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

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 71, PLATE XLI A. 275

solar day of the bright fortnight of the month Chaitra (March-April). It is a Buddhist in-
scription. And the object of it is to record the erection, by a certain Mahânâman,—
the second of that name mentioned in this inscription,—of a mansion of Buddha, i.e. a
Buddhist temple or monastery, at the Bôdhimanḍa, or, rather, within the precincts of it;
i.e. at the modern Bôdh-Gayâ.
With regard to the places mentioned in this inscription, Laṅkâ is, of course, one of
the most well-known names of Ceylon. And General Cunningham tells me that
Âmradvîpa, ‘the mango-island,’ is another of its names, derived from its resemblance in
shape to a mango. Bôdhimanḍa is the name of the miraculous throne under the bôdhi-
tree at Bôdh-Gayâ, also called the vajrâsana or ‘diamond-throne,’ on which Buddha and
his predecessors sat, when attaining bôdhi or perfect wisdom.¹ And Professor Childers, in
his Pâli Dictionary, added that he inferred that the term was also applied to the raised
terrace built under the bôdhi-tree within the precincts of any Buddhist temple, in imitation,
presumably, of Buddha's throne. This, rather than the throne itself, seems to be its
meaning in the present inscription.
The chief interest of this inscription, lies in the probability that the second
Mahânâman mentioned in it, is the person of that name who composed the more ancient
part of the Pâli Mahâvaṁsa, or history of Ceylon. If this identification is accepted, it
opens up a point of importance in the question of dates. On the one hand, there can be
no doubt that the date of the present inscription has to be referred to the Gupta era, with
the result of A.D. 588-89. On the other hand, from the Ceylonese records, Mr. Turnour
arrived at A.D. 459 to 477 as the period of the reign of Mahânâman's nephew (sister's
son) Dhâtusêna;² and it was during his reign that Mahânâman compiled the history.

then considered that the same symbol occurs, in the record of the day, in the Khôh grant of the
Mahârâja Saṁkshôbha, No. 25, above; in line 24 of which (page 115) I accordingly read the solar
day as 29. Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit, however, has found, by actual calculation, that the thirteenth
lunar day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, which is mentioned in line 2 f. of that record (page 114),
was the twenty-seventh solar day in the month. Accordingly, the symbol which we have there, in line
24, must be interpreted as 7; not 9.—On fuller consideration of the whole matter, with the help of
Mr. Sh. B. Dikshit's calculation, I find that, in the three passages, we are concerned with two separ-
ate symbols; not one and the same.—One is the symbol which is the third in the years of the present
inscription of Mahânâman, and the second in the record of the day in the Bhumarâ pillar inscription;
and I see no reason to alter my original opinion, that it is a rather straight and upright form of the
symbol for 9. A sign extremely like it occurs, it is true, in the date of the Môrbî grant (Ind. Ant.
Vol. II. p. 258, and Plate, line 19), where the record in words compels us to interpret it as 8; but it
is there a decimal figure, not a numerical symbol; and that record also comes from a far distant part
of the country; so that we are not bound to adopt the same interpretation in the present instance.—
The other symbol is the second in the record of the day in the grant of Saṁkshôbha. And an
examination of the lithograph (Plate xv B.) will shew, that it really differs from the symbol which I
interpre as through a slight mark below it, which, being a little detached from it, I took originally
to be a rust-mark, and not part of the symbol itself. Taking it now as part of the symbol itself, it
makes the symbol identical with, though in execution somewhat inferior to, the symbol for the day in
the present inscription of Mahânâman; and, accordingly, the symbol for the day here must now be
interpreted as 7; not as 8, which I took it to be in my original version of this inscription.—The same
symbol occurs also in lines 19 and 21 of the Nêpâl inscription of Jishṇugupta (Ind. Ant. Vol. IX. p.
172, and Plate); and it was Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji's interpretation of it there as 8, which led me to
read it originally as 8 in the present instance.
¹ See, amongst other authorities, Beal's Buddhist Records of the Western World, Vol. II.
p. 116.
² See Turnour's Mahawanso, pp. ii. liv. lxii. 254 ff.; and Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. VII. p. 922

