Metadata

Support
Bottom part of the quadrangular upper portion of a pillar with an octagonal middle; h. unavailable ×  w. unavailable ×  d. unavailable cm.
Text
Sanskrit language, Southern Brāhmī script. The text is engraved below another inscription (EIAD 216); h. unavailable ×  w. unavailable cm . The writing is in some portions severely damaged and other parts have peeled of.
Date
Fourth or forty-fourth regnal year of king Nandivarman II of the Śālaṅkāyana dynasty, i.e. approximately in the first half of the 5th century. Sankaranarayanan (1977-78: 95, n. 22) states about his reading the year as 4: “The reading here can also be, as stated above, dattā 40 4”.
Origin
Guntupalli, hamlet of Jīlakaṟṟaguḍem, Chintalapudi taluk, West Godavari district.
Provenance
Discovered by I.K. Sarma in 1976 during excavations “near the caves (stūpa site) in the monastery area at Guṇṭupalli” ( Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 75 ). We have been unable to discover the whereabouts of the pillar and its estampages during fieldwork from February 2016 onwards.
Visual Documentation
Photo(s) of estampage(s):
  • Srinivasan 1973: pl. II
  • Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 (facsimile)
  • Sarma 1978: pl. VIII
  • Sarma 1988: pl. 29 (A, B, C) The best available photo of the pillar is in this publication (pl. 29, A).
    • Editors
    Emmanuel Francis and Arlo Griffiths.
    Publication history
    First described and very tentatively edited by Sarma 1988: 78-81 . Improved edition by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 , published in fact in 1992 and revised as Sankaranarayanan 2009a . The text is re-examined here from the available visual documentation, which is very poor. The apparently good estampage used by Sankaranarayanan is not available to us. We thus rely heavily on his edition and can suggest improvements only in few passages. Many conjectural restorations by Sankaranarayanan are pertinent and are recorded in our apparatus.

    Edition

    (1) svasti śrīvijayaveṅgīpurāt· śalaṅkakulāmalākāśaśaśāṅkasya bhagavattām[m]ra[bha]ktyā kr̥tadharmmanava + + + (2) viṣṇugr̥hacāturvvaidyaśālādya[ne]kavidha[pu]ṇyakarmmaparipūtayaśaśśarīrasya nānāprakā[ra] (viṣaya) (3)rasavijayasya mahārājasadr̥śadhanavisarggasya bhūpatisattamas[ya] (śrīhasti) (4)varmmadharmmamahārājasya prapautraḥ dayānukampāparāyaṇasyānekaśatasahasrahi(raṇyagobhū) (5) [jī]vatarupradānārjjitadharmmasya prajānāndīkarasya śrīnandivarmmamahārājasya [pautraḥ] (°īṣanmā) (6)tropakārāpakārakr̥tapratīkārasya pratāpopanatasāmantasya prabhūtaprak[ā] (madhanapra) (7)dasya dviṭpakṣacaṇḍadaṇḍasya mahārājācaṇḍavarmmaṇaḥ putro bhagavaccitra(rathasvāmipādā) (8)nuddhyāto bappabhaṭṭārakapādabhaktaḫ paramabhāgavataś śālaṅkāyanavaṁśaprabhavo (mahārājaśrī) (9)vijayanandivarmmā [veṅgī]viṣayamutuḍabhū[ta]ṭṭā[ṇḍa]kagrāmeyakān [samā]jñāpaya(ti) (|) (°asti) (cāyaṁ) (grāmaḥ) (10) [°a]s[ma]tkulagotrābhīvr̥ddhaye [dhātu] ? ? ? ? ? [sya] [daśabalasukr̥tabalinas] [tyāga] /// (11) /// bhagavato buddhasya śiṣyāṇāṁ sa[dmano] bhara[ṇārthaṁ] ṣaṣṭe[ndri]yodbhūtānubhūta /// (12) /// varṣṣiṇo kṣullakānandasthaviravasupī[ṭhācāryyāya?] nā[ta]viṣaye °ā /// (13) /// [nā?]garājena °ātmanaḥ puṇyapratāpasatyayaśo(bhivr̥ddhaye) … vihārani(vāsināṁ) /// (14) /// siddhārthakānāṁ vima … ritaḥ … to … vāsi[ne] /// (15) /// sthānavarāya sarvvabhūtaśaraṇāya … variṣṭhāyo /// (16) /// [ya]tivarāya °ācandrārkkatārakapr̥thi(vīsamakālaṁ) … (17) /// [saddhāmasya] vihāra[sya] … dāyapradeyaṁ /// (18) /// dadhyatakra … sāmantabhaṭṭavara[bhūparihāraṁ] (vandyamā) (19) (nasphu) [ra]daṅghri[bhyaḥ] buddhaśiṣyebhyaḥ sa(mpradattaḥ) (20) (paṭṭi)kā dat[t]ā [saṁ] ? °iti |
    IAnuṣṭubh
    a bahubhir vvasudhā bhu[ktā] b [bahu]bhiś cānu(pālitā)
    c (yasya) (yasya) (yadā) (bhūmiś) d (tasya) (ta) (21) (sya) tadā phalam· [|]
    IIAnuṣṭubh
    a ṣaṣṭivarṣṣasahasrā[ṇi] b [svargge] [ti] (ṣṭhati) (bhūmidaḥ)
    c (°ākṣeptā) (cānumantā) (ca) d (22) (tāny) (eva) narake vaset· |
    IIIAnuṣṭubh
    a bhūmidānāt paran dānan b na bhūtan na bhavi(ṣyati)
