Metadata

Support
Fragment of a pillar; h. unavailable ×  w. unavailable ×  d. unavailable cm.
Text
Middle Indo-Aryan, Southern Brāhmī script. h. unavailable ×  w. unavailable cm .
Date
The fragment probably belongs with one of the inscriptions dated to the reign of Siri-Vīrapurisadatta, i.e., approximately between 225 and 275 CE.
Origin
Presumably 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. Present whereabouts unknown.
Visual Documentation
Photo(s) of estampage(s):
  • Vogel
    • Editors
    Arlo Griffiths and Vincent Tournier, with contributions by Stefan Baums and Ingo Strauch.
    Publication history
    First described and edited by Vogel 1931-32: 67 (M11) . Re-edited here from the estampage published by Vogel.

    Edition

    (1) … /// nivāṇathan[ā]ya (2) … (dhātuvaraparigahi) ///tasa (3) … (nānādesasama) ///nāgatānaṁ (4) … /// [sa]ṁ(ba)ṁdhiva[g] (e) (5) (na) … /// ? naṁ (6) … (maṁ) ///ṭavaṁ

    (1) … /// nivāṇathan[ā]ya
    (2) … (dhātuvaraparigahi) ///tasa
    (3) … (nānādesasama) ///nāgatānaṁ
    (4) … /// [sa]ṁ(ba)ṁdhiva[g] (e) -
    (5) (na) … /// ? naṁ
    (6) … (maṁ) ///ṭavaṁ 
    <ab xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0">
					          <lb n="1"/>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok2134">nivāṇathan<unclear>ā</unclear>ya</w>
					          <lb n="2"/>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok2136">
                  <supplied reason="lost">dhātuvaraparigahi</supplied>
                  <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>tasa</w>
					          <lb n="3"/>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok2138">
                  <supplied reason="lost">nānādesasama</supplied>
                  <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>nāgatānaṁ</w>
					          <lb n="4"/>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok2140">
						            <unclear>sa</unclear>ṁ<supplied reason="lost">ba</supplied>ṁdhiva<unclear>g</unclear>
                  <supplied reason="lost">e</supplied>
                  <lb n="5" break="no"/>
                  <supplied reason="lost">na</supplied>
               </w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok2143">naṁ</w>
					          <lb n="6"/>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok2144">
						            <supplied reason="lost">maṁ</supplied>
                  <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>ṭavaṁ</w>
				        </ab>

    Apparatus

    • (3) (nānādesasama)nāgatānaṁ Restoration based on EIAD 28, l. 2. See also EIAD 38, l. 1.
    • (5) [sa]ṁ(ba)ṁdhiva[g] (ena) dhiva JPhV . See EIAD 3, l. 4: nīgasaṁbaṁdhīvagehi; 31, l. 5: nātimitasaṁ(baṁdh)ivagena.

    Translation

    ... for the sake of the nirvāṇa ... (who is ensconced in the excellent relic [or: element (i.e., nirvāṇadhātu)]) ... who come (from various countries) ... and with the group(s) of their relatives ... a maṇḍapa.

    Commentary

    According to Sarkar 1969 , this fragment probably belongs with EIAD 26 (Vogel’s M12), but another possibility might be 24.

    Secondary bibliography