Metadata

Support
Stone slab; h. 42 ×  w. 59 ×  d. 7 cm.
Text
Pali language in Late Southern Brāhmī script. ..
Date
Undated. Certainly no earlier than 400 CE, and unlikely to be later than 800.
Origin
Top of Htingonsu Hill, Kunzeik (kvamḥ chip) village, on east bank of Sittaung river, Shwegyin township.
Provenance
The stone's discovery was first reported in 1972. Maung Maung Swe speaks of discovery in 1996 on top of Htingonsu hill. Even if that was the original provenance, this must have been a rediscovery.Identified at Bago Archaeological Museum (nr. 284) on 8 May 2014.
Visual Documentation
Photo(s) of estampage(s):
  • Aung Thaw 1972: 110, 116;
  • Sein Win 2016: 194.
    • Photo(s):
  • Bob Hudson (2014);
  • James Miles (2016).
    • RTI: James Miles (2016).
    Editors
    Arlo Griffiths and D. Christian Lammerts.
    Publication history
    This inscription was referred to in several publications before its integral text was finally published by Sein Win 2016: 194-200. Re-edited here from our team's photographs and RTIs.

    Edition

    A
    (1) |||| tena samayena ◊ buddho bhagavā °uruvelāyaṁ viharati na[jjā] (ne)(2)ra[ñja] (r)ātire bodhirukkhamūle ◊ pathamābhisaṁbudddho °atha kho bhagavā bodh(iru)(3)(k)khamūle sattāhaṁ °ekapallaṅkena nisīdi vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedi °atha (kho) (4) bhagavā (ra)ttiyā pathamaṁ yāmaṁ paṭicchasamuppādaṁ °a[nulo]mapaṭilomaṁ mana[s] (ākāsi) (5) °avijjāpaccayā sakhārā saṁkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ vi(ññā)ṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ [nā] (marūpa)(6)paccayā salāyatanaṁ salāyatanapac(c)ayā pha[ss] (o) phassapaccayā vedanā vedan(ā) [pacca](7)yā taṇhā taṇhāpacayā °upādānaṁ °u[pādā]napaccayā bhavo bhavapaccayā jāti jātipaccayā (8) jarāmaraṇa sokaparidevadukkhadoma[na]ssa °u[pā]yāsā saṁbhavanti ?vam etassa kemalassa dukkhakkhandha(9)samudayo hoti °avijjāya vvava °a[s]e[sa]viroganirodhā saṁkhāranirodho saṁkhāranirodhā viññāṇaniro(dho) (10) [vi]ññāṇanirodhā nāmarūpanirodhā nāmarūpanirodhā salāyatananirodho [sa]lāyatananirodhā phassa(ni)(11)(ro)dho phassanirodhā vedanānirodho vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho taṇhānirodhā °upādānanirodho °upādā[na](12)[n]irodhā bhavanirodho bhavanirodhā jātinirodho jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇasokaparideva(13)dukkhadomanassa °upāyāsā nijjhanti °evam [e]tassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa ni[ro](14)dho hoti °atha kho [bhaga]vā °e[tam] [a]tthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ [°ima] °udāna (15) °udānesi yadā have pā[tubha]veti dhammā  ◊ °ātāpino (16) jhāyino brāhmaṇassa [°atha]ssa kaṁkhā va[pa]yanti sa[v] (vā) (17) yato pajānāti sahetudhaṁman ti ||||| (18) °atha kho bha(ga)vā ra[t] (t)i(yā) maj(jh)i[maṁ] (19) (yā)maṁ pa(ṭ)iccha(sa)mu(ppā) [da]ṁ
    B
    (1) ◊ ridevadukkhadomanassa °upāyāsā ni[ru]j(jha) [n] (t)i (°evam) (etassa) (keva)(2)lassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti ◊ °atha kho bhagavā °etam atthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ °imaṁ °udānaṁ °udā[n]e(si) (yadā) (have) (pātu)(3)bhavanti dhammā  °ātāpino jhāyi[n]o brāhmanassa ◊ °athassa ka[ṁ]khā vapayanti sa vi[dhūpaya] (n) (tiṭṭhati) (mārasenaṁ) (4) suriyyo va °obhāsaya °antalikkheṁti (fleuron) (fleuron)
    A

