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

104 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
22 na nirddahêd¹=Uktañ=cha bhagavatâ param-arshiṇâ vêda-vyâsêna [I*]
Pûrvva²-dattâ[ṁ*]
23 dvijâtibhyô yatnâd=rakshya(ksha) Yudhishṭhiraḥ³ mahî[ṁ*] mah[i*]matâṁ
śrêshṭha dânâch=chhrê-
24 yô=nupâlanaṁ I(II) Bahubhir=vvasudhâ bhuktâ râjabhiḥ Sagar-âdibhiḥ
sa(ya)sya ya-
25 yasya⁴ yadâ bhûmis=tasya [tasya*] tadâ phalan(m) [II*] Sva-
dattâ[ṁ*] para-dattâṁ vâ yô harê-
26 ta vasundharâḥ(m) sa vishṭh[â*]yâ[ṁ*] krimir=bhûtvâ pitrabhi⁵ saha
pachyatê [II*

Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. III, No. 22, Plate XIII

Khoh Copper-Plate Inscription of the Mahārāja Hastin (The Gupta Year 163)

Description & Provenance

• Location: Khoh (near Uchehra / Nagod), Satna District, Madhya Pradesh.
• Dynasty: Parivrājaka Mahārājas of Ucchakalpa/Hastin.
• King: Mahārāja Hastin (son of Dāmodara, grandson of Prabhāñjana, great-grandson of Devāḍhya).
• Date: Gupta-nṛpa-rājya-bhuktau Samvatsara 163 (163 Gupta Era = c. 482–483 CE), Chaitra-māsa śukla-pakṣa tṛtīyā (3rd day of the bright half of Chaitra).

I. Sanskrit Text (Devanāgarī)

First Plate (Plate i)

ॐ नमो महादेवाय ॥ स्वस्ति त्रिषष्ट्युत्तरेऽब्दशते गुप्तनृपराज्यभुक्तौ महा-
राज-हस्तिनः प्रवर्द्धमान-विजय-राज्ये सम्वत्सरे १६३ चैत्र-मास-शुक्ल-
पक्ष-तृतीयायाम् अस्यान्दिवस-पूर्व्वायाम् नृपति-परिव्राजक-कुलोत्पन्नेन
नप्तृ-प्रणप्तृभ्याम् महाराज-देवाढ्य-प्रभाञ्जन-प्रणप्त्रा महाराज-दामोदर-सुतेन
गो-सहस्र-हस्त्य-श्व-हिरण्यानेकाग्रहार-प्रदेन गुरु-पितृ-मातृ-शुश्रूषण-परेण
अनेक-समर-शत-विजयिना स्व-वंशामल-कराम्बुरुहेण समप्रद्वेष-पक्षेण
परम-भागवतेन महाराज-हस्तिना स्व-पुण्याप्यायनाय कोरपार-
क-ग्रामे गोपाल-स्वामि-भव-स्वामि-मातृ-स्वामि-दत्त-स्वामि-भव-नाग-प्रभृति-
नानागोत्र-चरणेभ्यो ब्राह्मणेभ्यो रोहिणी-पुत्राय च गो-सहस्र-प्रदान-
समये पूर्व्व-दत्तक-मर्यादया विहित-प्रसादेन ताम्र-शासनेनातिसृष्टः [। *]
तद् युष्मद्वंशजैस् तावत् कालं प्रतिपालनीयो यावच् चन्द्रादित्य-तारका-
नक्षत्र-ग्रह-नक्षत्र-समकालिकत्वं भवति [। *] यो वास्मात् कुलात् समुत्पन्नो
ऽन्यो वा भूपातिर् लोभात् प्रमादाद् वास्यापहर्त्ता स पञ्चभिर् महापातकैः

Second Plate (Plate ii)

सोपपातकैः संयुक्तः स्यात् [। *] उक्तञ्च भगवता परमर्षिणा वेदव्यासेन
व्यासेन [॥ *] पूर्व्वदत्तां द्विजातिभ्यो यत्नाद् रक्ष युधिष्ठिर [। *] महीं महीमतां श्रेष्ठ
तच्छ्रेयो ह्यनुपालनम् [॥ *] बहुभिर् वसुधा भुक्ता राजभिः सगरादिभिः [। *]
यस्य यस्य यदा भूमिस् तस्य तस्य तदा फलम् [॥ *] षष्टिं वर्ष-सहस्राणि
स्वर्गे मोदति भूमिदः [। *] आच्छेत्ता चानुमन्ता च तान्येव नरके वसेत् [॥ *]
स्वदत्तां परदत्तां वा यो हरेत वसुन्धराम् [। *] स विष्ठायां कृमिर् भूत्वा
पितृभिः सह पच्यते [॥ *] विन्ध्याटवीष्व् अतोयासु शुष्क-कोटर-वासिनः [। *]
कृष्णाहयो हि जायन्ते भूमिदानं हरन्ति ये [॥ *] अग्नेर् अपत्यं प्रथमं
सुवर्णं भूर् वैष्णवी सूर्य-सुताश्च गावः [। *] लोकास् त्रयस् तेन जिता भवन्ति
यः काञ्चनं गाञ्च महीञ्च दद्यात् [॥ *] दूतको ऽत्र महाबलाधिकृत-नागसिंहः [॥ *]
लिखितञ्च भोगिक-सूर्यदत्त-पौत्रेण भोगिक-रवि-पुत्रेण कर्णिक-विष्णुदत्तेनेति [॥ *]
सम्बत् १६३ चैत्र-दि ३ [॥ *]

Seal (Circular/Oval Seal)

नृपति-परिव्राजक-
कुलोत्पन्न-महाराज-
हस्तिनः [॥ *]

II. Roman Transliteration

First Plate (Plate i)

Oṁ namo Mahādevāya || Svasti triṣaṣṭy-uttare-'bda-śate Gupta-nṛpa-rājya-bhuktau mahā-
rāja-Hastinaḥ pravarddhamāna-vijaya-rājye samvatsare 163 Chaitra-māsa-śukla-
pakṣa-tṛtīyāyām asyān-divasa-pūrvvāyām nṛpati-parivrājaka-kul-otpannena
naptṛ-praṇaptṛbhyām mahārāja-Devāḍhya-Prabhañjana-praṇaptrā mahārāja-Dāmodara-sutena
go-sahasra-hasty-aśva-hiraṇy-ānek-āgrahāra-pradena guru-pitṛ-mātṛ-śuśrūṣaṇa-pareṇa
aneka-samara-śata-vijayinā sva-vaṁś-āmala-kar-āmburuheṇa sama-pradveṣa-pakṣeṇa
parama-bhāgavatena mahārāja-Hastinā sva-puṇy-āpyāyanāya Korapāra-
ka-grāme Gopāla-svāmi-Bhava-svāmi-Mātṛ-svāmi-Datta-svāmi-Bhava-nāga-prabhṛti-
nānā-gotra-caraṇebhyo brāhmaṇebhyo Rohiṇī-putrāya ca go-sahasra-pradāna-
samaye pūrvva-dattaka-maryādayā vihita-prasādena tāmra-śāsanen-ātisṛṣṭaḥ [| *]
tad yuṣmad-vaṁśajais tāvat kālaṁ pratipālanīyo yāvac candr-āditya-tārakā-
nakṣatra-graha-nakṣatra-samakālikatvaṁ bhavati [| *] yo v-āsmāt kulāt samutpanno
'nyo vā bhūpatir lobhāt pramādād v-āsy-āpaharttā sa pañcabhir mahāpātakaiḥ

Second Plate (Plate ii)

sopapātakaiḥ saṁyuktaḥ syāt [| *] Uktañ ca bhagavatā paramarṣiṇā Veda-Vyāsena
Vyāsena [|| *] Pūrvva-dattāṁ dvijātibhyo yatnād rakṣa Yudhiṣṭhira [| *] mahīṁ mahīmatāṁ śreṣṭha
tac-chreyo hy anupālanam [|| *] Bahubhir vvasudhā bhuktā rājabhiḥ Sagar-ādibhiḥ [| *]
yasya yasya yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalam [|| *] Ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣa-sahasrāṇi
svarge modati bhūmi-daḥ [| *] ācchettā c-ānumantā ca tāny eva narake vaset [|| *]
Sva-dattāṁ para-dattāṁ vā yo hareta vasundharām [| *] sa viṣṭhāyāṁ kṛmir bhūtvā
pitṛbhiḥ saha pacyate [|| *] Vindhy-āṭavīṣv ato-yāsu śuṣka-koṭara-vāsinaḥ [| *]
kṛṣṇ-āhayo hi jāyante bhūmi-dānaṁ haranti ye [|| *] Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ
suvarṇaṁ bhūr Vvaiṣṇavī sūrya-sutāś ca gāvaḥ [| *] lokās trayas tena jitā bhavanti
yaḥ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca mahīñ ca dadyāt [|| *] Dūtako 'tra mahābalādhikṛta-Nāgasiṁhaḥ [|| *]
Likhitañ ca bhogika-Sūryadatta-pautreṇa bhogika-Ravi-putreṇa karṇika-Viṣṇudatten-eti [|| *]
Sambat 163 Chaitra-di 3 [|| *]