276 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
The recorded date of the present inscription, therefore, shews,—if the identification sug-
gested above is accepted,—either that the details of the Ceylonese chronology are not as
reliable as they have been supposed to be; or else that a wrong starting-point has been
selected in working them out, and that they now require considerable rectification.
TEXT.¹
1 Ôm [॥] Vyâptô² yên=â-pramêyaḥ sakala-śaśi-ruchâ sarvvataḥ sat[t]va-
dhâtuḥ kshuṇṇaḥ pâshaṇḍa-yôdhâs=sugati-patha-rudhas=tarkka-śastr-
âbhiyuktâḥ sampûrṇṇô
2 dharmma-kôshaḥ prakṛiti-ripu-hṛitaḥ sâdhitô lôka-bhûtyai l³ śâstuḥ Śâky-aika-
va(ba)ndhôr=jjayati chirataraṁ tad=yaśas-sâra-tanttram ॥ Nairôdhîm⁴
śubha-bhâvanâ-
3 m=anusṛitaḥ saṁsâra-saṁklêśa-jin=Maitrêyasya karê vimukti-vaśitâ yasy=
âdbhutâ vyâkṛitâ l nirvviṇ-âvasarê cha yêna charaṇau dṛishṭau munêḥ
4 pâvanau l⁵ pâyâd=vaḥ sa munîndra-śâsana-dharaḥ stutyô⁶ Mahâ-Kâśyapaḥ ॥
Saṁvyukt-âgaminô viśuddha-rajasaḥ sat[t*]v-ânukamp-ôdyatâḥ śishyâ
5 yasya sakṛid=vichêrur=amalâṁ Laṅk-âchal-ôpatyakâm têbhyaḥ śîla-guṇ-
ânvitâś=cha śataśaḥ śishya-praśishyâḥ kramâj=jâtâs=tuṅga-narêndra-
6 vaṁśa-tilakâḥ prôtsṛijya râjya-śriyam ॥ Dhyân⁷-ôday-âhita-hitaḥ śubh-
âśubha-vivêkakṛid=vihata-môhaḥ sad-dharmm-âtula-vibhavô Bhavô
va(ba)bhûva
7 śramaṇas=tataḥ ॥ Râhul⁸-âkhyaś=cha tach-chhishya U⁹pasênô yatir=yataḥ
Mahânâmâ kramâd=êvam=Upasênas=tatô-paraḥ ॥ Vâtsalyam¹⁰ śaraṇ-â-
8 gatasya satataṁ dînasya vaiśêshikaṁ vyâpat-sâyaka-santati-kshata-dhṛitêr=
ârttasya ch=âpatyakaṁ l krûrasy=âhita-kâriṇaḥ pravitatam va(ba)ndhôr=
yathâ-
9 bhâvataḥ êvaṁ sach-charit-ôdbhavêna yaśasâ yasy=âchitaṁ bhûtalaṁ ॥
Âmradvîp¹¹-âdhivâsî pṛithu-kula-jaladhis=tasya śishyô mahîyân
10 Laṅkâ-dvîpa-prasûtaḥ para-hita-nirataḥ san=Mahânâma-nâmâ l tên=ôchchair-
Vvô(bbô)dhimaṇḍê śaśi-kara-dhavalaḥ sarvvatô maṇḍapêna l¹²
11 kântaḥ prâsâda êsha Smara-va(ba)la-jayinaḥ kâritô lôka-śâstuḥ ॥
Vyapagata¹³-vishaya-snêhô hata-timira-daśaḥ pradîpa-vad=a-saṅgaḥ
12 kuśalên=ânêna janô vô(bô)dhi-sukham=anuttaraṁ bhajatâm ॥ Yâvad¹⁴=
dhvânt-âpahârî pravitata-kiraṇaḥ sarvvatô bhâti bhâsvân=yâvat=pûrṇṇô=
mvu(mbu)-
¹ From the original stone. ² Metre, Sragdharâ.
³ This mark of punctuation is unnecessary.
⁴ Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita; and in the following verse.
⁵ This mark of punctuation is unnecessary.
⁶ My original reading was stutyai. I owe the correction, as also that of amalâṁ, for atulâṁ, in
line 5, to the kind suggestion of Dr. Kielhorn.
⁷ Metre, Âryâ. ⁸ Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh).
⁹ From the vowel ô being partially engraved over this u, the engraver seems to have begun to
form the sô here.
¹⁰ Metre, Śârdûlavikrîḍita. ¹¹ Metre, Sragdharâ.
¹² This mark of punctuation is unnecessary.
¹³ Metre Âryâ. ¹⁴ Metre, Sragdharâ.

Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. III, Plate XLI

A. — Bodh-Gayā Inscription of Mahānāman. — The Year 269.

(Fleet, No. 71)

Text in Devanāgarī

सर्ब्वावबोधपरिकर्म्मविशुद्धबुद्धिर्य्यो बुद्धभावमगमज्जगदानुकम्पी [।]
सायं प्रणेदुरसकृज्जनकण्ठनालव्युन्मुक्तकण्ठविटपेन रवेण यस्य [॥ १]*

क्रोधादयः परुषवाग्विषदाहदीप्ता धीरात्मनः सुविशदं विजिताः समन्तात् [।]
तस्योत्तमस्य भगवतः कुशलोदयस्य पादारविन्दयुगलङ्कृतशेखरोऽहम् [॥ २]*

तस्यानुकारिचरिते विपुले बभूव नक्षत्रमण्डल इवोदितपूर्ण्चन्द्रः [।]
लङ्काद्वीपसमुद्भवः पृथुमना विख्यातकल्पो यतिर्भावाभावविभावने कृतमतिर्बुद्धो बभूव क्षमी [॥ ३]*

**धीरात्मनः समरसो जितकामरूपः सङ्कल्पदोषविरतो गुरुसंयु

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 71, PLATE XLI A. 277
13 râśiḥ phaṇi-phaṇa-kuṭilair=ûrmmi-chakkrais=samantât yâvach-ch=Êndr-âdhivâsô
vividha-maṇi-śilâ-châru-śriṅgaṅ Sumêruḥ śôbh-âḍhyam
14 tâvad=êtad=bhavanam=uru-munêḥ śâśvatatvam=prayâtu || Samvat 200 60 9
Chaittra śu di¹ 7 ||
TRANSLATION.
Ôm ! Victorious for a very long time is that doctrine, replete with fame, of the Teacher,
the chief kinsman of the Śâkyas, by which, lustrous as the full-moon, the inscrutable pri-
mary substance of existence has been pervaded in all directions ; by which the warriors,
who are heretics, obstructive of the path of beatitude, have been broken to pieces, being
assailed with the weapon of logic ; (and) by which the whole treasure of religion, that had
been stolen by the enemy which is original nature, has been recovered for the welfare
of mankind !
(Line 2.)—May he, Mahâ-Kâśyapa, who is worthy of praise, protect you,—he who
observed the precepts of (Buddha) the chief of saints ; who practised that auspicious habit
of abstract meditation which is of the nature of a trance ; who overcame the anguish of suc-
cessive states of existence ; whose wonderful subjugation of the passions in final emanci-
pation (is to be) displayed in the hand of Maitrêya ;² and by whom the two pure feet of
(Buddha) the saint were beheld at the time of attaining nirvâṇa !³
(L. 4.)—His disciples, endowed with a connected tradition of doctrine, purified as to
(their) emotions, (and) active in compassion for existing beings, roamed at one time over
the stainless country at the feet of the mountains of Laṅkâ ; and in succession from them
there were born, in hundreds, disciples and disciples' disciples, possessed of the virtue of
(good) character, who, without the glory of (actual) sovereignty, were the ornaments of a
lofty race of kings.
(L. 6.)—Then there was the Śramaṇa Bhava, whose welfare was effected by the
development of abstract meditation ; who discriminated between good and evil ; who
destroyed error ; (and) who possessed an unequalled wealth of true religion.
(L. 7.)—And his disciple (was) he who had the name of Râhula ; after whom (there
came) the ascetic Upasêna (I.) ; then in succession (there was) Mahânâman (I.) ; (and)
after him another Upasêna (II.), whose special characteristic of affection, of the kind
that is felt towards offspring,—for any distressed man who came to him for protection,
and for any afflicted person whose fortitude had been destroyed by the continuous flight of
the arrows of adversity,—extended, in conformity with the disposition of a kinsman, (even)
to any cruel man who might seek to do (him) harm ; (and) by whose fame, arising from
good actions, the whole world was thus completely filled.
¹ As regards the interpretation of the symbol for the day, see page 274 above, note 2.
² Maitrêya is a Bôdhisattva, at present in the Tushita heaven, who is to be the next Buddha.
And the present passage, which is rather obscure, is perhaps explained by the injunction which
Buddha, when on the point of attaining nirvâṇa, gave to Mahâ-Kâśyapa, to deliver over his kâshâya
or yellow robe (and with it the transmission of the Buddhist doctrine) to Maitrêya, when he should
attain the condition of a Buddha (see Beal's Buddh. Rec. West. World, Vol. II. p. 142 ff.)
³ Mahâ-Kâśyapa was seated in meditation, when suddenly a bright light burst forth, and he
perceived the earth shaking. And then, exerting his divine sight in order to ascertain what wonder-
ful event was indicated by this portent, he saw Buddha in the act of entering on nirvâṇa (see id.
Vol. II. p. 161).

