North Indian Inscriptions

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS

variety. The letter r, as the first part of a compound consonant, is formed sometimes within the top line of the writing, e.g., in ārṇṇava-, line 8 and sometimes above it, e.g., in -paryyaṅkaḥ, in the same line. The characters include, in line 3, forms of the numerical symbols for 5, 60, and 100. The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is in verse as far as line 4, and the rest in prose. In respect of orthography, the only point that calls for notice is the constant doubleing of t, in conjunction with a following r, e.g., in Maittrāyaṇīya-, line 5; pauttrēṇa, line 6; and pittrōḥ, line 8.

        The inscription opens with a verse in praise of Vishṇu whose ensign is Garuḍa (verse 1). Then we are told that when one hundred and sixty-five years had elapsed (marked also in numerical symbols) and when Budhagupta was the lord of the earth and on Thursday, the twelfth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Āshāḍha (verse 2), and when Suraśmichandra was a protector of the people (lōkapāla),¹ protecting the province intervening between the Kālindī (Yamunā) and the Narmadā (Verse 3), the column on which this inscription is engraved and which is called a dhvaja-stmbha² or ‘flag-staff’ of Bhagavān Janārddana (Vishṇu) was caused to be erected by the Mahārāja Mātṛivishṇu and his younger brother Dhanyavishṇu (line 7-8). He was the son of Harivishṇu, grandson of Varuṇavishṇu and, above all, great grandson of Indravishṇu, the Brāhmaṇa sage, who was the head of the Maitrāyaṇīya school of the Yajurvēda and performed sacrifices (kratus).

TEXT³

[Metres : Verses 1 to 3 Āryya.]

1 Jayati vibhuś=chatur-bhujaś=chatur-arṇṇava-vipula-salila-paryyaṅkaḥ [|*] jagataḥ sthity=utpattinya[y-aiks⁴*]-
2 hētur=Ggaruḍa-kētuḥ [|| 1*] Śatē pañcha-shashṭyadhikē varshāṇāṁ bhūpatau cha Budhaguptē Āshāḍha-māsa-ś[ukla]-
3 dvādaśyāṁ⁵ Suragurōr=ddivasē [| *2] Saṁ 100 60 5 [|| *] Kālindī- Narmmadayōr=mmadhyaṁ pālayati lōkapāla-guṇair[| *]=jjagati⁶ mahār[[āja]-
4 śriyam=anubhavati Suraśmichandrē cha |[| 3*] Asyāṁ saṁvatsara-māsa- divasa-pūrvvāyāṁ sva-karmm-ābhiratasya kratu-yāji[naḥ]
5adhīta-svādhyāyasya vipr-arshēr=Mmaittrāyaṇīya-vṛishabhasy=Ēndravishṇōḥ pra-pauttrēṇapitur=guṇ-ānukāriṇō Varuṇav[i]sh[ṇōḥ]
6 pauttrēṇa pitaram=anu-jātasya sva-vaṁśa-vṛiddhi-hētōr=Harivishṇōḥ puttrēṇ= ātyanta-bhagavad-bhaktēna Vidhātur=ichchhayā svayaṁvaray=ēva r [ā]ja-
7 lakshmy=ādhigatena chatuḥ-samudra-paryyanta-prathita-yaśasā akshīṇa-māna- dhanēn=ānēka-śattru-samarajishṇunā mahārāja Mātṛivishḥun[ā]
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¹The word lōkapāla does not in this inscription denote ‘the regent of a quarter’ but rather ‘a ruler or protector of the people;’ compare the Rājataraṅgiṇī, I, 344.
² Compare dhvaja, ‘standard,’ as applied to the Meharauli column, in line 6 of No. 12 above.
³ From inked impressions.
⁴ In the last legible syllable, part of the subscript y is quite distinct, and the consonant above it seems to be a broken n; and the requirements of both the metre and the sense are properly met by supplying yādi for the effaced syllables. Hall, therefore, suggests nya[y-ādi*], which Fleet adopts. But nya[y-aika*] seems better. [The consonant above the subscript y appears to be v rather than n. Compare the angular shape of v throughout this inscription, and, for contrast, the syllable nya in Dhanyavishṇu in line 8. The intended reading, therefore, seems to be vyapāya rather than nyay-ādi or nyay-aika.—Ed.].
⁵ This akshara is somewhat damaged; but it is very distinctly dvā. Prinsep’s reading of trayōdaśyāṁ is proved to be wrong by the metre, if by nothing else.
⁶ Read jagati.