    c (tasyaiva) (haraṇāt) (pāpan) d (na) (bhūtan) (na) (23) (bha)viṣyati |
    IVAnuṣṭubh
    a yathā candramaso vr̥ddhir b ahany ahani [jāyate]
    c [tathā] bhūmikr̥taṁ pu(ṇyam) d (sasye) (sasye) (vivarddhate) (|)

    (1) svasti śrīvijayaveṅgīpurāt· śalaṅkakulāmalākāśaśaśāṅkasya bhagavattām[m]ra[bha]ktyā kr̥tadharmmanava + + +
    (2) viṣṇugr̥hacāturvvaidyaśālādya[ne]kavidha[pu]ṇyakarmmaparipūtayaśaśśarīrasya nānāprakā[ra] (viṣaya) -
    (3)rasavijayasya mahārājasadr̥śadhanavisarggasya bhūpatisattamas[ya] (śrīhasti) -
    (4)varmmadharmmamahārājasya prapautraḥ dayānukampāparāyaṇasyānekaśatasahasrahi(raṇyagobhū) -
    (5) [jī]vatarupradānārjjitadharmmasya prajānāndīkarasya śrīnandivarmmamahārājasya [pautraḥ] (°īṣanmā) -
    (6)tropakārāpakārakr̥tapratīkārasya pratāpopanatasāmantasya prabhūtaprak[ā] (madhanapra) -
    (7)dasya dviṭpakṣacaṇḍadaṇḍasya mahārājācaṇḍavarmmaṇaḥ putro bhagavaccitra(rathasvāmipādā) -
    (8)nuddhyāto bappabhaṭṭārakapādabhaktaḫ paramabhāgavataś śālaṅkāyanavaṁśaprabhavo (mahārājaśrī) -
    (9)vijayanandivarmmā [veṅgī]viṣayamutuḍabhū[ta]ṭṭā[ṇḍa]kagrāmeyakān [samā]jñāpaya(ti) (|) (°asti) (cāyaṁ) (grāmaḥ)
    (10) [°a]s[ma]tkulagotrābhīvr̥ddhaye [dhātu] ? ? ? ? ? [sya] [daśabalasukr̥tabalinas] [tyāga] ///
    (11) /// bhagavato buddhasya śiṣyāṇāṁ sa[dmano] bhara[ṇārthaṁ] ṣaṣṭe[ndri]yodbhūtānubhūta ///
    (12) /// varṣṣiṇo kṣullakānandasthaviravasupī[ṭhācāryyāya?] nā[ta]viṣaye °ā ///
    (13) /// [nā?]garājena °ātmanaḥ puṇyapratāpasatyayaśo(bhivr̥ddhaye) … vihārani(vāsināṁ) ///
    (14) /// siddhārthakānāṁ vima … ritaḥ … to … vāsi[ne] ///
    (15) /// sthānavarāya sarvvabhūtaśaraṇāya … variṣṭhāyo ///
    (16) /// [ya]tivarāya °ācandrārkkatārakapr̥thi(vīsamakālaṁ) …
    (17) /// [saddhāmasya] vihāra[sya] … dāyapradeyaṁ ///
    (18) /// dadhyatakra … sāmantabhaṭṭavara[bhūparihāraṁ] (vandyamā) -
    (19) (nasphu) [ra]daṅghri[bhyaḥ] buddhaśiṣyebhyaḥ sa(mpradattaḥ)
    (20) (paṭṭi)kā dat[t]ā [saṁ] ? °iti |     bahubhir vvasudhā bhu[ktā] [bahu]bhiś cānu(pālitā) (yasya) (yasya) (yadā) (bhūmiś) (tasya) (ta) -
    (21) (sya) tadā phalam· [|]     ṣaṣṭivarṣṣasahasrā[ṇi] [svargge] [ti] (ṣṭhati) (bhūmidaḥ) (°ākṣeptā) (cānumantā) (ca)
    (22) (tāny) (eva) narake vaset· |     bhūmidānāt paran dānan na bhūtan na bhavi(ṣyati) (tasyaiva) (haraṇāt) (pāpan) (na) (bhūtan) (na)
    (23) (bha)viṣyati |     yathā candramaso vr̥ddhir ahany ahani [jāyate] [tathā] bhūmikr̥taṁ pu(ṇyam) (sasye) (sasye) (vivarddhate) (|) 
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					          <lb n="1"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5775">svasti</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5776">śrīvijayaveṅgīpurāt·</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5777">śalaṅkakulāmalākāśaśaśāṅkasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5778">bhagavattām<unclear>m</unclear>ra<unclear>bha</unclear>ktyā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5779">kr̥tadharmmanava</w>
					          <gap reason="lost" quantity="3" unit="character"/>
					          <lb n="2"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5780">viṣṇugr̥hacāturvvaidyaśālādya<unclear>ne</unclear>kavidha<unclear>pu</unclear>ṇyakarmmaparipūtayaśaśśarīrasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5781">nānāprakā<unclear>ra</unclear>
                  <supplied reason="lost">viṣaya</supplied>
                  <lb n="3" break="no"/>rasavijayasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5782">mahārājasadr̥śadhanavisarggasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5783">bhūpatisattamas<unclear>ya</unclear>
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					          <w xml:id="tok5784">
                  <supplied reason="lost">śrīhasti</supplied>
                  <lb n="4" break="no"/>varmmadharmmamahārājasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5785">prapautraḥ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5786">dayānukampāparāyaṇasyānekaśatasahasrahi<supplied reason="lost">raṇyagobhū</supplied>
                  <lb n="5" break="no"/>
