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

line 36:
After संवत् २८६, there is the month and day:
Look at line 36:
संवत् २८६ followed by:
वैशाख बदि or ज्येष्ठ बदि or वैशाख शुदि?
Look at the characters:
... [वै]शाख [सु / बु] ... [स्वह]स्तो मम
And the very end: स्वहस्तो मम (my own hand).

Wait, let's check another grant of Siladitya I, Samvat 286:
Is it published in Epigraphia Indica?
Let's check EI volumes:

• EI Vol. XI, "Bantia Plates of Dharasena II" (no, that's Dharasena II).
• EI Vol. XXI, p. 116: "Navagrahara Grant of Siladitya I, [G.E.] 286"?
  Wait! EI XXI, p. 116 or EI Vol. XXII or XXIII?
  Wait, what about EI Vol. XXI?
  In EI Vol. XXI (1931-32):
  "No. 18 - Navagrahara Grant of Siladitya I: [Gupta-] Samvat 286"
  Wait, let's check:
  Who edited it?
  Let's check the lines:
  Does Plate II have lines 19 to 36? (18 lines

able, because he pleased the hearts of (his) subjects by properly preserving the path pre-
scribed by all the traditionary laws; who in beauty, lustre, stability, profundity, wisdom,
and wealth, surpassed (respectively) (the god) Smara, the moon, (Himālaya) the king of
mountains, the ocean, (Bṛihaspati) the preceptor of the gods, and (the god) Dhanēśa;
who, through being intent upon giving freedom from fear [to those who came for protec-
tion*], was indifferent to all the (other) results of his actions, as if they were (of as little
value as) straw; (and) who was, as it were, the personified¹ happiness of the circumfer-
ence of the whole earth.
(L. 15.)— His son, whose sins have been all washed away by the torrent of the
waters of (the river) Jāhnavī that was constituted by the diffusion of the rays of the nails of
his feet,—whose wealth and riches are the sustenance of a hundred thousand favourites;
who is with appreciation, as if from a desire for (his) beauty, resorted to by (all) the virtuous
qualities of an inviting kind;² who astonishes all archers by the speciality of (his) innate
strength and (skill acquired by) practice; who is the preserver of religious grants bestowed
by former kings; who averts calamities that would afflict (his) subjects; who is the exponent
of (the condition of being) the one (joint) habitation of wealth and learning; whose prow-
ess is skilful in causing annoyance to³ the goddess of the fortunes of the compact ranks of
(his) enemies; (and) who possesses a spotless princely glory, acquired by inheritance,—
(is) the Mahārāja, the illustrious Dharasēna (II.), a most devout worshipper of (the
god) Mahēśvara, who, being in good health, issues a command to all the Āyuktakas,⁴
Viniyuktakas,⁵ Drāṅgikas,⁶ Mahattaras,⁷ irregular and regular troops, Dhruvādhika-

¹ pāda-chārin, lit. ‘moving on feet or legs;’ see Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar’s translation of line 7 of
the grant of Dharasēna IV. of the year 326 (Ind. Ant. Vol. I. p. 14.)
² The abhigāmikā guṇāḥ are explained by Kāmandaka in the Nītisāra, iv. vv. 6 to 8 (Calcutta
edition, p. 78), as quoted by V. N. Mandlik in the Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. XI. p. 348, note;
they are—good birth, steadfastness in misfortune and prosperity, youth, a good disposition, civility,
absence of dilatoriness, speech that is not contradictory, truthfulness, reverence for the aged, grati-
tude, the state of being favoured by destiny, wisdom, being independent of trifles, capability of sub-
duing hostile neighbouring chiefs, firmness in attachment, far-sightedness, energy, purity, having
great aims, modesty, and firm devotion to religion and justice.
³ parikshōbha; other grants, drafted from the same form, and also No. 39 below, line 10, give
paribhōga, ‘(skilful in) enjoyment (of);’ which is a better reading.
⁴ This, and the following, are technical official terms, for which suitable translations have not
yet been fixed.—With the present term, Āyuktaka, we may compare the expression āyukta-purusha
in line 26 of the Allāhābād pillar inscription, No. 1, page 8 above.
⁵ Viniyuktaka; compare the use of niyuj, ‘to appoint; to commission,’ in line 9 of the Junāgaḍh
rock inscription, No. 14 above, page 59; also compare tan-niyukta in line 76 of No. 39 below, Plate
xxv.
⁶ Drāṅgika; other forms are draṅgika (Ind. Ant. Vol. V. p. 205, line 14; where, however, it may
be a mistake for drāṅgika), and drāṅgin (id. Vol. IV. p. 105, line 15). The present form, drāṅgika,
occurs again in id. Vol. IV. p. 175, line 6; and, in line 10 of the same grant, we have draṅga, which
is the origin of these terms, in Maṇḍalīdraṅga. Dr. Bühler, in the places quoted, proposed to render
draṅga by ‘township,’ and drāṅgika, &c., by ‘heads of towns;’ and Monier Williams, in his Sanskrit
Dictionary, gives draṅga as meaning ‘a town, a city.’
⁷ Mahattara is the comparative formation of mahat, ‘great,’ and is given by Monier Williams
in the special sense of ‘the head or oldest man of a village.’—In other inscriptions we have the
superlative formation, Mahattama, used in the same technical way.
V.

170 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM. VOL. III.

raṇikas,¹ Dâṇḍapâśikas,² Râjasthânîyas, Kumârâmâtyas, and others, according as they
are concerned :—
(L. 21.)—“Be it known to you, that, for the purpose of increasing the religious merit
of (my) parents, and in order that I myself may obtain the reward that is wished for both
in this world and in the next, there is given by me, with libations of water, in accordance
with the rule of bhûmichchhidra, to the Brâhmaṇ Rudrabhûti, an inhabitant of Unnata,
(a student) of the Vâjasanêyi-Kaṇva (śâkhâ), and a member of the Vatsa gôtra,—for the
maintenance of the five great sacrificial rites of the bali, charu, vaiśvadêva, agnihôtra,
and atithi; to endure for the same time with the moon, the sun, the ocean, the rivers,
and the earth; (and) to be enjoyed by the succession of (his) sons and sons’ sons,—at
(the village of) Antaratrâ, in the common-land³ called Śivakapadraka, one hundred
pâdâvartas⁴ (of land), (known as) the holding⁵ of Vîrasênadantika; (and) fifteen pâdâvartas
on the west of this; also, in the western boundary, one hundred pâdâvartas, increased by
the twentieth,⁶ (known as) the holding of Skambhasêna, (and) ten pâdâvartas in the
eastern boundary;—in the village of Ḍombhigrâma, in the eastern boundary, ninety
pâdâvartas, (known as) the holding of Vardhaki;—in the village of Vajragrâma, in the
western boundary, one hundred pâdâvartas in the highest part⁷ of the village, (and) an
irrigation-well with an area of twenty-eight pâdâvartas, (known as) the holding of the
Mahattara Vîkidinna;⁸ (and) in the common-land called Bhumbhusapadraka, one hundred
pâdâvartas, (known as) the holding of the cultivator Bôṭaka, and an irrigation-well;—
(the whole of) this (being given) together with the udraṅga and the uparikara; with the
vâta,⁹ bhûta, grain, gold, and âdêya; with (the right to) forced labour as the occasion for
¹ Dhruvâdhikaraṇika; ‘one who has the superintendence of the Dhruvas.’—Dhruva has been
explained by Dr. Bühler (Ind. Ant. Vol. V. p. 205) as being still used in Kâṭhiâwâḍ and Kachh to
denote “a person who, on the part of a Râja, superintends the collection of the royal share of the
produce in grain which is made by the farmers of revenue.”
² Dâṇḍapâśika, or daṇḍapâśika, is explained by Monier Williams in his Sanskrit Dictionary
as meaning ‘one who holds the fetters or noose of punishment; a policeman.’
³ padraka seems to be a fuller form of padra, which is’ given in Monier Williams’ Sanskrit
Dictionary as meaning ‘a village; the entrance into a village; the earth; a particular district.’
Dr. Bühler (Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. p. 337) has explained it as being the modern pâdr, ‘a grazing-place.’
I do not know what authority he has for this meaning. But, in H. H. Wilson’s Glossary of Indian
Terms, pâdar (i.e. pâdr) is explained by ‘common-land, land adjacent to a village left uncultivated.’
And this seems more likely to be the correct meaning.
⁴ pâdâvarta, lit. ‘the turning round of a foot,’ is given by Monier Williams in his Sanskrit
Dictionary as meaning ‘a square foot.’ But it seems more likely that such an expression as ‘a hun-
dred pâdâvartas’ means ‘a plot of ground measuring a hundred feet square each way, i.e. ten
thousand square feet,’ rather than only ‘one hundred square feet,’ which would measure only ten feet
each way, and would be rather a small area for a grant; to say nothing of the still smaller areas
mentioned further on.
⁵ pratyaya; in other passages, the form pratyâya occurs.
⁶ i.e. “one hundred and twenty pâdâvartas.”
⁷ śikhara; lit. ‘peak, top, summit.’ ⁸ See page 166 above, note 6.
⁹ The meaning of vâta, bhûta, and âdêya, is not apparent.—vâta is derived either from vâ, ‘to
blow,’ or from vai, ‘to become dried or withered;’ compare âvâta in line 14 f. of No. 31 above,
page 137.—bhûta is the past participle of bhû, ‘to be, to become;’ but no suitable meaning suggests
itself.—âdêya seems to mean either ‘that which is to be given,’ from â in composition with dâ, ‘to
give;’ or ‘that which is to be cut, reaped, or mown,’ from â with dô. But it is possible that, instead of
the prefix â, we have the negative particle a, and that the word means ‘that which is not to be given.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 39, PLATE XXV. 171
it occurs; (and with the privilege that it is) not to be (even) pointed at with the hand
(of undue appropriation) by any of the king's people.¹
(L. 29.)—"Wherefore, no one should behave so as to cause obstruction to this
person in enjoying (it) in accordance with the proper conditions of a grant to a Brâhmaṇ,
(and) cultivating (it), (or) causing (it) to be cultivated, or assigning (it to another).
(L. 30.)—"And this Our gift should be assented to and preserved by future pious
kings, born of Our lineage, bearing in mind that riches do not endure for ever, that
the life of man is uncertain, and that the reward of a gift of land belongs in common
(both to him who makes it and to him who continues it). And he shall become invested
with (the guilt of) the five great sins, together with the minor sins, who may confiscate
this (grant), or assent to its confiscation."
**(L. 32.)—**And it has been said by the venerable Vyâsa, the arranger of the Vêdas:—
The giver of land abides 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! 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 re-
ward (of this grant that is now made, if he continue it)!
(L. 35.)—(This charter) has been written by the Sâṁdhivigrahika Skandabhaṭa.
(This is) the sign-manual² of me, the Mahârâja, the illustrious Dharasêna. The
Dûtaka (is) Chirbira. The year 200 (and) 50 (and) 2; (the month) Vaiśâkha; the dark
fortnight; (the lunar day) 10 (and) 5.

