky by the Vidyâdharas, bound in the fetters of the arms of (their) mistresses, who
are blinded by the radiance, directed towards (them), of the rays of the jewels in (his)
diadem, (and) the upper parts of whose cheeks are shaded by the lifting up of (their)
joined hands in the act of respectful salutation;—and who, even when he was still in early
youth, nourished (his) pure intellect by following the sacred writings, and now effects the
protection of the world like Bharata, pointing out, as it were, the path of the true religion
among kings. While he, the king, the bravest among kings, is governing the earth, just
as (Indra) the lord of the gods, of unmeasured majesty, (governs) the heavens, there is
never any one [among mankind] who delights in wickedness, [or] is beset by misfortune, or
is destitute of happiness
(L. 19.)—And when four hundred fully-complete auspicious years,¹ together with the
eightieth (year), had here gone by; on the bright thirteenth day of the month Kârttika
which brings happiness to the thoughts of all mankind;—in the season² which abounds
with waters that are of a reddish-brown colour with the pollen that is discharged from the
blue waterlilies; when the skirts of the groves are radiant with the flowers of the bandhûka³
and bâṇa⁴-trees; when there is the time of the awakening from sleep of (the god)
Madhusûdana;⁵ (and) when the stars are as pure as a bed of waterlilies in full bloom;—
(L. 22.)—He who has adorned (this) city on the banks of the Gargarâ with irrigation
wells, tanks, and temples and halls of the gods, drinking-wells, and pleasure-gardens of

¹ See page 73 above, note 1; and page 75, note 4.
² i.e. Śarad, the autumn, consisting of the two months Âśvayuja (September-October) and Kârt-
tika (October-November).
³ bandhûka; 'a shrub bearing a red flower; Pentapetes Phœnicea; Terminalia Tomentosa.'
⁴ bâṇa; 'the blue-flowering Barleria.'
⁵ Vishṇu, who sleeps during the four months of the rainy season. His slumber commences on
the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of the month Âshâḍha (June-July), and ends on the eleventh
day of the bright fortnight of Kârttika (October-November).