278 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
(L. 9.)—His disciple, greater (even than himself), (is) he who has the excellent name
of Mahânâman (II.); an inhabitant of Âmradvîpa; a very ocean of a mighty family;
born in the island of Laṅkâ; delighting in the welfare of others;—by him this beautiful
mansion of the Teacher of mankind, who overcame the power of (the god) Smara,¹—
dazzling white as the rays of the moon, with an open pavilion on all sides,—has been caused
to be made at the exalted Bôdhimaṇḍa.
(L. 11.)—By means of this appropriate (action), let mankind,—freed from attachment
to worldly things; having the condition of (mental) darkness dispelled; (and), like (the
flame of) a torch, having no adhesion (to material objects),—enjoy the supreme happiness
of perfect wisdom!
(L. 12.)—As long as the sun, the dispeller of darkness, shines in all directions with
diffused rays; as long as the ocean (is) full on all sides with its circles of waves that are
curved like the hoods of hooded snakes; and as long as (the mountain) Sumêru, the
abode of (the god) Indra, has its summits made beautiful by various jewelled slabs, in
such a way as to be full of lustre,—so long let this temple of the great saint attain the
condition of being everlasting!
(L. 14.)—The year 200 (and) 60 (and) 9; (the month) Chaitra; the bright fort-
night; the day² 7.

No. 72; PLATE XLI B.

BODH-GAYA IMAGE INSCRIPTION OF MAHANAMAN.

THIS inscription, which, also, was published by me quite recently, for the first time, in the
Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. p. 359, is from the pedestal of a Buddhist image that was discovered
in the excavations made by General Cunningham and Mr. Beglar at Bôdh-Gayâ,³ in the
Gayâ District in the Bengal Presidency.
The writing, which covers a space of about 1′ 8¾″ broad by 1¾″ high, is in a state
of almost perfect preservation.—The average size of the letters is about ⅜″. The
characters belong to the northern class of alphabets, and are of precisely the same type
with those of the preceding inscription of Mahânâman.—The language is Sanskrit; and
the inscription is in prose.—The orthography presents nothing calling for remark.
The inscription does not refer itself to the reign of any king, and is not dated; but
the characters allot it to precisely the same time with the preceding Bôdh-Gayâ inscrip-
tion of Mahânâman, of A. D. 588-89. It is a Buddhist inscription. And the object of it
is to record the presentation of the statue, on the pedestal of which it is engraved, by a
Sthavira named Mahânâman, who is obviously the second Mahânâman mentioned in the
preceding inscription.
As pointed out to me by General Cunningham, this inscription shews that
Mahânâman must have been at least thirty years old when he visited Bôdh-Gayâ; by the
Buddhist rules, he could not receive the upasampadâ-ordination, before attaining the age
¹ This refers generally to the subjugation of the passions; but also specially to the temptation
by Mâra, or Love as the Destroyer, which is referred to in Buddh. Rec. West. World, Vol. II. p. 69 ff.
² As regards the interpretation of the symbol for the day, see page 274 above, note 2.
³ See page 274 above, and note 1.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 73, PLATE XLII A. 279
of twenty years; and, after that, he would have to wait at least ten or twelve years, before
he could be invested with the title of Sthavira or Thêra. A further point to be noted, is,
that Mahânâman's visit to Bôdh-Gayâ probably occurred before the time when Dhâtusêna
became king of Ceylon,—during the flight of the uncle and nephew to avoid the persecu-
tion of the usurper Pâṇḍu; according to Mr. Turnour's deductions, this was between A.D.
434 and 439.
TEXT.¹
1 Ôm Dêya-dharmmô-yaṁ Śâkya-bhikshôḥ Âmradvîpa-vâsi-sthavira-
Mahânâmasya² [II*] Yad-atra puṇyaṁ tad-bhavatu sarvva-
sat[t*]vânâm-anuttara-jñân-âvâptayê=stu³ [II*]
TRANSLATION.
Ôm! This (is) the appropriate religious gift of the Śâkya Bhikshu, the Sthavira
Mahânâman, a resident of Âmradvîpa. Whatever religious merit (there is) in this
(act), let it be for the acquisition of supreme knowledge by all sentient beings!