No. 39; PLATE XXV.

ALINA COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF SILADITYA VII.

THE YEAR 447.

THIS inscription was discovered by Mr. Harivallabh, Assistant Deputy Educational
Inspector, Kaira and Broach; and was first brought to notice in 1878, in the Ind. Ant.
Vol. VII. p. 79 ff., where Dr. Bühler published his reading of the text, with remarks. It is
on some copper-plates that were found either at, or in the neighbourhood of, Alînâ or
Alîṇâ, a village about fourteen miles north-east of Naḍiâd,³ the chief town of the Naḍiâd
Tâlukâ or Sub-Division of the Kaira (Khêḍâ) District in Gujarât in the Bombay Presidency.

cut, reaped, or mowed.'—Instead of vâta-bhûta, we sometimes have bhûta-vâta, in reversed order;
e.g. in line 67 of No. 39 below, Plate xxv.
¹ samasta-râjakîyânâm=a-hasta-prakshêpaṇîya. This is the customary expression in the
Valabhî grants. From the south, we have (1) the almost identical expression râjakîyânâm=an-
aṅguli-prêkshaṇîya, e.g. in line 45 of the Goa grant of Shashṭhadêva II. of Kaliyuga-Saṁvat 4348,
(Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 291); and (2) the variant râja-râjapurushair=apy=an-aṅguli-nirdêśya, in
line 61 of the Paiṭhan grant of Râmachandra of Śaka-Saṁvat 1193 (id. Vol. XIV. p. 317).
² sva-hasta; lit. 'the own hand.'—Occasionally an actual representation of a sign-manual is
given: e.g. at the end of the grant of Sîlâditya VII., No. 39 below, Plate xxv., and at the end of
the Barôda grant of Dhruva II. of Śaka-Saṁvat 757 (Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. p. 198 f. and Plate).
³ The 'Nadiád, Nariad, and Neriad' of maps, &c.
Y 2

172 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL III.
When they first came to light, they had been lying for some time in a merchant’s shop at
Alinâ. They are now in the possession of the Royal Asiatic Society in London, to
which they were presented by Dr. Bühler.
The plates, which are inscribed on one side only, are two in number, the first measuring
about 1' 2⅝" by 1' 1½", and the second, which is rather irregular in shape, about 1' 3⅛" by 1' 0½".
The edges of them were fashioned somewhat thicker than the inscribed surfaces, with cor-
responding depressions inside them, so as to serve as rims to protect the writing. The
surfaces of the plates, however, have suffered very much from corrosion; and in some places
the letters, though not destroyed, are so choked up with a hard deposit of rust, which I
found it impossible to remove, that. they fail to appear in the lithograph. But the inscrip-
tion is for the most part legible enough on the original plates; the only part that has really
suffered being at the top, especially towards the right corner, of the second plate. The plates
are thick, and very substantial; and the letters, though fairly deep, do not shew through
on the backs of them. The engraving, as displayed where the plates have not suffered
much injury, is fairly well executed; but the interiors of the letters shew, as usual, marks
of the working of the engraver’s tool throughout.—There are holes for two rings, in the
bottom of the first plate and the top of the second; but the rings, with the seal on one of
them, are not forthcoming.—The weight of the two plates is 17 lbs. 3¾ oz.—The size of
the letters varies from ⅛" to ¼". The characters belong to the southern class of alphabets;
they are a later development of the type of those of the preceding grant of the Mahârâja
Dharasêna II. of the year 252, No. 38 above, page 164, and Plate xxiv., and illustrate
what may be called the Saurâshṭra or Kâṭhiâwâḍ alphabet of the eighth century A.D.
They include, from northern sources, a separate form of the lingual ḍ, as distinct from
the dental d, e.g. in châḍâ, line 4; also the rather rare lingual ḍh in uḍûḍha, line 11, and
samupôḍha, line 56. They also include, in line 78, forms of the numerical symbols for
5, 7, 40, and 400.—The language is Saṁskṛit; and, except for four stanzas in lines 58
to 63, and for some of the usual benedictive and imprecatory verses in lines 72 to 75, the
inscription is in prose throughout. As is the case with all the later grants of this family,
the inscription was engrossed with great carelessness and inaccuracy; and there are
a few passages, the proper reading of which can hardly yet be determined with certainty.
—In respect of orthography, we have to notice (1) the occasional use of the guttural
nasal, instead of the anusvâra, before ś, in vaṅśa, lines 45 and 62, and nistriṅśa, line 51;
(2) the use of singha for siṁha, in line 56; (3) the use, once, of the dental nasal, instead
of the anusvâra, before s, in ansa, line 11; (4) the doubling of k, in conjunction with a
following r, once, in vikkrama, line 11; and once in conjunction with a following ṛi, a very
exceptional occurrence, in prakkṛiti, line 26-27; and (5) the doubling of dh, in conjunction
with a following y, in anuddhyâta, lines 10, 14, 19, 23, 50, 53, 54-55, and 58.
The inscription is one of Śîlâditya VII., who also had the title of Dhrûbhaṭa,
i.e. Dhruvabhaṭa,¹ of the family of the Kings of Valabhî; and the charter recorded

¹ As pointed out by Dr. Bühler (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 80), Dhruvabhaṭa is the full and correct form
of the name; and the first two syllables have been contracted in this inscription, partly because the
metre required one long syllable, not two short ones, and partly because Dhrû was no doubt at that
time, just as now, the vernacular Gujarâtî form of Dhruva, especially in its meaning, in Kâṭhiâwâḍ and
Kachh (id. Vol. V. p. 205), as a technical official title denoting "persons who, on the part of the Râja,
superintend the collection of the royal share of the produce in grain which is made by the farmers
of revenue; their duty is to see that he" (? the Râja, or a farmer) "does not collect more than his
proper share."

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 39, PLATE XXV. 173
in it is issued from his camp at the town of Ânandapura. It is dated, both in words and
in numerical symbols, in the year four hundred and forty-seven (A.D. 766-67), on the fifth
lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month Jyeshṭha (May-June). It is a non-sectarian
inscription; the object of it being simply to record the grant, by Śîlâditya VII. himself,
to a Brâhmaṇ, for the maintenance of the five great sacrifices and other rites, of the village
of Mahilabali or Mahilâbalî in the Uppalahêṭa pathaka¹ in the Khêṭaka âhâra.²
Of the places mentioned in this grant, Khêṭaka is of course the modern Khêḍâ
or Kaira³ itself. Uppalahêṭa is evidently the modern Uplêṭ or Uplêṭâ, in the Ṭhâsrâ
Tâlukâ, about thirty-five miles almost due east of Kaira. And Ânandapura must be
the modern Ânand, the chief town of the Ânand Tâlukâ, about twenty-one miles south-
east of Kaira.
TEXT.⁴
First Plate.
1 Ôm Svasti Śrîmad-Ânandapura-sam[â*]vasita-jayaskandhâvârê⁵ prasabha-
praṇat-âmitrâṇâṁ Maitrakâṇâm-atula-bala-sampanna-maṇḍalâbhô[ga-
saṁsa]kta-saṁprahâra-śata-labdha-pratâpâ-
2 t=pratâp-ôpanata-dâna-mân-ârjjav-ôpârjjit-ânurâgâd=anuraktâ⁶-maulabhṛitaḥ⁷-śrêṇî-
bal-âvâpta-râjya-śriyaḥ paramamâhêśvaraḥ⁸-śrî-Bhaṭârkkâd=a(â)vyava-
chchinna-vaṁśân=mâ-
3 tâpitṛi-charaṇâravinda-praṇati-pravivikt-âśêsha-kalmashaḥ śaiśavât=prabhṛiti
khaḍga-dvitîyaḥ⁹-bâhur=êva samada-para-gaja-ghaṭ-âsph[ô]ṭana-prakâśita-
[sattva-ni]kashaḥ tat-p[r*]a-
4 [bhâ]va-praṇat-ârâti-chûḍâra[t*]na-prabhâ-sa[ṁ*]sakta-pâda-nakha-raśmi-saṁhatiḥ
sakala-smṛiti-praṇîti(ta)-mârggah¹⁰-samyak-kriyâ-pâlanaḥ¹¹-prajâ-hṛidaya-
raṁjanâ[d=a*]nvarttha-râja-śab[d]ô rûpa-kâ-
5 nti-sthai[r*]yya-gâmbhîryya-buddhi-sampadbhiḥ Smara-śaś[â]ṅk-âdrirâj-
ôda(da)dhi-triâ(tri)daśagusa(ru)-Dhanêśân=atiśâyanaḥ śaraṇâgat-âbhaya-
pradânaḥ¹²-paratayâ tṛiṇa-vad=vapâst¹³-â[śêsha-sva]-vîryya-
6 phalaḥ prârtthan-âdhik-ârttha-prad[ân-â]nandita-vidvat-suhṛit-praṇayi-hṛidaya[b*]
pâdachâr=iva sakala-bhuvanamaṇḍal-âbhôga-pram[ô*]da[ḥ] parama-

¹ pathaka is a technical territorial term, a suitable translation for which has not yet been determin-
ed. It is evidently connected with pathin, patha, 'a path, a road.'
² âhâra is another technical territorial term, a suitable rendering of which has not yet been de-
termined.—In line 25 f. of the Alînâ grant of Dharasêna II. of the year 270 (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII
p. 72), we have the expression Khêṭak-âhâra-vishayê; which seems to shew that the term âhâra is syno-
nymous with vishaya.—There is another term, dharaṇî, which is evidently a synonym of âhâra, since
the Hastavapra dharaṇî is mentioned in line 21 of the Walâ grant of Dharasêna II. of the year 269
(Ind. Ant. Vol. VI. p. 12); while the Hastavapra âhâra is spoken of in a grant of Dharasêna IV. of
the year 326 (id. Vol. I. p. 45).
³ Lat. 22° 44′ N.; Long. 72° 44′ E.
⁴ From the original plates.
⁵ Read skandhâvârât.—In ndhâ, the engraver first formed dhâ, and then corrected it into
ndhâ.
⁶ Read ânurâg-ânurakta. ⁷ Read bhṛita. ⁸ Read mâhêśvara.
⁹ Read dvitîya. ¹⁰ Read mârgga. ¹¹ Read pâlana.
¹² Read pradâna. ¹³ Read apâst.