78 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
various kinds, and causeways, and long pools, just as if (he were adorning his own) beloved
wife with different sorts of ornaments ; he who is, as it were, the third eye of the king ; who
is of noble behaviour ; who is devoted to gods, Brâhmans, spiritual preceptors, relations,
and holy men ; and who, (by nature) not free from partiality (for this particular virtue),
has (always) applied (his) thoughts to courteous behaviour, destitute of litigation, which
is applauded by the sacred writings ;—he who, having reflected that the life of every man
lasts not for ever and is full of feebleness, and that prosperity is as unstable as a swing, is
displaying, by means of (his) lawfully acquired riches, the most extreme devotion towards
(the god Vishṇu) who bears the discus and the club ;¹—he who has two handsome arms
that are muscular and long and round and pendulous ; who is [marked] with the wounds of
swords ; whose eyes stretch to the tips of (his) ears ; who is possessed of a clear skin like
that of a young woman of tender age ; who destroys (his) enemies when they display
energy through pride ; who is powerful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; who through devo-
tion behaves like a relation towards (his) enemies ; who is experienced in (the combined
pursuit, without mutual conflict, of) religion and wealth and pleasure :—
(L. 28.)—He, the illustrious Mayûrâkshaka,—who is sprung from a family possessed
of wisdom and prowess ; whose heroism is renowned in every region ; who holds himself
under control ; (and) who has accomplished, in his son Vishṇubhaṭa and also Haribhaṭa,
the duty of (continuing his) lineage,—caused to be built by his sons, the favourites of great
good fortune, this shrine of the divine (god) Vishṇu, which blocks up the path of sin,—
seeing the aspect of which, resembling the lofty peak of (the mountain) Kailâsa, the
Vidyâdharas, accompanied by their mistresses, come and gaze into it with happy faces
that are like waterlilies, as if it were the very lustrous surface of a mirror ;—(and) seeing
which (aspect), at the moment when the surface (of the roof) has been polished by the
palms of the hands of the lovely women of the gods, the sun, who in the sky is praised in
chorus by the saints possessed of superhuman power of mind resulting from religious merit,
reins in his chariot-horses with (their) tossing manes, which think (from the reflection)
that they are returning towards (themselves), and, joining (his hands) together (so that
they resemble) an expanding bud in respectful salutation, runs away in fear with bent-down
head.
(L. 35.)—Also, for the sake of religious merit, the counsellor of the king caused to
be built this very terrible abode, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (and) filled full of
female ghouls, of the divine Mothers, who utter loud and tremendous shouts in joy, (and)
who stir up the (very) oceans with the mighty wind rising from the magic rites of their
religion.
(L. 37.)—And the illustrious Mayûrâkshaka, the receptacle of virtuous qualities,
caused to be made this well, which is protected by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in the
lower regions, resembling serpents ; which possesses much water, cool, and sweet, and
pure ; (and) which rivals the ocean.
(L. 39.)—As long as the oceans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . are full of jewels ; as
long as the earth, with (its) mountains, abounds with many thickets and trees and woods ;
and as long as the moon lights up the sky that is inlaid with the host of the planets ;—so
long let the fame of the illustrious Mayûrâkshaka remain abundant ! Let there be
success !
¹ This compound combines two well-known names of Vishṇu,—Chakradhara, and Gadâdhara.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 18, PLATE XI. 79
No. 18; PLATE XI.
MANDASOR STONE INSCRIPTION OF KUMARAGUPTA
AND BANDHUVARMAN.
THE MALAVA YEARS 493 AND 529.
THIS inscription, which I published, for the first time, in 1886, in the Ind. Ant. Vol.
XV. p. 194 ff., was discovered through information given by the late Mr. Arthur
Sulivan, who, in 1879, sent to General Cunningham, from Mandasôr, a hand-copy of the
fragmentary pillar inscription of Yaśôdharman, No. 34 below, Plate xxiC. I saw this
copy in 1883, and, recognising in it the name of Mihirakula, sent my copyists, in March
1884, to take impressions of this fragment and of any other inscriptions that they might
find. In the search made by them, they discovered the present inscription, and also the
entire duplicate copy of the pillar inscription of Yaśôdharman, No. 33 below, Plate xxiB.,
which had escaped the notice of Mr. Sulivan.
**Mandasôr,**¹ or more properly Daśôr, the ancient **Daśapura,**² on the north or left

