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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS a vertical line of the height of the full letter. The size of the letters varies from 1/10" to 1/5". The last three lines contain letters smaller than in the upper ones, evidently due to the anxiety of the engraver to accommodate the whole of the legend in the limited space. The language is Sansktit. In respect of orthography we have to notice the doubling of t in conjunction with a following r, as in- praparttrasya, line 1, and puttras=, line 4, but not in dauhitrasya, line 2; and the change of visarga into s in conjunction with the same letter following it in =utpannas= svayam, line 3. The inscription on the seal is genealogical in character, and refers itself to the reign of Budhagupta. The fact that his pedigree is traced here in an unbroken line of succession from Mahārāja Gupta onwards through Ghaṭōtkacha, Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, Kumāragupta I and so forth, shows that he belonged to the Imperial Gupta line and not to any supposed branch. As far as line 5 which mentions Kumāragupta I, the legend is a mere repetition of the formula occurring on the later seals of Narasīṁhagupta and Kumāragupta III. It is the lines following, which, however, constitute the more important portion of the legend. But of these, only the last, furnishing the name of Budhagupta, is distinct, while lines 6 and 7, which presumably contained the names of Budhagupta’s father and mother respectively, are unfortunately very much defaced or rather blurred. Nevertheless, a careful examination reveals in line 6, faint traces of four letters pu ru gu tpa (?) placed in consecutive order which thus appear to be intended for Purugupta. If this is accepted, Purugupta who is the son and successor of Kumāragupta I becomes the father and predecessor of Budhagupta. Again, line 7 appears to have partially preserved his mother’s name which reads Cha-dēvyām= and has therefore to be restored to Cha[ndra*]-dēvyām=. It looks that ndra has been omitted here through inadvertence. The admissibility of this presumption is attested by the haphazard slovenly fashion in which the whole legend has been executed, the engraving of tpa instead of pta in Purugupta (lne 6) being another instance of the kind. Thus, it seems that Budhagupta, like Vainyagupta and Narasiṁhagupta was a son of Purugupta by Chandradēvī. The earliest date we have for him is Gupta year 157. But before him flourished Kumāragupta II for whom we have the date 154. Kumāragupta II was thus, apparently, another son of Skandagupta-Purugupta, whom Buddagupta succeeded to the Gupta throne between Gupta years 154 and 157.
TEXT 1 sri-Gupta-prapaut[t]rasya Mahārā[ja-ś]rī-Ghaṭō1 . . . . 1 There is space after Ghaṭō for two letters but all that can be seen on the photograph is a horizontal wavy
line.
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