No. 8. Karle Buddhist pillar inscription. Prakrit. Chaitya cave, on the fifth pillar, left row. (Sen.)

1881 Bhagvanlal Indraji-Burgess, ICTWI, p. 31, No. 8, and Plate; 1883 Buфhler-Burgess, ASWI IV, p. 91, No. 7.8, and Plate XLVII; 1902 Senart, EI, Vol. VII. p. 54 f., No. 8, and Plate III; Luders list No 1094;
Lu: -Fragment. Gift of the pillar (thabha) by the preacher (bhаnaka) Sаtimita (Svаtimitra), the son of Nadi (?) and the disciple (aмtеvаsin) of the elder (thеra). . . . . . . . . of the bhayato (bhadanta) Dhamutariyas (Dharmоttarиyas) from Sopаraka (Щуrpаraka). Compare No. 1095.

TEXT.

1.ю Sopаrakа bhayatаna Dhamutara[ri]-
2. yаna sa[mа]nathasa therasa [A]tulasa
3. [a]мtevаsisa bhаna-
4. kasa Nadipatisa Sаtimitasa
5. saha . . . tiya thabho dаna[м] mu [ || ]

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A pillar, the gift of Sаtimita [Svаtimitra] from Sopаraka, the husband of Nadi [Nandи], a preacher [and] pupil of the Thera Atula, (?) the . . of the venerable Dhamutariya [Dharmottarиya] school. (ASWI)

Sen. read:

1. Sopаrakа bhayatаnaм Dhamutari-
2. yаna sa . nathasa therasa .
3. bha . . sa aмtevаsisa bhаna-
4. kasa Na . pat . sa Sаtimitasa
5. saha . . . t[i]hi [tha]bho dаnamukha [ || ]

Notes
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For Pandit Bhagwаnlаl`s reading and version see Cave-Temple Inscripions, p. 31. The inscription is much obliterated, probably intentionally, to substitute the next for it (see No. 9), and the words samаnathasa (l. 2) and atulasa (2, 3) are by no means certain. I am unable to explain the former, though I suspect that it denotes some spiritual office, held by the Thera in the Dharmottarиya school; possibly it may be a mistake for samananаthasa, "the lord of the monks" or abbot. Bhаnaka apparently corresponds to the Pаli bhанaka, "a preacher," and probably means that Svаtimitra recited and expounded the texts of the Dharmottarиyas. The Jains have a similar title vаchaka, "a reader," sometimes applied to their Yatis. I am unable to make out the last word, begining with mu, but the last letter is not laм, as Pandit Bhagwаnlаl reads it. (ASWI)
(For Dharmottarиya) See Ind. Ant., vol. ix, pp. 300, 302; Vassilief, Le Bouddisme, p. 230.(ASWI)