¹ The 'Mandesar, Mandesor, Mandesur, Mandisore, Mandosar, Mandsaur, Mundesor, and
Mundesoor,' of maps, &c. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 35. Lat. 24° 3' N.; Long. 75° 8' E.
² Daśôr is the name by which, in preference to Mandasôr, the town is habitually spoken of by the
villagers and agriculturists of the locality and neighbourhood, and even as far as Indôr. And in some
bilingual sanads or warrants, of about a century and a half ago, I found this form, Daśôr, used in the
vernacular passages, while the Persian passages of the same documents give the form Mandasôr. So
also, Paṇḍits still habitually use the form Daśapura in their correspondence; a practice with which
we may compare the use, also by Paṇḍits, of Ahipura and Nakhapura for respectively Sampgaum and
Ugargôl in the Belgaum District; except that it is doubtful whether these are original Saṁskṛit names,
or only pedantic Saṁskṛit translations of original vernacular names.—The local explanation of the
name is, that the place was originally a city of the Purâṇic king Daśaratha. But, on this view, the
modern name should be Dasrathôr. The true explanation evidently is that,—just as now the town-
ship includes from twelve to fifteen outlying hamlets or divisions; Khilchîpur, Jankûpurâ, Râmpuriyâ,
Chandrapurâ, Bâlâgañj, &c.,—so, when it was originally constituted, it included exactly ten (daśa)
such hamlets (pura).—As regards the fuller form of Mandasôr, by which alone the town is known
officially and is entered in maps, I cannot at present explain the origin of it. But Dr. Bhagwanlal
Indraji suggested to me that it may perhaps represent Manda-Daśapura, "the distressed or afflicted
Daśapura," in commemoration of the overthrow of the town, and the destruction of the Hindu tem-
ples in it, by the Musalmâns, in memory of which, even to the present day, the Nâgar Brâhmaṇs of
the place will not drink the water there. And, as tending to support this suggestion, I would mention
that one of the Paṇḍits whom I questioned on the spot, gave me Mannadasôr as another form of the
name. Another suggestion, by Mr. F. S. Growse, is that the name combines the two names of Maḍ
and Daśapura; the former of them (see Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. p. 195) being the name of a village, also
called Afzalpur, about eleven miles south-east of Mandasôr, from which, it is said, were brought, from
ruined Hindu temples, the stones that were used in the construction of the Musalmân fort at Manda-
sôr. The true explanation, whatever it may be, would probably be found in the Daśapura-Mâhât-
mya, which is extant, but which I did not succeed in obtaining for examination.—In addition to the
present inscription, the ancient Saṁskṛit name, Daśapura, occurs also in line 2 of an early Nâsik in-
scription of Ushavadâta (Archæol. Surv. West. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 99, and Plate lii. No. 5); and in
another inscription at Mandasôr itself, dated (Vikrama)-Saṁvat 1321 (A.D. 1264-65) Guru(vâra) or
Thursday, the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month Bhâdrapada, which is on a white stone
built into the wall on the left hand inside the inner gate of the eastern entrance of the Fort.—Under
the same name, the place is also mentioned, in connection with Avanti (Ujjain), in the Bṛihat-
Saṁhitâ, xiv. vv. 11-16 (Kern's Translation, Jour. R. As. Soc. N. S. Vol. V. p. 83).

