North Indian Inscriptions

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS

       (Verse 16) Some are intensely attached to music (so) pleasing to the ear; other, being proud of (the authorship of ) a hundred excellent biographies,¹ are conversant with wonderful tales; (others), filled with humility, are absorbed in excellent religious discourses; and others are able to say much that is pleasing, free from harshness, (and yet) salutary;

       (Verse 17) Some excel in their own religious rites; likewise by others, who were self-possessed, the science of (Vedic) astromomy was mastered; and others, valorous in battle, even to-day forcibly cause harm to the enemies;

       (Verse 18) Likewise, others are intelligent, possessed of attractive figures, with renowned and long-extending lineages and adorned with deeds befitting (their) lineage; others, with the vow of truthfulness, are expert in (conferring) obligations on favourites, and are firn in friendship accompanied by a sense of trust;

       (Verse 19) Likewise, with others who have overcome attachment to worldly objects, who are disposed towards piety, who are gentle, who are of abundant inherent stuff, who are engaged on worldly affairs, who are the forehead-mark of their own clan, who have cast away passion, who are magnanimous-with such-like (members) the guild shines gloriously;

       (Verse 20) Womankind, though saturated with youth and complexion (and) decorated with golden necklaces, betel leaves and flower-dressing, does not attain to transcendent beauty until she has put on a pair of silken garments;

       (verse 21) By whom this whole surface of the earth has been adorned with silk cloth, agreeable to the touch, variegated with different colours and arrangement (of parts), (and) pleasing to the eye;

       (Verse 22) The mind of these has (turned) towards (spiritual) welfare, they having then reflected that the world, the human body and the accumulations of wealth are as very unsteadyas the charming flower-sprout ear-ornaments of the Vidyādhara women, set in motion by the breezes;

       (Verse 23) While Kumāragupta was ruling over the Earth,² whose waist-girdle is pendulous with the water of the four oceans, whose plump breasts are Sumēru and Kailāsa (and) whose smiles are the beautiful and full-blown flowers on the outskirts of the woods;

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¹ Apte’s Sanskrit-English Dictionary gives the following as one of senses of āsaṅga, viȥ., “Pride about the authorship of a thing (kartṛit-ābhimāna).” This meaning suits here excellently. What the second line of this stanza apparently means is that, being the authors of the lives of historical personages, some of the members of the Guild are well-acquainted with heart-thrilling incidents and anecdotes connected with them.
² The construction of the passage from verse 23 to verse 38 has very much exercised some scholars who have dealt with this inscription. There ought to be really no difficulty in properly understanding it. The skeleton of the passage is as follows: Kumāraguptē pṛithivīṁ praśāsati (verse 23) . . . . . . . . Bandhuvarmaṇi . . . . . . . . Daśapuram= idaṁ pālayati, . . . . . paṭṭavāyaiḥ . . . . . śrēṇībhūtair=bhavanaṁ . . . . . . kāritam dīpta-raśmēḥ (verse 29) | Mālavānāṁ gaṇa-sthityā yātē śata-chatushṭayē tri-navaty-adhikē=bdānām . . . . . (verse 34); Sahasya-māsa-śuklasya . . ahni trayōdaśē maṅgal-ācharya-vidhinā prāsādō=yaṁ nivēśitaḥ (verse 35) | Bahunā samatitēna kālēn=ānyaiś=cha pārthivaiḥ vyaśiryat=aika-dēśō= sya bhavanasya (verse 36) | Sarvaṁ . . . . . saṁskāritam=idam bhūyaḥ śrēnyā bhānumatō gṛiham (verse 37); vatsara-śatēshu pañchasu viṁśaty-adhikēshu navasu ch=ābdēshu yātēshu . . . . . Tapasya-māsa-śukla-dvitīyāyām (verse 39) | “While Kumāragupta was ruling over the Earth, (verse 23), . . . . . . , while Bandhuvarman was protecting this (town of) Daśapura . . . . . a temple of the bright-rayed (Sun) was caused to be made by the weavers of silk-cloth formed into a Guild (verse 29). When four centuries, increased by ninety-three had elapsed, according to the reckoning of the Mālavas . . . . . (verse 34), on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the month of Sahasya, this edifice was consecrated with ceremonies according to the precepts of auspiciousness (verse 35). When a considerable time and (also) other kings had passed away, one part of this (temple) was shattered (verse 36). This . . . . whole edifice of the Sun was renovated again by the Guild (verse 37), when five centuries of years increased by twenty and nine years had elapsed, on the second lunar day of the bright fortnight of Tapsaya month (verse 39)”. It may be contended that this construction is open to the grave objection that the praśasti does not give the names of the rulers, suzerain and feudatory, at the time when it was composed and engraved, but gives rather the name of Kumāragupta, the overlord, and, of Bandhuvarman, his chieftain, who ruled thirty-six years before. But there is nothing strange about
.......................................................................................................................(Contd. on p. 300)