Seal

Nṛpati-parivrājaka-
kul-otpanna-mahārāja-
Hastinaḥ [|| *]

III. Translation

[Lines 1–3]
Om! Reverence to Mahādeva! Hail! In the year one hundred and sixty-three (163) of the enjoyment of sovereignty by the Gupta kings, in the augmenting, victorious reign of the Mahārāja Hastin, in the year 163, on the third lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month Chaitra,—on this lunar day specified as above:—

[Lines 3–10]
By the Mahārāja Hastin, born of the family of kingly ascetics (Nṛpati-parivrājaka), the great-grandson of the Mahārāja Devāḍhya, the grandson of the Mahārāja Prabhañjana, the son of the Mahārāja Dāmodara; who is the donor of thousands of cows, elephants, horses, gold, and many agrahāra grants; who is devoted to ministering to his spiritual preceptors and parents; victorious in many hundreds of battles; a spotless lotus-like hand unto his own race; impartial towards friends and foes; a most devout worshipper of the Bhagavat (Parama-bhāgavata);—for the increase of his own spiritual merit, at the village of Korapāraka, (this land) has been granted by a copper-plate charter to the Brāhmaṇas Gopālasvāmin, Bhavasvāmin, Mātṛsvāmin, Dattasvāmin, Bhavanāga, and others of diverse gotras and caraṇas, and unto the son of Rohiṇī, at the time of making a gift of a thousand cows, according to the customary rules of former grants.

[Lines 11–14]
Therefore, this grant should be maintained and preserved by those born in your lineage as long as the moon, the sun, the planets, and the stars endure. And whatever king born of this family or of another, through avarice or negligence, shall confiscate it, he shall become invested with the five great sins (mahāpātaka) together with the minor sins (upapātaka).

[Lines 14–23]
And it has been said by the venerable supreme sage Vyāsa, the arranger of the Vedas:
"O Yudhiṣṭhira, best of rulers, carefully preserve land previously given to the twice-born; for preserving land is far more meritorious than granting it."
"The earth has been enjoyed by many kings, commencing with Sagara; whoever possesses the land at any time, reaps the fruit thereof at that time."
"The giver of land rejoices in heaven for sixty thousand years; both the confiscator and he who consents to confiscation dwell in hell for the same duration."
"He who takes away land given by himself or by others becomes a worm in excrement and rots together with his ancestors."
"Those who confiscate a grant of land are reborn as black serpents dwelling in dried-up tree-hollows in the waterless tracts of the Vindhya forests."
"Gold is the first offspring of Fire; the Earth belongs to Viṣṇu; and cows are the daughters of the Sun. All three worlds are won by him who gives gold, a cow, and land."

[Lines 23–25]
The Dūtaka (messenger/executor) here is the Mahābalādhikṛta (commander-in-chief) Nāgasiṁha. And this was written by the Karṇika (scribe) Viṣṇudatta, son of the Bhogika Ravi, and grandson of the Bhogika Sūryadatta.
The Year 163, the 3rd day of Chaitra.

[Seal]
(Of) the Mahārāja Hastin, descended from the family of the royal ascetics (Nṛpati-parivrājaka).

The provided image is completely blank (solid white with no visible text, inscriptions, or markings). Please provide an image that contains the page or inscription text to transcribe.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 22, PLATE XIII. 105
uparikara, and (with the privilege that it is) not to be entered by the irregular or regular
troops, to (certain) Brâhmaṇs, commencing with Dêvasvâmin, the son of Agnisvâmin, of
the Bharadvâja gôtra (and) a student of the Vâjasanêya (śâkhâ), and Śarvasvâmin, (and)
Gôrisvâmin,—Divâkarasvâmin, of the Kautsa gôtra, a student of the Vâjasanêya (śâkhâ),
(and) Svâtisvâmin,—Varuṇaśarman, of the Bhârgava gôtra, a student of the Vâjasanêya
(śâkhâ), (and) Bappasvâmin,—Kumâradêva, of the Vâsula gôtra, a student of the Kaṭha
(śâkhâ),—(and) Mâtṛiśarman, a student of the Vâjasanêya (śâkhâ), (and) Nâgaśar-
man, Rukharadêva, Kaudravadêva, Vishṇudêva, Dêvanâga, Kumârasêna, Rudraśarman,
Dêvadâṅgiras (?), Lambôshṭha, Dêvamitra (?), Mahadêva, (and) Guṇṭhaka.
(L. 17.)—The boundaries of it (are),—on the east, (the boundary-trench or village
called) Kôrparagartâ; on the north, Animuktakaśôṇaka, (and) a vṛika-tree¹ in the centre
of Valaka on the south side of the village of Vaṅgara, (and) a clump² of amrâta-trees;³
on the west, (the tank or village called) Nâgasarî; (and) on the south, the parichchhêda⁴
of Balavarman.
(L. 19.)—Therefore, even in future times, no obstacle (to the enjoyment of this
grant) is to be caused by those who are born in Our family, or by my feudatories. This
injunction having been given, he who behaves otherwise,—him I will consume with a
great contempt, even when I have passed into another body.
(L. 22.)—And it has been said by the venerable supreme sage, the arranger of the
Vêdas,—“O Yudhishṭhira, best of kings, carefully preserve land that has previously been
given to the twice-born; (verily) the preservation (of a grant) (is) more meritorious than
making a grant! The earth has been enjoyed by many kings, commencing with Sagara;
whosoever at any time possesses the earth, to him belongs, at that time, the reward (of
this grant that is now made, if he continue it)! He becomes a worm in ordure, and is
tormented together with his ancestors, who confiscates land that has been given, whether
by himself, or by another! The giver of land enjoys happiness in heaven for sixty thou-
sand years; (but) the confiscator (of a grant), and he who assents (to an act of confisca-
tion), shall dwell for the same number of years in hell!”
(L. 28.)—And (this charter) has been written by the Mahâsâṁdhivigrahika⁵
Sûryadatta; the great-grandson of the Amâtya Vakra; the grandson of the Bhôgika
Naradatta; (and) the son of the Bhôgika Ravidatta. Bhagraha⁶ (is) the Dûtaka.
¹ vṛika; the Sesbana Grandiflora.
² Or,—if we keep the original reading of saṁtâraka,—‘the ferry (at the place) of the amrâta-
trees.’
³ amrâta; the hog-plum, Spondias Mangifera.
⁴ parichchhêda; lit. ‘division, separation,’ is a technical territorial term, the exact purport of
which cannot be at present suggested.
⁵ Mahâsâṁdhivigrahika, lit. ‘a great officer entrusted with the arrangement of peace and
war,’ is a technical official title denoting an official superior to the Sâṁdhivigrahikas (see page 16
above, note 6). Another of his titles was Mahâsaṁdhivigrahâdhikârâdhipati; e.g. in line 18-19
of the grant of Gôvinda III. of Śaka-Samvat 726 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XI. p. 127.)
⁶ See page 100 above, note 4.
P A

106 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.

No. 23; PLATE XIV.

MAJHGAWAM COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF THE

MAHARAJA HASTIN.

THE YEAR 191.