174 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL III.
7 mâhêśvaraḥ śrî-Guhasênaḥ [॥*] Tasya sutaḥ tat-pâda-nakha-[mayûkha*]-
saṁtâna-visṛija(ta)-Jâhnavî-jal-augha-prakshâlit-âśêsha-kalmashaḥ praṇayi-
śata-sa-
8 hasr-ôpajîvyamâna-saṁpad=rûpa-lôbhâd=i[v=â]śri(śri)taḥ sarabbhâ(bha)sam=âbhi-
gâmikaiḥ guṇaiḥ sahaja-śaktiḥ¹-śikshâ-viśêsha-vismâpita-labdha²-dhanur-
ddharaḥ prathama-[na]-
9 rapati-samatisṛishṭânâm=anupâlayitâ³ dharmma[dâyâ]nâm=api(pâ)karttâ praj-
ôpaghâta-kâriṇâṁ upaplavânâṁ śamayitâ⁴ śrî-sarasvatyôr=êk-âdhivâsasya
sahôpapati⁵-pa-
10 ksha-lakshmî-paribhôga-daksha-vikkramaḥ vikram-ôpama-saṁp[r]âpta⁶-vimala-
pârtthiva-śrîḥ paramamâhêśvaraḥ śrî-Dharasênaḥ [॥*] Tasya sutaḥ
tat-pâd-ânuddhyâtaḥ sakala-jagad-ânandan-âtyâ(tya)dbhu-
11 ta-guṇa-samudra⁷-sthagita-samagra-digmaṇḍalaḥ samara-śata-vijaya-śôbhâ-
sanâtha-maṇḍalâgra-dy[u*]ti-bhâsur-âṁsa-pîṭh-ôvyû(dû)ḍha-guru-manôratha-
mahâbhâva(ra)ḥ sarvva-vidyâ-pâra-parama-
12 bhâg-âdhigama-vimala-matir=api sarvvataḥ subhâshita-lavên=âpi sv⁸-
ôpapâdanîya-par[i*]tôshaḥ samagra-lôk-âgâdha-gambhîryya-hṛidayô=pi
savya(chcha)rit-âtiśaya-suvyakta-parama-
13 kalyâṇa-svabhâvaḥ kh[i*]lîbhûta-Kṛitayuga-nṛipati-patha-viśôdhan-âdhigat-ôdagra-
kîrttiḥ dharmm-ânugâ(rô)dh-â(ô)jj[v*]alatarîkṛit-ârttha-sukha-sa[ṁ]pad-u[pa*]-
sêvâ-nirahaḍha⁹-Varmmâditya¹⁰-tvi(dvi)tîya-nâmâ
14 pâ(pa)ramam[â*]h[ê*]śvaraḥ grî(śrî)-Gî(śî)lâdityaḥ¹¹ [॥*] Tasya sutaḥ¹² tat-
pâd-ânuddhyâtaḥ svayav(m)=Upêndra-guruṇ=êpa(va) guruḥ¹³ guruṇ-
âtyâdaravatâ samabhilashaṇîyânâm¹⁴=api râja-lakshmî[ṁ*]
15 skandh-âsakt[âṁ] parama-bhadraṇâm¹⁵ dhu[r*]yyas=tad-âj[ñ*]â-sa[ṁ*]pâdan-
ê(ai)ka-rasatay=ôdvâhana¹⁶ khêda-sukharatibhyâṁ anâyâsita-[sattva*]-
saṁpatti[ḥ*] prabhâva-sâ(sa)ṁpad-vâ(va)śîkṛita-nṛipati-śata-śirô
16 ratnâ(tna)-vnâ(chchhâ)y-ôpagûha(ḍha)-pâdapîṭhô=pi parâm-âvajñ¹⁷-Abhimâna-
sahas¹⁸-ânâli[ṁg*]ita-manôvṛittiḥ praṇatirôkâ¹⁹ parityajya prakhyâta-
paurush-âbhimânair=â(a)py=â(a)râtibhir-anâsâ[di]-
17 ta-prakṛitay²⁰-ôpâyaḥ kṛita-nikh[i*]la-bhuvan-âmâ(mô)da-vimala-guṇa-sa[ṁ]hatiḥ
prasabha-vighaṭita-sakala-Kali-vilas[i*]ta-gatir=mattra²¹-jan-âbhidrô(rô)hibhir=
[L34

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 39, PLATE XXV. 175
18 [shṭ-â*]tyunnata-hṛidaya[ḥ*] prakhyâta-paurushaḥ śâstra-kôṭal¹-âtiśay[ô*]
guṇa²-gaṇatitha-vipaksha-kshitipati-lakshmî-svayaṁsvayaṁ³gṛahê(ha)-
prakâśita-praviâ(vî)ra-purusha-prathamaḥ⁴-[saṁkhy-â]-
19 dhigamaḥ⁵ ya(pa)ramam[â*]hêśvaraḥ śrî-Kharagrahaḥ [||] Tasya sutaḥ
tat-pâd-[â]nuddhyâtaḥ sa[r*]vva-v[i*]dy-âdhigamaḥ-pahita⁶-nikhila-vidvaj-
jana-manaḥ-paritôshit⁷-âtiśa(śa)ya[ḥ*] sat[t*]va-
20 sa[m*]pat-tyâgaiḥ śauryyêṇa cha vigat-ânusa[m*]dhâna-samâhit-ârâti-
paksha-manôratha-rathâksha-bhaṁgaḥ samyag-upalakshit-ânêka-śâstra-kalâ-
lôkacharita-gahvara-vi-
21 bhâgô-pi parama-bhadra-prâ(pra)kṛitir=akṛitṛi(tri)ma-praśrayô=pi vibha(na)ya-
śôbhâ-vibhûsaṇaḥ⁸ samara-śata-jayapatâk-âharaṇa-pratyay-ôdagra-bâhu-daṇḍa-
vidhvaṁsita-pra[tipa]ksha-
22 darpp-ôdayaḥ sva-dhanu[ḥ*]-prâ(pra)bhâva-[pari*]bhût-âstrakausal-âbhimâna-
sakala-nṛipati-maṇḍa[l-â*]bhinandita-śâsanâ(na)ḥ para[mamâ]hêśvaraḥ
śrî(śrî)-Dharasê(sê)naḥ [||] Tasy=ânujaḥ ta[t]-p[âd-ânu]-
23 ddhyâtaḥ sachcharit-[â]tiru(śa)yita-sakala-pû[r*]vva-narapatiḥ dus-
sâdhanâ[nâ*]m=api prasâdhayitâ vishay[â*]nâm mû[r]tt[i]m[â*]n=iva
purushakâraḥ parivṛiddha-gu[n-â]nurâga-[nirbbha]-
24 ra-chitta-vṛitti[bhi*]ḥ Manur=iva svâ(sva)yam-abhyupapannaḥ prakṛitibhir-
avi(dhi)gata-kalâ-kalâpa[ḥ*] kânti-tiraskṛita-salâchhanaḥ⁹-kumudâ(da)-
nâtha[ḥ*] prâjya-pratâpa-sthagita-diga[n]tarâla[ḥ]
25 pradhvaṁsita-dhvânta-râśiḥ satat-ôdita-savitâ prakṛitibhya[ḥ*] para[m*] pra-
tyayam=artthavantam=atipa(ba)hutitha-prayôjan-ânubamdhamam¹⁰=[â*]gama-
paribhû(pû)rṇṇa[m*] vidadhâma(na)ḥ sandhi-vigraha-
26 samâsa-niśchaya-nipuṇa[ḥ*] sthânam=anupadêśaṁ dadarhtaṁ¹¹ guṇa-vṛiddhi-
râjadinita¹²-sa[m*]sk[â*]ra-sâdhûnâṁ râjya-Śâlâtu[r]îya-tantrayôr=ubhayôr=api
nishṇâtaḥ prakṛi-
27 ti-vikramô=pi karuṇâ-mṛidu-hṛidayaḥ śrutavân=apy=i(a)-garvv[i*]taḥ kântô=pi
praśami(mî) śi(sthi)ra-sauh[â*]rddô=pi nirasitâ dôshadôsha¹³vatâm=
udaya-samupajan[i]-
28 ta-jan-ânurâga-parivṛi[m*]hita-bhuvana-samartthita-prathita-Bâlâdityi(tya)-dvitîya-
nâm[â*] paramamâhagvana¹⁴ śrî(śrî)-Dharasenaḥ¹⁵ [||] Tasya sutaḥ
tat-pâdaradêla¹⁶-praṇâ-
29 ma-dharaṇi-kashaṇa-di(ja)nita-kiṇa-lâṁchhana-lalâṭa-chandra-sa(śa)kala[ḥ] śiśu-
bhâva êva śravaṇa-nihita-mauktik-âlaṁkâra-vibhram-âmala-śruta-viśô(śê)-
sha[ḥ*] pradâna-sa-

¹ Read kauśal.
² Omit this word.
³ Omit this second svayaṁ.
⁴ Read prathama.
⁵ This visarga is imperfect, only the upper part being engraved.
⁶ Read âdhigama-vihita.
⁷ Read paritôsh.
⁸ Read vibhûshaṇaḥ.
⁹ Read salâñchhana.
¹⁰ Read anubandhaṁ.
¹¹ Read sthân-ânurûpam=âdêśaṁ dadatâṁ.
¹² Read vidhâna-janita.
¹³ Omit this second dôsha.
¹⁴ Read mâhêśvara.
¹⁵ Read dhruvasênaḥ, on the authority of line 9-10 of his own grant of the year 310 (Ind. Ant. Vol. VI. p. 15), and of subsequent inscriptions.
¹⁶ Read pâdakamala.