80 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
bank of the river Śiwanâ,¹ is the chief town of the Mandasôr District of Scindia's Domi-
nions in the Western Mâlwa division of Central India. The inscription is on a stone
slab, apparently rather good and dark sand-stone, built into the wall on the right hand
half-way down a small flight of steps leading to the river in front of a mediæval temple of
the god Śiva, under the name of Mahâdêva, at the Mahâdêva-Ghâṭ, which is on the south
bank of the river, just opposite the Fort, and, I think, in the limits of the hamlet of
Chandrapurâ.
The writing covers, except for a margin of about half an inch, the whole front of the
stone, about 2' 7½" broad by 1' 4½" high. It has been a good deal worn away about the
centre of the stone; and also the stone is chipped at several places round the edges; but
only a few letters here and there are really illegible, and these can in each case be easily
supplied.—The average size of the letters is about ⅛". The characters belong to the
southern class of alphabets; but they include two letters borrowed from the northern
alphabets; viz. the separate form of the lingual ḍ, as distinct from the dental d, e.g. in
taḍit, line 6, and chûḍâ, line 17; and also the rare lingual ḍh, e.g. in dṛiḍha, lines 9 and 11.
They give a very good specimen of what may be called the Western Mâlwa alphabet of
the fifth century A.D.—The language is Sanskrit; and, with the exception of the
opening siddham and the concluding words in line 24, the entire inscription is in
verse.—In respect of orthography we have to notice (1) the occasional use of the
jihvâmûlîya and upadhmânîya; e.g. in jagatak=kshaya, line 1; gaṇaik=kham, line 8,
pravisṛitaiḥ=pushṇâti, line 2; and abhitâmraḥ=pâyât, line 3; but not, for instance, in
avabhugnaiḥ kvachit, line 5; paraḥ kṛipaṇê, line 14; rajaḥ-piñjaritaiḥ, line 5; and
pratimânitâḥ pramuditâ, line 9; (2) the occasional doubling of t, dh, and bh, in con-
junction with a following r; e.g. in chittrêṇa, line 12; rôddhra, line 18; and abbhra, line 6;
(3) the same of th and dh, with a following y; e.g. in patthya, line 9; and svâddhyâya,
line 8; and (4) the same of dh, with a following v; e.g. in addhvâdi, line 3.
The inscription refers itself to the reign of a king named Kumâragupta, who, from
the description of him in line 13 as sovereign of the whole earth, can be no other than the
well-known Kumâragupta of the Early Gupta dynasty. Under him, the governor at
Daśapura was Bandhuvarman, the son of Viśvavarman. The inscription belongs
throughout to the solar form of worship. It narrates, in the first place, how a number of
silk-weavers immigrated from the Lâṭa vishaya, or central and southern Gujarât, into
the city of Daśapura; and how some of the band took up other occupations, while those
who adhered to their original pursuit constituted themselves into a separate and flourish-
ing guild. And it then proceeds to record that, while Bandhuvarman was governing at
Daśapura, the guild of silk-weavers built at that city a temple of the Sun, which was
completed when, in words, four hundred and ninety-three years had elapsed, “by (the
reckoning from) the tribal constitution of the Mâlavas,”² and therefore when the four
hundred and ninety-fourth year (A.D. 437-38) was current, on the thirteenth day of the
bright fortnight of the month Sahasya (December-January). Afterwards, under other
kings, part of this temple fell into disrepair. And then it was restored by the same guild,
when, in words, five hundred and twenty-nine years had elapsed, and therefore when
the five hundred and thirtieth year (A.D. 473-74) was current, on the second lunar day
of the bright fortnight of the month Tapasya (February-March). This second date is, of
¹ The ‘Sau, and Seu,’ of maps. ² See the Preface.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 18, PLATE XI. 81
course, the year in which the inscription was actually composed and engraved; since we
are told at the end that it was all composed by Vatsabhaṭṭi, and the engraving throughout
is obviously the work of one and the same hand.
TEXT.¹
1 [Sid]dh[a]m [||] Y[ô² v]ṛit[t*]y-a[r]ttham=upâsyatê sura-gaṇais=siddhaiś=cha
siddhy=artthibhir=ddhyân-aik-âgra-parair=vvidhêya-vishayair=mmôksh-ârtthibhir
=yyôgibhiḥ | bhaktyâ tîvra-tapôdhanaiś=cha munibhiś=śâpa-prasâda-
kshamair=hêtur=yyô jagataḥ=kshay-âbhyudayayôḥ=pâyât=sa vô bhâskaraḥ |(II)
Tat[t*]va-jñâna-vidô=pi yasya na vidur=brahmarsha-
[L

