South Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE MINISTERS AND FEUDATORIES OF THE
VATSAGULMA BRANCH

...(V. 17). He released by the power of the expenditure of wealth . . . . whose eyes were suffused through fear, as though they were his (own) dear sons¹.

...(V. 18). Even he who had been treated affectionately like a son repeated, like a knowing human being, the excellent and pure thoughts in his heart².

...(V. 19). “(Rich persons) . . . . failed to attain, because of their wealth, the siddhi rightly so called (obtainable) by devote meditation on the Omniscient (Buddha) “3.

...(V. 20). He adorned the whole world by the light of his fame, bright like the rays of the moon . . . . by collecting materials . . . . . . .

... (V. 21). While that moon among the princes, Harishēṇa, whose face resembles a lotus and the moon, and who does what is beneficial for (his) subjects . . . . . . is protecting the earth.

... (V. 22). He, who has a very marvellous store of merit . . . . . . . . . adorned the earth with Stūpas and Vihāras, and caused the joy of suppliants by conferring gifts (on them).

... (V. 23). On a spur of the Sahya (mountain), looking beautiful with clouds, which, with the confused noise of . . . . . . . . . always pass over it (as if ) to provide it with a canopy⁴.

...(V. 24). [He excavated] this monolithic excellent Hall, containing within it a Chaitya of the king of ascetics (i.e., of the Buddha) and possessing the qualities of stateliness . . . . . . .

... (V. 25). Having expended abundant [wealth], he caused to be made this donated [Hall] which is almost measureless and which cannot be imagined by little-souled men . . . .

... (V. 26). He caused to be dug (near it ) a large cistern pleasing to the eyes and filled with sweet, light, clear, cold and copious water . . . . . . . .

...(V. 27). . . . . . . . . delightful to the eyes and the mind. In another part of it in the west he caused to be made a grand Gandhakuṭī⁵.

...(v. 28). May all the blessing desired for the attainment of siddhi caused by devout meditation on the lord of sages (i. e. Buddha) attend him⁶. who in all his deeds strives for the welfare of the people . . . . . . . . . !

... (V. 29). May this Hall out of affection . . . . . . . . cause the attainment of well-being by good people as long as the sun dispels darkness by its rays !
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¹ This seems to refer to the release from bondage of animals as well human beings. Compare the fifth Pillar Edict of Aśōka, which interdicts the capture of animals in certain seasons of the year.
² Bhagvanlal, being probably misled by the word vadhya, wholly misunderstood the purport of the verse and translated it as follows :- ‘[The minister] who, though he knew that the king had acquired in his heart a conscience purified from murderous tendencies, did not disclose . . . . .’ Bühler thought that the text was corrupt here and took the sense to be that even learned men had to acknowledge the minister’s purity of heart. Both these renderings are incorrect. The verse probably refers to a domesticated parrot kept in the palace, which, like a knowing human being (vidan-nṛivat), repeated the thoughts in the prince’s heart.
¹³ These are probably the words uttered the parrot. They point out the obstacle caused by wealth in the attainment of siddhi. Bühler, who did not risk a translation, thought that the general sense of the verse was that misfortunes fled (apēyuḥ) from the pious minister, being overcome by his supplications (praṇidhāna) addressed to Buddha (sarvajñabhāva). This is wide of the mark.
¹⁴ Bühler has omitted this verse completely in his translation.
¹⁵ Bhagvanlal thought that the Gandhakuṭī was Cave XVIII, from which an image of the Buddha had been removed. Bühler’s rendering ‘on the other side of this (Buddha’s) body on the left’ is obviously incorrect. The reference is undoubtedly to the Chaitya Cave XIX, which actually lies to the west of Cave XVII.
¹⁶ This probably refers to the prince who caused Cave XVII to be excavated.