                  <unclear>jī</unclear>vatarupradānārjjitadharmmasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5787">prajānāndīkarasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5788">śrīnandivarmmamahārājasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5789">
                  <unclear>pautraḥ</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5790">
                  <supplied reason="lost">°īṣanmā</supplied>
                  <lb n="6" break="no"/>tropakārāpakārakr̥tapratīkārasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5791">pratāpopanatasāmantasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5792">prabhūtaprak<unclear>ā</unclear>
                  <supplied reason="lost">madhanapra</supplied>
                  <lb n="7" break="no"/>dasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5793">dviṭpakṣacaṇḍadaṇḍasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5794">mahārājācaṇḍavarmmaṇaḥ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5795">putro</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5796">bhagavaccitra<supplied reason="lost">rathasvāmipādā</supplied>
                  <lb n="8" break="no"/>nuddhyāto</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5797">bappabhaṭṭārakapādabhaktaḫ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5798">paramabhāgavataś</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5799">śālaṅkāyanavaṁśaprabhavo</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5800">
                  <supplied reason="lost">mahārājaśrī</supplied>
                  <lb n="9" break="no"/>vijayanandivarmmā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5801">
                  <unclear>veṅgī</unclear>viṣayamutuḍabhū<unclear>ta</unclear>ṭṭā<unclear>ṇḍa</unclear>kagrāmeyakān</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5802">
                  <unclear>samā</unclear>jñāpaya<supplied reason="lost">ti</supplied>
               </w>
					          <pc>
                  <supplied reason="lost">|</supplied>
               </pc>
					          <w xml:id="tok5803">
                  <supplied reason="lost">°asti</supplied>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5804">
                  <supplied reason="lost">cāyaṁ</supplied>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5805">
                  <supplied reason="lost">grāmaḥ</supplied>
               </w>
					          <lb n="10"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5806">
                  <unclear>°a</unclear>s<unclear>ma</unclear>tkulagotrābhīvr̥ddhaye</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5806bis">
                  <unclear>dhātu</unclear>
               </w>
					          <gap reason="illegible" quantity="5" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5807">
                  <unclear>sya</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5808">
                  <unclear>daśabalasukr̥tabalinas</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5809">
                  <unclear>tyāga</unclear>
               </w>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
					          <lb n="11"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5809bis">bhagavato</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5810">buddhasya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5811">śiṣyāṇāṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5812">sa<unclear>dmano</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5813">bhara<unclear>ṇārthaṁ</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5814">ṣaṣṭe<unclear>ndri</unclear>yodbhūtānubhūta</w>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
					          <lb n="12"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5815">varṣṣiṇo</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5816">kṣullakānandasthaviravasupī<unclear>ṭhācāryyāya?</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5817">nā<unclear>ta</unclear>viṣaye</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5818">°ā</w>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
