- Support
- Āyaka pillar in two fragments; h. 182 (NM 301), 155 (NM 502) × w. 46 × d. 30 cm. In recomposed state, the total height of the remains of the pillar would be less than the sum of the two recorded height dimensions.
- Text
- Middle Indo-Aryan, Southern Brāhmī script. h. 88 × w. 56 cm .
- Date
- Sixth regnal year of Siri-Vīrapurisadatta, approximately between 225 and 275 CE.
- Origin
- Erected originally at findspot.
- Provenance
- Discovered between March 1926 and October 1927 at Nagarjunakonda, Site 1, on the West side of the Mahācaitya. Fragments identified at Nagarjunakonda Museum (acc. no. 301, 502) in February 2016.
- Visual Documentation
-
Photo(s):
- photos JM 2017 (of top part only)
- photos AL 2017
Photo(s) of estampage(s):- Vogel 1929–30a
- estampage Leiden N6 (bottom), N7 (top)
- Raghunath 2001 The estampages shown in this publication under entries 5 and 6 together belong to EIAD 5.
- Editors
- Stefan Baums, Arlo Griffiths, Ingo Strauch and Vincent Tournier.
- Publication history
- First described and edited by Vogel 1929–30a: 14, 19-20 (C2) . Edited again, from the EI estampage, by Sircar 1942: 222-4 and Sircar 1965: 231-3 . Re-edited here from the Leiden estampage sheets and after autopsy of the fragments of the stone.
(1)
sidhaṁ
namo
bhagavato
devarājasakatasa
saṁma{saṁma}saṁbudhasa
dhātuvara(2)parigahitasa
mahācetiye
mahārajasa
virūpakhapatimahāsenaparigahitasa
(3)
°agihotāgiṭho{giṭho}mavājapeyāsamedhayājisa
hiraṇakoṭigosata(4)sahasahalasatasahasapadāyisa
savathesu
°apatihatasaṁkapasa
(5)
vāsiṭhīputasa
°ikhākusa
siricātamūlasa
sodaraya
bhaginiya
haṁma(6)siriṁṇikāya
bālikā
raṁño
sirivirapurisadatasa
bhayā
mahādevi
bapisiriṁṇikā
(7)
°apano
mātaraṁ
haṁmasiriṇikaṁ
parinam⟨e⟩tuna
°atane
ca
nivāṇasaṁpatisa⟨ṁ⟩pādake
(8)
°imaṁ
selathaṁbhaṁ
patiṭhapitaṁ
°acari[yā]naṁ
°aparamahāvinaseliyānaṁ
suparigahita⟨ṁ⟩
(9)
°imaṁ
mahācetiyanavakamaṁ
paṁṇagāmavathavānaṁ
dīghamajhimapaṁdamātukadesa⟨kavā⟩cakānaṁ
(10)
°a⟨ca⟩rayāna
°ayirahaghāna
°aṁtevāsikena
dīghama⟨jhima⟩nigayadharena
bhadaṁtānaṁdena
(11)
niṭhapita
°ima
navakama
mahācetiya
khaṁbhā
ca
ṭhapitā
ti
raṁño
s⟨i⟩riviripurisadatasa
(12)
◊
saṁva
6
vāpa
6
diva
10
(1) sidhaṁ namo bhagavato devarājasakatasa saṁma{saṁma}saṁbudhasa dhātuvara-
(2)parigahitasa mahācetiye mahārajasa virūpakhapatimahāsenaparigahitasa
(3) °agihotāgiṭho{giṭho}mavājapeyāsamedhayājisa hiraṇakoṭigosata-
(4)sahasahalasatasahasapadāyisa savathesu °apatihatasaṁkapasa
(5) vāsiṭhīputasa °ikhākusa siricātamūlasa sodaraya bhaginiya haṁma-
(6)siriṁṇikāya bālikā raṁño sirivirapurisadatasa bhayā mahādevi bapisiriṁṇikā
(7) °apano mātaraṁ haṁmasiriṇikaṁ parinam⟨e⟩tuna °atane ca nivāṇasaṁpatisa⟨ṁ⟩pādake
(8) °imaṁ selathaṁbhaṁ patiṭhapitaṁ °acari[yā]naṁ °aparamahāvinaseliyānaṁ suparigahita⟨ṁ⟩
(9) °imaṁ mahācetiyanavakamaṁ paṁṇagāmavathavānaṁ dīghamajhimapaṁdamātukadesa⟨kavā⟩cakānaṁ
(10) °a⟨ca⟩rayāna °ayirahaghāna °aṁtevāsikena dīghama⟨jhima⟩nigayadharena bhadaṁtānaṁdena
(11) niṭhapita °ima navakama mahācetiya khaṁbhā ca ṭhapitā ti raṁño s⟨i⟩riviripurisadatasa
(12) ◊ saṁva 6 vāpa 6 diva 10
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<lb n="1"/>
<w xml:id="tok180">sidhaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok181">namo</w>
<w xml:id="tok182">bhagavato</w>
