24-36. Votive Inscriptions in the Chaitya Cave at Karle.

In the beginning of November 1923, the Chowkidar of the caves at Karle while washing pillars and figures in the Chaitya hall, came across some new inscriptions and brought them to the notice of the Assistant Engineer, Bombay Road Subdivision. That officer communicated the news of the discovery through the Executive Engineer, Poona District, to the Superintendent of the Archeological Survey, Western Circle, who secured good impressions of all of them. These inscriptions are twelve in number and generally in a very good state of preservation, though all of them are not equally well inscribed, as is the case with some of the Karle inscriptions so ably handled by M. Senart (EI, VII). About the letters it might be remarked that they are of the slightly cursive variety adopted in the Nasik inscription, No. 20 (Buhler's Tafel, III, col. XIII), with the tailed ka, the hooked da and the crude ma. Though some of the technical terms used in these records are rather obscure and the places mentioned in them, viz. Gоnеkаka, Umеhanаkaтa and Dhеnukаkaтa, have not been located with ceriainty, yet they are of special interest, for they help us in showing the extent of the outlying parts from which the caves attracted donating pilgrims. (MV)
Madho Sarup Vats, EI, XVIII, No. 36. I-XIII

No. 24 (I). Fifth pillar; right row.

TEXT.

1. Umеhanаkaта Yavanasa
2. Viтasa[m*]gatаnaм dаnaм thahhoч.
_______________________
For Viтasa[м*]ga- read Chiтasa Ga- [N. G. Majumdar, from additions].

No. 25 (II). Eighth pillar; right row.

TEXT.

1. Gонеkаkasa Dhamula-upаsеkasaм
2. dеyadha[м]ma thaмvо
________________________
L.1 The anusvаra is redundant.
L. 2. Mark the crude outline of 'da' and 'ma' in this. 'Vо' seems to have been carved out for 'bhо'.

No. 26 (III). Eleventh pillar; right row.

TEXT.

1. Dhеnukаkaта
2. Vаniya-gаma-
3. sa thabhо dаnaм

No. 27 (IV). Thirteenth pillar; right row.

TEXT.
1. Dhеnukаkaта Ya[va]nasa Dhamadha-
2. yanaм thabhо dаnaм
________________
The right side of the loop of 'va' in 'Yavanasa' is broken, but its outline is clearly perceptible from the reverse side of the impression.

No. 28 (V). Fourteenth pillar; right row.

TEXT.

1. Dhеnukаkaта Rоhamitеna Chu[la]-
2. pеtukasa Agilasa athа-
3. ya thabhо kаritо
____________________
L. 2. Ep. Ind , Vol. VII, pp. 53-54. 'Chulapеtukasa' agrees with 'Agilasa', and seems to be an epithet describing Agila though its meaning is not clear. [Chulapitukasa means 'of the father's younger brother, i.e., uncle'.-Ed.] Upper part of the perpendicular stroke of 'la' is broken, but its outline is visible from relief on reverse of the impression.
It appears that the lower horizontal stroke of 'tha' to the right was in process of engraving when the engraver discovered that he was placing it much lower than its proper position, and consequently left it unfinished and crude.

No. 29 (VI). Fifteenth pillar; right row.

TEXT. 1. Dhеnukаkaта Chulayakhan[ам]
2. [Ya]vaнasa thabhо dаna

No. 30 (VII). Fourth pillar; left row. (N.B.-This inscription is identical with No. 7 of M. Senart, carved on the top of the third pillar in the left row.)

TEXT.

1. Dhеnukаkaта Yavaнasa
2. Sihadhayаna[м*] thaмbhо dаnaм

No. 31 (VIII). Sixth pillar; left row.

TEXT.
1. Dhеnukаkaта Sоmilana-
2. kasa dаna thabhо

No. 32 (IX). Eighth pillar; left row.

TEXT.

1. Dhеnukаkaта Gоla-vаniya-
2. saputasa Isalakasa[м] thabhо
3. [dа]naм
______________
L. 1. 'Gоla-vаniya' might mean a 'trader in myrrh', but appears to mean the 'trader Gоla' here.
L. 2. Read Isalakasa, the anusvаra is superfluous. The anusvara in thaмbhо is perhaps to be seen from relief on reverse of the impression, but is not certain.
L. 3. In line 3 it appears as if 'da' was being inscribed and then left and carved out again immediately after.

No. 33 (X). Ninth pillar; left row.

TEXT.
1. Dhеnukаkaта Yavanasa
2. Yasavadhanаna[м]
3. thabhо dаna[м*]

No. 34 (XI). Tenth pillar; left row.

TEXT.
[Dh]еnukаkaта [Ma]ha[ma]tа ghariniya
_________________
The outline of the 3rd letter in this word is not clear, it may be 'ma' or 'va.' Corrected in additions: For "Mahamatа" read "Mahamitа (Mahаmitrа)".-Ed.

No. 35 (XII). Thirteenth pillar; left row.

TEXT.

1. Dhеnukата gahapati[nо] Аsеkasa natiyе
2. Dhamada(е)vayа dаnaм
3 thabhо
_________________
Read Dhеnukаkaта; 'ka' is left out through oversight on the part of the engraver.

No. 36 (XIII). An inscribed piece of stone found near the caves.

TEXT.
. . . . [kha]sa Щеga-putrasa
______________________
These two letters (Щеga) forming a proper name are not quite clear. The outline of the first is misleading, but careful scrutiny of relief on reverse of the impression leads me to think that it is either 'ще' or 'gе' while the second appears to be 'ga'; the accretion of an altogether new outline proceeding from its top along the left being merely a development of the crack in stone.