Square slab from site 29 at Nagarjunakonda — reign of Ābhīra Vasuṣеṇa, year 20

Editors: Anonymous editor.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSEIAD00065.

Language: Sanskrit.

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

Version: (9fa90aa), last modified (35386f0).

Edition

siddham· <symbol><symbol> ⟨1⟩ namo bhagavato devaparamadevasya purāṇapuruṣasya nārāyaṇasya rajñā vāseṣṭhīputrasya °ābhīrasya vasuṣеṇasya sa[ṁ]vatsara (20)vāpā 4 ⟨2⟩ divase 1mahāgrāmikena mahātalavar(e)na mahādaṇḍanāyakana kauśikasagotrena peribiḍehāṇaṁ śivasebenaṁ saṁjayapur(ī)to yo rājābhi ⟨3⟩ °āvantakena śakena rudradāmena vānavāsakena ca viṣṇurudraśivalānanda(s)[ā](ta)karṇṇinā sthā(n)āto pi na cālito °eṣa bha(ga)vāṁ ruṁbarabh(a)vo °āṣṭaṁjasvāmi ⟨4⟩ se(ḍa)girīya sthapito parv(v)atasya ca prākāro cināpito vāpi ca mahāna(ṁ)sodhitā taḍāgāni ca 2seḍagiriyaṁ muḍerāya ca khāṇitāni talavaṇāni 7 ⟨5⟩ ropitāni yo ca brāhmaṇārtthe mitr(ār)tthe ca prāṇapi na parikṣati guṇataś ca

I. Upajāti

sar(vv)ātithi sa(rvva)sakha (k)r̥tajñaḥ

a

satyavrata śatrugajavamadri

b

rujur vvaṭanyāsanapr(e)māti⟨6⟩

c

yo ⟨dhā⟩(r)mika sādh[u]⟨⟨ja⟩⟩nābhinaṁdi <symbol>

d

ruṣideśaś cāsya seṁbakavardhamāna (b)[.][1×] bharad(v)ājasago(tr)[e]ṇa °amātyena tiṣyasarm(e)ṇa <symbol>bhagavac[cha]k(ty)āḥ kr̥ta(ṁ) svasti govrāt(e)bhyaḥ <symbol>

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ siddham· || – ⬦ sīddhaṁ || Sircarl; siddhaṁ || Sarma1970; si(ddha) Salomon2013. — ⟨1⟩ rajñā ⬦ rajño Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013; rājñe Sarma1970 • Emend rājño. — ⟨1⟩ sa[ṁ]vatsara Sircarlsaṁvatsara Sarma1970; savatsara Salomon2013. — ⟨1⟩ (20) Sarma1970 eiad-bibl:Salomon2013(30) Sircarl. — ⟨1⟩ vāpā • We expect here vāpa. — ⟨1⟩ 4 ⬦ 7 Sircarl; 6 Sarma1970 eiad-bibl:Salomon2013.

⟨2⟩ divase ⬦ (d)ivasa Sircarl; divasa Sarma1970. — ⟨2⟩ mahādaṇḍanāyakana Sircarlmahādaṇḍanāyak(e)na Sarma1970; mahāda(ṁ)ḍanāyakana Salomon2013 • Understand mahādaṇḍanāyakena. — ⟨2⟩ pеribiḍеhāṇaṁ Sarma1970pеribiḍеhāṇāṁ Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013. — ⟨2⟩ śivasеbеnaṁ Salomon2013śivasеbеna Sircarl; śivasеbеna Sarma1970. — ⟨2⟩ saṁjayapur(ī)to Salomon2013saṁjayapur(ī)ṇa Sircarl; saṁjayapurīto Sarma1970. — ⟨2⟩ yо rāj(ā)bhi Salomon2013yоrājibhi Sircarl; yоrājibhiḥ Sarma1970. — ⟨2⟩ sthā(n)ātо pi ⬦ (s)th(ā)nāto pi Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013; sthānātо pi Sarma1970 • Sircar suggests emending to sthānato. One could alternatively read sthā⟦nā⟧topi, which could be emended to sthāpito. — ⟨2⟩ °āṣṭaṁjasvāmi • There is a sign below the ṣṭa, as if to insert it. As noted by Sircar, however, it does not have the shape of a bhu, but of a ṭa. Nevertheless, it seems that one has to emend °aṣṭabhujasvāmi (Salomon2013).