					          <lb n="13"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5819">
                  <unclear>nā?</unclear>garājena</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5820">°ātmanaḥ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5821">puṇyapratāpasatyayaśo<supplied reason="lost">bhivr̥ddhaye</supplied>
               </w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5822">vihārani<supplied reason="lost">vāsināṁ</supplied>
               </w>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
					          <lb n="14"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5823">siddhārthakānāṁ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5824">vima</w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5825">ritaḥ</w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5826">to</w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5827">vāsi<unclear>ne</unclear>
               </w>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
					          <lb n="15"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5828">sthānavarāya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5829">sarvvabhūtaśaraṇāya</w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5830">variṣṭhāyo</w>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
					          <lb n="16"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5831">
                  <unclear>ya</unclear>tivarāya</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5832">°ācandrārkkatārakapr̥thi<supplied reason="lost">vīsamakālaṁ</supplied>
               </w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
					          <lb n="17"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5833">
                  <unclear>saddhāmasya</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5834">vihāra<unclear>sya</unclear>
               </w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5835">dāyapradeyaṁ</w>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="right"/>
					          <lb n="18"/>
					          <milestone unit="fragment" type="lost" subtype="left"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5836">dadhyatakra</w>
					          <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5837">sāmantabhaṭṭavara<unclear>bhūparihāraṁ</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5838">
                  <supplied reason="lost">vandyamā</supplied>
                  <lb n="19" break="no"/>
                  <supplied reason="lost">nasphu</supplied>
                  <unclear>ra</unclear>daṅghri<unclear>bhyaḥ</unclear>
               </w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5839">buddhaśiṣyebhyaḥ</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5840">sa<supplied reason="lost">mpradattaḥ</supplied>
               </w>
					          <lb n="20"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5841">
                  <supplied reason="lost">paṭṭi</supplied>kā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5842">dat<unclear>t</unclear>ā</w>
					          <w xml:id="tok5843">
                  <unclear>saṁ</unclear>
               </w>
					          <gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="character"/>
					          <w xml:id="tok5844">°iti</w>
					          <pc>|</pc>
				        </ab>
    <lg xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xml:id="seq3036" met="Anuṣṭubh" n="I" xml:lang="san-Latn">
					          <l xml:id="seq2554" n="a">
						            <w xml:id="tok5845">bahubhir</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5846">vvasudhā</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5847">bhu<unclear>ktā</unclear>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2555" n="b">
						            <w xml:id="tok5848">
                     <unclear>bahu</unclear>bhiś</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5849">cānu<supplied reason="lost">pālitā</supplied>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2556" n="c">
						            <w xml:id="tok5850">
                     <supplied reason="lost">yasya</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5851">