THIS inscription,—which was first brought to notice by General Cunningham, in 1879,
in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. IX. pp. 7 and 13 f., No. 5, where he published a trans-
lation of it, with a lithograph of the two passages containing the date (id. Plate iv. No. 5),
—is on some copper-plates that were discovered in 1870, in ploughing a field at the
village of Majhgawâm,¹ about three miles towards the south-west from Uchaharâ, the
capital of the Nâgaudh State in the Bâghêlkhaṇḍ division of Central India. I obtained
the original plates, for examination, from the possession of the Râjâ of Nâgaudh, through
the kindness of Major D. W. K. Barr, Political Agent, Satnâ.
The plates, which are inscribed on one side only, are two in number, each measuring
about 8⅛" by 5⅞". They are quite smooth, the edges being neither fashioned thicker nor
raised into rims. Except, however, for the small piece broken away at the beginning of
the second plate, the inscription is in a stote of perfect preservation throughout. The
plates are not very thick; and the letters, which are rather deeply engraved, shew through
on the backs of them. The engraving is very good, but, as usual, the interiors of many
of the letters shew marks of the working of the engraver's tool.—In the upper part of each
plate, there is a hole for a ring, with a seal attached to it. The ring and seal are not
now forthcoming; but fortunately General Cunningham had preserved a pencil-rubbing of
the seal, from which I have been able to give a lithograph. It represents a pointed oval
seal, about 2⅛" by 1", with the legend Śrîr-mmahd²râja-Hastinah, "of the illustrious
Mahârâja Hastin."—The weight of the two plates is 1 lb. 14 oz.—The average size of the
letters is between ⅛" and ¼". The characters belong to the northern class of alpha-
bets, and are of the peculiar 'nail-headed' type, on which I have commented at page 19
above; thus giving another variety, with northern characteristics, of the Central India
alphabet of the period. They include the very rare initial au, in aupamanyava, line 8.
In kuryât, line 12, and sûryadatta, line 19, we have further illustrations of the first
method of writing r in combination with a following y, on which I have commented at
page 94 above. In chhrêyô, line 14, yô, line 16, apânîyêshu, line 17, and yê, line 18,
we have a form of y, differing from the form used throughout the rest of this inscription,
e.g. in dêvâya, line 1, and tritîyâyâm, line 2. It belongs properly to a somewhat later
development of the northern alphabet, as used in formal official records; and we find it, for
instance, throughout the Bôdh-Gayâ inscription of Mahânâman, of the year 269, No. 71
below, Plate xliA., but it is perhaps indicative of the current form of the letter in this
period.³ The characters also include, in lines 20 and 21, forms of the numerical

¹ This name, given in maps, &c., as 'Majgama, Majgowa, Majhgawan, Mugjowan, Mujgoah,
Mujgowan, and Munjgowa,' is a very common one in that part of the country. The present village
should be in the Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 89; but it is not entered there, unless 'Moghanî' (Lat.
24° 22' N.; Long. 80° 47' E.) is intended for it.
² Read śrî-mahâ.
³ To quote another early instance, the same form occurs also in vijaya, in line 1 of the 'Kondakur
grant of the Pallava prince Vijayabuddhavarman (Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p. 101 and Plate); but the cor-

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 23, PLATE XIV. 107
symbols for 1, 3, 90, and 100.—The language is Sanskrit; and, except for the bene-
dictive and imprecatory verses in lines 13 to 18, the entire inscription is in prose.—In
respect of orthography, we have to notice (1) the use of the guttural nasal, instead of
the anusvâra, before h, in siṅha, line 20; (2) the doubling of k, g, and t, in conjunc-
tion with a following r, in vakkrâ, line 18; viggrahika, line 19; and chaittra, line 2,
and pittrôr, line 7; but not in other places, e.g. in sagôtrêbhyaś, line 8; (3) the doubling
of dh, in conjunction with a following y, in avaddhyânêna, line 12; (4) the occasional
use of b for v, in sambatsara, line 2 (twice), and sambat, line 20; and (5) the occasional
use of v for b, in vrâhmaṇa, line 5, and vahubhir, line 14.
The inscription is one of the Parivrâjaka Mahârâja Hastin. It is dated, both in
words and in numerical symbols, "in the enjoyment of sovereignty by the Gupta kings,"
in the year one hundred and ninety-one (A.D. 510-11), in the Mahâ-Chaitra saṁvat-
sara, and on the third lunar day of the dark fortnight, and the third solar day of the
whole month, of Mâgha (January-February).¹ Except for the opening invocation of the
god Śiva, under the name of Mahâdêva, the inscription is non-sectarian The object of
it is to record the grant, by the Mahârâja Hastin, at the request of a certain person
named Mahâdêvidêva, of the village of Vâlugarta to certain Brâhmaṇs.
*TEXT.²
First Plate.
1 Namô Mahâdêvâya || Svasty=Êka-navaty-uttarê=bda-śatê Gupta-nṛpa-
râjya-bhuktau śrîmati pravarddhamâna³-
2 Mahâ-Chaittra-samba(mva)tsarê Mâgha-mâsa-bahula-paksha-tṛitîyâyâm=asyâ[ṁ]
samba(mva)tsara-mâsa-divasa-pûrvvâ-
3 yâṁ⁴ [|] Nṛipatiparivrâjaka-kul-ôtpannêna mahârâja-Dêvâḍhya-pranaptrâ
mahârâja-śrî-Prabhañjana-naptrâ mahâ-
4 râja-śrî-Dâmôdara-sutêna gô-sahasra-hasty-aśva-hiraṇy-ânêka-bhûmi-pradêna
guru-pitṛi-mâtṛi-pûjâ-
5 tatparêṇ=âtyanta-dêva-vrâ(brâ)hmaṇa-bhaktên=ânêka-samara-śata-vijayinâ sva-
vaṁś-âmôdakarêṇa mahâ-
6 râja-śrî-Hastinâ Mahâdêvidêva-sukha-vijñaptyâ Vâlugarttô nâma grâmaḥ
pûrvv-âghâṭa-parichchhêda-ma-
7 ryâdayâ s-ôdraṅgaḥ s-ôparikarô=ch[a]ṭa-bhaṭa-prâvêśyaḥ mâtâpittrôr=
âtmanaś=cha puṇy-âbhivṛiddhayê Mahâdê-

rect ancient form of the letter is used throughout the rest of this inscription also, e.g. in yuva, line 2, and vijaya, line 3.
¹ The double record of this date is of considerable importance. In line 2, the day is distinctly specified as the third lunar day of the dark fortnight; while, in line 21, in numerical symbols, it is shewn as the third day of the month, without any specification of the fortnight. So, again, in No. 25 below, page 114 f., the thirteenth lunar day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra (line 2 f.), is shewn in line 24 as the twenty-ninth solar day of the whole month. The four entries together prove that, as might be expected in the case of an era belonging to Northern India, the arrangement of the fort-nights of the months of the Gupta year followed the northern custom, with the dark fortnight preceding the bright.
² From the original plates.
³ The vowel ô, of nô, appears to have been engraved and then cancelled here. In Plate xvB, l. 2, the reading is as I transcribe it here.
⁴ Supply tithau.
P 2.

108 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
8 vidêva-sukhaṁ cha svargga-sôpâna-paṅktim=ârôpayatâ Aupamanyava-
sagôtrêbhyaś=Chhandôga-Kauthuma-
9 sabrahmachâribhyô=mibhya¹ brâhmaṇêbhyaḥ Gôvindasvâmi- । Gômika²-
svâmi-Dêvasvâmibhyaḥ putra-pau-
10 tr-ânvay-ôpabhôgyas=tâmra-śâsanên=âgrâhârô=tisṛishṭaḥ chaura-varjjam [I*] Tad=
asmat-kul-ôtthair=mmat-pâda-
11 piṇḍ-ôpajîvibhir=vvâ kâl-ântarêshv=api na vyâghâtaḥ karaṇîyaḥ [I*]
êvam=âjñâptê³ , yô=nyathâ
12 kuryât=tam=ahaṁ dêhântara-gatô=pi mahat=âvaddhyânêna nirddahêyam=
Uktaṁ cha bhagavatâ parama-
Second Plate.
13 [r]sh[i]ṇâ vêda-vyâsêna Vyâsêna ॥(I) Pûrvva⁴-dattâṁ dvijâtibhyô yatnâd=
raksha Yudhishṭhira mahî[m*]
14 mahimatâṁ śrêshṭha dânâch=chhrêyô=nupâlanaṁ ।(॥) Va(ba)hubhir=
vvasudhâ bhuktâ râjabhiḥ Sagar-âdibhiḥ ya-
15 sya yasya yadâ bhûmis=tasya tasya tadâ phalaṁ [II*] Shashṭiṁ
varsha-sahasr[â*]ṇi svarggê môdati bhûmi-daḥ
16 âkshêptâ ch=ânumantâ cha tâny=êva narakê vasêt [II*] Sva-dattâṁ
para-dattâṁ=bâ(vâ) yô harêta vasundharâm
17 sa vishṭhâyâṁ kkrimir=bhûtvâ pitṛibhiḥ saha majjatê [II*]
A-pânîyêshv=araṇyêshu śushka-kôṭara-vâsinaḥ
18 kṛishṇ-âhayô=bhijâyantê pûrvva-dâyaṁ haranti yê ॥ Likhitaṁ⁵ cha
Vakkr-âmâtya-pranaptṛi-naptṛâ⁶
19 bhôgika-Naradatta-pranaptrâ Ravidatta-naptrâ Sûryadatta-puttrêṇa mahâ-
sândhivigrahika-
20 Vibhudattên=êti [I*] Mahâva(ba)lâdhikṛita-Nâgasiṁhô dûtakaḥ [II*]
Saṁba(mva)t 100 90 1
21 Mâgha di 3 [II*]
TRANSLATION.
Reverence to (the god) Mahâdêva ! Hail ! In a century of years, increased by ninety-
one ; in the enjoyment of sovereignty by the Gupta kings; in the prosperous augment-
ing Mahâ-Chaitra saṁvatsara ; on the third lunar day of the dark fortnight of the month
Mâgha,—on this (lunar day), (specified) as above by the saṁvatsara and month and
day,⁷—
¹ Read mîbhyô.
² Read gôvindasvâmi-gômika.
³ Read âjñaptê, or âjñâpitê.
⁴ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh); and in the following four verses.
⁵ Supply śâsanam.
⁶ This must be a mistake for either naptṛi-naptṛâ, or pranaptṛi-putrêṇa ; since, as the text
stands, it passes over the generation between Vakra and Naradatta.
⁷ See page 97 above, note 1.

CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM

Vol. III. — Plate xiv

Majhgawam Plates of the Maharaja Hastin.—The Year 191.

Seal

**** महाराजहस्तिनः [॥]
(Mahārāja-Hastinaḥ)

First Plate (Plate i)

ॐ स्वस्ति [।] नमो महादेवाय ॥ स्वस्ति नृपभुक्तौ गुप्तराज्ये संवत्सरशते एकनवतित्तरे
महामाघे संवत्सरे कार्त्तिकमासबहुलपक्षेतृतीयायाम् [।] अस्यां संवत्सरमास-
दिवसपूर्व्वायाम् नृपतिपरम्पराभ्यागतराज्येन गोसहस्रहस्त्यश्वरथसुवर्ण्ण-
प्रदस्यानेकसमरशतविजयिनः प्रवृत्तधर्म्मक्रियाकवचस्यात्यन्त-
भगवद्भक्तस्य महात्मनः श्रीमहाराजदेवनाथप्रपौत्रेण स्ववंशामल-
विभूषणस्य श्रीमहाराजप्रभञ्जनपौत्रेण श्रीमहाराजदामोदरपुत्रेण
गोगजवाजिशतसहस्रप्रदेन नित्यपुण्याभिरतेन मातापितृपादशुश्रूषणरतेन
परमभागवतेनात्यन्तदेवद्विजगुरुयतिपूजातत्परेण विविधविचित्रधर्म्मोपचीयमानशुभचरितस्य प्रथितयश-
सो नृपतेर्व्वंशकृतः श्रीमहाराजहस्तिना [।*] एतेषां ब्राह्मणानां गोत्राणां
वाजिवाजसनेयशाखाचरणवत्सभारद्वाजसगोत्रायैव काण्वगोत्रब्राह्मणच-
रणायैवं वात्स्यायैवं वैय्याघ्रपद्यायैवं शाण्डिल्यायैवं वाभ्रवायैवं कौत्सगोत्रायैवं
कौण्डिन्यसगोत्रायैवमेतेषां ब्राह्मणानां गोत्रचरणाय स्वपुण्याभिवृद्धये दत्तं ग्रामं वासु-

Second Plate (Plate ii)

मण्वरिका [।] तस्याघाटाः पूर्व्वेण कोरपारकसीमा । दक्षिणेण
वराहरिपर्ब्बतशिखरसीमा । पश्चिमेन सिरीषपद्रकसीमा । उत्तरेण
मण्वरिकार्द्धसीमा । एवमयं चतुराघाटविशुद्धो ग्रामोस्योद-
कपूर्व्वेणाग्रहारेणातिसृष्टः सोद्रङ्गः सोपरिकरः अचट-
भटप्रावेश्यः सर्व्वकरत्यागेन सर्व्वविष्टिपरिहारेण च । यत-
स्तदस्मत्कुलप्रसूतेनान्यैर्व्वा न व्याघातो विधेयः ॥ उक्तं च भगवता वेदव्यासेन
व्यासेन [।] पूर्व्वदत्तां द्विजातिभ्यो यत्नाद्रक्ष युधिष्ठिर [।] महीं महिमतां श्रेष्ठ
दानाच्छ्रेयो नुपालनम् [॥] षष्टिं वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गे मोदति भूमिदः [।] आच्छेत्ता
चानुमन्ता च तान्येव नरके वसेत् [॥]

English Translation (Summary)

• Lines 1–2: Om! Hail! Reverence to Mahādeva! Hail! In the enjoyment of sovereignty by the Gupta kings, in a century of years increased by ninety-one (i.e. the year 191), in the Mahā-Māgha samvatsara, on the third tithi of the dark fortnight of the month Kārttika; on this date specified by the year, month, and day;
• Lines 2–9: By the Mahārāja Hastin, great-grandson of the illustrious Mahārāja Devanātha; grandson of the illustrious Mahārāja Prabhañjana; son of the illustrious Mahārāja Dāmodara;—giver of thousands of cows, elephants, horses, chariots, and gold; victorious in many hundreds of battles; a devout worshipper of the Divine One (Bhagavat); intent on honoring gods, Brāhmans, and preceptors; who has augmented his fame and virtue;
• Lines 9–15: For the increase of religious merit, the village of Vāsumanvarikā is granted to Brāhmans of various gotras and śākhās (Vatsa-Bhāradvāja, Kāṇva, Vātsya, Vaiyāghrapadya, Śāṇḍilya, Vābhrava, Kautsa, Kauṇḍinya).
• Boundaries: On the east, the boundary of Korapāraka; on the south, the summit ridge of the Varāhari mountain; on the west, the boundary of Sirīshapadraka; on the north, the boundary of Maṇvarikārdha.
• Lines 15–21: The grant is made an Agrahāra, with udranga and uparikara, free from the entry of royal irregular and regular troops (a-chāṭa-bhaṭa-prāveśya), exempted from all taxes and forced labor (sarva-vishṭi-parihāra). Concluding with the customary benedictive and imprecatory verses ascribed to Vyāsa.

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 23, PLATE XIV. 109
(Line 3.)—By the Mahârâja, the illustrious Hastin,—who is born in the family of a
kingly ascetic;—who is the great-grandson of the Mahârâja Dêvâdhya;—who is the
grandson of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Prabhañjana;—who is the son of the
Mahârâja, the illustrious Dâmôdara;—who is the giver of thousands of cows, and
elephants, and horses, and gold, and many lands;—who is earnest in paying respect to
(his) spiritual preceptor and (his) father and mother;—who is extremely devoted to the
gods and Brâhmaṇs;—who has been victorious in many hundreds of battles;—(and) who
causes the happiness of his own race,—
(L. 6.)—(By him), at the agreeable request of Mahâdêvidêva, the village named
Vâlugarta, in accordance with the usage of the specification of (its) ancient boundaries,
with the udranga and the uparikara, (and with the privilege that it is) not to be entered
by the irregular or the regular troops, is granted as an agrahâra, by a copper-charter,—
for the purpose of increasing the religious merit of (his) parents and of himself, and in
order to erect the steps of a ladder leading to heaven, acceptable to Mahâdêvidêva,—to
these Brâhmaṇs, of the Aupamanyava gôtra, students of the Chhandôga-Kauthuma
(śâkhâ), (viz.) Gôvindasvâmin, Gômikasvâmin, and Dêvasvâmin,—to be enjoyed by
(their) sons and sons' sons, with the exception of (the proceeds of fines imposed on)
thieves.
(L. 10.)—Therefore, even in future times, no obstacle (to the enjoyment of this grant)
is to be caused by those who are born in Our family, or by my feudatories. This
injunction having been given, he who behaves otherwise,—him I will consume with a
great contempt, even when I have passed into another body.
(L. 12.)—And it has been said by the venerable supreme sage, Vyâsa, the arranger
of the Vêdas,—"O Yudhishṭhira, best of kings, carefully preserve land that has previously
been given to the twice-born; (verily) the preservation (of a grant) is more meritorious
than making a grant! The earth has been enjoyed by many kings, commencing with
Sagara; whosoever at any time possesses the earth, to him belongs, at that time, the
reward (of this grant that is now made, if he continue it)! The giver of land enjoys
happiness in heaven for sixty thousand years; (but) the confiscator (of a grant), and he
who assents (to an act of confiscation), shall dwell for the same number of years in hell!
He becomes a worm in ordure, and is tormented together with his ancestors, who
confiscates land that has been given, whether by himself or by another! Those who
confiscate a previous grant, are born (again) as black serpents, inhabiting the dried-up
hollows of trees, in desert places destitute of water!"
(L. 18.)—And (this charter) has been written by the Mahâsâṁdhivigrahika
Vibhudatta, the son¹ of the great-grandson of the Amâtya Vakra; the great-grandson
of the Bhôgika Naradatta; the grandson of Ravidatta; (and) the son of Sûryadatta.
The Mahâbalâdhikṛita² Nâgasiṁha (is) the Dûtaka. The year 100 (and) 90 (and) 1;
(the month) Mâgha; the day 3.
¹ See page 108 above, note 6.
² Mahâbalâdhikṛita, lit. 'a great officer placed at the head of the forces,' is a technical official
title, denoting an officer superior to the Balâdhikṛitas.—The latter title, Balâdhikṛita, occurs in line 2
of the Shâhpur image inscription of Âdityasêna, No. 43 below, Plate xxixA.—A synonym for Mahâ-
balâdhikṛita was Mahâbalâdhyaksha, which occurs in Mr. Bendall's Nêpâl inscription of Harsha-
Saṁvat 34 (Journey in Nêpâl, p. 75, line 17.)

