No. 23. Kanheri Buddhist cave inscription. Prakrit.
| The inscription is over a cistern on the right hand of entrance of the Cave No. 54. It measures 88.5 cm. x 69 cm. Letters 4.5 cm. x 4 cm. Characters: Brаhmи, 200 A.D. Language : Prakrit. Orthography: The letters are deep. The vertical strokes in the letters 'a', 'ka', 'ra', are long. There is no distinction between 'ta' and 'na'. The lefters 'pa' and 'ha' are flat based. (ShG) |
| 1861 West, JBBRAS VI, p. 7, No. 24. and Plate; 1883 Buфhler, ASWI V, p. 83, No. 21; 1896 note by Franke, ZDMG L, p. 598 f; Luders list 1006; ShG No 34; |
| Lu: - A cave (lенa) and a water-cistern (pанiyapодhи), the gift of the nun (pavaиtikа), the elder (thеrи) Poнakиasaна, pupil (atеvаsinи) of the elder (thеra) bhayaмta (bhadanta) Ghоsa (Ghошa), with her sister and the samaнapapaakas (?) to the congregation of the monks (bhikhusagha) of the four quarters. Also endowment. |
TEXT.
1. Sidha therанa bhayaмta-Ghos[а]нa atevаsiniye
2. pavaСфtikаa P[o]нakиasaнаa theriya leнa
3. . . . . pанiyapoдhi cha deyadhama saha bhagi-
4. niya saha cha . . . [bhаtuhi] [samaнaъ]papaakehi chаtu-
5. dise bhikhusaghe patiтhаpitа mа[tаpitaro udi]-
6. sa [|] akhaya nivi cha saghasa dinа kаhаpaнa satаni be [||]
7. eto chiarika solasaka paдiko mаse cha utukаle sava-
8. l[o]ka hitasughatha [||]
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L. 1. medial 'a' is quite visible. (ShG)
L. 2. These letters (pavaСфtikаa) are not visible at present. The letter 'Po' is
visible. (ShG)
L. 4 The letters [bhаtuhi] are faintly seen. Buфhler has taken the word as 'samaнa' and
'upаsaka' (ShG)