# Ajanta Cave 16 Inscription of Varahadeva

Dániel Balogh

Alternative title: Ajanta Cave XVI Inscription

Author of digital edition: Dániel Balogh

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSiddham00178

Repository: SIDDHAM (siddham)

File path: XML-Provisional/DHARMA_INSSiddham00178.xml

Language: Sanskrit [Southern Brāhmī (unspecified)]

Commit: 2026-09-16 10:40 (3083d2d), last modified 2026-09-16 09:24
(c200993)

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## Edition

1. Upajāti

⟨1⟩ Udīrṇṇa-loka-traya-doṣa-vahni-
-nirvvāp(a)ṇ(a)[.]i [⏑⏑–⏑–⏓]
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏓] [a](bh)ipraṇamya
pūrvvāṁ pravakṣye kṣitipānupūrvv(ī)[M]

2. Upajāti

⟨2⟩ mahā-vimarddeṣv abhivr̥ddha-śaktiḥ
kruddhas surair apy anivāryya-[vīryíaḥ]
[⏓–⏑––] (ra?)ṇa-dāna-śaktiḥ
dvijaḫ prakāso bhuvi vindhyaśa[kt](i)[ḥ]

3. Upajāti

⟨3⟩ purandaropendra-sama-prabhāvaḥ
sva-bāhu-vī(r)y(yārj)j(i)ta(sa)[rvva-lokaḥ]
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑–] (ṭa?)kānāṁ
babhūva vākāṭaka-va¿ṅ?śa-⊔ke[tuḥ]

4. Upajāti

⟨4⟩ raṇe(ṣu / sva-)haryy-u(ddha)ta-reṇujāla-
-sañcchāditā(r)k(ka)(s sa ca karmma?)-[–⏓]
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑–] (n arāt)īn
(kr̥)tvābh(i)vāda-pravaṇā(ṁ)ś ca_kāra

5. Upajāti

⟨5⟩ (vini?)rjj(i)tāri(s-sura)-rāja-kāryye
cakāra puṇyeṣu paraṁ praya(tnaṁ)
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑–⏑–⏓]
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑–⏑–⏓]

6. Gītikā

(ari?)-narendra-mauli-vinyasta-
-maṇi-kiraṇālīḍha-kramāmbujaḥ
⟨6⟩ pravarasenas tasya putro bhūd
vikasan-navendīvarekṣaṇa(ḥ)

7. Gītikā

ravimayūkhad(ā) [ca. 4×]
[ca. 10×]
[sa?](rvva?)sena(ḫ) pravarasenasya
jita-sarvva-senas suto bhavaT

8. Gītikā

⟨7⟩ [ca. 4×] pārtthivendrasya
(pra?)śa(śā?)(sa) dharmmeṇa medinī(M)
kuntalendra(ṁ?) vi[ndhya?] [ca. 3×]
(śrī vi)(ndhyasenaḥ?) [ca. 4×]

9. Gītikā

pravarase(nas ta?)sya putro bhūt
pravarorjjitodāraśāsana(ḫ)
pravara⟨8⟩[ca. 7×]
[ca. 10×]

10. Upajāti

(tas)yātmaja[1×](ma) [⏑–⏑–⏓]
[⏓–⏑––⏑] (m a)vāpya rājyam
aṣṭābdako yaḫ praśaśāsa samyaK

11. Upajāti

⟨9⟩ ta[syā](tmajo) bhūn-naradeva[-saṁjñas?]
[⏓–⏑––] (bhu)vi devasenaḥ
yasyopabhogair lalitair-vvi[–⏓]
[1×] devarājasya (pa)[–⏑–] bhūḥ

12. Upajāti

puṇyānubhāvāt-kṣitipasya ⟨10⟩ (tasya?)
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑–⏑–⏓]
[⏓–⏑––] ya guṇādhivās(aḥ)
[⏓–] (v?)i-kośo bhuvi hastibhojaḥ

13. Upajāti

pra[–⏑––]ḫ pr̥thu-pīna-vakṣās
saroruhākṣaẖ kṣapi⟨11⟩[tā?](ri-pakṣaḥ?)
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑–⏑](bāhur?)
dig-gandha-hasti-pratimo babhūva