No. 73; PLATE XLII A.
SANCHI STONE PILLAR INSCRIPTION.
THIS inscription was discovered by General Cunningham, and was first brought to notice
by him in 1854, in his Bhilsa Topes, p. 199, where he published his reading of it, accom-
panied by a lithograph (id. Plate xxi. No. 199).
This is another inscription from Sâñchi,⁴ in the Dîwângañj Sub-Division of the
Bhôpâl State in Central India. It is on the north side of part of a small monolith round
pillar, broken, that stands a few yards to the north-east of the eastern gateway of the
great Stûpa.
The writing covers a space of about 10" broad by 2¼" high. Except for the first
three letters, which are very much damaged, it is in a state of fairly good preservation,
as far as it goes. But it is only a fragment; the concluding part of it being broken away
and lost.—The average size of the letters is about ⅝". The characters belong to
the southern class of alphabets.—The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is in
prose.—In respect of orthography, we have to notice the doubling of t, in conjunction
with a following r, in puttra.
The inscription does not refer itself to the reign of any king, and is not dated. But,
on palæographical grounds, it may be allotted roughly to the fifth century A.D. It is
evidently the remnant of a Buddhist inscription; and its object seems to have been to
record the gift of the pillar, on which it is inscribed, by a Vihârasvâmin,⁵ the son of

¹ From Mr. J. D. M. Beglar's ink-impression; so also the lithograph.
² Read mahânâmnaḥ.
³ This stu (astu) is redundant, as we have already had bhavatu. The same redundant astu occurs
also in line 2 of the Bôdh-Gayâ image inscription, No. 76 below, page 282.
⁴ See page 29 above, and note 2.
⁵ Vihârasvâmin, lit. 'master of a vihâra,' is a technical religious title of office, applied to certain
functionaries who came next in rank below the Mahâvihârasvâmin; see page 272 above, note 3.

280 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
Gôśûrasimhabala, whose name is partially destroyed, only the first two syllables, Rudra,
remaining.
TEXT.¹
1 A(?)ka .. vihârasvâmi-Gôśûrasimhabala-puttra-Rudra .......
TRANSLATION.
........ the Vihârasvâmin Rudra....... the son of Gôśûrasimhabala......
No. 74; PLATE XLIIB.
CALCUTTA MUSEUM STONE IMAGE INSCRIPTION.
THIS inscription, which has not been previously brought to notice, is from the pedestal of
a sandstone image that is in the Imperial Museum at Calcutta. The image seems to
have been originally a standing statue of Buddha; but the whole of the upper part of it,
above the ankles, is broken away and lost. I have no information as to where it was
found.
The writing, which covers a space of about 9¾" broad by 2¼" high, is in a state
of fairly good preservation, as far as it goes; but it is only a fragment; the conclusion of
it, in the third line, having been cut away, apparently in trimming the stone for some
building purpose.—The size of the letters varies from ¼" to ⁷/₁₆". The characters belong
to the northern class of alphabets.—The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is
in prose.—In respect of orthography, we have to notice the doubling of t, in conjunction
with a following r, in attra and pttrôḥ, line 2.
The inscription does not refer itself to the reign of any king, and is not dated; but,
on palæographical grounds, it may be allotted roughly to the fifth century A.D. It is a
Buddhist inscription. And the object of it is to record the gift, by a Śâkya mendicant
named Dharmadâsa, of the image on the pedestal of which it is engraved.
TEXT.²
1 Dêya-dharmô=yaṁ Śâkya-bhikshôr-Dharmadâsasya [।*] ya-
2 d-attra puṇyaṁ tan=mâtâpittrô[ḥ*] sarva-sat[t*]vânâṁ ch=â-
3 [nuttara⁴-jñân-âvâptayê=stu ॥]
TRANSLATION.
This (is) the appropriate religious gift of the Śâkya Bhikshu Dharmadâsa. What-
ever religious merit (there is) in this (act), [let] it [be for the acquisition of supreme
knowledge] by (his) parents and by all sentient beings.

¹ From the original pillar ² From the original stone.
³ This s was at first omitted, and then inserted above its proper place.
⁴ This last line has been entirely cut away and lost, apparently in trimming the stone for some
building purpose

Vol. III.
CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM.
Plate xlii

A. — Sanchi Pillar Inscription

Scale .50

Text (Gupta Brāhmī / Sanskrit):

... svast[i] ... [śrī]-mahārāja ...

Translation / Note:

Fragmentary inscription on a pillar at Sāñchī (Bhopal State / Madhya Pradesh), recording a pious gift during the reign of the Gupta dynasty.

B. — Calcutta Museum Image Inscription

Scale .50

Text (Gupta Brāhmī / Sanskrit):

... dēyadharmmō = yaṁ śākya-bhikṣ[ōḥ] ...
... yad-atra puṇyaṁ tad-bhavatu sarvva-satvānāṁ ...

Translation:

"This is the religious gift of the Buddhist monk (Śākya-bhikṣu) ... Whatever merit there is in this (act), let it be for the attainment of supreme knowledge by all sentient beings."

C. — Sarnath Inscription

Scale .50

Text (Gupta Brāhmī / Sanskrit):

dēyadharmmō = yaṁ śākyabhikṣōḥ ... [pratimā kāritā]
yad-atra puṇyaṁ tad-bhavatu mātā-pitrōs-sarvva-satvānāñ-ca anuttara-jñān-āvāptayē [||]

Translation:

"This is the religious gift of the Buddhist monk ... [an image was caused to be made]. Whatsoever religious merit there is in this (pious act), may it be for the attainment of supreme knowledge by his parents and by all sentient beings!"

D. — Bodh-Gaya Image Inscription

Scale .50

Text (Gupta Brāhmī / Sanskrit):

siddham [||] dēyadharmmō = yaṁ śākya-bhikṣōḥ ... kāritā bhagavatō ... mātā-pitrōḥ puṇy-āvāptayē sarvva-satvānāñ-ca anuttara-pad-āvāptayē [||]

Translation:

"Success! This is the religious gift of the Buddhist monk ... (an image) of the Holy One was caused to be made for the acquisition of religious merit by his parents, and for the attainment of supreme bliss by all sentient beings."

