North Indian Inscriptions

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS

8 tasy=aiv=ānujēna tad-anuvidhāyin[ā] tat-prasāda-parigṛi[hī]tēna Dhanyavishṇunā cha | mātri(tā)-pittrōḥ puṇy-āpyāyan-ārtham=ēsha bhagavataḥ (|)

9 puṇyajan-ārddanasya Janārddanasya dhvaja-stambhō=bhyuchchhritḥ [||*] Svasty=astu gō-brāhmaṇa-p[u]rōgābhyaḥ sarvva-prajābhya iti |(||)

TRANSLATION

        (Verse 1) Victorious is the lord, the four-armed (Vishṇu)—whose couch is the extensive waters of the four-ocean; who is the sole cause of the continuance, production, and destruction, etc., of the universe; (and) whose ensign is Garuḍa !

       (Line 2) When a century of years, increased by sixty-five (had elapsed) ; and while Budhagupta (is) the lord of the earth; on the twelfth lunar day of the bright fort- night of the month Āshāḍha; on the day of Suraguru;¹

        (Line 3) (Or in figures) the year 100 (and) 60 (and) 5.

       (Verse 3) And while Suraśmichandra is protecting, with the qualities of a Protector of the people,² (the province) between the Kālindī and the Narmadā, (and) is enjoying in the world the glory of (being) a Mahārāja;

       (Line 4) When this was the detailed order (of the date) regarding the year, month and day;³

       (Lines 6-7) By the Mahārāja Mātṛivishṇu who is excessively devoted to Bhagavān (Vishṇu) who, by the will of Destiny, was married by Sovereignty, as if by a maiden choosing herself (her own husband) ; whose fame extends up to the borders of the four oceans; whose wealth is unimpaired high-mindedness; (and) who has been victorious in battle against many enemies;

       (Lines 4-6) Who is the son of the son’s son of Indravishṇu, who was devoted to his religious rites; who performed sacrifices; who studied his Vēda; who was a Brāhmanṇa sage; (and) who was the head of the Maitrāyaṇīya school of Yajurveda;—who is the son’s son of Varuṇa- vishṇu, who imitated the virtuous qualities of (his) father;—(and) who is the son of Harivishṇu, who took after⁴ (his) father, (and) was the cause of the advancement of his race;

       (Lines 8-9) (By him) and by his younger brother Dhanyavishṇu, who is obedient to him, (and) has been encircled by his favours,—this flag-staff of the divine (god) Janārdana, the destroyer of the demons,⁵ has been erected, for the purpose of increasing the religious merit of (their) parents.

       (Line 9) May it be well to all the people, headed by the cows and the Brāhmaṇas !
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¹ I.e., “On Thursday,”—Suraguru, ‘the preceptor of the gods,’ is another name of Bṛihaspati, from which latter name the day takes its customary appellation of Bṛihaspativāra.
² See note 1 on p. 299 above.
³ See note 1 on p. 241 above.
⁴ Pitaram=anu-jātasya. Hall explained this expression in the JBAS., Vol. III, p. 139, note, by a passage quoted in the St. Petersburg Dictionary from the Panchatantra: viz.,
......................................Jātaḥ putrō=nujātaś=cha atijātas=tath=aiva cha |
......................................apajātaś=cha lōkē=smin=mantavyāḥ śāstra-vēdibhiḥ ||
......................................Mātṛi-tulya-guṇō jātas=tv=anujātaḥ pituḥ samaḥ |
......................................atijātō=dhikas=tasmād=apajātō=dham-ādhamaḥ ||
“By those who know the scriptures, (sons) are to be understood among men as being a jāta son, or an anujāta, or an atijāta, or an apajāta. A jāta (is) one whose virtues are equal to (those of his) mother; an anujāta (is) equal to (his) father (in virtue); an atijāta surpasses that (father); (and) an apajāta (is) altogether inferior (to him).”
⁵ Punyajana. lit., ‘a good pious, or virtuous man,’ also denotes ‘a class of supernatural beings, a fiend, a goblin, a demon.’