176 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
30 lîla-kshâlit-âgrahastâravindaḥ Vyâsa¹ iva mṛidu-kara-grahaṇâd=amandîkṛit-
ânanda-vidhiḥ vasu[m*]dharâyâḥ râ(kâ)rmmurâ(ka)-dhanurvv[e*]da iva
sabhâvinâsapra²-lakshya-kalâpa[h*] pra-
31 ṇata-samasta-sâmanta-maṇḍal-âpamônirbhṛita-chûḍâmaṇiyamana³-śâsanaḥ
parama[mâhê*]śvaraḥ paramabhaṭṭâraka-mahâr[â*]jâdhirâja-param[ê*]śvara-
chakravartti-śrî⁴-Dha-
32 rasênaḥ [||] Tat-pitâmaha-bhrâtṛi-śrî-Śîlâdityasya Vâ(śâ)rṅgapâṇêr=iv=
âgrajanmanô⁵ bhakti-bandhur-âvayava-[kalpita-praṇatê]r=ati-dhavalayâ tat-
pâdâravinda-prapri(vri)ttayâ charaṇa-nakha-maṇi-
33 [ru]châ Mandâkiny-êva nityâ(tya)m=amalît-ôttamâṁva(ga)desasy=Ava(ga)-
styasy=[ê]va râjakchô(rshê)ḥ d[â*]kshiṇyam-ânatanvânasya⁶ prabala-
dhavalivnô(mnâ) yaga(śa)sâṁ valay[ê*]na ma-
34 [ṇḍita]-kakubhâ navayâtharalitâsêpiḥkhaḍgaparivama⁷-maṇḍalasya payê(yô)da-
śyâma-śikhara-chûchura-kachi-sama-vinyasta-stana⁸-yugâyâḥ kshit[ê]ḥ
paty[u]ḥ śrî-[Dêrabha]ṭa-
35 sy=âgrajaḥ⁹ kshiti[pa*]-sa[rshê]ḥ charu vibhâgasya¹⁰ gu(śu)chir=yyagô-
ṅguka¹¹-bhṛitaḥ svayaṁvar-âbhilâshiṇîm-iva râj[y]a-śriyam=arppayantyâḥ
kṛita-par[î*]graha[ḥ śauryyam=apratiha]-
36 ta-pratâp-ânamita¹²-prachaṇḍa-ripu-maṇḍalaṁ maṇḍalâgram=apâlampadhuânaḥ¹³
śaradi prasabham-[â*]kṛishṭa-śilimukha-pâ(bâ)ṇâsan-âpâdita-prasâdha[nânâṁ]
37 para-bhuvâṁ vidhivad-âcharita-kara-grahaṇaḥ pûrvvam=[ê*]va vividha-varṇ(rṇ)-
ôj[j*]valêna gru(śru)t-âtisay[ê*]n=ô[dbhâ]sita-śravaṇa-yugalaḥ puna[ḥ-punar-
uktên=êva ratn-â]-
38 [la]ṅ[k]ârêṇ=âlaṅkṛita-śrôtrâ¹⁴ parisphurat-kâ(ka)ṭaka-vikaṭa-kîṭa-paksha-ratna-
kiraṇam=ipachchhinna¹⁵-pradâna-salila-nivahânavasê[ka¹⁶-vilasan-nava-śaival-âṁ]-
39 kuram=ap¹⁷=âgrapâṇim=udvaha[n*] dhṛita-viś[â*]la-ratna-pa(va)laya-jaladhi-vêl[â*]-
taṭâyam[â*]na-bhuja-parishvakta-viśvam[bha]raḥ paramam[â*]hêśvaraḥ śrî-
Dhruvasênas=Tasy=âgra=
¹ Read kanyâyâ.
² Read saṁbhâvit-âśêsha.
³ Read maṇḍal-ôttamâṅga-dhṛita-chûḍâmaṇiyamâna.
⁴ In line 39 of the grant of Dharasêna IV. himself, of the year 326, Âshâḍha śukla 10, the reading is chakravarttî śrî-ajjaka-pâd-ânudhyâtaḥ śrî (Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc. Vol. X. p. 79, and Ind. Ant. Vol. I. p. 16); also in his grant of the same year, Mâgha bahula 5, of which we have only the translation of the second plate (Ind. Ant. Vol. I. p. 45).—In all the subsequent grants, the epithet śrî-ajjaka-pâd-ânudhyâtaḥ was, for some reason or other, omitted, as here; even in his own grants of the year 330 (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 75, line 41, and Vol. XV. p. 340, line 40).
⁵ Read âṅgajanmanô, in accordance with line 29 of the next available grant of the generation after this, that of Kharagraha II. of the year 337 (Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 78).
⁶ Read âtanvânasya.
⁷ Read nabhasi yâminîpatêr=vvirachit-âkhaṇḍa-parivêsha.
⁸ Read chûchuka-ruchira-sahya-vindhya-stana.
⁹ Read âṅgajaḥ, on the authority of line 32 of the grant of Kharagraha II., quoted above, note 5 and of most of the subsequent grants.
¹⁰ Read saṁhatêr=ânurâgiṇyaḥ.
¹¹ Read yaśô-ṁśuka.
¹² Read apratihata-vyâpâram=ânamita.
¹³ Read iv=âlambamânaḥ.
¹⁴ Read śrôtraḥ.
¹⁵ Read avichchhinna.
¹⁶ Read nivah-âvasêka.
¹⁷ Read iv.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 39, PLATE XXV. 177
Second Plate.
40 [jô¹-para]-ma[hîpa]ti-sparddha(rśa)-dôsha-nâga(śa)na-dh[i]y=[ê]va lakshmyâ
svayam=atispashṭa-chêshṭam=âślishṭ-ângayash [ṭir-atiruchiratara-charita-garima-
parikalita-sakala-na]rapa[t]ir=ati-
41 prakṛishṭ - ânurâga - [sa*]rabhasa - vaśîkṛita - praṇata - samasta - sâmanta - chakra -
chûḍâmaṇi-mayûkha-[khachita-charaṇakamala-yugalaḥ] prôddâm-[ôdâra]-
dô[rddaṇḍa]-dalita-dvishad-va-
42 rgga-darppaḥ prasarppat-patîyaḥ-pratâpa-plôshit-âśêsha-śatru-va[m*]śaḥ praṇayi-
paksha-ni[kshipta-lakshmîkaḥ prêrita-gad-ôtkshi]pta-su[darśana-chakra]ḥ
parihṛita-
43 [bâla-krî]ḍô=anadhahkṛita-dvijâtir=êka - vikrama - prasâdhita - dharitrîtalô = namgîkṛita-
jalaśayy[ô=pûrvva-purushôtta]mah [sâkshâd-dharmma iva samyag-
vya]vasthâ-
44 pita-varṇṇ-âśram-âchâraḥ pûrvvair=apy=urvvi(rvvî)patibhiḥ trishṇâ-lava-lubdhaiḥ
yâny=apahṛitâ[ni dêva-brahma]-d[ê]yâ[ni tê]shâm=apy=[atisarala]-manaḥ-
pra-
45 [sa]ra-mut-sa[ṅka]la[n-ânu]môdanâbhyâṁ parimudita-tṛi(tri)bhuvan-âbhinandit-
ôchchhrit-ôtkṛishṭa-dhavala-dha[rmma]-dh[vaja]ḥ [prakâśita-ni]ja-vaṁśaḥ
d[ê]va-dvija-gurû[n=pratipûjya yathârha]m=anavarat-
46 pravarttita - mah - ôdraṅg - [â]di - dâna - vyavasan - ânupajâta²- saṁtôsh - ôpâtt - ôdâra-
kîrttiḥ³-[param]parâ-[danturita-ni]kh[i]la-dikchakravâlaḥ [spashṭam=êva
ya]th-ârttha[ṁ] Dharmmâdityi(tya)-
47 [dvi]tîya-nâmâ para[ma*]mâhêśvaraḥ śrî-Kharagrahaḥ [॥*] Tasy=âgra-
janmanaḥ⁴ kumuda-shaṇḍa-śrî-[vikâsinyâ kalâvataś=chandrikay=êva kîrttyâ
dhavalita-sa]kala-digmaṇḍa-
48 lasya khamḍit-âguru-[vi]lêpana-viḍa⁵-śyâmala-Vindhya-[śai]la-vipula-payôdharâyâḥ
kshi[têḥ patyu]ḥ śrî-Śîlâdityasya sûnu[r=nava-prâlêyakiraṇa i]va
49 pratidina-saṁvarddhamâna-hṛidaya⁶-kalâ-chandra(kra)vâlaḥ [kêsar]îndra-[ś]iśur=iva
râja-lakshmîṁ sakala⁷-vana[sthalîm=i]v=âlaṁkurvvâṇaḥ [śikha]ṇḍikêtana
iva ruchi[mach-chûḍâ]-ma[ṇḍanaḥ]
50 prachaṇḍa-śakti-prabhâvaś=cha śarad-âgama iva⁸ dvishatâṁ parama-

¹ It is rather peculiar that the elder brother should be mentioned after the younger. The
reading, agrajô, however, is the same in line 37 of Kharagraha's own grant of the year 337 (Ind.
Ant. Vol. VII. p. 78), which seems to put the correctness of it beyond doubt; and the same reading
is repeated in all the later grants without exception.—See also note 4 below.
² Read vyavasthân-ôpajâta, or vyavasây-ôpajâta. ³ Read kîrtti.
⁴ Here we have another instance of the elder brother being mentioned after the younger (see
note 1 above). But, except that agrajaḥ is written by mistake for agrajanmanaḥ, the reading is the
same in line 47 of the next grant after this generation, that of Śîlâditya III. of the year 352, the son
of Śîlâditya II. who is now under notice (Ind. Ant. Vol. XI. p. 308); and this seems to put the cor-
rectness of it beyond doubt. Also, the same reading that we have here, agrajanmanaḥ, is repeated
in all the later grants.
⁵ Read piṇḍa. ⁶ Omit this word hṛidaya.
⁷ Read lakshmîm=achala.
⁸ A considerable amount of matter is omitted here. The full passage should run — śarad-âgama
iva pratâpavân=ullasat-padmaṁ saṁyugê vidalayann=ambhôdharân=iva para-gajân=udaya-
tapana-bâlâtapa iva saṁgrâmêshu mushṇann=abhimukhânâm=âyâṁshi dvishatâm.