110 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.

No. 24; PLATE XV A.

BHUMARA STONE PILLAR INSCRIPTION OF THE MAHARAJAS HASTIN AND SARVANATHA.

THIS inscription appears to have been discovered by General Cunningham; and was
first brought to notice by him, in 1879, in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. IX. pp. 8 f. and
16, No. 9, where he published his translation of it, accompanied by a lithograph (id. Plate
iv. No. 9.)
Bhumarâ¹ is a village about nine miles to the north-west of Uchaharâ, in the Nâgaudh
State in the Baghêlkhaṇḍ division of Central India. From line 3 of the inscription, the
ancient name of the place seems to have been Âmblôda. The inscription is on one of
the faces of the bottom and rectangular part of a small red-sandstone pillar, popularly
called thâḍî-patthar or "the standing stone," in the lands of this village.
The writing, which covers a space of about 10½" broad by 1' 6¾" high, is in a state
of very fair preservation throughout.—The size of the letters varies from ⅜" to ⅞". The
characters belong to the northern class of alphabets. They include, in line 9, forms of
the numerical symbols² for 9 and 10.—The language is Sanskrit; and the entire in-
scription is in prose.—In respect of orthography, we have to notice (1) the doubling of
t, in conjunction with a following r, in puttra, line 5; (2) the doubling of dh, in conjunction
with a following y, in anuddhyâta, line 2; and (3) the use of b for v, in sambatsarê,
line 8.
The inscription is one of the two Mahârâjas Hastin, of the Parivrâjaka family,
and Śarvanâtha,³ of Uchchakalpa. It is dated, in numerical symbols, on the nine-
teenth day,⁴ without any specification of the fortnight, of the month Kârttika (October-
¹ The ‘Bhomara and Bumra’ of maps. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 70. Lat. 24° 25' N.; Long
80° 41' E.—Gen. Cunningham wrote the name ‘Bhubhara.’ And, at Satnâ, it was given to me as
‘Bhurbhurâ.’ But my office-people brought back the name as either Bumarâ or Bhumarâ, and said that
the villagers do not know of any other form of the name. Of these two forms, Bhumarâ agrees most
closely with the names in the maps, and seems to be the correct one.
² I am a little doubtful about the second symbol, which occurs again in line 24 of No. 25 below,
Plate xvB., and line 14 of No. 71, Plate xliA. But it resembles most a rather straight and upright
form of the symbol for 9. The only other possibilities are 7 or 8.
³ For this Mahârâja, see Nos. 28, 29, 30, and 31 below.
⁴ Other instances will be met with, in the present series, of the number of a day exceeding sixteen,
which is the extreme number in a lunar fortnight, bright or dark. And such instances are still more
common in other inscriptions.—In such cases, whether there is any mention of a lunar fortnight or
not, and also in cases in which the number of the day does not exceed sixteen, and the lunar fortnight
is not mentioned, it is sometimes thought that the reference is to the solar, not the luni-solar, months
and year. But I do not consider that this necessarily follows. At Hulgûr, in the Baṅkâpur Tâlukâ
or Sub-Division of the Dhârwâḍ District, there is an inscription of the Yâdava king Mahâdêva of
Dêvagiri, in which the date (line 15 ff.) is Saka-varshada 1189neya Prabhava-saṁvatsarada Jyêshṭha
ba 30 Budhavâra sûryagrahaṇad-andu, "(the month) Jyêshṭha of the Prabhava saṁvatsara, which is
the 1189th Saka year (A.D. 1267-68); the dark fortnight; (the solar day or lunar tithi) 30 (of the
month); Wednesday; at the time of an eclipse of the sun." And we also have the Kôṭâ inscription
of the Sâmanta Dêvadatta, in which the date (Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 351 f.) runs Saṁvat 800 70 9
Mâgha śu di 20, "the year 800 (and) 70 (and) 9 (A.D. 822-23); (the month) Mâgha; the bright fort-
night; the day 20 (of the month)." Of these, the first is a southern date, according to the arrange-

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; NO. 24, PLATE XVA. 111
November), in the Mahâ-Mâgha samvatsara, without any reference to an era. But the
choice lies only between Gupta-Samvat 189 and 201; and, as we have for the Mahârâja
Hastin the early date of the year 156, in No. 21 above, page 93, the preference is in
favour of the year one hundred and eighty-nine (A. D. 508-9). The inscription is non-
sectarian; the object of it being simply to record the erection, at Âmblôda, of a boundary-
pillar between the territories of the two Mahârâjas in question.
One point of importance in connection with this inscription, is that its existence on
stone furnishes definite evidence that the Parivrâjaka Mahârâjas and the Mahârâjas of
Uchchakalpa really did belong to this part of the country. This is a point on which stone-
inscriptions give testimony of a kind that can never be derived from the mere finding, in a
certain locality, of copper-plates, which, being small and portable, are always liable to be
carried to a considerable distance from the places to which they properly belong,¹ and can
only be applied territorially when the places mentioned in them can be identified.
TEXT.²
1 Svasti Mahâdêva-pâd[â]-
2 nuddhyâtô(ta)-mahârâja-Hasti-
3 râjyê Âmblô³dê mahârâja-
4 Śarvvanâtha-bhôgê Indana-
5 naptrâ Vâsu-grâmika-puttra-
6 Śivadâsêna vala-ya-
7 shṭi uchchhritah⁴ [I*] Mahâ-
Mâghê
8 samba(mva)tsarê Kârttika-
mâsa
9 divasa 10 9 [II*]
TRANSLATION.
Hail! In (the boundary of) the kingdom of the Mahârâja Hastin, who meditates on
the feet of (the god) Mahâdêva; at (the village of) Âmblôda; (and) in (the boundary)
ment by which the bright half of the month comes first; and the second is a northern date, according
to the arrangement by which the dark half comes first. These instances, of course, are exceptional
ones. But they suffice to shew that, both in northern and in southern India, down to comparatively
late times, the numbering of the solar days and lunar tithis of the month up to thirty did occasionally
continue alongside of the more usual reckoning by fortnights, in which the lunar tithis of each fort-
night are denoted by the numbers one to fifteen only, and the solar days by the numbers one to
fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen, as the case may be.
¹ A marked instance of the distances to which copper-plates and seals may travel, is afforded by
the finding of the seal of the Maukhari Śarvavarman, No. 47 below, at Asîrgaḍh in the Nimâḍ District
in the Central Provinces. Its original locality must have been some hundreds of miles to the
east of this.
² From the ink-impression.
³ The engraver seems to have first engraved hlô, or perhaps dhlô, and then corrected it into
mblô.
⁴ Read valaya-yashṭir=uchchhritâ. — As regards the correction of vala into valaya, vala-yashṭi
or bala-yashṭi gives no meaning; whereas the appropriateness of valaya-yashṭi, 'boundary-staff or
pillar,' is apparent. The mistake arose from the omission to repeat, at the beginning of line 7, the
ya at the end of line 6.

112 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
of) the bhôga¹ of the Mahârâja Śarvanâtha,—(this) boundary-pillar has been set up by
Śivadâsa, the grandson of Indana, and the son of the Grâmika² Vâsu;—in the Mahâ-
Mâgha saṁvatsara; the month Kârttika; the day 10 (and) 9.

No. 25; PLATE XV B.

KHÔH COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF THE

MAHARAJA SAMKSHOBHA.

THE YEAR 209.