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

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 75, PLATE XLII C. 281
No. 75; PLATE XLII C.
SARNATH STONE INSCRIPTION.
THIS inscription was discovered by General Cunningham, and was first brought to notice
by him in 1871, in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. I. p. 123, and Plate xxxiv. No. 4.
Sârnâth is the modern name of a large collection of Buddhist ruins, about three
and a half miles north of Benares (properly Banâras or Baṇâras), the chief town of the
Benares District in the North-West Provinces. The inscription is below a sandstone
bas-relief representation of three scenes in the life of Buddha, that was found here in the
course of excavations. The original stone is now in the Imperial Museum at Calcutta.
The writing, which covers a space of about 1′ 1⅞″ broad by 2¼″ high, is in a state
of fairly good preservation throughout. — The average size of the letters is about ⁷⁄₁₆″.
The characters are a peculiarly square variety of the northern alphabet. — The language
is Saṁskṛit; and the inscription is in verse. — The orthography presents nothing calling
for remark.
The inscription does not refer itself to the reign of any king, and is not dated.
But, on palæographical grounds, it may be allotted roughly to the fifth century A.D. It
is a Buddhist inscription; and the object of it is to record that the sculpture, below which
it is engraved, was made by the order of a religious mendicant named Harigupta.
TEXT.¹
1 Guruṁ² pūrvvaṅgamaṁ kṛitvâ l³ mâtaraṁ pitaraṁ tathâ l kâritâ
2 pratimâ śâstuḥ l⁴ Hariguptêna bhikshuṇâ ll
TRANSLATION.
Having placed first (in the order of those who are to acquire religious merit from
this act) (his) spiritual preceptor and (his) mother (and) father, this image of the
Teacher has been caused to be made by the Bhikshu Harigupta.
No. 76; PLATE XLII D.
BODH-GAYA STONE IMAGE INSCRIPTION.
THIS inscription, which does not appear to have been previously brought to notice, is
from the pedestal of a Buddhist stone statue that was found by General Cunningham and
Mr. Beglar in their excavations at Bôdh-Gayâ,⁴ in the Gayâ District in the Bengal Pre-
sidency. The original statue is now in the Imperial Museum at Calcutta.
The writing, which covers a space of about 1′ 11″ broad by 2″ high, towards the
top of the pedestal, is in a state of very good preservation throughout. — The average
¹ From the original stone. ² Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh).
³ and ⁴ In each case, the mark of punctuation is unnecessary.
⁴ See page 274 above, and note 1.
2 N,

282 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
size of the letters is about 1/16". The characters belong to the northern class of alpha-
bets; and are of almost precisely the same type as those of the Bôdh-Gayâ image
inscription of Mahânâman, No. 72 above, page 278, Plate xli B. But, as contrasted
with the form in Mahânâman's inscription of the year 269, No 71 above, page 274, Plate
xli A., we have to notice that, in conjunction with a following y, the r is here formed above
the line, and the y is doubled.—The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is in
prose.—In respect of orthography, the only point that calls for notice is the doubling
of t, in conjunction with a following r, in attra, line 1.
The inscription does not refer itself to the reign of any king, and is not dated; but,
on palæographical grounds, it may be allotted roughly to the sixth century A.D. It is
a Buddhist inscription; and the object of it is to record the grant, by two Śâkya mendi-
[L

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 78, PLATE XLIII B. 283
this, the legend, in two lines, of which the text and translation are given below; and, at
the bottom, a curved line, which is evidently intended for a nâga or hooded snake. The
legend is in reverse in the original, so as to give a direct impression on documents; and it
is evidently for some purpose or other of this kind that the seal was used. I give
a direct representation of it in the lithograph.—The weight of the seal and ring is about
2½ oz.—The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets.—The language is
Sanskrit; and the legend is in prose.—The orthography presents nothing calling for
remark.
The inscription simply records the name of the Mahârâja Mahêśvaranâga, the
son of Nâgabhaṭṭa, belonging, it may be presumed, to a branch of the well-known
Nâga family or tribe. On palæographical grounds, it may be referred roughly to about
the end of the fourth century A.D.
TEXT.¹
1 Mahârâja-Nâgabhaṭṭa-
2 putra-Mahêśvaranâga
TRANSLATION.
The Mahârâja Mahêśvaranâga, the son of Nâgabhaṭṭa.
No. 78; PLATE XLIII B.
ROHTASGADH STONE SEAL-MATRIX OF THE
MAHASAMANTA SASANKADEVA.
THIS inscription, which has not been previously brought to notice, was discovered by Mr.
Beglar cut in the rock at the hill-fort of Rôhtâsgaḍh or Rôhitâsgaḍh,² twenty-four
miles south by west of Sahasrâm,³ the chief town of the Sahasrâm Sub-Division of the
Shâhâbâd (Arâ) District in the Bengal Presidency.
In the upper part, there is a somewhat damaged representation of a bull, recumbent
to the proper right, and below this, separated by a line about 1/16" broad, the legend, in two
lines, of which the text and translation are given below; the whole being enclosed in a cir-
cle, about 4¼" in diameter, with a breadth of circumference varying from ¼" to ½". I give
a direct representation in the lithograph. But the original, on the rock, is in reverse; and,
with the bull, the circular surrounding line, and the line across the surface, the legend is
countersunk, not in relief. It is plain that what we have here, is a mould or matrix, for cast-
ing copper-seals in relief, to be attached to copper-plate charters.—The average size of
the letters is about 7/16". The characters belong to the northern class of alphabets.—The
language is Sanskrit; and the legend is in prose.—The orthography presents nothing
calling for remark.
¹ From the original seal.
² The ‘Rhotasgurh and Rohtásgarh’ of maps, &c. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 104. Lat. 24° 37′ N.; Long. 83° 55′ E.
³ The ‘Sahasrâm, Sahseram, and Sasseram’ of maps.—The name is understood to be a corruption of the Sanskrit sahasra-grâma, ‘the (circle of a) thousand villages.’
2 N 2