178 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
māhēśvaraḥ paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-paramēśvara-śrī-bappa¹-pād-
ânuddhyātaḥ paramabhaṭ[t]āraka-[mahārā]-
51 jâdhirāja-paramēśvaraḥ śrī-Śīlādityadēvas=Tasya sutaḥ pâramaiśvaryya[ḥ*]²
kôp-âkṛishṭa-nistri(stri)ṁśa-pāta-vidalit-ârāti-kari-kumbhasthal-ôllasat-pra[sṛita-
ma]hā-pratâp-ânalaḥ prâ[kâra]-
52 [parigata*]-jaganmaṇḍala-labdha-sthitiḥ vikaṭa-nija-dôrddaṇḍ-âvalambinā sakala-
bhuvan-âbhôga-bhājā manth-âsphālana-vidhu[ta-dugdhasi]ndhu-phē[na-piṇḍa-
pā]ṇḍura-yaśô-vitâ[nēna]
53 vihit-ātapatraḥ parama[māhē*]śvaraḥ paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārājâdhirāja-
paramēśvara-śrī-bappa-pād-ânuddhyātaḥ paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārā[jâdhi]rāja-
pa[ramēśva]ra-[śrī]-Śīlâditya[dēvaḥ] [॥] [Tat-putraḥ]
54 pratâp -ânurâga-praṇata-samasta-sāmanta-chūḍāmari-nakha-mayūkha³-nichita-
rañ[j]ita-pādâravindaḥ parama[mā]hēśvaraḥ paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārājā-
dhirāja-paramēśvara-śrī-[bappa]-pād-â-
55 nuddhyātaḥ paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārājâdhirāja-paramēśvara-śrī-Śīlāditya-
dēva[ḥ] [॥] Tasy=âtmajaḥ praśamita-ri(?)pu(?)-bala-darppaḥ vipula-jaya-
maṅgal-āśrayaḥ śrī-samāliṅ[gana-lâli]ta-
56 vakshā[ḥ] sam[u*]pôḍha-nârasiṅgha-vigrah-ôrjjit-ô[d*]dhura-śaktiḥ samuddhā-
(ddha)ta-vipaksha-bhūbhṛit-kṛita-nikhila-gômaṇḍala-rakshaḥ purush-ôttama[ḥ*]
praṇatanâbhūta⁴-pārtthiva-kirīṭa-
57 [mā]ṇikya-[ma]sṛiṇita-charaṇa-nakha-mayūkha-raṁjit-âgējā⁵-digvadhū-mukhaḥ
paramamāhēśvaraḥ paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārājâdhirāja-paramēśvara-śrī-bappa-
pā-
58 [d-â]nuddhyātaḥ paramabhaṭṭārāṁ-mahāraladhirāja⁶-paramēśvara-śrī-Śīlâditya-
dēvaḥ paramamāhēśvaraḥ⁷ [॥] Tasy⁸=âtmajaḥ prathita-dussaha-vīryya-
chakrô lakshmy-ālay[ô]
59 [nara]ka-nāśa-kṛita-prayatnaḥ pṛithvī-samuddharaṇa-kāryya-kṛit-aika-nishṭhaḥ
sampūrṇṇa-chandra-kara-ni[r]mmala-jāta-kīrttiḥ [॥] Jñāta-[tra]y[ī]-[g]uṇa-
mayô jita-vai[r]i-pakshaḥ saṁpa[nna]-
60 [-- ⏑]ma(?)-sukhaḥ sukha-daḥ sad-aiva jñān-ālaya[h] sakala-vandita-lôkapâlô
vidyādharair=anug(\setminus)taḥ prathitaḥ pri(pṛi)thivyāṁ [॥] Ratn-ôj[j]valô
vara-tanu-
¹ Read bāvā, in accordance with line 46 of the grant of the next generation after this, that of
Śīlāditya IV. of the year 372 (Ind. Ant. Vol. V. p. 212; and Archæol. Surv. West. Ind. Vol. III.
p. 99); with lines 45 and 46 of the two grants of Śīlāditya V. of the year 403 (Jour. Bo. Br. R. As.
Soc. Vol. XI. p. 343; and Indian Inscriptions, Nos. 15 and 16); and with the explanation that I give
below, on the translation of this passage.—In line 51 of the grant of Śīlāditya VI. of the year 441
(Ind. Ant. Vol. VI. p. 20), the reading is bappa, as here, wrongly.—In line 51 of the grant of Śīlādi-
tya III. himself of the year 352 (id. Vol. XI. p. 309), the whole passage between paramamāhēśvaraḥ
and śrī-Śīlādityadēvaḥ, including both the reference to bāva and his own regal titles, is omitted.
² Several words are omitted before this. The full reading is tasya sutō=para-pṛithvī-
nirmmāṇa-vyavasāy-āsādita-pāramaiśvaryyaḥ.
³ Read chūḍāmaṇi-mayūkha.
⁴ Read praṇata-prabhūta.
⁵ Read diśôsha.
⁶ Read paramabhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja.
⁷ This epithet is repeated unnecessarily, as we have already had it in the preceding line.
⁸ Metre, Vasantatilaka; and in the following three verses.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 39, PLATE XXV. 179
61 [r=ggu]ṇa-ratna-râśiḥ aiśvaryya-vikrama-guṇaiḥ paramai=upêtaḥ sat[t*]v-
ôpakâra-karaṇê satataṁ pravṛittaḥ s[â*]kshâj=[j*]anârddanâ(na) iv-
ârddita-dushṭa-darppaḥ [॥]
62 Yuddhâḥ¹ sakṛid=gâ(ga)ja-ghaṭâ-ghaṭan-aika-dakshaḥ puṇy-âlayô jagati gîta-
mahâ-pratâpaḥ râjâdhirâja-param[ê]śvara-vaṁśa-janmâ śrî-Dhrûbhaṭô
jayati jâ-
63 ta-mahâ-pramôdâṁ² [॥] [Sa cha] paramêśvaraḥ³ paramabhaṭṭâraka-mahârâjâ-
dhirâja-parâmêśyara⁴-śrî-pa(ba)ppa-pâp(d)-ânuddhyâtaḥ para(râ)mabhaṭṭâra-
na(ka)-mahârâjâ-
64 dhirâja-paramêśvara-śrî-Śîlâdityadêvaḥ sarvvân=êva samâjñâpayaty=Astu
vaḥ saṁvidita[ṁ*] yathâ mayâ m[â*]tâpitrôr=âtmanaś=cha puṇya-yaśô-
bhivṛi-
65 ddhayê aihik-âmushmika-phal-âvâpty-arthaṁ śrîmadÂnandapuravâstavya-
tachchâturvvidyasâmânya-Ś[â*]rkkarâkshisagôśra(tra)-bahvṛichasabrahmachâri-
66 bhaṭṭ-Âkhaṇḍalamitrâyê(ya) bhaṭṭa-Vishṇu-putrâya bali-charu-vaiśva-dêv-
âgnihôtra-kratu-kṛi(kri)y-âdy-utsarppaṇ-âtthê⁵ gri(śrî)-Khêṭak-âhârê
Uppalahêṭa-
67 pathakê Mahila(lâ)bali-n[â*]ma-grâmaḥ s-ôdraṅga[ḥ*] s-[ô*]parikâ(ka)raḥ
s-ôtpadyâ(dya)mâna-vishṭikaḥ sa-bhûta-pâ(vâ)ta-pratyâdôyaḥ⁶ s-daś-
âparâdhaḥ sa-
68 bhôga-bhâgaḥ sa-dhânya-hiraṇy-âd[ê*]yaḥ — sarvva-râjakîyânaḥ a-hasta-
prakshôpaśîyaḥ⁷ pûrvva-pradatta-dôpadâya-padhmadâya-varjjâ⁸ bhûâ(bhû)mi-
chchhidra-nyây[ê*]n=â-chan[dr]-â[r*]kk-â-
69 rṇṇava-kshiti-parvvata-samakâlînaḥ putra-pautr-ânvaya-bhôgya uday(k)-
âtisarggêṇa brahmadâyatvêna pratipâditaḥ [। ] yatô=bhy(sy)=ôchitayâ
brahmadâ[ya-sthi]-
70 tyâ bhuṁjataḥ kṛishataḥ karshâpayataḥ pratidiśatô vâ na kaiśchid=
vyâsêdhê varttitavya[ṁ] ॥ Âgâmi-bhadra-nṛii(nṛi)patibhiḥ a-
71 smad-vaṁśa-jair=anyair=vv=â-nityânityâny⁹=aiśvaryyâṇy=a-sthira[ṁ*] mânujya-
(shya)kaṁ sâmânyaṁ cha bhûmi-dânaṁ¹⁰-phalaṁ avagachchhadbhiḥ
ayam=a-
72 smad-dâyô=numantavyaḥ pâlayitavyaś=cha [॥*] Uktañ=cha pê(ve)da-
vyâsô(sê)na Vyâ¹¹sêna [। ] Bahubhi[r]¹²=vvâsuradhâ¹³ bhuktâ rajabhiḥ
Sagar-âdibhiḥ
¹ Read yuddhê.
² Read pramôdaḥ.
³ Read paramamâhêśvaraḥ
⁴ Read paramêśvara.
⁵ Read ârtthaṁ.
⁶ Read pratyâyaḥ.
⁷ Read râjakîyânâm=a-hasta-prakshêpaṇîyaḥ.
⁸ Read dêvadâya-brahmadâya-varjjam.
⁹ Read vv=â-nityâny.
¹⁰ Read dâna.
¹¹ The engraver first formed apparently gyâ, and then corrected it into vyâ.
¹² Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh).
¹³ Read vasudhâ.
Z 2.

