Pillar from site 9 at Nagarjunakonda — reign of Siri-Vīrapurisadatta

Editors: Arlo Griffiths, Vincent Tournier.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSEIAD00030.

Hand description:

Language: Middle Indo-Aryan.

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

Version: (a154659), last modified (77e39b7).

Edition

⟨1⟩ sidhaṁ ~mahār(ā)jasa Asam(e)dhayājisa Anekahiranak(o)ṭi(padā)yisa ⟨2⟩ siricaṁtamūlasa putasa raṁño mā[ḍha]riputasa Ikhākuṇa sirivirapurisadata[sa] ⟨3⟩ vasasat(ā)ya savacharaṁ vijaya[ṁ] vāsapakhaṁ prathamaṁ 1divasa[ṁ] bitiyaṁ sagagatasa ⟨4⟩ raṁño Agihotāgiṭh[o]mavājapeyasame(dha)yājisa hiraṇakoṭigosatasahasa⟨5⟩halasatasahasapadāyisa savathesu A[pa]tihatasaṁkapasa v[ās]i[ṭh]iputasa ⟨6⟩ Ikhākusa (sā)misirica[ṁ]tamulasa sah[o]darāhi matāhi mah[ā]d[e]vihi Anatasiriya ⟨7⟩ khaṁdasiriya vijhab(o)dhisiriya mi(tasi)riya <symbol>samusiriya <symbol>nāgavasusiriya <symbol> ⟨8⟩ maṁgusiriya <symbol>khaṁdakoṭisiriya mahisarasiriya k(o)ndamatisiriya [<symbol>]mula(s)iriya ⟨9⟩ Ayakoṭusiriya <symbol>maduvisiriya <symbol>nāgasiriya <symbol>rāmasiriya golasiriya <symbol> ⟨10⟩ velisiriya [<symbol>](bo)dhisiriya khadasiri(ya) setilasiriya perajatisiriya ⟨11⟩ paṁḍitasiriya sivanāgasiriya samudasiriya <symbol>bapisiriya <symbol>nadisiriya ⟨12⟩ Ayasiriya kaṁnhasiriya si(va)nāgasiriya Abhatarikāhi ca ⟨13⟩ sarasikāya kusumalatāye ca chāyāthabho ~

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ sidhaṁ – ⬦ sidhaṁ Vogelb eiad-bibl:Sircara. — ⟨1⟩ -hirana- ⬦ -hiraṇa- Vogel 1931–1932; -hiraṇa- Sircar [1966] 1963–1964.

⟨2⟩ raṁño Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ raño Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨2⟩ sirivirapurisadata[sa] Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ sirivirapurisadatasa Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨2⟩ Ikhākuṇa ⬦ Ikhākuna(ṁ) Vogel 1931–1932; Ikhākuna Sircar [1966] 1963–1964.

⟨3⟩ vasasatāya savachara[ṁ]vijaya[ṁ] Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ vasasanaya saṁvachara viṁsaya[ṁ] Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨3⟩ prathamaṁ 1 Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ prathamaṁ Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨3⟩ divasa[ṁ] Vogel 1931–1932 ⬦ divasa Sircar [1966] 1963–1964. — ⟨3⟩ bitiya[ṁ] Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ bītiya[ṁ] Vogel 1931–1932.

⟨4⟩ raṁño Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ raño Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨4⟩ -vājapeyasame(dha)- ⬦ -vājapeyasamedha- Sircar [1966] 1963–1964; -vājapey⟨ā⟩samedha- Vogel 1931–1932.

⟨5⟩ A[pa]tihata- Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ Apatihata- Vogel 1931–1932.

⟨6⟩ -mulasa Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ -mūlasa Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨6⟩ sah[o]darāhi matāhi ⬦ sahadarāhi matāhi Sircar [1966] 1963–1964; sahodar[ā]hi m[ā]tāhi Vogel 1931–1932 • emending sahodarāhi — ⟨6⟩ mah[ā]d[e]vihi Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ mah[ā]devihi Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨6⟩ Anatasiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ sunītisiriya Vogel 1931–1932.

⟨7⟩ khaṁdasiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ khaṁdasīriya Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨7⟩ vijhab(o)dhisiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ vijhaṭhavisiriya Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨7⟩ mi(tasi)riya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ mi[sa]siriya Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨7⟩ samus(i)riya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ samus(i)riya Vogel 1931–1932 • Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 notes that the intended reading may be samudasirīya as in l. 11.

⟨8⟩ maṁgusiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ [nā]gasiriya Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨8⟩ k(o)ndamati- Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ ratumati- Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨8⟩ mula(s)iriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ mūlasiriya Vogel 1931–1932.

⟨9⟩ rāmasiriya Vogel 1931–1932 ⬦ (kā)masiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 • Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 notes the possibility of reading rāmasiriya.

⟨10⟩ velisiriya Vogel 1931–1932 ⬦ khalisiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964. — ⟨10⟩ (bo)dhisiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ [E]dhisiriya Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨10⟩ khadasiri(ya) ⬦ khadasiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964; kha[ṁ]dasiriya Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨10⟩ setilasiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ satilisiriya Vogel 1931–1932. — ⟨10⟩ perajatisiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ parajatatisiriya Vogel 1931–1932.

