Metadata

Support
Square slab, in granite, with rectangular hole; h. 97 ×  w. 100 ×  d. 11 cm.
Text
Sanskrit language, Southern Brāhmī script script. h. 39 ×  w. 100 cm .
Date
Twentieth regnal year of Ābhīra Vasuṣеṇa, i.e., approximately between 300 and 350.
Origin
Probably placed originally at findspot.
Provenance
Discovered at Site 29 among the long rows of pillars of a maṇḍapa on the bend of the river Krishna, in the north-east corner of the Nagarjunakonda valley, in the course of excavations by the Nagarjunakonda Excavation Project between 1958 and 1959. Identified at Nagarjunakonda Museum (acc. no. 80) in February 2016.
Visual Documentation
Photo(s):
  • AL 2017
  • JM 2017
    • Photo(s) of estampage(s):
  • Sircar
  • Sarma (figs. 1-2)
  • Srinivasan & Sankaranarayanan, pl. 9
  • Raghunath
  • Soundara Rajan, pl. LXXXVI (B)
    • RTI: JM 2017
    Editors
    Arlo Griffiths and Vincent Tournier, with contributions by Stefan Baums and Ingo Strauch.
    Publication history
    First described and edited by Sircar 1961-62a ; edited again by Sarma 1970 and Salomon 2013 . Re-edited here from available documentation and after autopsy of the stone.