<w xml:id="tok183">devarājasakatasa</w>
<w xml:id="tok184">saṁma<surplus>saṁma</surplus>saṁbudhasa</w>
<w xml:id="tok185">dhātuvara<lb n="2" break="no"/>parigahitasa</w>
<w xml:id="tok186">mahācetiye</w>
<w xml:id="tok187">mahārajasa</w>
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<w xml:id="tok189">°agihotāgiṭho<surplus>giṭho</surplus>mavājapeyāsamedhayājisa</w>
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<w xml:id="tok191">savathesu</w>
<w xml:id="tok192">°apatihatasaṁkapasa</w>
<lb n="5"/>
<w xml:id="tok193">vāsiṭhīputasa</w>
<w xml:id="tok194">°ikhākusa</w>
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<w xml:id="tok196">sodaraya</w>
<w xml:id="tok197">bhaginiya</w>
<w xml:id="tok198">haṁma<lb n="6" break="no"/>siriṁṇikāya</w>
<w xml:id="tok199">bālikā</w>
<w xml:id="tok200">raṁño</w>
<w xml:id="tok201">sirivirapurisadatasa</w>
<w xml:id="tok202">bhayā</w>
<w xml:id="tok203">mahādevi</w>
<w xml:id="tok204">bapisiriṁṇikā</w>
<lb n="7"/>
<w xml:id="tok205">°apano</w>
<w xml:id="tok206">mātaraṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok207">haṁmasiriṇikaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok208">parinam<supplied reason="omitted">e</supplied>tuna</w>
<w xml:id="tok209">°atane</w>
<w xml:id="tok210">ca</w>
<w xml:id="tok211">nivāṇasaṁpatisa<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied>pādake</w>
<lb n="8"/>
<w xml:id="tok212">°imaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok213">selathaṁbhaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok214">patiṭhapitaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok215">°acari<unclear>yā</unclear>naṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok216">°aparamahāvinaseliyānaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok217">suparigahita<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied>
</w>
<lb n="9"/>
<w xml:id="tok218">°imaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok219">mahācetiyanavakamaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok220">paṁṇagāmavathavānaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok221">dīghamajhimapaṁdamātukadesa<supplied reason="omitted">kavā</supplied>cakānaṁ</w>
<lb n="10"/>
<w xml:id="tok222">°a<supplied reason="omitted">ca</supplied>rayāna</w>
<w xml:id="tok223">°ayirahaghāna</w>
<w xml:id="tok224">°aṁtevāsikena</w>
<w xml:id="tok225">dīghama<supplied reason="omitted">jhima</supplied>nigayadharena</w>
<w xml:id="tok226">bhadaṁtānaṁdena</w>
<lb n="11"/>
<w xml:id="tok227">niṭhapita</w>
<w xml:id="tok228">°ima</w>
<w xml:id="tok229">navakama</w>
<w xml:id="tok230">mahācetiya</w>
<w xml:id="tok231">khaṁbhā</w>
<w xml:id="tok232">ca</w>
<w xml:id="tok233">ṭhapitā</w>
<w xml:id="tok234">ti</w>
<w xml:id="tok235">raṁño</w>
<w xml:id="tok236">s<supplied reason="omitted">i</supplied>riviripurisadatasa</w>
<lb n="12"/>
<space type="horizontal" quantity="11" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok238">saṁva</w>
<w xml:id="tok239">6</w>
<w xml:id="tok240">vāpa</w>
<w xml:id="tok242">6</w>
<w xml:id="tok243">diva</w>
<w xml:id="tok244">10</w>
</ab>
- (5) -mūlasa The shape of the <ū> is unusual, with the length marker stemming from the centre of the akṣara.