14. Upajāti

hito vinītaḥ pra(ṇa)y(a)-(pradhāno?)
mano-nukūlo nuvidhāna-varttī
niratyaya⟨12⟩-[–⏑](sa)(no/ṇa)[⏑–⏓]
[⏓–⏑–]y(a)[⏑⏑–⏑]kaś ca

15. Upajāti

ta(thai)va lokasya hitāśayatvāt
sukhena samyak-(p)aripālanena
(piteva?) māteva sakheva nityaṁ
priyo-bhigamyaś ca babhūva ⟨13⟩ [–⏓]

16. Upajāti

[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑–⏑–⏓]
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑–⏑–⏓]
svasthas samāveśya sa tatra rājā
(sasañ)ja bhogeṣu yatheṣṭa-ceṣṭaḥ

17. Mālabhāriṇī

atha tasya suto babhū ⟨14⟩ (va?) (rā)j(ā)
(lamara?)[–⏑⏑–⏑–⏑–⏓]
hari-r(ā)ma-hara-smare(ndu)-kāntir hariṣeṇo hari-vikkrama-pratāpaḥ

18. Vaṁśastha

sa kuntalāvanti-kaliṅga-kosala-
-trikūṭa-lāṭ-āndhra⟨15⟩-[⏑](īma)(-jān?) (i)(mān?)
[⏑–⏑––⏑⏑](śaury?)(ya-v)(i?)(śr)(u?)(tān)
(a)pi sva-nirddeśa-(va?)(śāna)ti-(s)(th?)(i)[tā](N)

19. Mālabhāriṇī

prathito bhuvi hastibhoja-sūnus
sacivas tasya mahīpater bbabhūva
sakala-kṣiti⟨16⟩-[–⏑–⏑–](ya?)
(prava)(ra?)[⏑⏑–⏑–⏑––]

20. Upajāti

(api pra?)jeṣṭa(ḥ) sthira-dhīra-cetās
tyāga-(kṣamaudā)ryya-guṇair upeta⟨ḥ⟩
dharmmeṇa dharmma-pravaṇaś-śaśāsa
deśaṁ yaśaḫ-puṇya-guṇāṁśu⟨17⟩-[–⏓]

21. Mālabhāriṇī

[⏑⏑–⏑⏑–⏑–⏑–⏓]
prati puṇyopacayaṁ paraṁ cakāra
yata ūrddhvam [i](māṁ) sahā(ya)-dharmmā
(nira?)to loka-gurau cakāra kārā(M)

22. Upajāti

āyur-vvayo-vitta-sakhā¿ṇ?⟨n⟩i ⟨18⟩ [–⏓]
[⏓–⏑––⏑⏑](cañca?)lāni
u(ddiśya) mātā-pitarāv udāraṁ
nyavīviśad veśma yatī(ndra-sevyaM)

23. Mālabhāriṇī

(sajalā)mbu(da)-(vr̥nda?)-(lambi)tāgre
bhujagendrādhyuṣite mahīdharendre
⟨19⟩ [⏑⏑–⏑⏑–⏑–⏑–⏓]
[⏑] [.]i(ka/ra)-śrī-patinā śarā nikuñje

24. Vaṁśastha

gavākṣa-niryyūha-suvīthi-vedikā-
-(su)rendra-kanyā-pratimādy-alaṅkr̥taM
manohara-stambha-vibhaṅga⟨20⟩-(meduraṁ?)
(ni?)(veśitābhyanta)ra-caitya-mandira(M)

25. Upajāti

ma[–⏑––]-tala-sanniviṣṭa(ṁ)
vi(tāna) [––⏑] mano-(bhi?)rāmaṁ
[⏓–] prakāmāmbu-mahā-nidhāna(ṁ)
nāgendra-veśmādibhir a⟨21⟩[⏑–⏓]

26. Praharṣiṇī

[–––] (r m)m(a)hat(i?) sam(ī)raṇ(e) (sa)(mantāt?)
[–––] (vividha-vilāsa?)[–⏑–⏓]
grīṣmārkkasya ca kiraṇopatā(pa)-ta(ptaṁ)
sarva-rtu-prathita-sukhopabhoga-yoga(M)