                     <supplied reason="lost">yasya</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5852">
                     <supplied reason="lost">yadā</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5853">
                     <supplied reason="lost">bhūmiś</supplied>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2557" n="d">
						            <w xml:id="tok5854">
                     <supplied reason="lost">tasya</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5855">
                     <supplied reason="lost">ta</supplied>
                     <lb n="21" break="no"/>
                     <supplied reason="lost">sya</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5856">tadā</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5857">phalam·</w>
						            <pc>
                     <unclear>|</unclear>
                  </pc>
					          </l>
				        </lg>
    <lg xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xml:id="seq3037" met="Anuṣṭubh" n="II" xml:lang="san-Latn">
					          <l xml:id="seq2558" n="a">
						            <w xml:id="tok5858">ṣaṣṭivarṣṣasahasrā<unclear>ṇi</unclear>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2559" n="b">
						            <w xml:id="tok5859">
                     <unclear>svargge</unclear>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5860">
                     <unclear>ti</unclear>
                     <supplied reason="lost">ṣṭhati</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5861">
                     <supplied reason="lost">bhūmidaḥ</supplied>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2560" n="c">
						            <w xml:id="tok5862">
                     <supplied reason="lost">°ākṣeptā</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5863">
                     <supplied reason="lost">cānumantā</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5864">
                     <supplied reason="lost">ca</supplied>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2561" n="d">
						            <lb n="22"/>
                  <w xml:id="tok5865">
						               <supplied reason="lost">tāny</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5866">
                     <supplied reason="lost">eva</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5867">narake</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5868">vaset·</w>
						            <pc>|</pc>
					          </l>
				        </lg>
    <lg xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xml:id="seq3038" met="Anuṣṭubh" n="III" xml:lang="san-Latn">
					          <l xml:id="seq2562" n="a">
						            <w xml:id="tok5869">bhūmidānāt</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5870">paran</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5871">dānan</w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2563" n="b">
						            <w xml:id="tok5872">na</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5873">bhūtan</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5874">na</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5875">bhavi<supplied reason="lost">ṣyati</supplied>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2564" n="c">
						            <w xml:id="tok5876">
                     <supplied reason="lost">tasyaiva</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5877">
                     <supplied reason="lost">haraṇāt</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5878">
                     <supplied reason="lost">pāpan</supplied>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2565" n="d">
						            <w xml:id="tok5879">
                     <supplied reason="lost">na</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5880">
                     <supplied reason="lost">bhūtan</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5881">
                     <supplied reason="lost">na</supplied>
						               <lb n="23"/>