284 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
The inscription simply records the name of the Mahâsâmanta¹ Śaśâṅkadêva. The
age of the characters would justify us in identifying him with the Śaśâṅka (She-shang-
kia), king of Karṇasuvarṇa (Kie-lo-na-su-fa-la-na) in Eastern India,—the contem-
porary and murderer of Râjyavardhana II. of Kanauj,—who is mentioned by Hiuen
Tsiang as a persecutor of the Buddhists.² And, if this identification is accepted, it will
refer the inscription to just about the commencement of the seventh century A.D.
TEXT.³
1 Śrî-mahâsâmanta-
2 Śaśâṅkadêvasya
TRANSLATION.
Of the illustrious Mahâsâmanta Śaśâṅkadêva.
No. 79; PLATE XLIII C.
SARNATH STONE INSCRIPTION OF PRAKATADITYA.
THIS inscription, which has not been previously brought to notice, is from a stone
that was discovered by General Cunningham at Sârnâth,⁴ close to Benares. It has now,
I think, been sent to the Imperial Museum at Calcutta.
The writing, which covers the entire front of the stone, about 2' 0½" broad by 1' 6"
high, has suffered a great deal of injury; especially towards the bottom, where the first
halves of lines 12 to 16 are now quite illegible; and I have to acknowledge some very
appreciable assistance from Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji, in respect of some of the more point-
edly damaged passages. In addition to its being so worn, the extant record is only a
remnant of what was originally engraved. Nothing is lost at the top and bottom; but
parts of the original stone have been cut away at the sides, evidently in order to adapt it
to some building purpose; and the verse commencing in line 3 and ending in line 4,
shews that at least eighteen letters have been destroyed in this way, between the last that
is legible in line 3 and the first in line 4; the general run of the inscription seems to shew
that nearly the whole of what was thus cut away, came at the ends of the lines. Also,
as may be seen in the lithograph, two round holes were drilled in the stone for some pur-
pose or other, about half-way down.—The average size of the letters is about ⅛". The
characters belong to the northern class of alphabets; and, except that the Kuṭila
characteristic is only discernible in a few places, e.g. in nitarâṁ nishkampaḥ, line 7, they
are of almost precisely the same type as those of the Aphsaḍ inscription of Âdityasêna,
¹ Mahâsâmanta, lit. ‘a great chief of a district,’ is a technical official title which, as noted above
(page 15, note 4), seems to denote the same rank as Mahârâja.—Next below the Mahâsâmanta came
the Sâmanta. This latter title is of equally frequent use, in its technical value, in other inscriptions.
In the present series, however, it is only used in a general way, to denote ‘feudal chiefs;’ e.g. in line
5 of No. 33 (see page 148 above, note 1), and in line 1 of No. 80 below, page 288.
² See Beal’s Buddh. Rec. West. World, Vol. I. p. 210 ff., and Vol. II. pp. 42, 91, 118, 121.
³ From Mr. Beglar’s rubbing; so also the lithograph.
⁴ See page 281 above.

Vol. III. CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM. Plate xliii
A.—Lahor Seal of the Maharaja Mahesvaranaga
B.—Rohtasgadh Seal-Matrix of the Mahasamanta Sasankadeva.
SCALE .50
C.—Sarnath Inscription of Prakataditya.
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
J. F. FLEET, BO. C.S.
SCALE .33
W. GRIGGS, PHOTO-LITH.

Epigraphic Texts on the Plate:

A. Lahor Seal of the Maharaja Mahesvaranaga

[१] [म]हाराज-महेश्वरनाग-
[२] [स्य]

B. Rohtasgadh Seal-Matrix of the Mahasamanta Sasankadeva

[१] श्री-महासामन्त-
[२] शशाङ्कदेव[स्य]

C. Sarnath Inscription of Prakataditya (Transcription from Fleet, CII Vol. III, No. 79)

[१] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[२] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[३] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[४] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[५] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[६] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[७] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[८] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[९] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[१०] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[११] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[१२] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[१३] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[१४] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[१५] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[१६] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 79, PLATE XLIII C. 285
No. 42 above, page 200, Plate xxviii.—The language is Sanskrit. The last line seems
to be in prose; and the rest of the inscription, in verse throughout; though the metres
cannot in every instance be recognised.—In respect of orthography, the only points that
call for notice are (1) the doubling of t, in conjunction with a following r, once, in puttrêṇa,
line 16; and (2) the use of v for b throughout; e.g. in vâlâditya, and lavdha, line 3.
The inscription is one of a king named Prakaṭâditya, whose capital appears to
have been Kâśi, i.e. Benares, which is mentioned in the first line. It is not dated; but,
on palæographical grounds it may be referred roughly to about the end of the seventh
century A.D. It is a Vaishṇava inscription; and the object of it is to record the building
of a temple of the god Vishṇu, under the name of Muradvish, and some provision, the de-
tails of which are lost, for the repairs of it.
The chief interest attaching to this inscription, consists in its mentioning at least two
kings of the name of Bâlâditya. One of them was the father of Prakaṭâditya. The
other was an ancestor of the same name; and, as he himself is called "another"
Bâlâditya, the presumption is that the name of the still earlier ancestor, who was men-
tioned in the passages that have been destroyed in lines 2 and 3, was also Bâlâditya.
And the probability is, that the first Bâlâditya is the one who is so well known in connec-
tion with the history of Mihirakula.
TEXT.¹
1 ....... dê(?)vô(?) ............................................ ॥ .... Kâś'-iti-
vikhyâtaṁ puraṁ kâ(?)mê(?)na bhûshitaṁ । ....................
2 ...... [॥] [Pu]raṁdara i[va] ....................... pataty=ahô(?) ॥
T[u]ṅga-ta(?)raṅga(?)va.. śâstra-vidô ........ tatânâm । kari ....
3 ........ rân²=madhya-da..ṁśam=ânîtaḥ । tad-vaṁśa-sambhavô=nyô Vâ(bâ)lâ-
dityô nṛipaḥ prîtyâ ॥ Tad-gôtra-lavdha(bdha)-janmâ Vâ(bâ)lâdityô
4 ........ patiḥ ॥ Tasya⁴ Dhaval=êti jâyâ pati-vratâ Rôhiṇ-îva
chandrasya । Gaur=îva Śûlapâṇêr=L[l]akshmîr=iva Vâsu[dêvasya ॥]
5 ..... [pra]tâpa-tapt-âmitra-vadhû-sindhu-śô[sha]...... । ........ ti-vinayâ
dvaya-bhṛi(?)taṁ bhakti-dharmm-aika-śakti-satata-prathita ..........
6 ....... nu(?)ḥ suta-vatsala ........................ sutaḥ śauryya-
vinaya-sampannaḥ । śrîmân=Prakaṭâdityô ..............
7 ...... [dvi]ja⁶-vara-nikar-âśrayaḥ pravri(?)ddha(?)-guṇaḥ । kalpa-druma iva
nitarâṁ nishkampaḥ prakaṭa-mûlô=pi ॥ .....................
8 .... [l] .... dvija⁷-gaṇa-sêvyaḥ sa[tata]ṁ vidvat-samudaya-vihita-ruchiḥ ॥
Nir[jj]ita-[du]rjjaya-śat[tru]s=tri.............
9 ....... pû(?)rvvaḥ Kârttikêya iva ॥ Yasya .... va.. nirgata ....
luvdha(bdha)-hṛishṭa-bhramad-bhrama[ra]....vi...........
10 ...... ta⁷-dinaṁ prithu-pushkariṇyaḥ ॥ Ye(?)na(?)⁸ ripu-sundarîṇâṁ
malinâni kṛitâni v[i]pu[la]...............................
¹ From the ink-impression.
² Metre, Ślôka (Anushṭubh)
³ Metre, Âryâ; and probably in the next verse.
⁴ Metre, Âryâ.
⁵ Metre, Âryâ.
⁶ Metre, Âryâ; and probably in the next verse.
⁷ Metre, apparently Vasantatilaka
⁸ Metre, probably Âryâ.