    (1) |||| tena samayena ◊ buddho bhagavā °uruvelāyaṁ viharati na[jjā] (ne) -
    (2)ra[ñja] (r)ātire bodhirukkhamūle ◊ pathamābhisaṁbudddho °atha kho bhagavā bodh(iru) -
    (3)(k)khamūle sattāhaṁ °ekapallaṅkena nisīdi vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedi °atha (kho)
    (4) bhagavā (ra)ttiyā pathamaṁ yāmaṁ paṭicchasamuppādaṁ °a[nulo]mapaṭilomaṁ mana[s] (ākāsi)
    (5) °avijjāpaccayā sakhārā saṁkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ vi(ññā)ṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ [nā] (marūpa) -
    (6)paccayā salāyatanaṁ salāyatanapac(c)ayā pha[ss] (o) phassapaccayā vedanā vedan(ā) [pacca] -
    (7)yā taṇhā taṇhāpacayā °upādānaṁ °u[pādā]napaccayā bhavo bhavapaccayā jāti jātipaccayā
    (8) jarāmaraṇa sokaparidevadukkhadoma[na]ssa °u[pā]yāsā saṁbhavanti ?vam etassa kemalassa dukkhakkhandha-
    (9)samudayo hoti °avijjāya vvava °a[s]e[sa]viroganirodhā saṁkhāranirodho saṁkhāranirodhā viññāṇaniro(dho)
    (10) [vi]ññāṇanirodhā nāmarūpanirodhā nāmarūpanirodhā salāyatananirodho [sa]lāyatananirodhā phassa(ni) -
    (11)(ro)dho phassanirodhā vedanānirodho vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho taṇhānirodhā °upādānanirodho °upādā[na] -
    (12)[n]irodhā bhavanirodho bhavanirodhā jātinirodho jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇasokaparideva-
    (13)dukkhadomanassa °upāyāsā nijjhanti °evam [e]tassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa ni[ro] -
    (14)dho hoti °atha kho [bhaga]vā °e[tam] [a]tthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ [°ima] °udāna
    (15) °udānesi yadā have pā[tubha]veti dhammā  ◊ °ātāpino
    (16) jhāyino brāhmaṇassa [°atha]ssa kaṁkhā va[pa]yanti sa[v] (vā)
    (17) yato pajānāti sahetudhaṁman ti |||||
    (18) °atha kho bha(ga)vā ra[t] (t)i(yā) maj(jh)i[maṁ]
    (19) (yā)maṁ pa(ṭ)iccha(sa)mu(ppā) [da]ṁ
    B