THIS inscription,—which was first brought to notice by General Cunningham, in 1879,
in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. IX. p. 15, No. 7, where he published a translation of
it, with a lithograph of the two passages containing the date (id. Pl. iv. No. 4),—is
on another set of copper-plates that appear to have been found somewhere in the valley
near the village of Khôh,³ in the Nâgaudh State in the Baghelkhaṇḍ division of Central
India. I obtained the original plates, for examination, from the possession of the Râjâ of
Nâgaudh, through the kindness of Major D. W. K. Barr.
The plates, which are inscribed on one side only, are two in number, the first
measuring about 8⁷/₁₆" by 4⅞", and the second about 8¹/₁₆" by 4⅞". They are quite
smooth, the edges being neither fashioned thicker, nor raised into rims. They have
apparently been subjected to the action of fire; but the inscription is in a state of very
good preservation throughout. The plates are fairly thick; but the letters are deep, and
shew through very distinctly on the backs of them. The engraving is good; but, as usual,
the interiors of the letters shew marks of the working of the engraver's tool.—In the
upper part of each plate, there is a hole for a ring to connect them. The ring is about ¼"
thick and 2¼" in diameter. It had not been cut, when the grant came under my notice;
but one end of it had been forced out of the socket of the seal, so that it could be
separated from the plates. The seal, in the lower part of which the ends of the ring were
originally fused and so secured, is rectangular, about 1⅝" by ⅞". It must have had a
legend, on a countersunk surface; but it is now perfectly illegible, and not worth repro-
ducing by a lithograph. Also, from the shape of the seal, as contrasted with that of
the Khôh grant of the Mahârâja Hastin of the year 191, No. 23 above, Plate xiv.,
and compared with the seal of the Khôh grant of the Mahârâja Śarvanâtha of the
year 193, No. 28 below, Plate xviii., it would seem to be a seal of one of the Mahârâjas
of Uchchakalpa, rather than of one of the Parivrâjaka Mahârâjas.—The weight of
the two plates is 1 lb. 8¼ oz., and of the ring and seal, 6 oz.; total 1 lb. 14¼ oz.—The
average size of the letters is about ³/₁₆". The characters belong to the northern class
of alphabets. They include the somewhat rare initial ô, in ôpâni, line 14. In kuryât, line
17, and in kâryyaḥ, line 16, we have further illustrations of the two methods of forming r,
in combination with a following y, on which I have commented at page 94 above.
The characters also include, in line 24, forms of the numerical symbols⁴ for 9 and 20.

¹ bhôga, lit. 'enjoyment, possession, government,' is a technical territorial term, probably of
much the same purport as the bhukti of other inscriptions.
² Grâmika, 'a villager, the headman of a village,' is a technical official title corresponding to the
modern Kanarese Gauḍa and Marâṭhî Pâṭîl.
³ See page 93 above, and note 3.
⁴ As regards the symbol for 9, see page 110 above, note 2.

Vol. III. CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM. Plate xv
A.—Bhumara Pillar Inscription of the Maharajas Hastin and Sarvanatha.
(Transliteration / Sanskrit Text of Inscription A)
[Line 1] सिद्धम् [॥*] नमो महादेवाय [। *]
[Line 2] श्रीमहाराजहस्तिनः [। ]
[Line 3] श्रीमहाराजशर्व्वनाथस्य च
[Line 4] राज्यार्द्धे सीमाबन्धोयम् [॥]

B.—Khoh Plates of the Maharaja Samkshobha.—The Year 209
First Plate
[Line 1] ओं नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय [॥] स्वस्ति [॥] नवोत्तरेब्दशतद्वये गुप्तनृपराज्यभुक्तौ
[Line 2] महाचैत्रसंवत्सरे चैत्रमासशुक्लपक्षत्रयोदश्याम् अस्यां संवत्सरमासदिवसपूर्व्वायाम्
[Line 3] भारद्वाजसगोत्राय नृपतिपरिव्राजककुलोत्पन्नमहाराजश्रीदेवाढ्यप्रपौत्राय
[Line 4] महाराजश्रीप्रभञ्जनपौत्राय महाराजश्रीदामोदरसुताय श्रीमहान्नागा-
[Line 5] त्मजस्यानेकगोसहस्रहस्त्यश्वहिरण्यानेकदत्तपरममाहेश्वरात्यन्तदेव-
[Line 6] पितृभक्तस्यानेकसमरशतविजयिनो ऽष्टादशाटवीराज्याभ्यन्तरडभाल-
[Line 7] राज्यप्रवर्त्तनस्य महाराजहस्तिनः पुत्रो मातापितृपादानुध्यातः सकल-
[Line 8] भुवनमण्डलोत्पत्तिस्थितिसंहारकारणस्य जगतः प्रसवितुर्भर्तुर्भग-
[Line 9] वतो वासुदेवस्य पादारविन्दप्रवृत्तभक्तिरत्यन्तदेवब्राह्मणभक्तो ऽ-
[Line 10] वारितदानपुण्योपचितविपुलयशो ऽन्वयगुणयुक्तो महाराजश्रीमहा-
[Line 11] संक्षोभः सविज्ञाप्यमस्यैव भारद्वाजसगोत्रस्य नतृ-नप्तृ-परम्पराया-
[Line 12] म् उपरुन्धविषये नवसुच्छन्दके गर्त्तरि उपरिष्टात् पूर्व्वसमुद्र-
Second Plate
[Line 13] सीमायां दक्षिणस्यां दिशि पुण्ड्रक[वाटक]गोष्ठीवरेभ्यः खण्डविशीर्णप्रतिसं-
[Line 14] स्करणाय भगवतश्च पिष्टपुर्याः पूजोपस्थानगन्धधूपदीपनिवेदनाय
[Line 15] च सर्व्वकरचोरदण्डवर्जितम् आचन्द्रार्कार्णवस्थितिपत्रोपभोग्यम् अग्र-
[Line 16] हारं कृत्वा तद्भागेनैव च भगवत्याः पिष्टपुर्य्या देव्याः कारितपुण्य-
[Line 17] कूपवाप्यादि च यश्चापरो मया धर्मार्थं कृतः स चापि पालनीय इति [॥]
[Line 18] उक्तञ्च भगवता व्यासेन [॥] पूर्व्वदत्तां द्विजातिभ्यो यत्नाद्रक्ष युधिष्ठिर [।] महीं
[Line 19] महिमतां श्रेष्ठ दानाच्छ्रेयो ऽनुपालनम् [॥] बहुभिर्व्वसुधा भुक्ता राजभिः सगरा-
[Line 20] दिभिः [।] यस्य यस्य यदा भूमिस्तस्य तस्य तदा फलम् [॥] षष्टिवर्षसह-
[Line 21] स्राणि स्वर्गे मोदति भूमिदः [।] आच्छेत्ता चानुमन्ता च तान्येव नरके वसेत् [॥]
[Line 22] अज्ञानाद्यदि वा मोहात्कुर्यादपहरं नरः [।] स मग्नो नरके घोर ऋषीणामपि
[Line 23] शापतः [॥] स्वदत्तां परदत्तां वा यो हरेत वसुन्धराम् [।] गवां शतसहस्रस्य
[Line 24] हन्तुर्हरति दुष्कृतम् [॥] लिखितं चैतत् सूर्य्यदत्तेन महासान्धिविग्रहि-

J. F. FLEET, BO. C.S. SCALE .66 W. GRIGGS, PHOTO-LITH.

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 25, PLATE XV B. 113
—The language is Sanskrit; and, except for the benedictive and imprecatory verses
in lines 18 to 23, the inscription is in prose throughout. From a linguistic point of
view, we have to notice in kâritaka, line 13, the affix ka, on which I have commented at
page 69 above. — In respect of orthography, we have to notice (1) the use of b for v,
in sambatsara, line 3; and (2) the occasional use of v for b, in avda, line 1; vrâhmaṇa,
line 7; and vahubhiḥ, line 19.
The inscription is one of the Parivrâjaka Mahârâja Saṁkshôbha. It is dated,
in words, “in the enjoyment of sovereignty by the Gupta kings,” in the year two hundred
and nine (A.D. 528-29), in the Mahâ-Aśvayuja saṁvatsara, on the thirteenth lunar day
of the bright fortnight of the month Chaitra (March-April); and at the end, in numerical
symbols, the date is given again as the twenty-ninth solar day, without any specification
of the fortnight, of the same month Chaitra.¹ Judging by the opening invocation of the
god Vishṇu, under the name of Vâsudêva, it is a Vaishṇava inscription. And the object
of it is to record the grant, by the Mahârâja Saṁkshôbha, at the request of a certain
person named Chhôḍugômin, of the village of Ôpâṇi to a temple of the goddess
Pishṭapurî,²—apparently some local form of Lakshmî, the wife of Vishṇu.³
One point of importance in this inscription is, that it mentions the Mahârâja Hastin
as governing the kingdom of Ḍabhâlâ, or possibly Ḍahâlâ, that had come to him by
inheritance, together with all the country included in the eighteen forest kingdoms. I
cannot identify these eighteen forest kingdoms.⁴ But, in Ḍabhâlâ or Ḍahâlâ, we have

