South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

imagine what it could have been, and it is most probable, as has been admitted by the former editors, that these traces are nothing but accidental deteriorations of the stone.─ (7) AS. ºParivâtaº.─ (8) The character lo is all but clear. ─ (9) AS. ºmaṁḍalaº.─ (10) The ka of the second kara, which falls into the flaw, is very indistinct.─ (11) G. and AS. ºpînavaṭaº.─ (12) The ra restored by G. and AS. cannot be doubted, though injured by the flaw. ─ (13) G. ºsususâº.─ (14) The atop of the na of dana seems to bear a horizontal stroke, and I am inclined to think that madaṇasa was intended.─ (15) AS. ºvaṁsaº.─ (16) AS. ºpatiṭhâpaº ; th is at least more probable, besides being more correct.─ (17) AS. ºmaṁḍalâº.─ (18) AS. ºpadhasasanîyaº (a mere printer’s mistake).─ (19) G. ºmânaṁ.─ (20) G. ºchârânaṁ.─ (21) AS. omits ekasûrasa in the transcript. ─ (22) AS. ºparâkaº.─ (23) G. chhaṇayanusaº.─ (24) AS. Nabhâgaº.─ (25) G. ºbhutaṁ. ─ (26) G. ºGaruḍaº.─ (27) G. ṇagaº ; AS, nagaº.─ (28) AS. ºdeviya.─ (29) â of ºkham⺠seems to me at least doubtful. ─ (30) G. ºhiṁsâº.─ (31) AS. ºvadhûsadam.─ (32) AS. restores [Kelâsa]pa[vata] º. I feel no doubt at all about this restoration which is confirmed by the still visible e-stroke ; but it must be understood that it is entirely conjectural.─ (33) G. and AS. restore vimâ[na] º, which is certainly right. ─ (34) G. ºpatâmaº ; AS ºp[i]tâmaº ; the beginning of the i-curl of pitâ is still visible. ─ (35) AS. ºniy⺠; G. and AS. ºyâna bhiº.─ (36) G. ºsaṁghasa.─ (37) AS. chitanâº.─ (38) G. sevâkâmo.─ (39) AS. ṇa[tâ . . . . Dakhiṇî]º . Except the t which has left some traces, the passage on brackets is nothing but a conjecture, although a more than probable one. ─ (40) AS. ºpaṭhisaro.─ (41) AS. gâmaṁ. ─ (42) AS. Pisâchiº ; the final anusvâra is at least doubtful.

TRANSLATION.

“ Success ! In the nineteenth ─ 19th ─ year of king Siri-Puḷumâyi Vâsiṭhîputa, in the second ─ 2nd ─ fortnight of summer, on the thirteenth ─ 13th ─ day, the great queen Gotamî Balasirî, delighting in truth, charity, patience and respect for life ; bent on penance, self-control, restraint and abstinence ; fully working out the type of a royal Ṛishi’s wife ; the mother of the king of kings, Siri-Sâtakaṇi Gotamîputa, who was in strength equal to mount Himavat, mount Meru, mount Mandara ; king of Asika, Asaka, Muḷaka, Suraṭha, Kukura, Aparanta, Anupa, Vidabha, Âkarâvantî ; lord of the mountains Vindhya Chhavata, Pârichâta, Sahya, Kaṇhagiri, Macha, Siriṭana, Malaya, Mahendra, Seṭagiri, Chakora ; obeyed by the circle of all kings on earth ; whose face was beautiful and pure like the lotus opened by the rays of the sun ; whose chargers had drunk the water of three oceans ; whose face was lovely and radiant like the orb of the full moon ; whose gait was beautiful like the gait of a choice elephant ; whose arms were as muscular and rounded, broad and long as the folds of the lord of serpents ; whose fearless hand was wet by the water poured out to impart fearlessness ; of unchecked obedience towards his mother ; who properly devised time and place for the pursuit of the triple object (of human activity) ; who sympathised fully with the weal and woe of the citizens ; who crushed down the pride and conceit of the Kshatriyas ; who destroyed the Śakas, Yavanas and Palhavas ; who never levied nor employed taxes but in conformity to justice ; alien to hurting life even towards an offending enemy ; the furtherer of the homesteads of the low as well as of the twice-born ; who rooted out the Khakharâta race ; who restored the glory of the Sâtavâhana family ; whose feet were saluted by all provinces ; who stored the contamination of the four varṇas ; who conquered multitudes of enemies in many battles ; whose victorious banner was unvanquished ; whose capital was unassailable to his foes ; who had inherited from a long line of ancestors the privilege of kingly music ; the abode of traditional lore ; the refuge of the virtuous ; the asylum of Fortune ; the fountain of good manners ; the unique controller ; the unique archer ; the unique hero ; the unique Brâhmaṇa ; in prowess equal to Râma, Keśava, Arjuna and Bhîmasena ; liberal on festive days in unceasing festivities and assemblies ; not inferior in luster to Nâbhâga, Nahusha, Janamejaya, Sagara, Yayâti, Râma and Ambarîsha ; who, vanquishing his enemies in a way as constant as inexhaustible, unthinkable and marvelous,