- Support
- Broken pillar; h. unavailable × w. unavailable × d. unavailable cm.
- Text
- Middle Indo-Aryan, Southern Brāhmī script. h. unavailable × w. unavailable cm .
- Date
- Fifteenth regnal year of Siri-Vīrapurisadatta, approximately between 225 and 275 CE.
- Origin
- Erected originally at findspot.
- Provenance
- Discovered in the cold season of 1927-1928 by A.H. Longhurst at Nagarjunakonda, Site 1, in the monastic hall of Cāntisirī, close to the eastern side of the apsidal temple. Not identified during fieldwork from February 2016 onward.
- Visual Documentation
-
Photo(s):
- Sarkar 1969, pl. I (v)
- Editors
- Arlo Griffiths and Vincent Tournier, with contributions by Stefan Baums and Ingo Strauch.
- Publication history
- Fragments first described and edited individually by Vogel 1931-32: 66-8 (M4, M5, M10, M16, M18) , then pieced together by Sarkar 1969: 175-6 (v) , who gives the first reconstruction of the inscription. Re-edited here after Sarkar's plate I.
Upper half
(1)
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
[ma]hāsena[par]igahītasa
(2)
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
(°asa)
///
[m]
(e)dhayāj[i]sa
(3)
+ + + + + + + + + + +
[sa]hasahalasatasaha[sa]
///
+ +
(4)
+ + + + + + + +
(°apati)
///
[ha]tasaṁkapasa
vāsiṭhī[p]
(u)
///
(tasa)
(5)
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
(bha)
///gi[n]i
ma[h]
///
(āsenāpatisa)
Lower half
(1)
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
///
[ka]
(ṁdasirisa)
///
+ +
(2)
+ + + + +
(khaṁdasāgaraṁṇaka)
///
[mā]tā
cātisiri
◊
°a[pa]
///
(no)
+
(3)
+ + + + + + + + + +
(raṁño)
(māṭharipu)
///tasa
◊
°ikhāku[naṁ]
(4)
+ + + + + + + + + +
(°āyu)
///vadhanīke
vijayavejayike
(5)
+ + + + + + + + + +
(su)
///khanivāṇathanāya
◊
[bhagava]to
(6)
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
(ma)
///
[hāce]tiyapādamūle
(7)
(pavaji)
///
[tānaṁ]
nānā[de]sasa[ma]
///
(nāgatānaṁ)
+ + + + + + + +
(8)
°api
ca
°apano
°ubhayakulasa
◊
°at///
(ichita)
+ + + + + +
(9)
nikapanīke
parinām[e]tuna
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
(10)
parigahe
◊
savani[y]uta(ṁ)
cātusālapa[r]
(i)gah[ita]
(ṁ)
s(e)
///
(lamaṁṭava)
(11)
patiṭhapitaṁ
[ra]
(ṁño)
(si)rivirapurisadatasa
sa[ṁ]va
10
5
vāpa
8
[d]i[va]
?
Upper half
(1) + + + + + + + + + + + + + [ma]hāsena[par]igahītasa
(2) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + (°asa) /// [m] (e)dhayāj[i]sa
(3) + + + + + + + + + + + [sa]hasahalasatasaha[sa] /// + +
(4) + + + + + + + + (°apati) /// [ha]tasaṁkapasa vāsiṭhī[p] (u) /// (tasa)
(5) + + + + + + + + + + + + + (bha) ///gi[n]i ma[h] /// (āsenāpatisa)
Lower half
(1) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + /// [ka] (ṁdasirisa) /// + +
(2) + + + + + (khaṁdasāgaraṁṇaka) /// [mā]tā cātisiri ◊ °a[pa] /// (no) +
(3) + + + + + + + + + + (raṁño) (māṭharipu) ///tasa ◊ °ikhāku[naṁ]
(4) + + + + + + + + + + (°āyu) ///vadhanīke vijayavejayike
(5) + + + + + + + + + + (su) ///khanivāṇathanāya ◊ [bhagava]to
(6) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + (ma) /// [hāce]tiyapādamūle
(7) (pavaji) /// [tānaṁ] nānā[de]sasa[ma] /// (nāgatānaṁ) + + + + + + + +
(8) °api ca °apano °ubhayakulasa ◊ °at/// (ichita) + + + + + +
(9) nikapanīke parinām[e]tuna + + + + + + + + + + + + +
(10) parigahe ◊ savani[y]uta(ṁ) cātusālapa[r] (i)gah[ita] (ṁ) s(e) /// (lamaṁṭava)
(11) patiṭhapitaṁ [ra] (ṁño) (si)rivirapurisadatasa sa[ṁ]va 10 5 vāpa 8 [d]i[va] ?