27. Mālabhāriṇī

⟨22⟩ [⏑⏑–⏑] (su)rendra-mandirāṇā(ṁ)
ruciman-(ma)ndara-kanda(rānurūpaM?)
[⏑⏑–⏑⏑–⏑–⏑––⏓]
[⏑⏑––⏑] (janair?) yathepsita[⏓]

28. Viyoginī(?)

a(s)ama(s)ya virocane girer
vvika⟨23⟩[la?][–⏑⏑] ka-śram(ā)(nta?)k(ā)
(bhavatīva para?)[⏑–⏑⏓]
[⏑⏑––⏑⏑–⏑–⏑⏓]

29. Vasantatilakā

[––⏑] (viśāla?)(m it)i yasya janena nāma
prīti-prasāda-vikaca-praṇa(yena) cakre
(eta)(sya?) ⟨24⟩ [–⏑⏑⏑–] (r?)(laya)naṁ sur(endra)-
-mauli-prabhopa(cita)(maṅgala-saṁgra?)hāya

30. Upajāti

nivedya saṅghāya [⏑–⏑] bha(ktyā)
sa-bandhu-varggas sa varāhadevaḥ
nr̥-deva-saukhyāny a(nubhūya) ⟨25⟩ [–⏓]
[⏓–](ṇa) śāstā sugata-praśastaḥ

31. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

sāndrāmbhoda-bhujaṅga-bhoga-(ni?)[karai?]r yyāva[t] [⏑––⏑⏓]
[––] (nūtna?)-manaś-śilāla-kapilair yyāvat karair bhā_svaraḥ
tāva(c che)⟨26⟩[⏑⏑–⏑–⏑⏑⏑–––⏑–] sevyatām
antar-mmaṇḍapa-ratna(m e)tad amalaṁ ratna-tra[yo](dbhā)vita(ṁ||)

32. Mālinī

vividha-layana-sānus sevyamāno mahadbhir
girir aya⟨27⟩[m] [⏑⏑–––⏑––⏑–] ddhyaḥ
jagad api ca samasta-vyasta-doṣa-prahāṇā(d)
v[i]śatu padam aśokaṁ nirjvaraṁ śāntam āryya(M)

## Bibliography

First reported and edited (with eye copy, transcript and translation) in
Bhau Daji 1865, pp. 56–58. Re-edited by Bhagwanlal Indraji (without
facsimile) in Burgess & Indraji 1881, pp. 69–73; by Bühler (with a
facsimile (Plate 57) made by Indraji and “somewhat worked up by hand”
[according to Mirashi 1963, p. 103]) in Burgess 1883, pp. 124–128, by
Mirashi (with discussion and new estampage) in Mirashi & Mahajan
1941–1942, pp. 142–147, in Mirashi 1941 and (finally) in Mirashi 1963.
Discussed in Mirashi 1940 (also published, without facsimile, as Mirashi
1941), Biswas 1941, Shastri 1997, pp. 41–44. Metrical issues discussed
in Kielhorn 1899, Kielhorn 1905–1906, p. 27, Venkatasubbiah 1935,
Venkatasubbiah 1935.

Originally encoded for Siddham in the project Beyond Boundaries (Grant
Agreement No. 609823) by Dániel Balogh (2019, № IN00178). Encoding
updated to DHARMA conventions by Dániel Balogh.

### Secondary

Bhandarkar, Devadatta Ramakrishna. 1927–1936. A list of the inscriptions
of northern India in Brahmi and its derivative scripts, from about 200
A. C.: Appendix to Epigraphia Indica and record of the Archaeological
Survey of India, volumes XIX to XXIII. Calcutta: Archaeological Survey
of India. [URL]. Item 1712.

Sircar, Dines Chandra. 1965. Select inscriptions bearing on Indian
history and civilization. Volume I: from the sixth century B.C. to the
sixth century A.D. 2nd edition revised and enlarged. Calcutta:
University of Calcutta. Book III, item 63.

Mirashi, Vasudev Vishnu. 1963. Inscriptions of the Vākāṭakas. Corpus
Inscriptionum Indicarum 5. Ootacamund: Archaeological Survey of India.
Item 25.