180 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
73 yasya yasya yadâ bhûmis=tasya tasya tadâ phala[ṁ*] l(॥) Yân¹=iha
dattâni purâ nna(na)rêndraiḥ dhanâni dharmmâyatanâkriâtâni²
nirmmâlya-vântaḥ³-
74 prati[mâ]ni tâni kê(kô) nâma [sâ*]dhu[ḥ*] pratir=âdadîtaḥ⁴ [॥]
Shashṭi⁵-varva(rsha)-sahasrâṇi sva[r]gg[ê*] tishṭhati bhu(bhû)mi-daḥ
a(â)chchhêttâ ch=ânumant[â*] chcha(cha) tâny=êva nara-
75 [kê va]sêt ॥ Bhushv-âṭavîshv⁶=a-tê(tô)yâsu sushu⁷-kôṭara-vâsinaḥ krishṇ-
[â*]hay ) hi jâyantô(ntê) bhûmi-d[â*]yaṁ haranti y[ê*] ॥ Dutakê⁸=tra
mahâpratîhâ-
76 [ra] . . . .⁹ h[â*]kshapaṭalika-tra-râjakula¹⁰-śrî-Siddhasêna[ḥ*] gri(śrî)-Śarvvaṭa-
sutaḥ [। ] tava(thâ) tanniyukta-pratinarttaka-kulaputr-âsâ(mâ)-
77 tya-G[u]hêna Hembhaṭa-putrêṇa likhitam¹¹=iti ॥ Saṁva[t]sara-śata-
chatushtayê sapta-chatvâriṁśad-adhikê Dyêpṭha¹²-śuddha-paṁchamyâṁ
aṅka-
78 ta[h] sava¹³ 400 40 7 Śrê(jyê)shṭha gu(śu) 5 [॥] Sva-hastô
mama¹⁴ [॥]
TRANSLATION.
Ôm! Hail! From the victorious camp located at the famous town of Ânanda-
pura :¹⁵—In unbroken descent from the most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara,
the illustrious Bhaṭârka,—who was possessed of glory acquired in a hundred battles
fought with the large armies, possessed of unequalled strength, of the Maitrakas, who
had by force bowed down (their) enemies ; (and) who acquired the goddess of royalty
through the strength of the array of (his) hereditary servants, who had been brought
under subjection by (his) splendour, and had been acquired by gifts and honourable
treatment and straightforwardness, and were attached (to him) by affection,—(there
was) the most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara, the illustrious Guhasêna,
—whose sins were all removed by doing obeisance to the waterlilies that were the feet
of (his) parents ; whose sword was verily a second arm (to him) from childhood ;¹⁶ the test
¹ Metre, Upajâti of Indravajrâ and Upêndravajrâ.
² Read âyatanîkṛitâni. ³ Read vânta.
⁴ Read punar=âdadîta.
⁵ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh); and in the following verse.
⁶ Read vindhy-âṭavîshv.
⁷ Read śushka.
⁸ Read dûtakô.
⁹ Two very doubtful aksharas, or perhaps three, are engraved here. Dr. Bühler read them as śrî-
dêta, giving the proper name of Dêṭaha. But we ought to have simply the ma of mahâksha-
paṭalika.
¹⁰ Read paṭalika-râjakula. The tra is meaningless ; and it is not easy to see how it came to be
introduced.
¹¹ Supply śâsanam.
¹² Read jyêshṭha.
¹³ Read saṁvat.
¹⁴ In the original, these two words, with a representation of the sign-manual underneath them,
stand in an enclosure at the end of lines 70-78.
¹⁵ The proper context is in line 64,—" The glorious Śîlâdityadêva (VII.) issues a command to all
people."
¹⁶ See page 168 above, note 2.

Vol. III
Plate xxv
CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM.
Alina Plates of Śīlāditya VII—The Year 447

Inscription Text (Plate I, Lines 1–38)

ॐ स्वस्ति विजयस्कन्धावारादानन्दपुरसमावासितात्सौधविस्तारस्फुरदमलशशिरुचिमण्डलोत्तुङ्गसौध-
श्रेणीसंक्रान्तनक्तंन्दिवनिपतदुदञ्चद्ध्वजान्तोभयश्रीविभ्रमाद्भूपतीनाम् । जलनिधिमथनसमयलक्ष्मी-
समाश्लेषसंक्षोभिताशेषरुक्मिणीसंशयारोपितानेकपुंसां द्विजानां वसतिरुदितसत्यत्यागशौर्य्याद्यशेष-
प्रकृष्टगुणगणालंकृतसमस्तविप्राग्र्यसङ्गताया विरचितसुमनोविचित्रानेकविधविहारपरममा-
हेश्वरश्रीध्रुवसेनस्य । प्रसभप्रणतामित्राणां मैत्रकाणामतुलबलसपत्नमण्डलाभोगसंसक्तप्रहार-
शतलब्धप्रतापः प्रतापोपनतदानमानाद्वर्जवोपार्जितानुरागोऽनुरक्तमौलभृतमित्रश्रेणी-
बलावाप्तराज्यश्रीः परममाहेश्वरश्रीसेनापतिभटार्कः । तस्य सुतस्तत्पादपादपद्मप्रणाम-
विधौताशेषकल्मषः शैशवात्प्रभृति खड्गग्राहमहिम्ना खुमाननृपतिकनकराशिप्रदानवितीर्ण-
सुरलोकारुन्तुदविश्रुतविभवो गगनतलविशालकीर्त्तिः परममाहेश्वरः श्रीसेनापतिधरसेनः ।
तस्यानुजस्तत्पादपादप्रणामप्रशस्तविमलमौलिरुचिर्मनवादिप्रणीतविधिविधानधर्म्मा धर्म्म-
राज इव विहितविनयव्यवस्थापद्धतिरखिलभुवनमण्डलाभोगैकस्वामिना परमस्वामिना
स्वयमुपहितराज्याभिषेकमहाविश्राणनपूतराजश्रीः परममाहेश्वरः श्रीमद्द्रोणसिंहः सिंह इव ।
तस्यानुजः स्वभुजबलपराक्रमेण परगजघटानीकानामेकविजयी शरणैषिणां शरणमव-
बोद्धा शास्त्रार्थतत्त्वानां कल्पतरुरिव सुहृत्प्रणयिनां यथाभिलषितकामफलभोगदः परम-
भागवतः श्रीमहाराजध्रुवसेनः । तस्यानुजस्तच्चरणारविन्दप्रणतिप्रविधौताशेषकल्मषः
प्रभावसम्पद्वशीकृतनृपतिशतसहस्ररत्नमौलिमणिरङ्कुरनिकषकषणहेमरेखारुचिरविशदतर-
पादनखरुचिः सकलस्मृतिप्रणीतमार्ग्गसम्यक्परिपालनप्रजाहृदयरञ्जनादन्वर्थराजशब्दो रूप-
कान्तिस्थैर्य्यधैर्य्यगाम्भीर्य्यबुद्धिसम्पद्भिः स्मरशशाङ्काद्रिराजोदधित्रिदशगुरुधनेशानति-
शयानः शरणागताभयप्रदानपरतयातृणवदपास्ताशेषस्वकार्य्यफलः प्रार्थनाधिकार्थप्रदा-
नानन्दितविद्वत्सुहृत्प्रणयिहृदयः पादचारीव सकलभुननार्याभिभावितानेकपुण्यः परममाहेश्वरः
श्रीमहाराजधरपट्टः । तस्य सुतस्तच्चरणारविन्दप्रणतिवितीर्णपवित्रतरमतिरकलङ्कमूर्ति-
रनवरतसमरविजयरसिकरुचिरविविधविमलतरकीर्त्तिरतिविमलशशिमरीचिशुचिचन्दन-
संदोहसङ्क्रान्तकौशेयनिर्मलतरसितयशःप्रतानवितानितसकलदिगन्तरः परममाहेश्वरः
श्रीमहाराजगुहसेनः । तस्य सुतस्तत्पादपद्मप्रणामपवित्रीकृतमूर्द्धा शैशवात्प्रभृति विविधानलङ्कृत-
सकलविद्याधिगमविमलतरमतिरखिलकलङ्कवर्जितनयमार्गोपदिष्टधर्म्मानुरोधप्रविततकीर्त्ति-
रनेकसमरविजयलब्धयशोधनः सकलप्रजारञ्जनादन्वर्थनामा परमकल्याणरूपः कल्पपादप इव
प्रजायमानपरमविभवोपभोगसंपादितार्थिमनोरथः परममाहेश्वरः श्रीमहाराजशीलादित्यः ।
तस्यानुजस्तत्पादपरिचर्यापवित्रतरमतिः स्वभुजबलपराक्रमप्रशमितसकलशत्रुमण्डलः
प्रणतसमस्तसामन्तमुकुटमणिदीधितिसंपादितपादपद्मरागस्तपोधन इव कृपणदीनानुकम्पी
परममाहेश्वरः श्रीमहाराजखरग्रहः । तस्य पुत्रस्तत्पादानुद्ध्यातः प्रथितविक्रमो नयगुण-
समुदायविद्वत्प्रणयिजनोपजीव्यमानविभवो विधिवदनुचरितनिगममार्गो युधिष्ठिर इव
धर्मपरो धनुर्वेद इव विदितसमस्तधनुःप्रवीणः परममाहेश्वरः श्रीमहाराजधरसेनः ।
तस्यानुजस्तत्पादानुद्ध्यातः सकलविद्यापारदृश्वा विविधसमरजयविजृम्भितयशोराशि-
रुदितविभवविश्रुतदानशौण्डीरः परमधार्मिकः परममाहेश्वरः श्रीमहाराजध्रुवसेनः ।
तस्य सुतस्तत्पादानुद्ध्यातः स्वभुजप्रतापातिशयोपशमितसमस्तप्रतिपक्षदम्भो विरचित-
विविधसत्कारसङ्गृहीताखिलसुहृन्मण्डलो गुणवतामग्रणीः परममाहेश्वरः
श्रीमहाराजधरसेनस्तस्य सुतस्तत्पादानुद्ध्यातः परममाहेश्वरः श्रीमहाराज-
ध्रुवसेनस्तस्यानुजस्तत्पादानुद्ध्यातः परममाहेश्वरः श्रीमहाराजशीलादित्यः ।

J. F. FLEET, BO. C.S.
SCALE .69
W. GRIGGS, PHOTO-LITH.

Based on the epigraphic record, this image shows the second plate (Plate II) of a royal Paramāra copper-plate charter from Malwa (central India), engraved in high-medieval northern Nāgarī script and Sanskrit language.

