# Kanheri Cave 16 Bench Inscription

Kelsey Martini and Vincent Tournier

Authors of digital edition: Kelsey Martini, Vincent Tournier

Contributor: Kelsey Martini

Identifier: DHARMA_INSKanheri00024

Repository: Early Western Deccan (tfb-earlywesterndeccan-epigraphy)

File path: xml/DHARMA_INSKanheri00024.xml

Language: Middle Indo-Aryan [Script (unspecified)]

Commit: 2026-09-17 08:03 (159f390), last modified 2026-09-17 05:29
(3d6ac09)

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## Edition

⟨1⟩ sidha Upāsakasa (vha)mitaputasa negamasa muḍapālasa ⟨2⟩ sopārakasa
sahā kuḍubiṇ(i)hi sahā bālakehi deyadhama chetaṁ diṇa
Akhaya⟦vi⟧⟨⟨ni⟩⟩(vi)

## Apparatus

⟨1⟩ ([vha])mitaputasa ⬦ viṇhumitasa G • — ⟨1⟩ muḍapālasa ⬦ muṇḍapālasa G
•

⟨2⟩ sahā ⬦ saha G • The ā-mātra is clear on both this and the following
sahā. — ⟨2⟩ kuḍubiṇ(i)hi ⬦ kuṭubinihi G • — ⟨2⟩ Akhaya⟦vi⟧⟨⟨ni⟩⟩(vi) ⬦
akhayanivi G • It would appear that the engraver originally forgot to
carve the ni and instead carved a vi which he then corrected to a ni.

## Translation

Success! A field is given as akṣayanīvī: The meritorious gift of the
market councillor Muḍapāla of Sopāra, son of the lay-follower [Vha]mita.
Together with the kuḍubinis and the progeny.

## Bibliography

### Primary

[G] Gokhale, Shobhana. 1991. Kanheri inscriptions. Pune: Deccan College
Post Graduate and Research Institute.

### Secondary

Naik, A. V. 1948. “Inscriptions of the Deccan: an epigraphical survey
(Circa 300 B.C.-1300 A.D.)” BDCRI 9 (1/2), pp. 1–160. [URL]. Pages
19–20.

Shimada, Akira. 2018. “Royal and Non-Royal Buddhist Patronage in the
Early Deccan.” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist
Studies 41, pp. 473–507. DOI: 10.2143/JIABS.41.0.3285749. Page 491 fn.
24.

Visvanathan, Meera. 2018. “Uṣavadāta’s Akhayanivi: The Eternal Endowment
in the Early Historic Deccan.” Journal of the International Association
of Buddhist Studies 41, pp. 509–535. DOI: 10.2143/JIABS.41.0.3285750.
Page 529.

Strauch, Ingo. 2021. “Money for rituals: akṣayanīvī and related
inscriptions from Āndhradeśa.” In: Power, presence and space: South
Asian rituals in archaeological context. Edited by Henry Albery,
Jens-Uwe Hartmann & Himanshu Prabha Ray. Archaeology and Religion in
South Asia. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 193–214. Page 206.