- (5) sodaraya sodarāya JPhV . Understand sodarāya.
- (7) parinam⟨e⟩tuna °atane In his n. 10, Vogel proposes to read parināmetūna(ṁ) °atano. While it indeed seems necessary to emend atano, the spelling parināmetuna is found in the same context in at least four other inscriptions (EIAD 12, l. 7; 14, l. 8; 18, l. 8; 19, l. 9) and so must be accepted as intentional.
- (7) -sa⟨ṁ⟩pādake -saṁpādake JPhV .
- (8) selathaṁbhaṁ Emend selakhaṁbhaṁ? The compound is normally with -khaṁbha.
- (8) patiṭhapitaṁ patithapitaṁ JPhV .
- (9) -paṁdamātuka- Emend -paṁcamātuka-, as in EIAD 6, l. 11.
- (10) °a⟨ca⟩rayāna °arayāna[ṁ] JPhV . Vogel proposes to emend ācariyānaṁ. This is supported by EIAD 6, l. 11, but °acariyāna⟨ṁ⟩ is also a possibility that is supported internally (by l. 8 of the present inscription).
- (10) °ayirahaghāna °ayirahaghāna[ṁ] JPhV . Understand °ayirahaṁghānaṁ, cf. 6, l. 11.
- (10) dīghama⟨jhima⟩nigayadharena dīghamanigayadharena JPhV . The restitution was already proposed by Vogel in a note, with reference to 6, l. 12.
- (11) niṭhapita °ima navakama mahācetiya niṭhapita[ṁ] ima[ṁ] navakama[ṁ] mahācetiya[ṁ] JPhV . The parallel in 6, l. 12, shows that nithapitaṁ °imaṁ navakamaṁ mahācetiyaṁ is indeed to be understood, but we hesitate to assume involuntary omission of four anusvāras in a row.
- (11) khaṁbhā khambhā JPhV .
(1-2) Success! Homage to the Bhagavant, worshipped
by the king(s) of the gods, the Perfect Buddha who is ensconced in the excellent
relic [or: element (i.e., nirvāṇadhātu)]!
(2-11) At the Great Shrine, the Great Queen
Bapisiriṇṇikā — child of Hammasiriṇṇikā, uterine sister of Great King Vāsiṭṭhīputta
Siri-Cāntamūla the Ikṣvāku, favored by Mahāsena who has Virūpākṣa as his lord,
sacrificer of the Agnihotra, the Agniṣṭoma, the Vājapeya and the Aśvamedha, giver of
tens of millions of (pieces of) gold, hundreds of thousands of cows and hundreds of
thousands of plows (of land), whose will is unimpeded in all matters; wife of king
Siri-Vīrapurisadatta — having dedicated (the merit) to her own mother Hammasiriṇṇikā
and for accomplishing the fortune of nirvāṇa
for herself established this stone pillar. This construction of the Great Shrine has
been firmly received by the Aparamahāvinaseliya teachers. This construction[, namely
this] Great Shrine has been completed and the pillars established by the venerable
Ānanda, preserver of the Long and Middle Divisions, pupil of the master, the noble
Haṅgha, resident of the village Paṇṇa, the instructor and transmitter of the Long and
Middle (Divisions) and the Five Matrices.
(11-12) In the 6th year of King
Siri-Vīrapurisadatta, in the 6th fortnight of the rainy season, on the 10th day.
- bookmark Srinivasan & Sankaranarayanan 1979: no. 14
- bookmark Tsukamoto 1996: no. Naga 14
- bookmark Raghunath 2001: 74 (no. 5)
Commentary