82 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
8 rahasi kucha-śâlinîbhyâṁ Prîti-Ratibhyâṁ Smar-âṅgam=iva || Satya¹-
kshamâ-dama-śama-vrata-śaucha-dhairyya-svâddhyâya-vritta-vinaya-sthiti-bud-
dhy-upêtaiḥ | vidyâ-tapô-nidhibhir=a-smayitaiś=cha viprair=yyad=bhrâjatê
graha-gaṇaiḥ=kham=iva pradîptaiḥ || Atha² samêtya nirantara-saṅgatair=
aharahah-pravijṛimbhita-
9 sauhṛidaḥ [l*] nṛipatibhis=suta-vat=pratim[â]nitâḥ pramuditâ nyavasanta
sukhaṁ purê || Śravaṇa³-[su]bhaga[ṁ] dh[â]nurvvaidya[ṁ] dṛiḍhaṁ
parinishṭhitâḥ sucharita-śat-âsaṅgâḥ=kêchid=vichittra-kathâ-vidaḥ | vinaya-
nibhṛitâs = samyag - dharmma - prasaṅga - parāyaṇāḥ = priyam = a - parushaṁ
pathyaṁ ch=ânyê kshamâ bahu bhâshitum ||
10 Kêchit⁴=sva-karmmaṇy=adhikâs=tath=ânyair=vvijñâyatê jyôtisham=âtmavadbhiḥ |
adyâpi ch=ânyê samara-pragalbhâḥ=kurvvanty=arîṇâm=a-hitaṁ pra-
sahya |(||) Prâjñâ⁵ manôjña-vadhavah prathit-ôru-vaṁśâ vaṁś-ânurûpa-
charit-âbharaṇâs=tath=ânyê | satya-vratâḥ praṇayinâm=upakâra-dakshâ
visrambha-
11 [pûrvva]m=aparê dṛiḍha-sauhṛidâś=cha || Vijita⁶-vishaya-saṅgair=ddharmma-
śîlais=tath=ânyair=m[ri]dubhir=adhika-sat[t*]vair=llôkayâtr-âmaraiś=cha | sva-
kula-tilaka-bhûtair=mukta-râgair=udârair=adhikam=abhivibhâti śrêṇir=êvaṁ-
prakâraiḥ || Târuṇya⁷-kânty-upachitô=pi suvarṇṇahâra-tâmbûla-pushpa-
vidhinâ sama-
12 [laṁkṛi]tô=pi | nârî-janaḥ priyam=upaiti na tâvad=agryâ(śryâ)ṁ yâvan=na
paṭṭamaya-vastra-y[u]gâni dhattê || Sparśa[va]tâ⁸ varṇṇântara-
vibhâga-chittrêṇa nêtra-subhagêna | yais=sakalam=idaṁ kshititalam=alaṁ-
kṛitaṁ paṭṭa-vastrêṇa || Vidyâdharî⁹-ruchira-pallava-karṇṇapûra-vât-êrit-
âsthirataraṁ pravichintya
13 [lô]kaṁ | mânushyam=artha-nichayâṁś=cha tathâ viśâlâṁs=têshâṁ śubhâ
matir=abhûd=achalâ tatas=tu || Chatus¹⁰-samudr-ân[t]a-vilôla-mêkhalâṁ
Sumêru-Kailâsa-bṛihat-payôdharâm | van-ânta-vânta-sphuṭa-pushpa-hâsinîṁ
Kumâraguptê pṛithivîṁ praśâsati || Samâna¹¹-dhîś=Śukra-Bṛihas-
patibhyâṁ lalâma-bhûtô bhuvi
14 pârtthivânâṁ | raṇêshu yaḥ Pârttha-samâna-karmmâ babhûva gôptâ
nṛipa-Viśvavarmmâ || Dîn¹²-ânukampana-paraḥ kṛipaṇ-ârtta-vargga-
sandh[â]-pradô=dhika-dayâlur=anâtha-nâthaḥ | kalpa-drumaḥ praṇayinâm=
abhayaṁ pradaś=cha bhîtasya yô janapadasya cha bandhur=âsît ||
Tasy¹³-âtmajaḥ sthairyya-nay-ôpapannô bandhu-priyô
15 bandhur=iva prajânâṁ | bandhv-artti-harttâ nṛipa-Bandhuvarmmâ dvid-
dṛipta-paksha-kshapaṇ-aika-dakshaḥ || Kântô ¹⁴ yuvâ raṇa-paṭur=vvinay-
ânvitaś=cha râj=âpi sann=upasṛitô na madaiḥ smay-âdyaiḥ | śṛiṅgâra
¹ Metre, Vasantatilaka.                                          ² Metre, Drutavilambita.
³ Metre, Hariṇî.                                                  ⁴ Metre, Indravajrâ.
⁵ Metre, Vasantatilaka.                                          ⁶ Metre, Mâlinî.
⁷ Metre, Vasantatilaka.                                          ⁸ Metre, Âryâ.
⁹ Metre, Vasantatilaka.                                          ¹⁰ Metre, Vaṁśastha.
¹¹ Metre, Upêndravajrâ.                                         ¹² Metre, Vasantatilaka.
¹³ Metre, Indravajrâ.                                            ¹⁴ Metre, Vasantatilaka.

