Decorated octagonal pillar from Amaravati

Authors of digital edition: Arlo Griffiths (argr), Vincent Tournier (vito).

Contributor: Arlo Griffiths (argr).

Palaeographic description: Lettering typical of the 1st century CE.

Language: Middle Indo-Aryan (pra) [Southern Brāhmī (other) (brāhmī_southern_other)].

Repository: Early Andhra (tfb-eiad-epigraphy).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSEIAD00255.

File path: texts/xml/DHARMA_INSEIAD00255.xml.

Version: 2026-07-17 15:34 (ce35bbc), last modified 2026-07-17 15:34 (ce35bbc).

Edition

⟨1⟩ Aya-retiyā Atevāsiniyā Aya-dhamāya dānaṁ

Translation

Gift of the noble Dhammā, pupil of the noble Retī.

Commentary

For the contents, compare EIAD 131 and EIAD 334. The inscription EIAD 256 was added at a later time above the present one.

Bibliography

First edited and translated by Eugen Hultzsch whose own publication (1883) appeared a bit later than the first work dedicated to Amaravati by James Burgess (1882), who made use of readings and translations furnished by Hultzsch. This digital edition by Arlo Griffiths & Vincent Tournier from published estampages, from photographs and after autopsy of the stone.

Primary

Burgess, James. 1882. Notes on the Amarāvatī Stūpa. Archæological survey of Southern India 3. Madras: E. Keys. Item 87, page 23, plate 4, figure 10.

Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1883. “Amarâvatî-Inschriften.” ZDMG 37, pp. 548–561. [URL]. Plate 555, item 23.

Secondary

Burgess, James. 1887. The Buddhist stupas of Amaravati and Jaggayyapeta in the Krishna District, Madras Presidency, surveyed in 1882. With translations of the Aśoka inscriptions at Jaugadi and Dhauli by George Bühler. Reprint New Delhi 1996. Archaeological Survey of Southern India 6. London: Trübner & Co. [URL]. Page 82, plate LVII, figure 18.

Franke, R. Otto. 1896. “Epigraphische Notizen.” ZDMG 50, pp. 585–606. [URL]. Page 600.

Sivaramamurti, C. 1942. Amaravati sculptures in the Madras Government Museum. Reprints 1956, 1977, etc. Bulletin of the Madras Government Museum New Series, General Section, 4. Madras: Government Museum. [URL]. Page 295, item 93.

Lüders, Heinrich. 1912. A list of Brahmi inscriptions from the earliest times to about A.D. 400 with the exception of those of Asoka. Appendix to Epigraphia Indica and record of the Archæological Survey of India 10. Calcutta: Superintendent Government Printing. [URL]. Page 147, item 1246.

Tsukamoto Keishō 塚本啓祥. 1996. インド仏教碑銘の研究 I, Text, Note, 和訳 Indo Bukkyō himei no kenkyū I: Text, Note, Wayaku [A comprehensive study of the Indian Buddhist inscriptions, Part I: Text, Notes and Japanese Translation]. Kyōto-shi 京都市: Heirakuji Shoten 平楽寺書店. Volume I, item Amar 4B=181.

Francis, N. J. 2016. A source book of the early Buddhist inscriptions of Amarāvatī. Golden jubilee series. Shimla: Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Pages 91–92, item 106.

Display Options Word Wrap Line Numbers Comments Processing Instructions

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255 Amar 4A pillar 1 155 46 20 7 56 MIA Amaravati CGM 247 Burgess 1882a: 23 (87), pl. IV (10). — Burgess 1887: 82, pl. LVII (18). — Hultzsch 1883: 555 (23). — Sivaramamurti 1942: 295 (93), III F, 7. Franke 1896: 600 — Lüders 1912a: 147 (1246). — Francis 2016: 91–2 (106). Burgess 1887, pl. LVII (18). — Photos IS. (1) °ayaretiyā °atevāsiniyā °ayadhamāya dānaṁ Engraved below EIAD 256. The stone was found near the west gate.

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<p>Lettering typical of the 1st century CE.</p>

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<lb n="1"/>Aya-retiyā Atevāsiniyā Aya-dhamāya dānaṁ

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<lem>Atevāsiniyā</lem>

<note>Correctly printed in Burgess 1882 and Hultzsch 1883, but affected by a small misprint in Burgess 1883, corrected by Franke.</note>

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<p>Gift of the noble Dhammā, pupil of the noble Retī.</p>

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<p>For the contents, compare <ref target="DHARMA_INSEIAD00131.xml">EIAD 131</ref> and <ref target="DHARMA_INSEIAD00334.xml">EIAD 334</ref>. The inscription <ref target="DHARMA_INSEIAD00256.xml">EIAD 256</ref> was added at a later time above the present one.</p>

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<p>First edited and translated by Eugen Hultzsch whose own publication (<bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Hultzsch1883_01"/></bibl>) appeared a bit later than the first work dedicated to Amaravati by James Burgess (<bibl rend="omitname"><ptr target="bib:Burgess1882_01"/></bibl>), who made use of readings and translations furnished by Hultzsch. This digital edition by Arlo Griffiths & Vincent Tournier from published estampages, from photographs and after autopsy of the stone.</p>

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Burgess 1882a: 23 (87), pl. IV (10). — Burgess 1887: 82, pl. LVII (18). — Hultzsch 1883: 555 (23). — Sivaramamurti 1942: 295 (93), III F, 7. Franke 1896: 600 — Lüders 1912a: 147 (1246). — Francis 2016: 91–2 (106).

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