The plate features the characteristic two ring-holes on the margin and the royal Paramāra emblem—the figure of Garuḍa (kneeling, with wings spread, holding a serpent)—engraved within an ornamental rectangular cartouche.

Epigraphic Details

• Dynasty: Paramāras of Dhārā / Mālvā
• Language: Sanskrit (mix of verse and prose)
• Script: Northern Nāgarī (Western/Central Indian variety, 11th–13th century CE)
• Emblem: Flying/kneeling Garuḍa in a bordered panel at the upper corner
• Lines Recorded on Plate: Lines 38 to 78

Devanāgarī Transcription (Lines 38–78)

... [तदङ्गीकृत्य] च अस्माभिः ... समस्त-प्रशस्त-सहित-परमभट्टारक-महाराजाधिराज-परमेश्वर-
श्रीमद्-[भोज/जयसिंह/उदयादित्य/नरवर्म/यशोवर्म/जयवर्म/विन्ध्यवर्म]देव-पादानुध्यात-

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 39, PLATE XXV. 181
of whose strength was manifested by clapping (his) hands on the temples of the rutting ele-
phants of (his) foes; who had the collection of the rays of the nails of (his) feet inter-
spersed with the lustre of the jewels in the locks of hair on the tops of the heads of (his)
enemies who were made to bow down by his prowess; whose title of ‘king’ was obvious and
suitable, because he pleased the hearts of (his) subjects by preserving the proper rites
of the path prescribed by all the traditionary laws; who in beauty, lustre, stability, pro-
fundity, wisdom, and wealth, surpassed (respectively) (the god) Smara, the moon, (Himâ-
laya) the king of mountains, the ocean, (Bṛihaspati) the preceptor of the gods, and (the
god) Dhanêśa; who, through being intent upon giving freedom from fear to those who
came for protection, was indifferent to all the (other) results of his vigour, as if they were
(of as little value as) straw; who delighted the hearts of learned people and (his) friends
and favourites, by giving (them) wealth greater (even) than their requests; (and) who was,
as it were, the personified happiness of the circumference of the whole earth.
(Line 7.)—His son, whose sins were all washed away by the torrent of the waters of
(the river) Jâhnavî spread out by the diffusio .. [of the rays*] of the nails of his feet, (was)
the most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara, the illustrious Dharasêna (II.),—
whose riches were the sustenance of a hundred thousand favourites; who was with
eagerness, as if from a desire for (his) beauty, resorted to by (all) the virtuous qualities of
an inviting kind; who astonished all archers by the speciality of (his) innate strength and
(skill acquired by) practice; who was the preserver of religious grants bestowed by
former kings; who averted calamities that would have afflicted (his) subjects; who was
the exponent of (the condition of being) the one (joint) habitation of wealth and learning;
whose prowess was skilful in enjoying¹ the goddess of the fortunes of the compact ranks of
(his) enemies; (and) who possessed a spotless princely glory, acquired by (his) prowess.
(L. 10.)—His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the most devout worshipper of
(the god) Mahêśvara, the illustrious Śîlâditya (I.), who acquired the second name of
Dharmâditya by the pursuit of wealth, happiness, and riches, illumined by conformity
with religion,—who pervaded all the regions with the excess of (his) wonderful good
qualities that gladdened all mankind; who supported the great burden of weighty desires
on a cushion that was (his) shoulder, radiant with the lustre of (his) scimetar that was
possessed of the brilliance of victory in a hundred battles; who, though (his) intellect was
pure through mastering the endmost divisions of the limits of all the sciences, was easily
to be gratified with even a small amount of good conversation; who, though (his) heart
possessed a profundity that could be fathomed by no people, yet had a most agreeable
disposition that was displayed by the excess of (his) good actions; (and) who acquired an
eminent reputation by clearing out the blocked-up path (of the good behaviour) of the
kings of the Kṛita age.
(L. 14.)—His younger brother,² who meditated on his feet, (was) the most devout
worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara, the illustrious Kharagraha (I.),—who possessed a
wealth [of vigour*] that was not worn out, either with fatigue or with pleasurable enjoyment,
when, bearing the yoke as if he were a most choice bullock, he was carrying on (his)
shoulders, with the sole object of fulfilling his commands,³ the goddess of sovereignty, even
while she was still an object to be longed for by (his) elder (brother) who, excessively full
¹See page 169 above, note 3. ² See page 177 above, note 1.
³ i.e. the commands of Śîlâditya I.

182 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
of respect (for him), (behaved) as if he were (the god Indra) the elder (brother) of Upêndra;¹
who, though (his) footstool was covered over with the lustre of the jewels on the heads of a
hundred kings subdued by (his) wealth of power, had a disposition that was not embued
with the sentiment of haughtiness (induced) by contempt for other people; by (whose)
enemies, even though renowned for manliness and pride, no remedy, except the perform-
ance of obeisance alone, could be successfully employed; the collection of whose pure
virtues effected the happiness of the whole world; who forcibly destroyed all the specious
procedure of (this wicked) Kali age; whose very noble heart was not tainted by any of
the faults that assert an ascendancy over inferior people; who was renowned for manli-
ness; who excelled in knowledge of the sacred writings; (and) who manifested (his)
attainment of being accounted the first among heroes, by being spontaneously chosen
(as her lord and husband) by the goddess of the fortunes of the assembled hostile
kings.
(L. 19.)—His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the most devout worshipper of
(the god) Mahêśvara, the illustrious Dharasêna (III.),—who, by mastering all the
sciences, produced an excess of joy in the minds of all learned people; who, with (his)
goodness and wealth and liberality, and with (his) heroism, broke the chariot-axles that
were the thoughts of (his) enemies who, occupied in intense reflection (upon his might),
lost the power of acting in concert (against him); who, though thoroughly well conver-
sant with the devious divisions o. the many sacred writings and the arts and sciences and
the proceedings of mankind, still had a nature that was of the most gracious kind; who,
though possessed of innate affability, was (still further) decorated with the grace of
modesty; who destroyed the display of pride of (his) opponents by the staff of (his) arm
that was uplifted in the act of capturing banners of victory in a hundred battles; (and)
whose commands were hailed with joy by the whole array of kings whose pride, induced
by (their) skill in the use of weapons, was subdued by the power of his own bow.
(L. 22.)—His younger brother, who meditated on his feet, (was) the most devout
worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara, the illustrious **Dhruvasêna (II.),**² whose famous
second name of Bâlâditya was established as one of appropriate meaning, through the
(whole) world being pervaded by the affection of mankind that was produced by (his)
rising,³—who surpassed all previous kings in excellent achievements; who was the accom-
plisher of objects, even such as were hard to be attained ;⁴ who was, as it were, the very
personification of manhood; who, as if he were Manu, was spontaneously resorted to by
(his) subjects, the action of whose thoughts excelled in affection for (his) great good
qualities; who mastered all the arts and sciences ; who, in beauty, put to shame the
moon, which (lustrous as it is, still) is marked with spots; who pervaded with (his) great
brilliance all the intermediate spaces between the points of the compass; who destroyed
¹ Upêndra, the younger brother of Indra, is Vishṇu. The allusion seems to be to the contest
between Vishṇu (in his incarnation as Kṛishṇa) and Indra concerning the tree of Indra's paradise, in
which Vishṇu was victorious and had homage done to him by Indra (see the Vishṇu-Purâṇa, book V.
chap. xxx.; Hall's edition of Wilson's Translation, Vol. V. p. 97 ff.)—On this analogy, it would seem
that the two brothers, Śîlâditya I. and Kharagraha I., had some dispute about the leadership of their
family ; and that eventually Śîlâditya I. conceded the question to his younger brother.
² See page 175 above, note 15.
³ The play on words is on the meaning of bâl-âditya, 'the young sun, the rising sun.
⁴ Or "who was the conqueror of territories, even such as were hard to be subdued."