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[Years 493 & 529] [Plate xi]

Mandasor Stone Inscription of Kumāragupta I and Bandhuvarman

(Mālava Years 493 and 529 / A.D. 436 and 473)
(Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. III, No. 18, Plate XI)

Text (Inscriptional Sanskrit in Devanagari)

सिद्धम् [] यो भावयत्यतितरामथ संहरत्युर्वीं धारयत्यपि समस्तमिदं प्रपञ्चम् [।] यश्चात्मनः प्रभवसंयमयोः प्रवृत्तो लोकेश्वरः स जयति स्फुरदंशुमाली [॥ १*] तस्मै प्रणम्य वि-

धिवत्सुकृताय हेतुं दिग्व्यामपि प्रथितमद्भुतविस्तृतार्थम् [।] लाटाह्वयाद्विषयतो बहुवित्तपूर्णायूनां सुरासुरगुरोः प्रथितं यदङ्गैः [॥ २] तारागणाकुलनभःप्रतिमैः शिरोभि-

र्दीप्रैश्च कान्तिभिरनल्पमयं मनोज्ञैः [।] प्रासादमाल्यमभिशोभि मनोभिरामैर्यत्त्रासितं दिवि विमानसहस्ररूपैः [॥ ३] कुसुमभरनतानन्दनानां लताभिर्दिशि दिशि परिशोभी

मण्डपैर्द्वन्द्वभाजाम् [।] जलदविभवमुक्तैर्हर्म्यजालैरजस्रं सुरपतिभवनाभा यस्य साक्षाद्विभाति [॥ ४] कुसुमभरनम्रेषु द्रुमेषु विहगविरुतेषु वापीषु [।*] मत्तद्विरेफ-

भृङ्गाङ्गनाभिरुपगीतेषु विकचकमलोत्पलेषु वनेषु [॥ ५*] मालिन्यमपगतमाशु यत्त्र वापीषु शीतममलं जलमुद्वहन्ती [।*] भाति स्वच्छाङ्गरागवदना वनराजिरुच्चैरुत्फुल्ल-

पद्मरजसा विरजीकृताङ्गी [॥ ६*] तस्यामुदीरितविकत्थनदीप्तभावैरन्योन्यसङ्गमरतोन्मथितप्रहर्षैः [।*] उद्दामदर्पदलिताहितदपिकैश्च संसेविते बहुविधेन विलास-

गेहे [॥ ७*] तस्यां पुरे दशपुरे क्षितिभृद्दिवाप्य मान्ये च पालयति भूमिमभिपन्नकामे [।] गोप्तरि नृपान्वयजे विजितातिवीर्ये श्रीबन्धुवर्मणि यशःप्रथितावदाते [॥ ८]

यस्योदारस्य नृपतेर्गुणैः श्लाघ्यैरनारतम् [।] आक्रान्ताः पृथिवीपालाः प्रणेमुश्चरणद्वये [॥ ९] तस्मिन्नेव क्षितिपतौ कुमारगुप्ते पृथिवीं प्रशासति [।*] तस्यां पुरे दशपुरे

पट्टवायैः कृतं महत् [॥ १०*] देशान्तरादुपगतैर्बहुवित्तपूर्णैर्वित्तैः स्वकैः समुदितैः स्वभुजोपनीतैः [।*] तैः पट्टवायभवनानि कृतानि रम्याण्यादित्यदीप्तिकिरण-

प्रतिमानि नैकैः [॥ ११*] श्रेण्या चकार रुचिरं कृतयत्नपूरैः स्निग्धैर्गभीररचितं सुसमाहितार्थैः [।*] श्रीसूर्यभानुरिह भानुरिवावभासि प्रासादमुन्नतमुदारतरं