    Edition

    siddham· || – (1) namo bhagavato ◊ devaparamadevasya ◊ purāṇapuruṣasya ◊ nārāyaṇasya rajñā ◊ vāseṣṭhīputrasya ◊ °ābhīrasya ◊ vasuṣеṇasya ◊ sa(ṁ)vatsara [20] vāpā 4 (2) divase 1 mahāgrāmikena ◊ mahātalavar[e]na ◊ mahādaṇḍanāyakana ◊ kauśikasagotrena ◊ peribiḍehāṇaṁ ◊ śivasebenaṁ ◊ saṁjayapur[ī]to ◊ yo rājābhi (3) °āvantakena ◊ śakena ◊ rudradāmena ◊ vānavāsakena ca ◊ viṣṇurudraśivalānanda[s] (ā) [ta]karṇṇinā ◊ sthā[n]āto pi ◊ na cālito ◊ °eṣa ◊ bha[ga]vāṁ ruṁbarabh[a]vo ◊ °āṣṭaṁjasvāmi (4) se[ḍa]girīya ◊ sthapito ◊ parv[v]atasya ca ◊ prākāro ◊ cināpito ◊ vāpi ca ◊ mahāna[ṁ]dā ◊ sodhitā ◊ taḍāgāni ca 2 seḍagiriyaṁ ◊ muḍerāya ca ◊ khāṇitāni talavaṇāni 7 (5) ropitāni ◊ yo ca ◊ brāhmaṇārtthe ◊ mitr[ār]tthe ca ◊ prāṇapi ◊ na parikṣati ◊ guṇataś ca ◊
    Iupajāti
    a
    sar[vv]ātithi sa[rvva]sakha [k]r̥tajñaḥ
    b
    satyavrata śatrugajavamadri
    c
    rujur vvaṭanyāsanapr[e]māti(6)vā
    d
    yo ⟨dhā⟩ [r]mika sādh(u) ⟪ja⟫nābhinaṁdi –
    ruṣideśaś cāsya seṁbakavardhamāna [b] . ? ◊ bharad[v]ājasago[tr] (e)ṇa ◊ °amātyena ◊ tiṣyasarm[e]ṇa • bhagavac(cha)k[ty]āḥ ◊ kr̥ta[ṁ] svasti govrāt[e]bhyaḥ |
    siddham· || –
    (1) namo bhagavato ◊ devaparamadevasya ◊ purāṇapuruṣasya ◊ nārāyaṇasya rajñā ◊ vāseṣṭhīputrasya ◊ °ābhīrasya ◊ vasuṣеṇasya ◊ sa(ṁ)vatsara [20] vāpā 4
    (2) divase 1 mahāgrāmikena ◊ mahātalavar[e]na ◊ mahādaṇḍanāyakana ◊ kauśikasagotrena ◊ peribiḍehāṇaṁ ◊ śivasebenaṁ ◊ saṁjayapur[ī]to ◊ yo rājābhi
    (3) °āvantakena ◊ śakena ◊ rudradāmena ◊ vānavāsakena ca ◊ viṣṇurudraśivalānanda[s] (ā) [ta]karṇṇinā ◊ sthā[n]āto pi ◊ na cālito ◊ °eṣa ◊ bha[ga]vāṁ ruṁbarabh[a]vo ◊ °āṣṭaṁjasvāmi
    (4) se[ḍa]girīya ◊ sthapito ◊ parv[v]atasya ca ◊ prākāro ◊ cināpito ◊ vāpi ca ◊ mahāna[ṁ]dā ◊ sodhitā ◊ taḍāgāni ca 2 seḍagiriyaṁ ◊ muḍerāya ca ◊ khāṇitāni talavaṇāni 7
    (5) ropitāni ◊ yo ca ◊ brāhmaṇārtthe ◊ mitr[ār]tthe ca ◊ prāṇapi ◊ na parikṣati ◊ guṇataś ca ◊     sar[vv]ātithi sa[rvva]sakha [k]r̥tajñaḥ satyavrata śatrugajavamadri rujur vvaṭanyāsanapr[e]māti-
    (6)vā     yo ⟨dhā⟩ [r]mika sādh(u) ⟪ja⟫nābhinaṁdi –     ruṣideśaś cāsya seṁbakavardhamāna [b] . ? ◊ bharad[v]ājasago[tr] (e)ṇa ◊ °amātyena ◊ tiṣyasarm[e]ṇa • bhagavac(cha)k[ty]āḥ ◊ kr̥ta[ṁ] svasti govrāt[e]bhyaḥ | 
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					          <pc>||</pc>
					          <pc>–</pc>
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					          <w xml:id="tok3896">namo</w>
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					          <w xml:id="tok3899">devaparamadevasya</w>
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					          <w xml:id="tok3901">purāṇapuruṣasya</w>
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					          <num xml:id="tok3916" value="4">4</num>
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					          <w xml:id="tok3917">divase</w>
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					          <w xml:id="tok3921">mahātalavar<unclear>e</unclear>na</w>
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					          <w xml:id="tok3926">peribiḍehāṇaṁ</w>
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					          <w xml:id="tok3927">śivasebenaṁ</w>
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					          <w xml:id="tok3929">saṁjayapur<unclear>ī</unclear>to</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3931">yo</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3931bis">rājābhi</w>
					          <lb n="3"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3932">°āvantakena</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3934">śakena</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3936">rudradāmena</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3938">vānavāsakena</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3939">ca</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3941">viṣṇurudraśivalānanda<unclear>s</unclear>
                  <supplied reason="lost">ā</supplied>
                  <unclear>ta</unclear>karṇṇinā</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3943">sthā<unclear>n</unclear>āto</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3944">pi</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3946">na</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3947">cālito</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3949">°eṣa</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3950">bha<unclear>ga</unclear>vāṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3951">ruṁbarabh<unclear>a</unclear>vo</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3953">°āṣṭaṁjasvāmi</w>
					          <lb n="4"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3954">se<unclear>ḍa</unclear>girīya</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3956">sthapito</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3958">parv<unclear>v</unclear>atasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3959">ca</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3961">prākāro</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3963">cināpito</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3965">vāpi</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3966">ca</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3968">mahāna<unclear>ṁ</unclear>dā</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3970">sodhitā</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3972">taḍāgāni</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3973">ca</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok3974" value="2">2</num>
					          <w xml:id="tok3975">seḍagiriyaṁ</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3977">muḍerāya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3978">ca</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3980">khāṇitāni</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3981">talavaṇāni</w>
					          <num xml:id="tok3982" value="7">7</num>
					          <lb n="5"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3983">ropitāni</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3985">yo</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3986">ca</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3988">brāhmaṇārtthe</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3990">mitr<unclear>ār</unclear>tthe</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3991">ca</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3993">prāṇapi</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3995">na</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3996">parikṣati</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok3998">guṇataś</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok3999">ca</w>
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					          <l xml:id="seq4000" n="a">
						            <w xml:id="tok4001">sar<unclear>vv</unclear>ātithi</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok4002">sa<unclear>rvva</unclear>sakha</w>
						            <w>
                     <unclear>k</unclear>r̥tajñaḥ</w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq4002bis" n="b">
						            <w xml:id="tok4003">satyavrata</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok4004">śatrugajavamadri</w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq4004bis" n="c">
						            <w xml:id="tok4005">rujur</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok4006">vvaṭanyāsanapr<unclear>e</unclear>māti<lb n="6" break="no"/>vā</w>
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					          <l xml:id="seq4009bis" n="d">
						            <w xml:id="tok4009">yo</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok4010">
                     <supplied reason="omitted">dhā</supplied>
                     <unclear>r</unclear>mika</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok4011">sādh<supplied reason="lost">u</supplied>
                     <add place="above">ja</add>nābhinaṁdi</w>
						            <pc>–</pc>
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					          <w xml:id="tok4013bis">cāsya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok4014">seṁbakavardhamāna</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok4014bis">
                  <unclear>b</unclear>
                  <gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="aksarapart"/>
                  <gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
               </w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok4017">bharad<unclear>v</unclear>ājasago<unclear>tr</unclear>
                  <supplied reason="lost">e</supplied>ṇa</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok4019">°amātyena</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok4021">tiṣyasarm<unclear>e</unclear>ṇa</w>
					          <pc>•</pc>
					          <w xml:id="tok4023">bhagavac<supplied reason="lost">cha</supplied>k<unclear>ty</unclear>āḥ</w>
					          <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok4025">kr̥ta<unclear>ṁ</unclear>
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					          <w xml:id="tok4026">svasti</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok4027">govrāt<unclear>e</unclear>bhyaḥ</w>
					          <pc>|</pc>
				        </ab>

