North Indian Inscriptions

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS

NO. 40 : PLATE XL

DĀMŌDARPUR COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF BUDHAGUPTA

       This plate also was found in the village of Damodarpur in the same circumstances, as Nos. 22, 24 and 38, and is deposited along with them in the Museum of the Varendra Research Society, Rajshahi, now in Bangladesh. It was edited by Radhagovinda Basak in the Ep. Ind., Vol. XV, pp. 138 ff., and plate iv a and b.

        The plate is one in number, and is inscribed on both sides, the first containing twelve and second six lines of writing. It measures 71/8’"X4¼". The edges of it have uniformly even except along the rims for the protection of the writing. The plate as it is, is uniformly even except along the edge of its proper right side. The upper corner here has been cut away, the actual specification of the year of the date being destroyed therewith. As regards the second side of the plate it is so corroded that the writing on it has become almost illegible, though lines 15-18 can be read with pretty certainty by comparison with the corresponding matter on Nos. 38 and 47. The seal is practically of the same oval shape as that of the plate described in No. 47 below and was attached to the middle of the proper right side. It measures 1¾"X15/8”. It seems it once bore a legend upon it as in No. 47. But it is now completely effaced. The weight of the plate together with its seal is 27 1/8 tolas. The characters belong, generally speaking, to the eastern variety of the Gupta alphabet as remarked about the plate described in No. 22 above. The other palaeographic peculiarities are (1) the occurrence of the initial a in adhishṭhān-, line 3, anēna, line 5, and so on; (2) the initial ē in ēkādaśa, line 11; (3) the peculiar form of the medial ā, after th and dh as in yathākraya-, line 9 and =avadhāraṇay=ā°, line 10, and in grā as in Ḍāṅgā-grāmē, line 6, as remarked above in connection with No. 38; (4) the method of forming r in conjunction with the following y, e.g., in maryyāda° in lines 9 and 12; (5) the coupling of ending t and n with the immediately following consonants, e.g., tat-pāda-, line 2, =ētat-kōshṭhikā, line 8, asmat-phal-, line 6, =ahan=tat-kshēttra, line 7, and kulyavāpān=yathākraya-, line 9. The characters also include, in line 1, numerical symbols for 10 and 5 (?). The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is in prose throughout, with the exception of the three imprecatory verses in lines 15-18. The only linguistic peculiarity that calls for notice is the use of the affix ka in some words, such as =ānuvahamānakē, lines 2-3; -niyuktaka and Āyuktaka-, line 3, atisṛishṭakās=, line 7 and dattakās= line 11. In respect of orthography, we have to note (1) the doubling of d, th and dh (by t and d as required by the rules), v and sh (wrongly) in conjunction with a preceding r as in -Sārtthavāha-, line 4, and =tad-artthañ=, line 11[saṁ]vyavahāribhir=ddēva-, line 15, Puṇḍravarddhana-, line 2, pūrvvaṁ-, line 6 and [Kō]ṭi[varshsha]-, line 3; (2) the doubling of t in conjunction with a following r, such e.g., as in –kshēttra-, lines 7, 11 and 12, -Vasumittra-, line 4; (3) the use of the dental nasal instead of anusvāra in combination with a following s, as e.g., in -phal-āśansinā, line 6; (4) the change of visarga to s in conjunction with that letter following it as e.g., in [pi]tṛi[bhis=saha], line 16; and (5) change of anusvāra to m with a following v, as e.g., in sa[mvya]vaharati, line 4.

       The inscription refers itself to the reign of Paramadaivata Paramabhaṭṭāraka Mahārājādhirāja Budhagupta, that is, Budhagupta of the Imperial Gupta dynasty. The date was in numerical symbols but unfortunately the ‘year’ part of the date has disappeared with the upper corner of the proper right side of the plate which is destroyed. The exact specification of the day also is not well preserved. The month mentioned has, however, been preserved, and it is Phālguna. Under Budhagupta was Mahārāja Jayadatta as Head (Uparika) of the Puṇḍravardhana province (bhukti); and in the Kōṭivarsha district (vishaya), under him, the Court (adhikaraṇa) of the Town (adhishṭhāna) was being carried on by the Āyuktaka Bhaṇḍaka,