Upper half
<ab xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0">
<lb n="1"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="13" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1328">
<unclear>ma</unclear>hāsena<unclear>par</unclear>igahītasa</w>
<lb n="2"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="16" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1345">
<supplied reason="lost">°asa</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
<unclear>m</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost">e</supplied>dhayāj<unclear>i</unclear>sa</w>
<lb n="3"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="11" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1358">
<unclear>sa</unclear>hasahalasatasaha<unclear>sa</unclear>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="2" unit="character"/>
</w>
<lb n="4"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="8" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1370">
<supplied reason="lost">°apati</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
<unclear>ha</unclear>tasaṁkapasa</w>
<w xml:id="tok1371">vāsiṭhī<unclear>p</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost">u</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
<supplied reason="lost">tasa</supplied>
</w>
<lb n="5"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="13" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1385">
<supplied reason="lost">bha</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>gi<unclear>n</unclear>i</w>
<w xml:id="tok1386">ma<unclear>h</unclear>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
<supplied reason="lost">āsenāpatisa</supplied>
</w>
</ab>Lower half
<ab xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0">
<lb n="1"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="16" unit="character"/>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
<w xml:id="tok1403">
<unclear>ka</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost">ṁdasirisa</supplied>
</w>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="2" unit="character"/>
<lb n="2"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="5" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1411">
<supplied reason="lost">khaṁdasāgaraṁṇaka</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
<unclear>mā</unclear>tā</w>
<w xml:id="tok1419">cātisiri</w>
<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1421">°a<unclear>pa</unclear>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
<supplied reason="lost">no</supplied>
</w>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
<lb n="3"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="10" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1433">
<supplied reason="lost">raṁño</supplied>
</w>
<w xml:id="tok1434">
<supplied reason="lost">māṭharipu</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>tasa</w>
<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1436">°ikhāku<unclear>naṁ</unclear>
</w>
<lb n="4"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="10" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1447">
<supplied reason="lost">°āyu</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>vadhanīke</w>
<w xml:id="tok1448">vijayavejayike</w>
<lb n="5"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="10" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1459">
<supplied reason="lost">su</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>khanivāṇathanāya</w>
<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1461">
<unclear>bhagava</unclear>to</w>
<lb n="6"/>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="14" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1477">
<supplied reason="lost">ma</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
<unclear>hāce</unclear>tiyapādamūle</w>
<lb n="7"/>
<w xml:id="tok1478">
<supplied reason="lost">pavaji</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