286 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
11 . . . . . . . . . . naśa(?)na(?)-dvija-guru . . . . . . . . . . . . . ॥ . . . . kāritam-ētad=
bhavanaṁ Muradvishō ra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . yâbhâ(?)su(?)
yutâyâmikâ prakaṭa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bahu-matō dharmma-
yaśō-râśi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . yaḥ(?) ॥ Khaṇḍa¹-
sphuṭita-saṁskāra . . . . dhû . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . haṁsa-bha . . . . . praśastiḥ
svâ . . . . . . ta(?)ḥ ॥ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R[â]machandra-
[pu]ttr[ê]ṇa Dêvakêna ॥

TRANSLATION.

This inscription is too fragmentary for a connected translation to be offered. But
we have to note the following points. Line 1 mentions the city of Kâśî; and line 2
apparently the god Purandara, in connection with it. The passage lost between the last
legible letter in line 2 and the first in line 3, contained the name of a king, in connection
with whom we perhaps have, at the commencement of line 3, a mention of the
Madhyadêśa or Central Country. In his lineage, there was born "another" king
Bâlâditya (l. 3). In the family of the latter, there was born yet another Bâlâditya
(l. 3). His wife was Dhavalâ (l. 4), who is compared with Rôhiṇî, the wife of the Moon,
Gaurî, the wife of Śûlapâṇi, and Lakshmî, the wife of Vâsudêva. Their son was the glorious
Prakaṭâditya (l. 6), whose virtues and prowess, including a comparison of him with the
god Kârttikêya (l. 9), are described in lines 7 to 10, apparently without the introduction of
any further historical matter. Line 11 mentions the building of a temple of the god
Muradvish. Line 14 contained some provision for the repairs of this temple. And line
16 gives us the name of Dêvaka, the son of Râmachandra, apparently as the engraver of
the inscription.

No. 80; PLATE XLIV.

NIRMAṆḌ COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF THE

MAHASAMANTA AND MAHARAJA SAMUDRASENA.

THIS inscription has been known, to General Cunningham, since 1847 or 1848, but was
not brought to notice till 1879, when Major W. R. M. Holroyd, Director of Public
Instruction in the Pañjâb, having obtained and forwarded the plate on which it is engraved,
Dr. Rajendralala Mitra published his reading of the text, and a translation of it, in the
Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. XLVIII. Proceedings, p. 212 ff.
Nirmaṇḍ² is a village, near the right bank of the Satlaj, twenty-one miles north-east
of Plâch,³ the chief town of the Plâch Tahsîl or Sub-Division of the Kullû⁴ Division of the
Kâṅgra District in the Pañjâb. The inscription is on a copper-plate, which belongs to a

¹ Metre, probably Ślôka (Anushṭubh).
² The 'Nirmand' of maps. Indian Atlas, Sheet No. 47. Lat. 31° 25' N.; Long. 77° 38' E.
³ The 'Plach' of maps.
⁴ The 'Kullu and Kulu' of maps.