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 39, PLATE XXV. 183
the mass of darkness; who, being a sun that was always risen, was (ever) conferring
upon (his) subjects confidence of the highest kind, that was fully justified, (and) was the
result of the very various objects with which he busied himself (for their welfare), (and)
was filled out with (constant) augmentation; who, being clever (on the one side) in deter-
mining peace and war and reconciliation (and on the other) in settling the euphonic
joining of letters and the analysis of words and composition, was thoroughly well
versed even in both the rituals of sovereignty and of Śâlaturîya,¹ (the text-books on the
one side) of those who give commands suitable to the rank (of their subordinates) (and on
the other side) of those who apply substituted grammatical forms suitable to the places
(that they are to fill), (and on the one side) of those who are eminent in refinement effected
by the employment of an increase of virtue, (and on the other side) of those who excel in
the perfection of language effected by the employment of the guṇa² and vṛiddhi³ changes
of vowels; who, though naturally valorous, possessed a heart that was tender through
compassion; who, though well acquainted with sacred learning, was free from pride;
who, though beautiful, was full of tranquillity; (and) who, though firm in friendship,
repudiated people pervaded with faults.
(L. 28.)—His son, whose forehead, resembling a portion of the moon, had on it a
spot that was the mark caused by rubbing against the earth in performing obeisance to
the waterlilies that were his feet, (was) the most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahê-
śvara, the Paramabhaṭṭâraka, Mahârâjâdhirâja, Paramêśvara, and *Chakravartin,*⁴ the
glorious Dharasêna (IV.),—who, in very childhood, had a speciality of sacred learning
that was as pure as the beauty of the pearl-ornaments worn in (his) ears; who had the
waterlilies that were (his) fingers besprinkled with the stream of (constant) liberality;
who intensified the happiness of the earth by the lenient levying of taxes, as if he were
intensifying the happiness of a maiden by tenderly taking (her) hand (in marriage); who,
as if he were (the very personification of) the science of archery of bowmen, perceived
at once all objects that should be aimed at; (and) whose commands were like the jewels
in the locks of hair worn on the heads of all the chieftains who bowed down before (him).
(L. 32.)—Of the son⁵ of the illustrious **Śîlâditya (I.),**⁶ who was the (elder) brother
of his father's father⁷ (Kharagraha I.), (and) who was, as it were, (the god) Śârṅga-
¹ The grammarian Pâṇini, as having been born in the town of Śalâtura. The play on words here
rests on the ordinary and grammatical meanings of saṁdhi, vigraha, and the other terms employed.
² The formative change of i, and î, u and û, ri and rî, and lṛi, into ê, ô, ar or ra and al.
³ The formative change of a, i and î, u and û, ri and lṛi, into â, ai, au, âr or râ, and âl.
⁴ Chakravartin is explained by Monier Williams, in his Sanskrit Dictionary, as meaning “a
ruler, the wheels (chakra) of whose chariot roll everywhere without obstruction;” or “the ruler of a
chakra or country described as extending from sea to sea.” Another explanation is given in the
Vishṇu-Purâṇa, book I. chap. xiii. verse 46 (see Hall’s edition of H. H. Wilson’s Translation, Vol. I.
p. 183, and note 1), viz. “a discus (chakra), the sign of (the god) Vishṇu, (is to be found among the
marks) on the hands of all Chakravartins; (and such a ruler is one) whose prowess cannot be with-
stood even by the gods.”—The word Chakravartin denotes ‘an universal ruler;’ and is one of the
technical titles of paramount sovereignty, though it is not of such frequent occurrence as the others
are (see page 10 above, note 3).—This Dharasêna’s own grant of the year 326, inserts, after
Chakravartin, the epithet “who meditated on the feet of (his) illustrious grandfather” (see page 176
above, note 4).
⁵ See page 176 above, note 5. ⁶ Mentioned in line 14 above.
⁷ i.e. of the father’s father of the last-mentioned king, Dharasêna IV.

184 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
pâṇi,—(viz.) of the illustrious Dêrabhaṭa, who performed obeisance with (his) limbs
bowed down through attachment; whose head was always rendered pure, as if by (the
river) Mandâkinî, by the very dazzling lustre, proceeding from the waterlilies that were
his feet,¹ of the jewels that were the nails of (his) feet; who, as if he were
Agastya, was a royal saint, displaying courtesy on all sides; who with the exceed-
ingly white circle of (his) fame, that adorned the points of the compass, formed an
entire halo round the moon in the sky; (and) who was the lord of the earth which has
(the mountains) Sahya and Vindhya for (its) lovely breasts,² the nipples of which are
(their) summits that are made of a dark-blue colour by the clouds (resting upon them),—
the son³ (was) the most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara, the illustrious
Dhruvasêna (III.),—who accepted in marriage the goddess of royalty, just as if she
were longing to choose (him) of her own accord, from the assemblage of kings, full
of affection (for him) (and) wearing fine garments that were (their) resplendent reputa-
tions, which offered (her to him); who relied upon (his) heroism, which was never exerted
in vain, as if upon a scimetar which bowed down the array of (his) fierce enemies; who,
in the autumn season,⁴ according to proper custom levied taxes from (his) enemies' lands,
the quiet state of which was upset by (his) bow, the arrows of which were forcibly drawn
out to the full; who, having (his) ears already decorated with an excess of sacred learn-
ings, radiant with a variety of topics, had them (still further) adorned with the embellish-
ment of jewels, as if it were (with that sacred learning) repeated again and again; (and)
who,—holding up a fore-arm which, (covered) with gleaming bracelets and wings of
beautiful insects and rays of jewels, was as it were a fresh sprout of a śaivala-plant⁵
looking charming in the waters that were (his) ceaseless gifts,—embraced the (whole)
earth with (his) arms which, wearing great jewelled bands, behaved as if they were the
banks of the shores of the ocean.
(L. 39.)—His elder⁶ brother (was) the most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahê-
śvara, the illustrious Kharagraha (II.), who, in a very clear and suitable manner, had the
second name of Dharmâditya—whose slender body was embraced in a very public fashion
by the goddess of fortune herself, who was minded, as it were, to destroy the pollution of
the touches of other kings; who surpassed all (other) kings by the greatness of (his) ex-
ceedingly brilliant achievements; who had the waterlilies that were (his) feet studded with
the rays of the jewels in the locks of hair on the tops of (their) heads of the whole assem-
blage of chieftains who bowed down when they had been subdued by the violence of (their)
excessive affection (for him); who broke the pride of the multitude of (his) enemies with the
large and lofty staff of (his) arm; who scorched the whole race of (his) foes with (his) very
hot brilliance that spread itself abroad; who delivered over (all his) wealth to the ranks of
(his) favourites;⁷ who had a mace that he hurled, and a nice-looking discus that he threw;
who discarded childish sports; who never treated the twice-born with contempt; who ac-
¹ i.e. the feet of Dharasêna IV.
² See page 86 above, note 2.
³ See page 176 above, note 9.
⁴ As being suitable for campaigns, and also for marriages, as indicated by the secondary mean-
ing of this sentence, in which para-bhuvâṁ means "his enemies' daughters."
⁵ The aquatic plant, Vallisneria Octandra.
⁶ See page 177 above, note 1.
⁷ In this and some of the following sentences, he is, through their secondary meanings, compared
and contrasted with the god Vishṇu.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 39, PLATE XXV. 185
quired the (whole) surface of the earth by (his) prowess alone ; who approved not of making
his couch among stupid people ; who was one of the best of men of a kind that was unpre-
cedented ; who, as if he were the personification of religion, properly regulated the prac-
tices of the different castes and stages of life ; whose lofty and excellent white banner of
religion was hailed by the three worlds that were gladdened by (his) collecting together,
in the joy of (his) very upright disposition, and then assenting to (the continuance of the
enjoyment of), even those grants to gods and Brâhmaṇs that had been confiscated by
previous kings, who were made avaricious by a little greed ; who glorified his own lineage ;
(and) who, having done worship to the gods and Brâhmaṇs and spiritual preceptors, filled
all the circuit of the regions with the continuity of (his) excellent reputation acquired by
(their) satisfaction produced by (his) settlement of liberal grants of the udranga¹ and
other (rights) which were ceaselessly made (by him) according to the merits (of the
recipients.)
(L. 47.)—Of his elder brother,² the illustrious Śîlâditya (II.),³—who made all the
regions white with (his) fame, as if with the light of the full-moon that makes the beauty
of the waterlilies to develop itself ; (and) who was the lord of the earth, the bulky breasts
of which are the Vindhya mountains of a dark-blue colour like cakes of ointment made of
pounded aloe-bark,—the son (was) the Paramabhaṭṭâraka, Mahârâjâdhirâja, and Paramê-
śvara, the glorious Śîlâdityadêva (III.),—who day by day increased (his) circle of
accomplishments, like the new cold-rayed (moon) day by day increasing (its) digits ; who
adorned the goddess of sovereignty, like a young lordly lion adorning a forest on a mountain ;
who, like (the god Kârttikêya) who has the banner of a peacock, was adorned with a beauti-
ful lock of hair on the top of the head, and was possessed of excessively great energy and
majesty ; who was [full of glory (and) possessed ample treasures*],⁴ like the approach of
autumn, [which is full of warmth (and) causes the waterlilies to bloom *] ; [who used to part
asunder in battle the elephants of (his) enemies, just as the young sun, hot (even) in (its)
rising, parts asunder the clouds*] ; [who used to steal in war the lives*] of (his) enemies ;
who was a most devout worshipper of (the god) Mahêśvara ; (and) who meditated on the
feet of the Paramabhaṭṭâraka, Mahârâjâdhirâja, and Paramêśvara, (his) glorious uncle.⁵
(L. 51.)—His son (was) the Paramabhaṭṭâraka, Mahârâjâdhirâja, and Paramêśvara,
the glorious Śîlâdityadêva (IV.),—[who achieved*] supreme lordship⁶ [by engaging in
the creation of another world] ; the diffused fire of whose great prowess played about on
the temples of (his) enemies' elephants, which were split open by the blows of (his) sword
that was drawn in anger ; who acquired a firm position on the earth by encircling it about
¹ See page 97 above, note 6. ² See page 177 above, note 4.
³ In Dr. Bühler's genealogical table (Ind. Ant. Vol. V. p. 208 ; and Archæol. Surv. West. Ind.
Vol. III. p. 26), this Śîlâditya, because he did not actually reign, is passed over without being
numbered ; with the result that the last of the family, the maker of the present grant, is called Śîlâditya
VI., instead of Śîlâditya VII. But this arrangement, if endorsed, would place us under the incon-
venience of having to refer to him in a very roundabout way, by specifying his father, son, or brother,
in any discussion of the history of the family. He belongs to the direct line of descent ; and all con-
siderations of expediency require that he should be duly numbered, quite as much as his grandfather
and descendants of the same name.
⁴ See page 177 above, note 8.
⁵ bâva.—See page 178 above, note 1, and page 186 below, note 1.
⁶ See page 178 above, note 2.—In this passage, Śîlâditya IV. is likened to the god Śiva, under the
name of Paramêśvara or 'the supreme lord,' and as the creator (see page 155 above, note 1.)
2 A.