<unclear>tānaṁ</unclear>
</w>
<w xml:id="tok1479">nānā<unclear>de</unclear>sasa<unclear>ma</unclear>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
<supplied reason="lost">nāgatānaṁ</supplied>
</w>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="8" unit="character"/>
<lb n="8"/>
<w xml:id="tok1488">°api</w>
<w xml:id="tok1489">ca</w>
<w xml:id="tok1490">°apano</w>
<w xml:id="tok1491">°ubhayakulasa</w>
<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1493">°at<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
<supplied reason="lost">ichita</supplied>
</w>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="6" unit="character"/>
<lb n="9"/>
<w xml:id="tok1500">nikapanīke</w>
<w xml:id="tok1501">parinām<unclear>e</unclear>tuna</w>
<gap reason="lost" quantity="13" unit="character"/>
<lb n="10"/>
<w xml:id="tok1516">parigahe</w>
<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
<w xml:id="tok1518">savani<unclear>y</unclear>uta<supplied reason="lost">ṁ</supplied>
</w>
<w xml:id="tok1519">cātusālapa<unclear>r</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost">i</supplied>gah<unclear>ita</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost">ṁ</supplied>
</w>
<w xml:id="tok1520">s<supplied reason="lost">e</supplied>
<milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
<supplied reason="lost">lamaṁṭava</supplied>
</w>
<lb n="11"/>
<w xml:id="tok1521">patiṭhapitaṁ</w>
<w xml:id="tok1522">
<unclear>ra</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost">ṁño</supplied>
</w>
<w xml:id="tok1523">
<supplied reason="lost">si</supplied>rivirapurisadatasa</w>
<w xml:id="tok1524">sa<unclear>ṁ</unclear>va</w>
<num xml:id="tok1525" value="15">
<num value="10">10</num>
<num value="5">5</num>
</num>
<w xml:id="tok1527">vāpa</w>
<num value="8">8</num>
<w xml:id="tok1529">
<unclear>d</unclear>i<unclear>va</unclear>
</w>
<gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
</ab>- (1) -sena[par]igahītasa- -senā(pati pari)gahītasa- HS .
- (1) [ka] (ṁdasirisa) (kaṁdasirisa) HS .
- (2) cātisiri °a[pa] (no) cāṁtisiri °apa(ṇo) HS . Our restitution of <no> is supported by °apano in l. 6.
- (5) [bhagava]to Thus Sarkar. The reading prima facie seemed extremely unlikely; we seemed rather to read sathamatā, but could not recognize a sense in this reading. Given the probability of parallelism with EIAD 28, we have decided to accept Sarkar’s reading.
- (6) -mūle -mūli HS .
- (9) parinām[e]tuna parinametuna HS .
- (10) cātusālapa[r] (i)gah[ita] (ṁ) s(e) /// (lamaṁṭava) cātusālaparigahitasa … HS . We restore on the basis of the parallelism in EIAD 28.
- (11) patiṭhapitaṁ [ra] (ṁño) (si)ri- patiṭhapitaṁ [si]rivirapurishadatasa HS . We restore on the basis of the parallelism in EIAD 28.
... Cāntisirī — ... sister of ... Vāsiṭṭhīputta ... favored by
Mahāsena ... sacrificer of ... the Aśvamedha ... thousands
... and hundreds of thousands of plows (of land), whose will
is unimpeded in all matters; ... of Kandasiri ... Great
(General); ... mother of (Khandasāgaraṇṇaka) — for the increase
of the (lifespan) and leading to victory after victory of her
own ... (King) Māṭharīputta of the Ikṣvākus ... for the sake of
... happiness ... and nirvāṇa, at the base
of the Great Shrine of the Bhagavant ... (consisting) of renunciants who
come from various countries – having dedicated (the merit) to the past ... of her family on both sides and
to nikapanīka ... established ... in the possession of ... a stone pavillion equipped
with everything, enclosed by a quadrangular compound. In the
15th year of King Siri-Vīrapurisadatta, in the 8th fortnight
of the rainy season, on the ... day.
- bookmark Srinivasan & Sankaranarayanan 1979: no. 18
- bookmark Tsukamoto 1996: no. Naga 40.1 (22, 23, 28, 34, 36)
- bookmark Raghunath 2001: 107-8 (nos. 12A, 12B, 13, 13A).
Commentary
The text is parallel to EIAD 28. According to Sarkar, to this same group of fragments may also belong EIAD 38 (Vogel's M14), but we reject this hypothesis.