    (1) ◊ ridevadukkhadomanassa °upāyāsā ni[ru]j(jha) [n] (t)i (°evam) (etassa) (keva) -
    (2)lassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti ◊ °atha kho bhagavā °etam atthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ °imaṁ °udānaṁ °udā[n]e(si) (yadā) (have) (pātu) -
    (3)bhavanti dhammā  °ātāpino jhāyi[n]o brāhmanassa ◊ °athassa ka[ṁ]khā vapayanti sa vi[dhūpaya] (n) (tiṭṭhati) (mārasenaṁ)
    (4) suriyyo va °obhāsaya °antalikkheṁti (fleuron) (fleuron)
    A
    <ab xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><lb n="1"/>
						<pc>||||</pc>
						<w>tena</w>
						<w>samayena</w>
						<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="chars"/>
						<w>buddho</w>
						<w>bhagavā</w>
						<w>°uruvelāyaṁ</w>
						<w>viharati</w>
						<w>na<unclear>jjā</unclear></w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">ne</supplied><lb n="2" break="no"/>ra<unclear>ñja</unclear><supplied reason="lost">r</supplied>ātire</w>
						<w>bodhirukkhamūle</w>
						<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="chars"/>
						<w>pathamābhisaṁbudddho</w>
						<w>°atha</w>
						<w>kho</w>
						<w>bhagavā</w>
						<w>bodh<supplied reason="lost">iru</supplied><lb n="3" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">k</supplied>khamūle</w>
						<w>sattāhaṁ</w>
						<w>°ekapallaṅkena</w>
						<w>nisīdi</w>
						<w>vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedi</w>
						<w>°atha</w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">kho</supplied></w>
						<lb n="4"/>
						<w>bhagavā</w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">ra</supplied>ttiyā</w>
						<w>pathamaṁ</w>
						<w>yāmaṁ</w>
						<w>paṭicchasamuppādaṁ</w>
						<w>°a<unclear>nulo</unclear>mapaṭilomaṁ</w>
						<w>mana<unclear>s</unclear><supplied reason="lost">ākāsi</supplied></w>
						<lb n="5"/>
						<w>°avijjāpaccayā</w>
						<w>sakhārā</w>
						<w>saṁkhārapaccayā</w>
						<w>viññāṇaṁ</w>
						<w>vi<supplied reason="lost">ññā</supplied>ṇapaccayā</w>
						<w>nāmarūpaṁ</w>
						<w><unclear>nā</unclear><supplied reason="lost">marūpa</supplied><lb n="6" break="no"/>paccayā</w>
						<w>salāyatanaṁ</w>
						<w>salāyatanapac<supplied reason="lost">c</supplied>ayā</w>
						<w>pha<unclear>ss</unclear><supplied reason="lost">o</supplied></w>
						<w>phassapaccayā</w>
						<w>vedanā</w>
						<w>vedan<supplied reason="lost">ā</supplied><unclear>pacca</unclear><lb n="7" break="no"/>yā</w>
						<w>taṇhā</w>
						<w>taṇhāpacayā</w>
						<w>°upādānaṁ</w>
						<w>°u<unclear>pādā</unclear>napaccayā</w>
						<w>bhavo</w>
						<w>bhavapaccayā</w>
						<w>jāti</w>
						<w>jātipaccayā</w>
						<lb n="8"/>
						<w>jarāmaraṇa</w>
						<w>sokaparidevadukkhadoma<unclear>na</unclear>ssa</w>
						<w>°u<unclear>pā</unclear>yāsā</w>
						<w>saṁbhavanti</w>
						<w><gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="chars"/>vam</w>
						<w>etassa</w>
						<w>kemalassa</w>
						<w>dukkhakkhandha<lb n="9" break="no"/>samudayo</w>
						<w>hoti</w>
						<w>°avijjāya</w>
						<w>vvava</w>
						<w>°a<unclear>s</unclear>e<unclear>sa</unclear>viroganirodhā</w>
						<w>saṁkhāranirodho</w>
						<w>saṁkhāranirodhā</w>
						<w>viññāṇaniro<supplied reason="lost">dho</supplied></w>
						<lb n="10"/>
						<w><unclear>vi</unclear>ññāṇanirodhā</w>
						<w>nāmarūpanirodhā</w>
						<w>nāmarūpanirodhā</w>
						<w>salāyatananirodho</w>
						<w><unclear>sa</unclear>lāyatananirodhā</w>
						<w>phassa<supplied reason="lost">ni</supplied><lb n="11" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">ro</supplied>dho</w>
						<w>phassanirodhā</w>
						<w>vedanānirodho</w>
						<w>vedanānirodhā</w>
						<w>taṇhānirodho</w>
						<w>taṇhānirodhā</w>
						<w>°upādānanirodho</w>
						<w>°upādā<unclear>na</unclear><lb n="12" break="no"/><unclear>n</unclear>irodhā</w>
						<w>bhavanirodho</w>
						<w>bhavanirodhā</w>
						<w>jātinirodho</w>
						<w>jātinirodhā</w>
						<w>jarāmaraṇasokaparideva<lb n="13" break="no"/>dukkhadomanassa</w>
						<w>°upāyāsā</w>
						<w>nijjhanti</w>
						<w>°evam</w>
						<w><unclear>e</unclear>tassa</w>
						<w>kevalassa</w>
						<w>dukkhakkhandhassa</w>
						<w>ni<unclear>ro</unclear><lb n="14" break="no"/>dho</w>
						<w>hoti</w>
						<w>°atha</w>
						<w>kho</w>
						<w><unclear>bhaga</unclear>vā</w>
						<w>°e<unclear>tam</unclear></w>
						<w><unclear>a</unclear>tthaṁ</w>
						<w>viditvā</w>
						<w>tāyaṁ</w>
						<w>velāyaṁ</w>
						<w><unclear>°ima</unclear></w>
						<w>°udāna</w>
						<lb n="15"/>
						<w>°udānesi</w>
						<w>yadā</w>
						<w>have</w>
						<w>pā<unclear>tubha</unclear>veti</w>
						<w>dhammā</w>  <space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="chars"/>
						<w>°ātāpino</w>
						<lb n="16"/>
						<w>jhāyino</w>
						<w>brāhmaṇassa</w>
						<w><unclear>°atha</unclear>ssa</w>
						<w>kaṁkhā</w>
						<w>va<unclear>pa</unclear>yanti</w>
						<w>sa<unclear>v</unclear><supplied reason="lost">vā</supplied></w>
						<lb n="17"/>
						<w>yato</w>
						<w>pajānāti</w>
						<w>sahetudhaṁman</w>
						<w>ti</w>
						<pc>|||||</pc>
						<lb n="18"/>
						<w>°atha</w>
						<w>kho</w>
						<w>bha<supplied reason="lost">ga</supplied>vā</w>
						<w>ra<unclear>t</unclear><supplied reason="lost">t</supplied>i<supplied reason="lost">yā</supplied></w>
						<w>maj<supplied reason="lost">jh</supplied>i<unclear>maṁ</unclear></w>
						<lb n="19"/>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">yā</supplied>maṁ</w>
						<w>pa<supplied reason="lost">ṭ</supplied>iccha<supplied reason="lost">sa</supplied>mu<supplied reason="lost">ppā</supplied><unclear>da</unclear>ṁ</w></ab>
    B
    <ab xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0">
						<lb n="1"/>
						<space type="horizontal" quantity="16" unit="chars"/>
						<w>ridevadukkhadomanassa</w>
						<w>°upāyāsā</w>
						<w>ni<unclear>ru</unclear>j<supplied reason="lost">jha</supplied><unclear>n</unclear><supplied reason="lost">t</supplied>i</w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">°evam</supplied></w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">etassa</supplied></w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">keva</supplied><lb n="2" break="no"/>lassa</w>
						<w>dukkhakkhandhassa</w>
						<w>nirodho</w>
						<w>hoti</w>
						<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="chars"/>
						<w>°atha</w>
						<w>kho</w>
						<w>bhagavā</w>
						<w>°etam</w>
						<w>atthaṁ</w>
						<w>viditvā</w>
						<w>tāyaṁ</w>
						<w>velāyaṁ</w>
						<w>°imaṁ</w>
						<w>°udānaṁ</w>
						<w>°udā<unclear>n</unclear>e<supplied reason="lost">si</supplied></w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">yadā</supplied></w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">have</supplied></w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">pātu</supplied><lb n="3" break="no"/>bhavanti</w>
						<w>dhammā</w>  <w>°ātāpino</w>
						<w>jhāyi<unclear>n</unclear>o</w>
						<w>brāhmanassa</w>
						<space type="horizontal" quantity="1" unit="chars"/>
						<w>°athassa</w>
						<w>ka<unclear>ṁ</unclear>khā</w>
						<w>vapayanti</w>
						<w>sa</w>
						<w>vi<unclear>dhūpaya</unclear><supplied reason="lost">n</supplied></w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">tiṭṭhati</supplied></w>
						<w><supplied reason="lost">mārasenaṁ</supplied></w>
						<lb n="4"/>
						<w>suriyyo</w>
						<w>va</w>
						<w>°obhāsaya</w>
						<w>°antalikkheṁti</w>
						<g type="fleuron"/><g type="fleuron"/>
					</ab>

