North Indian Inscriptions

THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS

line 7-8. But it has the general appearance of having been made somewhere about the beginning of the eighth century A.D. Points which may hereafter serve to fix its data more definitely are (1) the use of the Prakrit corruption uchchhanna, in line 3-4; and (2) the opening expression mahā-nau-hasty-aśva, etc., in line 1; the only other instances of similar expressions being in line 1 of the Dēō-Baraṇārk inscription of Jīvitagupta II,¹ and in line 1 of the Dighwā-Dubaulī grant of the Mahārāja Mahēndrapāla,² of A.D. 761-62, and of the Bengal Asiatic Society’s grant of the Mahārāja Vināyakapāla,³ of A.D. 794-95.”⁴

TEXT⁵

1 Ōm Svasti Mahā-nau-hasty-aśva-jayaskandhāvārāj(d)=Ā(A)yōddhyā-vāsakāt=‘sarvva-rāj-ōchchhēttu[ḥ*] pṛi-
2 thivyām=apratirathasya chatur-udadhi-salil-āsvādita-yaśa⁶ [sō*] Dhanada-Varuṇ-Ēndr-Ā-
3 ntaka-samasya Kṛitānta-paraśōr=nyāy-āgat-ānēka-gō-hiraṇya-kōṭi-pradasya chir-ōchchha-
4 nn⁷-āśvamēdh-āharttu[ḥ*] mahārāja-śrī-Gupta-prapauttrasya⁸ mahārāja-śrī-Ghaṭōtkacha-pauttrasya⁹
5 mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Chandragupta-puttrasya¹⁰ Lichchhivi-dauhittrasya¹¹ mahādēvyā[ṁ*] Ku-
6 mā¹²radēvyām=utpanna[ḥ*] paramabhāgavatō Mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Samudra-
7 guptaḥ Gayā-vaishayika-Rēvatikā-grāmē vrā(brā)hmaṇa-purōga-grāma-vala-
8 tkaushabhyām=āha | Ēva ch=ārtha[ṁ*] viditambō(m=vō) bhavatv=ēśa (sha) grāmō mayā mātāpittrōr=ā-
9 tmanaś=cha puṇy-ābhivṛiddhayē Bhāradvāja-sagōttrāya Va(ba)hvṛichāya sav[r]a (bra)hmachā-
10 riṇē vrā(brā)hmaṇa-Gōpadēvasvāminē¹³ s-ōparika-ōddēśēn=āgrahāratvēn=āti-
11 sṛishṭaḥ [|*] tad=yushmābhir=asya śrōtavyam=ājña cha karttavyā sarvvē cha¹⁴ sa¹⁵muchitā grāma-pra-
12 tyayā mēya-hiraṇy-ādayō dēyāḥ [|*] na chē(ch=ai)tat-prabhṛity=ētad-āgrahāri- kēṇa(ṇ=ā)nyads-grā-

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¹CII., Vol. III, 1888, No. 46.
² Ind. Ant., Vol, XV, p. 112; See also D.R.Bhandarkar, A List of the Inscriptions of Northern India, No. 40.
³ Ind. Ant., Vol. XV, P. 140; D.R.Bhandarkar, op. cit., No. 53.
⁴ CII., Vol. III, 1888, p. 256.
⁵ From the original plate.
⁶ There is a mark over the letter śa, which may be only a rust-mark, but which renders it a little doubtful whether yaśō-dhanada was engraved, or yaśa dhanada with an omission of sō. The other inscriptions, however, shew that the correct reading is yaśasō dhanada, etc.
⁷ The other inscriptions all read utsanna. Monier Williams, in his Sanskrit-English Dictionary, suggests that uchchhanna, which, in the sense of ‘uncovered’, is a regular derivative from ud+chhad, and it is in the sense of ‘destroyed, fallen into disuse’, a Prakrit corruption of utsanna, from ud+sad.
⁸ In order to render the inscription capable of translation, read prapauttraḥ. And, at the same time, correct all the preceding genitives into nominatives.
⁹ Read pauttraḥ.
¹⁰ Read puttraḥ.
¹¹ Read dauhittraḥ.
¹² This mā was first engraved closer to the margin of the plate, and then, being indistinct there, was repeated.
¹³ [The reading is Gōmadēvasvāminē.–Ed.].
¹⁴ Sa was engraved here, and then corrected into cha.
¹⁵ cha was engraved here, and then corrected into sa.