No. 35. Inscription of the time of Ehuvula Chаntamуla, Year 24

D. C. Sircar - EI, XXXV No. 4.

The inscription under study was briefly noticed in the Indian Archaeology 1956-57-A Review, p. 36, and the sculptured stone bearing it was also illustrated there in Plate LVII, A. The inscribed slab has been described as 'a sculptured frieze in a Buddha-chaitya' and the inscription is stated to record 'the installation of a Buddha image in the Chaitya by one Kumаranandin, a щreштhin (tradesman)'. There is, however, no mention of a Chaitya in the epigraph.
The frieze, 8 feet 6 inches in length, bears the representation of four principal incidents of the Buddha's life in medallions in deep relief along with mithuna figures at five places in bas-relief so arranged that a figure of the Buddha is flanked by the mithuna in each case. The inscription is engraved in a single line in the lower part of the frieze, the letters being small (a little below 1/2 inch in height) and the line of writing nearly 8 feet in length. The preservation of the writing is unsatisfactory in some parts. A number of letters are broken here and there while recent marks on the inscription show that the writing was further damaged during the process of digging out the slab from the earth.

TEXT

Siddhaм siddham [||] mahаrаjasya Ikшvаkуnам(нам) щrи-Ehavala-Chantamуlasya samva(saмva)tsaraм chaturvvищaм varшa-pakшaм chatu[rttha]м divasaм paгchamaм Щrи[parvvate] [Vijaya]pу(pu)ryyам Ma[hа]devи-[pa]rive[н]e Iru[sakа(?)]nам [kula]prasу[tasya] Ba[raнa?]kиyаnам(nаm) I(И)[щvarada]ttasya putreнa Syandaha-parvvata-щreштhinа Ku[mа]ranandinа saha bharyyаya щreштhinиya putreнa cha Iщvarabharttinа щeшeнa cha svajana-sambandhi-varggeнa iyaм bha[ga]vatoх(taх) sartva(rvva)-satv[o](ttv-o)tta[masya] sarvva-guнa-pаrami(mи)-prаptasya samyak-sambuddhasya Buddha[s]ya щailamayи pratimа pratiштhаpitа аtmaнaх sarvva-satvа(ttvа)nаг=cha hita-[su]kh-аrtthaм(rttham ||) bhavati ch=аtra щlokа(kaх) | [Deya]-dharmmam=ida(ma)к=kрtvа yat=puнyaм samupаrjjitaм(tam) | te[na] puнyeнa(na) loko=yaм nir[vv]анam=adhigachchhatu ||
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From impressions. Siddhaм expressed by symbol. Note that the word siddham follows the symbol indicating the same word apparently due to the inadvertence of the scribe.
(For щrи-Ehavala) sandhi has not been observed here.
Read saмvatsare chaturvviмщe varшa-pakшe chaturtthe divase paгchame.
Read bhаryyayа щreштhinyа.
Read Ищvarabhartrа or -bhaттinа.
The punctuation (|) is indicated by a slanting curve; the last punctuation is indicated by two slanting strokes, the tops of which are joined by a curved line. The metre of the stanza is Anuштubh.