    Apparatus

    • In each case of viññāṇa, we are doubtful as to the presence of <ā>. We do not actually see with certainty which element would represent the <ā>. Perhaps the middle akṣaras of the word should all be read as <ñā> with single <ñ>.
    • (A2) nerañjarātire Correct nerañjarātīre. Instead of genitive construction nerañjarāya tīre (PTS), we find a tatpuruṣa.
    • (A3) -mūle Note the shape of <le>.
    • (A3) -saṁvedi Correct -saṁvedī.
    • (A8) saṁbhavanti ?vam It is very hard to read expected saṁbhavanti °evam, and we hesitantly propose that we might read saṁbhavanti-y-evam and consider that we are dealing here with a hiatus-breaking insertion of <y>.
    • (A8-9) It cannot be excluded that an akṣara <ssa> (PTS) has gone missing at the end of line 9, but we tentatively assume that we again have a tatpuruṣa rather than a genitive construction (cf. line 2).
    • (A9) °avijjāya vvava It seems impossible to read the expected sequence °avijjāya tv eva (PTS).
    • (A13) nijjhanti The lapicide has forgotten the akṣara <ru> (PTS nirujjhanti); see face B, l. 1.
    • (A14) hoti PTS reads hotīti || 2 ||.
    • (A15) pā[tubha]veti It appears impossible to read pātubhavanti (PTS) here, but on the back of the stone, line 2, we do find this expected reading.
    • (A16) jhāyino This variant reading for PTS jhāyato is not an error; it recurs on the back, in line 3. It is also recorded by Oldenberg among variants from Burmese manuscripts.

    Commentary

    Face B is written upside-down compared with A, which would prima facie indicate that the stone was to be flipped over like a palmleaf after the end of face A. But there is no clear continuity between the two faces, as the largest part of the second face is left blank. Four akṣaras, perhaps to be read savadgati, stand at the right extremity of face B, at some distance above the lines of text transliterated here, which cover the bottom of the back, and of which the first starts not in the left margin but around the middle of the stone.

    Secondary bibliography