¹ On the extreme importance of this double record, see page 107 above, note 1.
² Through his identification of Pishṭapura with the place that he writes ‘Pithaora,’ and which is
entered in maps as ‘Pataora’ and ‘Puttoura,’ nine miles north of Uchchaharâ, Gen. Cunningham (Ar-
chæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. IX. p. 10) identified this goddess Pishṭapurî with the local goddess Paṭainîdêvî
of this ‘Pithaora.’ But this identification will not hold good; if only for the reason that ‘Pithaora’
is in reality Pataurâ, probably from pitṛi-pura, ‘the town of deceased ancestors.’—Pataurâ and
Pitaurâ, in passing, are evidently common names in that part of the country; as the maps shew
‘Patoura,’ ‘Pitoura,’ ‘Patora,’ and ‘Pithoura,’ respectively 29 miles west by a little north, 18 miles
west, 13 miles north-west, and 24 miles north-west, of Uchchaharâ.—Of Pishṭapura we have already
had an earlier mention in line 19 of the Allâhâbâd pillar inscription, No. 1, page 7 above, as the
capital of a king named Mahêndra, who was conquered by Samudragupta, in the dakshiṇâpatha or
‘region of the south.’ And we have another later mention of it, as being conquered by the Western
Chalukya king Pulikêśin II., in line 13 of the Aihoḷe Mêguṭi inscription of Śaka-Saṁvat 556 or A.D.
634-35 (Ind. Ant. Vol. VIII. pp. 242, 245). It is the modern Piṭṭâpuram, the ‘Pithâpur and Pittapooram’
of maps, &c. (Indian Atlas Sheet No. 94; Lat. 17° 6' N., Long. 82° 18' E.), twelve miles north by east
of ‘Coconada’ in the Gôdâvarî District in the Madras Presidency. It is the chief town of a Zamîndârî,
or Estate of the same name; and the remains at it shew that it is a place of considerable antiquity (see
Sewell in Lists of Antiquities, Madras, Vol. I. p. 23 f.)—The Pishṭapurî of this inscription must be
a local form of some more famous and original goddess at Pishṭapura itself. She is mentioned again,
under the slightly different name of Pishṭapurikâdêvî, in line 12 of No. 29 below, Plate xixA., and in
line 11 of No. 31 below, Plate xx.; and the latter passage shews that her local shrine was at a place
named Mânapura, which may perhaps be the modern ‘Manpoor, Manpora, and Mánpur,’ of maps
about forty-seven miles towards the south-east from Uchaharâ.
³ This seems to be shewn (1) by the general Vaishṇava tendency of the present inscription;
and (2) by the fact that,—whereas in the year 177 the village of Dhavashaṇḍikâ was allotted by the
Mahârâja Jayanâtha for the purposes of a temple of the god Vishṇu, under the name of Bhagavat
or the Divine One (No. 27 below, Plate xvii.),—subsequently half of this same village was set
apart, by a grant of the Mahârâja Śarvanâtha, for the purposes of a temple of the goddess Pishṭa-
purikâdêvî (No. 29 below, Plate xixA.)
⁴ See page 13 above, note 7.

114 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
undoubtedly the older form of Dâhala, Ḍâhâla, Dahâla, or Ḍahalâ, which seems to represent
the modern Bundêlkhaṇḍ, and which was in later times a province of the Haihayas or
Kalachuris of Tripura near Jabalpur, whose original capital was Kâlañjara in Bundêlkhaṇḍ.
This, therefore, is another item of evidence connecting the Parivrâjaka Mahârâjas with this
part of the country.¹
TEXT.²
First Plate.
1 Ôm Namô bhagavatê Vâsudêvâya || Svasti Nav-ôttarê=vda(bda)-śata-dvayê
Gupta-nṛipa-r[â]jya-bhuktau*
2 śrîmati pravarddhamâna-vijaya-râjyê Mah-Âśvayuja-sa[ṁ*]vatsarê Chaitra-mâsa-
śukla-
3 paksha-trayôdaśy[â*]m=asyâṁ saṁba(va)tsara-mâsa-divasa-pûrvvâyâ[ṁ*]³ [|]
Chaturddaśa-vidyâsthâna-vidi-
4 ta-paramârthasya Kapilasy=[ai]va mah-arshêḥ sarvva-tat[t*]va-jñasya
Bharadvâja-sagôtrasya nṛipa-
5 pi⁴parivrâjaka-Suśarmmaṇaḥ kul-ôtpannêna mahârâja-śrî-Dêvâḍhya-putra-
pranaptrâ mahârâ-
6 ja⁵-śrî-Prabhañjana-pranaptrâ mahârâja-śrî-Dâmôdara-naptrâ gô-sahasra-
hasty-aśva-hiraṇy-ânêka-
7 bhûmi-pradasya guru-pitṛi-mâtṛi-pûjâ-tatparasy=âtyanta-dêva-vrâ(brâ)hmaṇa-
bhaktasy=ânêka-samara-
8 śata-vijayinaḥ s-âshṭâdaś-âṭavî-râjy-âbhyantaraṁ Ḍabhâ(Phâ)lâ-râjyam=
anvay-âgataṁ samadi⁶
9 pâlayipnô(shṇô)r=anêka-guṇa-vikhyâta-yaśasô mahârâja-gri(śrî)-Hastinaḥ
sutêna
10 varṇṇ-âśrama-dharmma-sthâpanâ-niratêna paramabhâgavatên=âtyanta-pitṛi-
bhaktêna sva-vaṁ-
11 ś-âmôdakarêṇa mahârâja-śrî-Saṁkshôbhêna(ṇa) mâtâpitrôr=âtmanaś=cha
puṇy-âbhi-
12 vriddhayê⁷ Chhêḍugômi-vijñâptyâ tam=êva cha sva[r*]gga-sôpâna-paṅktim=
ârôpaya-
Second Plate.
13 tâ bhagavatyâḥ Pishṭapuryâḥ kâritaka-dêvakulê va(ba)li-charu-sat[t*]r-
ôpayô-
¹ It is perhaps worth mentioning, that there is in this neighbourhood a station on the Allahâbâd-
Jabalpur railway, called Ḍabhâurâ (the ‘Dabhura’ and ‘Daboora’ of maps), about fourteen miles
east of Mâṇikpur, and fifty miles east by north of Kâlañjara.
² From the original plates. ³ Supply tithau.
⁴ Read nṛipati.—In the second syllable, first ti was engraved, and then it was corrected into pa.
⁵ This ja was first omitted, and then inserted in the margin of the plate.
⁶ Some correction or other is required here; but it is not apparent what was intended;
possibly, however, samyak, sampadi, or sapadi. I do not suggest samadhîpâlayishṇôr, because I
cannot find any authority for the composition of sam and adhi with pâ, ‘protect’.—In the third syl-
lable, ḍi was certainly engraved; but the i may perhaps have been cancelled.
⁷ Read abhivṛiddhayê.
⁸ The mark over this va is only a fault or rust-hole in the copper. There are several other simi-
lar faults or rust-holes in these two plates; e.g. after sy=ârddhaṁ in line 15.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 25, PLATE XV B. 115
14 g-ârthaḥ(ṁ) khaṇḍa-sphuṭita-saṁskâr-ârthañ=cha Maṇinâga-pêṭhê Opâni-
grâma-
15 sy=ârddhaṁ chôra-drôhaka-varjjaḥ(ṁ) tâmra-śâsanên=âtisṛishṭaṁ [|] tad=
asmat-kul-ôtthau(tthai)ḥ ma-
16 t-pâdapiṇḍ-ôpajîvibhir=vvâ kâlântarêshv=api na vyâghâtaḥ kâryyaḥ [|]
êvam=âjñâ-
17 pta¹ yô=nyathâ kuryât=tam=ahaṁ dêhântara-gatô=pi mahat=âvadhyânêna
nirddahêyaṁ [||]
18 Uktaṁ cha bhagavatâ param-arshiṇâ vêda-vyâsena Vyâsênaḥ² [|]
Pûrvva³-dattâṁ dvijâtibhyô
19 yatnâd=raksha Yudhishṭhiraḥ⁴ mahîm=mahimatâ[ṁ*] śrêshṭha dânâch=
chhrêyô=nupâlanaḥ(ṁ) [||] Va(ba)hubhiḥ
20 vasudhâ bhuktâ râjabhis=Sagar-âdibhiḥ yasya yasya yadâ bhûmis=
tasya tasya tadâ
21 phalaṁ [||] Shashṭiṁ varsha-sahasrâṇi svarggê môdati bhûmi-daḥ
âkshêptâ ch=ânumantâ cha tâny=ê-
22 va narakê vasêt [||] Bhûmi⁵-pradânân=nâ(na) paraṁ pradânaṁ dânâd=
viśishṭaṁ paripâlan=chha⁶
23 sarvvê-tisṛishṭâ[ṁ] paripâlya bhûmi[ṁ*] nṛipâ Nṛig-âdyas=tridivaṁ
prapannâḥ || Likhitaṁñ⁷=cha
24 Jîvita-naptrâ Bhujaṁgadâsa-putr-Êśvaradâsen=êti [|] Sva-mukh-âjñâ [|]
Chaitra di 20 9 [||*]
TRANSLATION.
Ôm! Reverence to the divine (god) Vâsudêva! Hail! In two centuries of years,
increased by nine; in the enjoyment of sovereignty by the Gupta kings; in the glorious
augmenting and victorious reign; in the Mahâ-Âśvayuja saṁvatsara; on the thirteenth
lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month Chaitra,—on this (lunar day), (specified)
as above by the saṁvatsara and month and day,-
(Line 3.)—By the Mahârâja, the illustrious Saṁkshôbha,—who is born in the
family of the kingly ascetic Suśarman, who had learned the whole truth of the fourteen
sections of science;⁸ who was a great sage, (being) indeed (an incarnation of) Kapila;
who knew all the first principles; (and) who was of the Bharadvâja gôtra;—who is the
great-grandson of the son of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Dêvâḍhya;—who is the
great-grandson of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Prabhañjana;—who is the grandson
of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Dâmôdara;—who is the son of the Mahârâja, the
illustrious Hastin, who was the giver of thousands of cows, and elephants, and horses, and
¹ Read either âjñaptê, or âjñâpitê. ² Read vyâsêna.
³ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh); and in the following two verses.
⁴ Read yudhishṭhira.
⁵ Metre, Upajâti of Indravajrâ and Upêndravajrâ.
⁶ Read paripâlanañ=cha.
⁷ Read likhitañ.—And supply śâsanam.
⁸ chaturdaśa-vidyâsthâna; viz. the four Vêdas, the six Vêdâṅgas, the Purâṇas, the Mîmâṁsa
system of philosophy, the Nyâya system, and Dharma, or law.
Q 2.