    Apparatus

    • (1) siddham· || – sīddhaṁ || DCS siddhaṁ || IKS si[ddha]ṁ RS .
    • (1) rajñā rajño DCSRS rājñe IKS . Emend rājño.
    • (1) sa(ṁ)vatsara DCS . saṁvatsara IKS savatsara RS .
    • (1) [20] IKSRS . [30] DCS .
    • (1) vāpā We expect here vāpa.
    • (1) 4 7 DCS 6 IKSRS .
    • (2) divase [d]ivasa DCS divasa IKS .
    • (2) mahādaṇḍanāyakana DCS . mahādaṇḍanāyak[e]na IKS mahāda[ṁ]ḍanāyakana RS . Understand mahādaṇḍanāyakena.
    • (2) pеribiḍеhāṇaṁ IKS . pеribiḍеhāṇāṁ DCSRS .
    • (2) śivasеbеnaṁ RS . śivasеbеna DCS śivasеbеna IKS .
    • (2) saṁjayapur[ī]to RS . saṁjayapur[ī]ṇa DCS saṁjayapurīto IKS .
    • (2) yо rāj[ā]bhi RS . yоrājibhi DCS yоrājibhiḥ IKS .
    • (2) sthā[n]ātо pi [s]th[ā]nāto pi DCSRS sthānātо pi IKS . Sircar suggests emending to sthānato. One could alternatively read sthā{{nā}}topi, which could be emended to sthāpito.
    • (2) °āṣṭaṁjasvāmi There is a sign below the <ṣṭa>, as if to insert it. As noted by Sircar, however, it does not have the shape of a <bhu>, but of a <ṭa>. Nevertheless, it seems that one has to emend °aṣṭabhujasvāmi ( Salomon 2013: 398 ).
    • (3) [s] (ā) [[ta]]karṇṇinā [sāta]karṇṇinā DCSRS satakarṇṇinā IKS .
    • (3) ruṁbarabh[a]vo The foot of the <bha> has an uncommon curl that makes it look like a <bhu>. But we suppose that bhava was intended. On the identification of ruṁbara with uḍumbara, see Salomon 2013: 416–7 .
    • (4) sе[ḍa]giriya [sеḍa]giriya DCSRS sedagirīyaṁ IKS .
    • (4) sthapito sthāpito IKSDCS sth[ā]pito RS .
    • (4) cināpitо citāpitо IKSDCSRS .
    • (4) sеḍagiriyaṁ śеḍagiriyaṁ DCSRS sedagirīyaṁ IKS .
    • (4) talavaṇāni 7 talavaṇāni ca DCSIKSRS . That the number 7 is intended is made clear by the comparison with EIAD 20, l. 3: sata 7.
    • (5) prāṇapi ◊ na parikṣati prāṇa⟨m a⟩pi na pari⟨tya⟩kṣati DCS prāṇapi na parīkṣati IKS prāṇ⟨ān⟩ api na par[ī]kṣati RS .
    • (5) sar[vv]ātithi sa[rvva]sakha [k]r̥tajñaḥ [sa]rvvātithi⟨ḥ⟩ sa[rvva]sakha⟨ḥ⟩ kr̥tajñaḥ DCS sarvvātithi⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvasakha⟨ḥ⟩ kr̥tajñaḥ IKS sarvvātithi [sarvvasakha] kr̥tajñaḥ RS . Emend sarvvasakhā kr̥tajñaḥ.
    • (5) śatrugajavamadri śatruga[ṇā]vamardri DCS śatrugaṇāvamardī IKS śatrugaṇāvamardr[ī] RS . Sircar emends -rdī. We accept this, and emend śatrugajāvamardī.
    • (5) rujur Understand °r̥jur, with Sircar.
    • (5) vvaṭanyāsana- [vvaṭa]nyāsana- DCSRS vvatanyāsata IKS .
    • (5–6) -pr[e]mātivā yo ⟨dhā⟩ [r]mika pr[e]mani[ṣṭho] yo ⟨dhā⟩rmika⟨ḥ⟩ DCS pr[e]mani[ṣṭho] yo ⟨dhā⟩rmika⟨ḥ⟩ IKS pramāni[ta] yo ⟨dhā⟩rmika RS . As noted by Sircar, the syllable <pre> does not make position. Although the reading pr[e]mātivā is fairly secure, it is unmetrical. We are unable at present to suggest a convincing emendation, and thus tentatively follow the reading — or rather: silent emendation — of Sircar.
    • (6) sādh(u) ⟪ja⟫nābhinaṁdi – sādhujanābhinaṁdi |⟨|⟩ DCS svajanābhinaṅdi IKS s[ā]dhujanābhinaṁd[ī] RS .
    • (6) r[u]ṣide[ś]aś cāsya °ul[еkha]gaś cās[y]a DCS °r̥ṣideśaścasya IKS [°ulеkha]gaś cās[y]a RS . It is tempting to emend kr̥ṣide[ś]aś.
    • (6) -vardhamāna [b] . ? -vardhamāna[kо] DCSRS -vardhamāna 47 IKS .
    • (6) tiṣyasarm[е]ṇa tiṣyasaṁmеṇa DCS tiṣyaśarmеṇa IKS tiṣya[saṁmе]ṇa RS . The <e> is barely visible, while the repha is curiously executed.
    • (6) bhagavac[cha]k[ty]āḥ bhagava[cchakty]āḥ DCS bhagavatcḥaktyāḥ IKS bhagava[dbhakty]āḥ RS . Sircar rightly suggests emending -cchaktyā.
    • (6) gоvrāt[е]bhyaḥ gоvrāt[еbh]yaḥ DCS gоbrāhmaṇebhyaḥ IKS gо⟨brā⟩hmaṇ⟨e⟩bhyaḥ . Sircar notes that “the intended reading may be gоbrāhmaṇebhyaḥ ”. We are inclined to accept the reading as it is, or to understand gоvratеbhyaḥ, as our translation implies.