						               <supplied reason="lost">bha</supplied>viṣyati</w>
						            <pc>|</pc>
					          </l>
				        </lg>
    <lg xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xml:id="seq3039" met="Anuṣṭubh" n="IV" xml:lang="san-Latn">
					          <l xml:id="seq2566" n="a">
						            <w xml:id="tok5882">yathā</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5883">candramaso</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5884">vr̥ddhir</w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2567" n="b">
						            <w xml:id="tok5885">ahany</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5886">ahani</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5887">
                     <unclear>jāyate</unclear>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2568" n="c">
						            <w xml:id="tok5888">
                     <unclear>tathā</unclear>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5889">bhūmikr̥taṁ</w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5890">pu<supplied reason="lost">ṇyam</supplied>
                  </w>
					          </l>
					          <l xml:id="seq2569" n="d">
						            <w xml:id="tok5891">
                     <supplied reason="lost">sasye</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5892">
                     <supplied reason="lost">sasye</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <w xml:id="tok5893">
                     <supplied reason="lost">vivarddhate</supplied>
                  </w>
						            <pc>
                     <supplied reason="lost">|</supplied>
                  </pc>
					          </l>
				        </lg>

    Apparatus

    • (1) -tām[m]rā- SS . Sankaranarayanan notes: “The reading could be -tāmbra as well. Another probable, but doubtful reading, as stated above, is Bhagavat-[Śa]m[bhu]bhaktyā ” ( Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 93 ).
    • (1) + + + Sankaranarayanan notes: “Some two or three letters are (sic) lost here are perhaps Śiva or Śrīśiva” ( Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 93 ).
    • (2) -cāturvvaidya- cāturvvidyā cāturvaidya- SS .
    • (2) On the compound ending in -śarīrasya, Sankaranarayanan notes: “Here the intended vigraha is dharmāḥ cha Śiva-Vishṇu + + śālādīni puṇya-karmāṇi cha, dharma + + + karmāṇi (a Dvandva compound); kṛitani cha tāni dharma + + + karmāṇi cha (a Karmadhāraya compound); taiḥ paripūtam yaśa ēva śarīraṃ yasya, tasya (a Bahuvrīhi compound)” ( Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 93 ).
    • (2) (-viṣaya-) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (3) (śrī-hasti-) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (4) -hi(raṇya-go-bhū-) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (5) prajānāndīkarasya prajānā[ṁ] hitakarasya SS .
    • (5) (īṣān-mā) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (5-6) -(mā)tropakārāpakārakr̥tapratīkārasya -(mā)trā-opakār-āpakāra-pratīkārasya or (-mā)tr-opakār-āpakāra-āpkaras-pratīkārasya SS . This seems to be the underluying reading behind what we find, marred by printing errors, on pp. 88 and 94; -(mā)tr-opakār-āpakāra-kṛta-pratīkārasya ( Sankaranarayanan 2009a ).
    • (6-7) -prak[ā] (ma-dhana-pra)dasya Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (7) dviṭpakṣa- dvitpakṣa- SS . Corrected in Sankaranarayanan 2009a .
    • (7-8) -citra(rathasvāmipādā)nuddhyāto Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (8) (-mahārāja-śrī-) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (9) [veṅgī]viṣaya- vaca[ḍa]viṣaya- SS . He believes that what he reads vaca[ḍa] is the name of a village (itself eponymous of a district). Our restitution of the first two akṣaras, ignored by Sankaranarayanan, is conjectural. Other possibilities would be nātaviṣaya- or nāgaviṣaya- (cf. l. 12)
    • (9) -mutuḍabhū[ta]ṭṭā[ṇḍa]kagrāmeyakān SS . We are unable to read the first eight akṣara read by Sankaranarayanan, but the text is certainly unacceptable as it stands. One might expect something like -mutuḍasahitān, a toponym and then grāmeyakān.
