North Indian Inscriptions

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS

(has thus) the epithet Parākrama,¹ whose body was most charming, being covered over with the plenteous beauty of the marks of hundreds of promiscuous scars, caused by battle-axes, arrows, spikes (śaṅku), spears (śakti), barbed darts (prāsa), swords, iron clubs (tōmara), javelins for throwing (bhindipāla), barbed arrows (nārācha), span-long arrows (vaitastika)² and many other weapons.

       (Line 19-20) Whose magnanimity blended with valour was caused by (his) first capturing, and thereafter showing the favour of releasing,³ all the kings of Dakshiṇāpatha such as Mahēndra of Kōsala⁴ Vyāghrarāja of Mahākāntāra, Maṇṭarāja of Kurāḷa, Maēndragiri of Poshṭapura, Svāmidatta of Kōṭṭūra, Damana of Ēraṇḍapalla, Vishṇugōpa of Kāñchī, Nīlarāja of Avamukta, Hastivarman of Vēṅgī, Ugrasēna of Pākakka, Kubēra of Dēvarāshṭra, and Dhanañjaya of Kusthalapura.

        (Line 21) (Who) is great through the extraordinary valour, namely, the forcible extermination of many kinga of Āryāvarta such as Rudradēva, Matila, Nāgadatta, Chandravarman, Gaṇapatināga, Nāgasēna, Āchyuta-Nandin and Balavarman;⁵ who has made all the kings of the forest regions to become his servants.

       (Line 22-23) (Whose) formidable rule was propitiated with the payment of all tributes, execution of orders and visits (to his court) for obeisance by such frontier rulers as those of Samataṭa⁶ Ḍavāka, Kāmarūpa, Nēpāla, and Kartṛipura, and, by the Mālavas, Ārjunāyanas, Yaudhēyas, Mādrakas, Ābhīras, Prārjunas, Sanakānīkas, Kākas, Kharaparikas and other (tribes).

       (Line 23) (Whose) fame has tired to itself with a journey over the whole world caused by the restoration of many fallen kingdoms and overthrown royal families.

       (Line 23-24) The unimpeded flow (prasara) of the prowess of (whose) arm (was arrested) by an earth embankment (dharaṇi-bandha) put up by means of service⁷ through such measures
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¹ The word aṅka in Parākkram-āṅka is synonymous with lāñchhana (epithet) as in Śrīkaṇṭha-pada lāñchhana occurring in the description of Bhavabhūti about the beginning of all his dramas. One commentator, Ghanaśyāma, explains the term either as vyavahāra (nickname), aṅka (epithet) or biruda (laudatory appellation), and, in support of his position, quotes lāñchhanam vyavahār-āṅka-birudēshu iti Rudra-kēśavau. This suits here excellently so that we can safely take this passage to mean that Parākrama was an epithet of Samudragupta. In fact, we find this appellation given to him on some of his coins (Allan, Catalogue of Indian Coins–Gupta Dynasties, 1914, pp.1-5; Smith, Catalogue of the Coins in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, Vol. I, p. 102).
² In regard to vaitastika Fleet says: “The word is not explained in the dictionaries. It must be a derivative from vitasti, a long span, measured by the extended thumb and little finger.” Nevertheless, the St. Petersburg Dictionary explains the word by “a span-long (arrow)” and cites references to it from the Mahābhārata (BORI., critical edition),Drōṇa-Parvan, Chapter 98, verse 50, p. 540 and has the following: “those, indeed, are the arrows of the span measure and used in close fight.”
³ The expression-grahaṇa-mōksh-ānugraha- of the text may aptly be compared to the phrase gṛihīta-prati-mukta-sya used by Kālidāsa in the Raghuvaṁśa (IV, 43) to show that Raghu was a righteous conqueror (dharma-vijayī). See above, Introduction, p. 33.
⁴ Notice that the name of every country in Dakshiṇāpatha is marked with vṛiddhi in the first vowel and ends with the suffix ka. To take one instance, Kausalaka is formed as follows: Kōsalanāṁ rājā Kousalaḥ (Pāṇini, IV, I, 168): and then anukampitaḥ Kausalaḥ Kausalakaḥ (Pāṇini, V, 3, 76) which accords with mōksh-ānugraha of the text excellently; otherwise Pāṇini V, 3, 74 may be made applicable. For the identification of the names of kings and countries included in Dakshiṇāpatha see above, Introduction pp. 12-20.
⁵ For the identification of some of these Āryāvarta rulers, see above, Introduction, pp. 20-21.

⁶ Some of the frontier countries and tribes mentioned here will be found identified above, see Introduction, p. 22.
⁷ This passage has been translated by Fleet as follows: “whose binding together of the (whole) world, by means of the amplitude of the vigour of (his) arm, was effected by the acts of respectful service, such as . . . . . . . . . . . ” Bühler renders it by “the mighty bravery of his arm which held the whole earth in bondage, received homage from the inhabitants of all countries, in various ways, such as . . . . . . . . . ” (Ind. Ant., Vol. XLII, p. 178). Both the scholars have misunderstood the meaning of the phrase dharaṇi-bandha. The prowess of Samudragupta’s arm was as unimpeded
.....................................................................................................................(contd. on p. 218)