    Translation

    (1–2)Success! Homage to the Bhagavant, Nārāyaṇa, the highest god among the gods, the primeval man (purāṇapuruṣa). In the 20th year of the king Vāsiṣṭhīputra Vasuṣeṇa, the Ābhīra, in the 4th fortnight of the rainy season, on the 1st day.
    (3–5)The Great Village-chief (mahāgrāmika), Great Talavara, Great Commander (daṇḍanāyaka) Śivaseba, of the Peribeḍehas and belonging to the Kauśikagotra, who was not removed from (his) very position, (i.e.) from Saṁjayapurī, by (other) kings (such as) the Śaka Rudradāman from Avanta and Viṣṇurudraśivalānanda-Sātakarṇi from Vanavāsa, established this Bhagavant Aṣṭabhujasvāmin made from uḍumbara wood in Seṭagiri, and caused the enclosure of the mountain to be embellished, and had the well (vāpi) Mahānandā cleared, and had 2 tanks excavated in Seṭagiri and in Muḍerā, (and) had seven groves of Palmyra trees planted.
    (5)Who for the sake of Brahmins and for the sake of friends considers not even (his) life and by (his) virtue
    I.

    (is) a host to all, is a companion to all, is grateful, is devoted to truth, is the killer of the elephants of his enemies, is upright, is devoted to his love for planting fig trees (?), is righteous and rejoices among good people.

    (6)R̥ṣideśa (is in ?) his Sеmbaka-estate. Made by the minister Tiṣyaśarman of the Bharadvājagotra by the power of the Bhagavant. Success to those who practice the cattle vow!

    Commentary

    • (2) saṁjayapurī This might be identified with Vijayapurī.
    • (5-6) The stanza as it stands is very much altered. Taking into consideration the intended meter a reconstructed, standardised, version of the stanza would read as follows: sarvātithis sarvasakhā kr̥tajñaḥ satyavrataś śatrugajāvamardī | r̥jur vaṭanyāsanapremaniṣṭho yо dhārmikas sādhujanābhinandī ||.
    • (6) govrāta This may either be an allusion to the Ābhīras as a dynasty of cowherds (see Suryavanshi 1962 ), or to a Śaiva ascetic practice involving the vow of imitating a bull (see Acharya 2013 ).

    Secondary bibliography