    • (9) (-ti | °asti cāyaṁ grāmaḥ) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note (with typing error sati for asti, corrected in Sankaranarayanan 2009a )
    • (10) [dhātu] ? ? ? ? ? [sya] [daśabalasukr̥tabalinas] [dhātuvara]…[daśabala¬sukr̥ta-balinas] SS . Sankaranarayanan does not evaluate the length of the lacuna after [dhātuvara] but notes: “These mutilated expressions in this line remind us of dhātu-vara-parigṛihītasya ([reference to EIAD 8], line 3); and daśa-bala-balinaḥ puṇya-jñāna-sambhāra-bhārasya ([reference to EIAD 174]). These are the epithets of the Buddha and of the Buddha-sangha as the case may be” ( Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 94 ). Even giving substantial benefit of the doubt, we have difficulty believing that the text really contained the akṣaras dhātuvara, but it is certainly impossible, for lack of space, to presume here anything like the compound dhātuvaraparigr̥hītasya.
    • (12) varṣṣiṇo kṣullakānanda- Sankaranarayanan notes: “Or varshshiṇ=ākshullak- ” ( Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 95 ). Later, he notes: “Or ‘varṣine’kṣullakā ” ( Sankaranarayanan 2009a: 73 ).
    • (12) nā[ta]viṣaye na[ta]viṣaye SS . Changed to nā[ta]viṣaye in Sankaranarayanan 2009a .
    • (13) yaśo(bhivr̥ddhaye) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (14) siddhārthakānāṁ SS . There appears to be a stroke connected to the repha, and it is not impossible to imagine that it made a whole loop representing the vowel <i>.
    • (16) -pr̥thi(vīsamakālaṁ) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (17) vihāra[sya] vihāra .. SS .
    • (18) -dadhy Sankaranarayanan refers in his note to the privilege a-harita-paṁnāsaka-puppa-phala-duddha-dadhi-ghaṭa-ggahaṁ mentioned in the Kānukollu plates of Nandivarman I (EIAD EIAD0161), lines 20-2.
    • (18-19) (vandyamāna-sphu) [ra]d- Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note.
    • (19) sa(mpradattaḥ) Restitution proposed by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 in note; sa(mpradattam) would be equally possible.
    • (20) (paṭṭi)kā SS .
    • (20) [saṁ] ? °iti [saṁ] 4 °iti SS . Sankaranarayanan notes: “we have here only a symbol denoting 4 that can be compared with numerals denoting 4 in other epigraphs. The reading here can also be, as stated above, dattā 40 4. The reading of the next expression iti is purely conjectural” ( Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 95 ).

    Translation

    (1-9) Hail! From the illustrious and victorious city of Veṅgī, the great-grandson of the illustrious Hastivarman, great king according to dharma, who was the moon in the pure sky of the lineage of Śalaṅka, whose body of fame was purified by many kinds of meritorious acts such as his acts of dharma, his (founding) of new temples for … Viṣṇu and of cāturvaidyaśālās (made) out of devotion for the Lord Tāmra, who in many ways obtained victory over his tastes for sensual objects (nānāprakāraviṣayarasa¬vijayasya), who released riches like the great king (i.e. Kubera?), and who is the most excellent/learned among kings (bhūpatisattama); the grandson of the illustrious great king Nandivarman, who was entirely devoted to sympathy and compassion, who earned merit (dharma) through numerous gifts of thousands of hundreds (of pieces of) [gold, cows, land] and living trees, and who caused the joy of his subjects; the son of the great king Acaṇḍavarman, who responded to even [the slightest] service or offense (°īṣanmātropakārāpakārapratīkārasya), due to whose splendor the neighboring kings prostrated, who gave in abundance riches of desired objects (prabhūtaprakāmadhana-pradasya), whose punishment was terrible to the multitude of (or: those siding with) his enemies; the [illustrious] and victorious [great king] Nandivarman, who is favored by [the feet] of the Lord Citrarathasvāmin, devoted to the feet of his lord father, supreme devotee of the Lord (i.e. Viṣṇu), and born in the lineage of the Śālaṅkāyanas, orders the villagers of … along with their headmen of the Veṅgī (?) district: (9-20) ‘There is this village; in order to increase our lineage and gotra … to maintain the dwelling of the disciples of the Bhagavant Buddha, …, who possesses the benefit of the ten powers (daśabalasukr̥tabalin), … liberality (tyāga) … what is produced and perceived by the mind (ṣaṣṭe[ndri]yodbhūtānubhūta) … showering (varṣiṇo) … to the great (akṣullaka), felicitous, and venerable master Vasupīṭha in the district Nāta (or Nāga?) … by [Nā?]garāja … in order to increase his merit, splendor, faithfulness and fame … in favor of (the community of monks of the school) of the Siddhārthakas [residing] in the monastery … which is the best place of …, which is a refuge for all beings, … the most excellent … and consists of the best among ascetics, [for as long as] the moon, sun, stars and earth … to be given as present (dāyapradeyaṁ) to the monastery, the excellent dwelling-place (saddhāmasya) … sour milk (dadhy atakra …) … the exemption (applicable) on land of the best among bhaṭṭas in the neighborhood (sāmantabhaṭṭavarabhūparihāraṁ) … presented to the disciples of the Buddha, whose [glittering feet are honored]. [A charter] was given (in the) year … .’ (20-23) I. By many land has been ruled (bhukta); and by many it has been protected. Whoever holds land at a given moment, to him does the fruit then belong. II. The giver of land remains sixty thousand years in heaven; the one who confiscates [land] as well as the one who approves [the confiscation] will reside as many [years] in hell. III. There is not and will not be any higher gift than the gift of land. There is not and will not be any worse sin than the theft of the same. IV. As much as the moon victoriously grows from day to day, the land-made merit prospers from crop to crop.

    Commentary

    • This kind of grant is typically found engraved on copper plates. As Sankaranarayanan argues, it seems likely that we have on this pillar a copy of a copper-plate grant, maybe commissioned, as he suggests, by the monks of the endowed monastery. The text starts with a four-tiered genealogy of the Śālaṅkāyana kings from the donor Nandivarman to his great grandfather Hastivarman. The king orders villagers concerning a gift to a Buddhist community or even to the Buddha (the last part of the text are heavily lacunose).
    • (1) tām[m]rā- Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 83-84 has a long discussion about who this god Tāmra is and concludes that he is Rudra-Śiva in the form of the rising sun.
    • (3) mahārājasadr̥śadhanavisarggasya On the identification of mahārāja as Kubera, see Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 85 .
    • (3) bhūpatisattamas[ya] On sattama with the meaning of “learned,” see Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 86 .
    • (7) dviṭpakṣacaṇḍadaṇḍasya As pointed out by Sankaranarayanan 1977-78: 88 we have here a pravacana of the name of the king Acaṇḍavarman, taken in the sense of “‘one who has no violent person excelling him’, i.e., the most violent person”.
    • (11) ṣaṣṭe[ndri]yodbhūtānubhūta On ṣaṣṭendriya as manas, see Sankaranarayanan 1977-78 .
    • (12) kṣullakānandasthaviravasupī[ṭhācāryyāya?] Sankaranarayanan notes : “A Buddhabhikṣu is also introduced and praised (line 12 ff. much damaged). His names was perhaps Vasupīṭhācārya and had the title(?) akṣullakānanda-sthavira” ‘an elderly monk of the congregation full of bliss of high order’” ( Sankaranarayanan 2009a: 60 ).
    • (14) siddhārthakānāṁ The context suggests that we have here a Sanskrit form of the name of the school known as Siddhatthaka to the Kathāvatthu-aṭṭakathā, attributed to Buddhaghosa, as one of the Andhaka schools. This would represent the only safe epigraphic evidence of this school known so far. Cf. Tournier, in preparation.

    Secondary bibliography