No. 20. Karle Buddhist cave inscription. Prakrit. From the great Chaitya Cave at Kаrlе, on the front of the sill of the great arched window, to the left of the main door, dated in the 7th year of Puлumаyi.
| 1847 Bird-Mitchell, Hist. Res. p. 58 f., No. 18, and plate XXXVI, 4; 1854 Stevenson-Brett, JBRAS V, p. 153 f., No. 3, and Plate, No. 4; 1881 Bhagvanlal Indraji-Burgess, ICTWI, p. 34 f., No. 14, and Plate; 1883 Buфhler-Burgess, ASWI IV, p. 107 f., No. 9.17, and Plate LIV; 1896 corr. by Franke, ZDMG L, p. 596; 1902 Senart, EI VII, p. 61 f., No. 14, and Plate II; Luders list No 1100; SI No. 85; |
| Lu: -Gift of a village (gаma) to the community (sagha) of Valuraka
(Valуraka), of the Valuraka (Valуraka) caves (lеna), by the mahаrathi Sоmadеva, son
of Vаsiтhи (Vаsiштhи), the son of the mahаrathi Mitadеva (Mitradеva), son of
Kоsikи (Kauщikи), of the Okhaлakiyas. -Raго Vаsiтhiputasa sаmi-Siri-P[uлumаvisa] savachharе satamе 7 [g]imhapakhе pachamе 5 [d]ivasе pathamе 1 еtаya puvаya. |
| SI often read c instead ch. Sircar dividing mark - [|*]. |
TEXT.
1. Raгo Vаsiтhiputasa Sаmi-Siri[-Puлumayisa ] savachhare satame 7 gimha-pakhe pachame
5
2. divase pathame 1 [|] etаya puvаya Okhaлakiyаnaм Mahаrathisa Kosiki-putasa
Mitadevasa putena
3. [ma]hаrathinа Vаsiтhiputena Somadevena gаmo dato Valuraka-saмghasa [|]
Valuraka-lenasa sa-karukaro sa-deya-
4. meyo [||]
Notes
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L. 1. There seems to be no doubt about this restoration [-Puлumayisa], as the i and sa
are still perceptible. (ASWI)
Bu. has Vasiтhiputasa Sаmisirip . . . . .s ; SI has Puлumаvisa.
L. 2. The thi of this word (Mahаrathisa) is not quite distinct, and might perhaps be read
тhi.(ASWI); Sen. has Okhaлakiyаna;
L. 3. Sen. has hаrathinа; Valuraka-saghasa Valуraka-lenana. Perhaps we should read
Valуrakasaмghasa; the у is quite distinct in the repetition of the name.(ASWI) Read
Valуrakalenаnaм, sakarukarosa is, doubtless, a misspelling of sakаrakаrasa, i.e.,
saмskаrakаrаya.(ASWI)
SI read 4 stk as the last part of stk.3
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(ASWI) On the 1st day, 1, of the fifth, 5, fortnight of the hot season, in the seventh, 7,
year of the king, the lord, the illustrious Puлumаyi, the son of the queen of the
Vаsiштha race. On the above (day) the Mahаrathi of the Okhaлakiyas, Somadeva - born
of the wife of the Vаsiштha race (and) son of the Mahаrathi Mitadeva (Mitradeva), born
of the wife of the Kauщika race - gave a village to the community (of monks) at
Valуraka. This gift (has been made) in order to keep the caves at Valуraka in repair.
Notes to translation (ASWI)
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1. I leave Mahаrathi untranslated, because I take it to be a title. The word is,
probably, closely connected with the old Sanskrit mahаratha, a great warrior, and stands
to it in the same relation as surуpin to surуpa; but when a person dating his grant by
the regnal year of an Andhra king is called tlie Mahаrathi of a certain tribe or people,
as in this case, it is evident that the word has a technical meaning, and characterises
the person indicated as a feudatory or official of the Andhras. The meaning of the term is
probably allied to that of Mahаbhoja or Mahаsаmanta. At all events, M. Garrez`s
conjecture (Jour. Asiat., ser. vi, tom. xx, p. 203), that it is equivalent to a Marатha,
is shown by this inscription to be untenable.(ASWI)
2. The termination, -iya, i.e., -иya, frequently means - living in, and it might be
expected that Okhalaka was the name of a country. It may be noted that, according to the
Kшitищavaмsаvali, there was a district called Ukhaдa (see Pet. Dict., s.v.), and
possibly Okhaлaka may be the same.(ASWI)
3. Valуraka is evidently the name of the monastic establishment at Kаrle; it occurs also
in the inscription of Usabhadata, on the other side of the door from this.(ASWI)