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS; No. 80, PLATE XLIV. 287
temple of the god Paraśurâma at this village; and, in accordance with the custom of the
country, it is kept nailed up on one of the walls of the temple. I obtained the original
plate, for examination, through the kindness of Mr. L. W. Dane, B.C.S.
The plate, which is inscribed on one side only, is of rather irregular shape, the
extreme measures being about 1' 6⅞" by 8⅝". The edges of it are neither fashioned
thicker, nor raised into rims. Three of the four corners are more or less damaged; but
nothing has been lost thereby; except in the upper proper right corner, where, unfor-
tunately, the name of the family of the Mahârâja, whose grant is recorded, has been
broken away at the commencement of line 1. The rest of the inscription is in a state of
very good preservation throughout. The plate is rather thin; and the letters, though not
very deep, shew through on the reverse side throughout; they were also engraved with
such force as to destroy entirely the original smoothness of the plate, and thus to give
the majority of them rather a blurred appearance in the lithograph. The engraving is
fairly good; but, as usual, the interiors of the majority of the letters shew marks of the
working of the engraver's tool.—At the top of the plate, in the centre, there is a hole,
which seems to have been made originally for a ring, with a seal attached to it; but
it has been broken through to the edge, and the ring and seal are not forthcoming.
There is another hole in the bottom of the plate; this was probably made later, in order
to nail the plate up on to the wall of the temple.—The weight of the plate is about 1 lb.
12 oz.—The size of the letters varies from ⅛" to 5/16". The characters belong to the
northern class of alphabets. In the combination of r with a following y, the r in this in-
scription is written on the line, with only a single y below it; e.g. in paryantâ, line 8, and
kuryât, line 11. The characters include, in line 14, forms of the numerical symbols
for 1, 6, and 10.—The language is Sanskrit; and, except for the benedictive and impre-
catory verses in lines 12 to 14, the inscription is in prose throughout.—In respect of
orthography, we have to notice (1) the use of the jihvâmûlîya and upadhmânîya, in
yugalaḥ=kratu, line 2; duḥkha, line 6; anudhyâtaḥ=parama, lines 2, 3, and 4; utpannaḥ=
pitrâ, line 2; and dayâluḥ=parama, line 5; (2) the use of the guttural nasal, instead of
the anusvâra, before ś, in vanśa, line 1; (3) the occasional doubling of k and t, in conjunc-
tion with a following r, in samatikkrânta, line 1; and attra and vâdittra, line 15; and (4)
the use of v for b throughout, in lavdha, line 3; vvali, line 7; kuṭumvina, lines 8 and
9; and kuṭumva, line 9.
The inscription is one of a Mahâsâmanta and Mahârâja named Samudrasêna.
Its date, in numerical symbols, is the year six, and the eleventh solar day of the bright fort-
night of the month Vaiśâkha (April-May). There is nothing to indicate any particular
era to which the date should be referred. On palæographical grounds, we might very
well refer it to the Harsha era, with the result of A.D. 612-13. But I feel rather doubt-
ful as to the probability of the years of Harshavardhana's reign having been constituted
an era, of general acceptance, quite so soon after his accession. And I am inclined
to look upon the date of this inscription as referring only to the years of the authority of
Samudrasêna himself, as in the Ârang grant of the Râja Mahâ-Jayarâja, No. 40 above,
page 191, the Râypur grant of the Râja Mahâ-Sudêvarâja, No. 41 above, page 196, and
the Chammak and Siwanî grants of the Mahârâja Pravarasêna II., Nos. 55 and 56 above,
pp. 235 and 243. And, in that case, all that can be said about the period of the present
inscription, is, that it belongs roughly to about the seventh century A.D.¹ The object of
¹ Gen. Cunningham (Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XIV. p. 120 ff.) has referred this inscription to Vi-
krama-Saṁvat 1227 (A.D. 1160-61); but on grounds which will not stand for a moment. It is quite

288 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM, VOL. III.
the inscription is to record the allotment of the village of Sûlisagrâma by Samudrasêna,
to a body of Brâhmaṇs who studied the Atharva-Vêda at the agrahâra of Nirmaṇḍa,
for the purposes of the god Tripurântaka or Śiva, who, under the name of Mihirêśvara,
had been installed by his mother Mihiralakshmî at a previously established temple of the
same god under the name of Kapâlêśvara. It is therefore a Śaiva inscription; but the
occurrence of the word mihira, 'the sun,' as the first component of the god's name, seems
to indicate that, in this particular case, some form or other of solar worship was combined
with the Śaiva rites.
TEXT.¹
1 ² . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bhikhyâta - narapati - vaṅśa - jas = sama³bhavach = chatur - udadhi-
samatikkrânta-kîrttir=anêka-sâmant-ôttamâṅg-âvanata-mukuṭa - maṇi - mayûkha-
vichchhurita-charaṇâravinda-⁴
2 vugala⁵h = kratu-yâjî mahâsâmanta-mahârâja-śrî-Varuṇasênas- Tasya putras=tat-
pâd-ânudhyâtaḥ = paramadêvyâp(m) = Pravâ(bâ)likâ-bhaṭ[ṭ]ârikâyâm = utpannaḥ=
pitr=aiva tulyô guṇair-mma-
3 hâsâmanta-mahârâja-śrî-Sañjayasênas- Tasya putras=tat-pâd-ânudhyâtaḥ=parama-
dêvyâṁ Śikharasvâminî-bhaṭ[ṭ]ârikâyâm=utpannas=samara-śata-lavdha(bdha)-
jayas=tyâgî ma-
4 hâsâmanta-mahârâja - śrî-Ravishêṇas- tasya putras=tat-p[â]d-ânudhyâtaḥ=parama-
dêvyâṁ śrî-Mihiralakshmî-bhaṭ[ṭ]ârikâyâm=utpannaś=śarad-amala-sakala-
rajanîkara iva prâṇi-

true that the alphabetical characters of that part of the country are of an extremely conservative
type; but not to anything like such an extent as to enable us to refer the present record to within
several centuries of so late a period. The more important point, however, is, that his reading of the
date is completely wrong. Overlooking altogether the numerical symbol that stands after the
word saṁvat, he has obtained his reading of the date by interpreting, among the words that
precede saṁvat, arka as 'twelve,' and gaṇa as 'twenty-seven.' According to the numerical-word
system, arka certainly does stand for 'twelve;' and gaṇa might possibly be used for 'twenty-seven,'
though I can find no authority for it. But, in the present passage, arka is simply the second
component of the name of the writer of the grant; and, whatever gaṇa may mean here, it is most
certainly not used as a numerical word. The date is recorded, in the usual way, in the numerical
symbol that stands immediately after saṁvat; and that symbol is a 6.—Gen. Cunningham found
some corroboration of his interpretation, in the fact that the accepted genealogy of the 'Mandi'
and 'Suket' families contains a Samudrasêna, whose date, reckoning backwards at the rate of thirty
years to the generation from A.D. 1500, would be about A.D. 1140 to 1166, and who might,
therefore, on his interpretation of the date, be identified with the Samudrasêna of this inscription.
But this identification cannot be accepted for a moment; it is wholly impossible to accept the names
of Vîrasêna, Savâhanasêna, Kanavâhanasêna, and Naravâhanasêna, which precede him in the
genealogy, as being identical with, or even intended to represent, the Ravishêṇa, Sañjayasêna, and
Varuṇasêna, of the inscription.
¹ From the original plate.
² Four letters, or perhaps five, are broken away and lost here. A small part of the last of them,
immediately preceding the first legible syllable, bhi, is visible; but it is impossible to say what the
entire letter may have been.
³ The mark over this ma is a fault in the copper, making a hole right through it.
⁴ The mark between the vi and the nda is a fault in the copper, making a hole right through it.
⁵ The upper parts of these three letters are broken away and lost; but enough remains to shew
distinctly what they were.