⟨11⟩ bapisiriya Vogel 1931–1932 ⬦ bāpisiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 • Although we see no trace of a ā, it is tempting to understand here bapi- as bāpi = vāpi, in light of the fact that this name is surrounded by two names based on water bodies.

⟨12⟩ kaṁnhasiriya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ ratusiriya Vogel 1931–1932 • The correct reading kaṁnha- was already suggested in an editorial note to Vogel 1931–1932, pp. 64, n. 1. — ⟨12⟩ Abhatarikāhi Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ subhatarikāhi Vogel 1931–1932.

⟨13⟩ kusumalatāye Vogel 1931–1932 ⬦ bhūsumalatāya Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 • Emending kusumalatāya. It seems impossible to read bhū and unnecessary to assume that anything else was intended than ku, although the shape of the akṣara is admittedly peculiar. — ⟨13⟩ ca chāyāthabho Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 ⬦ [I]ya[ṁ] tha[ṁ]bho Vogel 1931–1932.

Translation

(1–3) Success! In the victorious year of king Māṭharīputta Siri-Vīrapurisadatta of the Ikṣvākus — may he live one hundred years! —, son of Great King Siri-Cantamūla, sacrificer of the Aśvamedha, giver of numerous tens of millions of (pieces of) gold, in the first — 1st — fortnight of the rainy season, on the second day.

(3–13) (This is) the memorial pillar for the King Vāsiṭṭhīputta Lord Siri-Cāntamūla the Ikṣvāku, who has gone to the heavens, sacrificer of the Agnihotra, the Agniṣṭoma, the Vājapeya and the Aśvamedha, giver of tens of millions of (pieces of) gold, hundreds of thousands of cows, hundreds of thousands of plows (of land), whose will was unimpeded in all matters, (established) by (his) uterine sisters, mothers, (and) queens Anatasirī, Khandasirī, Vijhab(o)dhisirī, Mitasirī, Samusirī, Nāgavasusirī, Maṅgusirī, Khandakoṭisirī, Mahisarasirī, Kondamatisirī, Mūlasirī, Ayakoṭusirī, Manduvisirī, Nāgasirī, Rāmasirī, Golasirī, Velisirī, Bodhisirī, Khadasirī, Setilasirī, Perajatisirī, Paṇḍitasirī, Sivanāgasirī, Samudasirī, Bāpisirī, Nadīsirī, Ayasiri, Kaṇhasirī, Sivanāgasirī, and the intimate friends (ābhyantarikā) Sarasikā and Kusumalatā.

Commentary

1

(3) savacharaṁ vijaya[ṁ]2

(8) mula(s)iriya3

Bibliography

First described and edited by Vogel 1931–1932, pp. 63–4 (L); re-edited by Sircar [1966] 1963–1964, pp. 1–4 (1.A); our edition based on RTI and autopsy of the stone.

Secondary

No name. 1887–. Annual report on Indian epigraphy. Madras; Calcutta; New Delhi: Government of Madras; Archaeological Survey of India. Pages 1959–60: no. B.93.

Mirashi, Vasudev Vishnu. 1967–1968. “Epigraphic note.” EI 37, pp. 70–73. Pages 70–72.

Mirashi, Vasudev Vishnu. 1969. “Is Vijaya mentioned in Nāgārjunikoṇḍa inscriptions the name of cyclic year?” Journal of the Oriental Institute (M.S. University of Baroda) 18 (4), pp. 318–322. Pages 318–22.

Vidyadhara Rao, B. 1969. “Occurrence of sexagenary cycles in two inscriptions from Nāgārjunakoṇḍa.” Journal of the Oriental Institute (M.S. University of Baroda) 18 (4), pp. 323–325. Pages 323–5.

Srinivasan, P. R. and S. Sankaranarayanan. 1979. Inscriptions of the Ikshvāku period. Epigraphical Series 14. Hyderabad: Govt. of Andhra Pradesh. Page no. 3.

Sarkar, H. 1982. “The Cāyā-Stambhas from Nāgārjunakoṇḍa.” In: Memorial stones: A study of their origin, significance and variety. Edited by Shadaksharappa Settar and Günther Dietz Sontheimer. I.I.A.H. Series & South Asian Studies 2 & XI/11. Dharwad; Heidelberg: Institute of Indian Art History, Karnatak University; South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, pp. 199–207. Pages 200–2.

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. Page no. Naga 49.

Raghunath, K. 2001. The Ikṣvākus of Vijayapuri: A study of the Nagarjunakonda inscriptions. Delhi: Eastern Book Linkers. Pages 115–7 (no. 16).

Notes

  1. 1. A number of punctuation signs appear, here represented as •. None of these was read by Vogel 1931–1932, only a few of them observed by Sircar [1966] 1963–1964, pp. 3, 4 n. 1 and 7.
  2. 2. See EIAD 56, l. 2, and the term vijayasaṁvachara/vijayasaṁvatsara in EIAD 2, ll. 2-3; 187, l. 29; 188, l. 31. For the possibility for the term vijaya pointing to Jupiter’s sixty-year cycle, see Sircar [1966] 1963–1964, p. 2, Mirashi 1969, pp. 318–22, and Vidyadhara Rao 1969, pp. 323–5.
  3. 3. A male Mūlasiri is known from the Jaggayyapeta inscriptions (EIAD 31-33), his name being spelt with mula- in one of the cases (EIAD 32, l. 4).