व्यधुस्तैः [॥ १२*] शिखरिदशनचारु व्योम विस्तृत्य दीप्रैः स्फुरदंशुजालैः [।] शशिधवलनखाभ्रव्यामलोत्तानहस्तैर्नभसि विरचिताभ्रं भाति कैलासकल्पम् [॥ १३]

शरदमलसुधाधौतं तुङ्गं कैलासगौरम् [।] शिखरमिव नभःस्थं भानोर्भवनमुदारम् [॥ १४] प्रासादं स्फुरितमरीचिजालदीप्रं गगनतलमलं प्रावृषि व्योम-

भासि [।] कैलासाद्रिप्रतिभटमिवोच्चैस्तरां दधानम् [॥ १५] वत्सरशतेषु पञ्चसु व्यतीतेषु त्रिनवत्यधिकेषु [।] मालवगणस्थितेः प्रशस्ते लिखिते कालविधौ प्रवृत्ते [॥ १६]

सहस्यमासस्य शुक्लपक्षे त्रयोदश्याम् [।] प्रतिष्ठापितमेतद्भवनाधिपतेः प्रसादात् [॥ १७] बहुना समतीतेन कालेनान्यैश्च पार्थिवैः [।*] व्यशीर्यतैकदेशो ऽस्य

भवनस्य ततो ऽधुना [॥ १८*] स्वयशोवृद्धये सर्व्वैरुदारमतिभिः पुनः [।] संस्कारितमिदं भूयः श्रेण्या भानुमतो गृहम् [॥ १९] अत्युन्नतमवदातम्

नभो ऽभिलङ्घ्यैव मूर्ध्निरोचिष्णु [।] चन्द्रमयूखैरवदातैः प्रियदर्शनं सर्व्वलोकानाम् [॥ २०] वत्सरशतेषु पञ्चसु व्यतीतेषु षट्त्रिंशदधिकेषु [।*] मालवगण-

स्थितेः प्रशस्ते लिखिते कालविधौ प्रवृत्ते [॥ २१*] तपस्यमासस्य शुक्लपक्षे द्वितीयायाम् [।] पुनः संस्कारितमिदं सूर्यभानोर्गृहं महत् [॥ २२] यावत्स्थास्यति

पृथिवी पर्व्वतनद्यर्णवैः सपरिकरा [।] तावत्प्रासादो ऽयं तिष्ठतु विख्यातो दशपुरे [॥ २३] वत्सभट्टिना रचितमिदं सर्व्वम् [॥ २४*]

सिद्धिरस्तु [*]

Translation Summary

• Lines 1–7: Invocation to the Sun-god (Sūrya), followed by an elaborate poetic description of the town of Daśapura (modern Mandasor), its buildings, lakes, gardens, and flourishing prosperity.
• Lines 7–10: Mention of the local ruler Bandhuvarman, ruling at Daśapura under the sovereign paramount Gupta monarch Kumāragupta I (tasminn-eva kṣitipatau Kumāragupte pṛthivīṁ praśāsati).
• Lines 10–13: The guild of silk-weavers (paṭṭavāya-śreṇī), having migrated from the Lāṭa country, built an excellent and lofty temple dedicated to the Sun.
• Lines 13–14: The temple was originally consecrated in the expired Mālava Year 493 (A.D. 436–37), on the 13th lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Sahasya (Mārgaśīrṣa/Pauṣa).
• Lines 14–17: In course of time, under other kings, part of the temple fell into decay and disrepair. It was thoroughly repaired and restored by the same guild in the expired Mālava Year 529 (A.D. 473–74), on the 2nd day of the bright fortnight of the month Tapasya (Phālguna).
• Lines 17–19: Benediction wishing that the noble temple of the Sun endure as long as the earth, mountains, and oceans exist. Composed by the poet Vatsabhaṭṭi.