116 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
gold, and many lands; who was earnest in paying respect to (his) spiritual preceptor and
(his) father and mother; who was extremely devoted to the gods and Brâhmaṇs; who was
victorious in many hundreds of battles; who sought to govern properly the kingdom of
Ḍabhâlâ,¹ which had come (to him) by inheritance, together with (all the country) in-
cluded in the eighteen forest kingdoms; (and) whose fame was renowned through many
good qualities;—who is intent upon establishing the religious duties of the castes and the
different periods of life;—who is a most devout worshipper of the Divine One;—who is ex-
tremely devoted to (his) ancestors;—(and) who causes the happiness of his own race,—
(L. 11.)—(By him),—for the purpose of increasing the religious merit of (his) pa-
rents and of himself,—at the request of Chhôḍugômin, and (with the object of) causing
him to ascend the steps of the ladder that leads to heaven,—half of the village of Ôpâṇi,
in the Maṇinâga pêṭha,² is granted by a copper-charter, with the exception of (the right
to fines imposed on) thieves and mischief-doers, for the purpose of observing the bali, charu,
and sattra,³ at the temple, which (he) has caused to be built, of the divine (goddess)
Pishṭapurî, and for the purpose of renewing whatever may become broken or torn.
(L. 15.)—Therefore, even in future times, no obstacle (to the enjoyment of this grant)
is to be caused by those who are born in Our family, or by my feudatories. This injunction
having been given, he who behaves otherwise,—him I will consume with a great contempt,
even when I have passed into another body.
(L. 18.)—And it has been said by the venerable supreme sage, Vyâsa, the arranger
of the Vêdas,—“O Yudhishṭhira, best of kings, carefully preserve land that has previous-
ly been given to the twice-born; (verily) the preservation (of a grant) (is) more meritorious
than making a grant! The earth has been enjoyed by many kings, commencing with
Sagara; whosoever at any time possesses the earth, to him belongs, at that time, the
reward (of this grant that is now made, if he continue it)! The giver of land enjoys happi-
ness in heaven for sixty thousand years; (but) the confiscator (of a grant), and he who
assents to (an act of confiscation), shall dwell for the same number of years in hell! (There
is) no gift better than a gift of land, and the preservation (of a grant) (is) better than making
a grant; all kings, commencing with Nṛiga, have attained heaven, (by) preserving land
that had been granted!”
(L. 23.)—And (this charter) has been written by Iśvaradâsa, the grandson of Jîvita,
(and) the son of Bhujamgadâsa. The order (is that) of his own⁴ mouth. (The month)
Chaitra; the day 20 (and) 9.
¹ Or possibly Ḍahâlâ; but the second syllable, though rather badly formed, seems to be bhâ, rather than hâ.
² pêṭha; a technical territorial term, represented in modern Marâṭhî by pêṭâ. Another form of
it, veṇṭha, occurs in line 30-31 of the Harihar grant of Bukkarâya of Śâlivâhana-Śaka 1270 (Jour. Bo.
Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. XII. p. 347); and we also have veṇṭheya or penṭheya in line 24 of the Harihar
inscription of Achyutarâya of Śâlivâhana-Śaka 1460 (Ind. Ant. Vol. IV. p. 331).
³ bali is the offering of ghee, grain, rice, &c., to the gods and all creatures of every description;
charu, the oblation of rice, barley, and pulse boiled with butter and milk, for the deceased ancestors;
and sattra, the giving of alms and refuge. They are three of the pañcha-mahâyajña, or ‘five great
sacrifices,’ which are usually (e.g. in line 27 f. of the Mâliyâ grant of the Mahârâja Dharasêna II., No.
18 below, Plate xxiv.) enumerated as bali, charu, vaiśvadêva (the offering to all deities), agnihôtra
(see page 71 above, note 8), and atithi (hospitality; the sattra of the present inscription).—The
sattra-rite was the special object of the sattra, or ‘charitable hall or almshouse,’ which is mentioned
for instance, in No. 7, line 6, page 38 above.
⁴ Saṁkshôbha’s. These words imply that he employed no Dûtaka to convey the orders to the
local officials, but gave them in person; see page 100 above, note 3.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 26, PLATE XVI. 117
No. 26; PLATE XVI.
KARITALAI COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF THE
MAHARAJA JAYANATHA.
THE YEAR 174.
THIS inscription,—which was first brought to notice by General Cunningham, in 1879,
in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. IX. p. 12. f. No. 3, where he published a translation of it,
with a lithograph of the two passages containing the date (id. Plate iv. No. 5),—is from
some copper-plates that were found, about 1850, in a small receptacle inside a ruined
temple of the god Vishṇu, in his incarnation as the Boar, at Kârîtalâî,¹ a village about
twenty-three miles north-east of Muḍwârâ,² the chief town of the Muḍwârâ Tahsîl or
Sub-Division of the Jabalpur District in the Central Provinces. I obtained the original
plates, for examination, from the possession of General Cunningham.
The plates, which are inscribed on one side only, are two in number, the first measur-
ing about 9⅛" by 6¾", and the second 9¹⁄₁₆" by 6⅛". The edges of them are here and
there fashioned slightly thicker than the inscribed surfaces, with corresponding depressions
inside them, so as to serve as rims to protect the writing; and the inscription is in a state
of excellent preservation throughout. The plates are fairly thick; but the letters are
deep, and shew through on the backs, so clearly that in many places they can be read
there. The engraving is good; but the interiors of many of the letters shew marks of the
working of the engraver’s tool.—In the upper part ³ of each plate, there is a hole for a
ring to connect them. But the ring, and the seal attached to it, are not forthcoming.—
The weight of the two plates is 2 lbs. 7 oz.—The average size of the letters is about ¼".
The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets; and the present inscription,
with the five that follow, and with No. 22 above, Plate xiii., No. 24, Plate xvA., and
No. 25, Plate xvB., illustrates what may be called the standard alphabet, with northern
characteristics, of Central India, from towards the end of the fifth to the middle of the
sixth century A.D. The characters include the rather rare initial ô, in ôghadêva, line 1, and
the equally rare jh, in ajjhitadêvî, line 5; also, in lines 24 and 25, forms of the numerical
symbols for 4, 10, 70, and 100.—The language is Sanskrit; and, except for the benedic-
tive and imprecatory verses in lines 14 to 21, the inscription is in prose throughout. From
a linguistic point of view we have to notice, in utpadyamânaka, line 10 f., the affix ka,
which I have commented on at page 69 above.—In respect of orthography, we have
to notice (1) the use of the dental nasal, instead of the anusvâra, before ś, in vanśa, line 10;
(2) the constant doubling of t, in conjunction with a following r, e.g. in puttra, line 2;
sagôttra, line 7; and ttrâtâ, line 20; and (3) the occasional use of b for v, in sambatsara,
line 21, and sambat, line 24.
The inscription is one of the Mahârâja Jayanâtha; and the charter recorded in it
is issued from the city or hill called Uchchakalpa.⁴ The date of the writing of the
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¹ The ‘Karîtalai and Kareetullaee’ of maps. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 89. Lat. 24° 3′ N.;
Long. 80° 46′ E.
² The ‘Moorwari, Moorwarra, and Murwára,’ of maps, &c. ³ See page 101 above, note 2.
⁴ The 'iteral meaning, ‘that which is but little short of being a high place,’ points perhaps
rather to the name being properly that of a hill; but of course with a town on it.