⟨3⟩ (s)[ā]([ta])karṇṇinā ⬦ (sāta)karṇṇinā Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013; satakarṇṇinā Sarma1970. — ⟨3⟩ ruṁbarabh(a)vo • The foot of the bha has an uncommon curl that makes it look like a bhu. But we suppose that bhava was intended. On the identification of ruṁbara with uḍumbara, see Salomon2013.

⟨4⟩(ḍa)giriya ⬦ (sеḍa)giriya Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013; sedagirīyaṁ Sarma1970. — ⟨4⟩ sthapito ⬦ sthāpito Sarma1970 eiad-bibl:Sircarl; sth(ā)pito Salomon2013. — ⟨4⟩ cināpitо ⬦ citāpitо Sarma1970 eiad-bibl:Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013. — ⟨4⟩ sеḍagiriyaṁ ⬦ śеḍagiriyaṁ Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013; sedagirīyaṁ Sarma1970. — ⟨4⟩ talavaṇāni 7 ⬦ talavaṇāni ca Sircarl eiad-bibl:Sarma1970 eiad-bibl:Salomon2013 • That the number 7 is intended is made clear by the comparison with EIAD 20, l. 3: sata 7.

⟨5⟩ prāṇapi _ na parikṣati ⬦ prāṇa⟨m a⟩pi na pari⟨tya⟩kṣati Sircarl; prāṇapi na parīkṣati Sarma1970; prāṇ⟨ān⟩ api na par(ī)kṣati Salomon2013. — ⟨5⟩ sar(vv)ātithi sa(rvva)sakha (k)r̥tajñaḥ ⬦ (sa)rvvātithi⟨ḥ⟩ sa(rvva)sakha⟨ḥ⟩ kr̥tajñaḥ Sircarl; sarvvātithi⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvasakha⟨ḥ⟩ kr̥tajñaḥ Sarma1970; sarvvātithi (sarvvasakha) kr̥tajñaḥ Salomon2013 • Emend sarvvasakhā kr̥tajñaḥ. — ⟨5⟩ śatrugajavamadri ⬦ śatruga(ṇā)vamardri Sircarl; śatrugaṇāvamardī Sarma1970; śatrugaṇāvamardr(ī) Salomon2013 • Sircar emends -rdī. We accept this, and emend śatrugajāvamardī. — ⟨5⟩ rujur • Understand °r̥jur, with Sircar. — ⟨5⟩ vvaṭanyāsana- ⬦ (vvaṭa)nyāsana- Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013; vvatanyāsata Sarma1970.

⟨5–6⟩ -pr(e)mātivā yo ⟨dhā⟩(r)mika ⬦ pr(e)mani(ṣṭho) yo ⟨dhā⟩rmika⟨ḥ⟩ Sircarl; pr(e)mani(ṣṭho) yo ⟨dhā⟩rmika⟨ḥ⟩ Sarma1970; pramāni(ta) yo ⟨dhā⟩rmika Salomon2013 • As noted by Sircar, the syllable pre does not make position. Although the reading pr(e)mātivā is fairly secure, it is unmetrical. We are unable at present to suggest a convincing emendation, and thus tentatively follow the reading — or rather: silent emendation — of Sircar.

⟨6⟩ sādh[u]⟨⟨ja⟩⟩nābhinaṁdi – ⬦ sādhujanābhinaṁdi |⟨|⟩ Sircarl; svajanābhinaṅdi Sarma1970; s(ā)dhujanābhinaṁd(ī) Salomon2013. — ⟨6⟩ r(u)ṣide(ś)aś cāsya ⬦ °ul(еkha)gaś cās(y)a Sircarl; °r̥ṣideśaścasya Sarma1970; (°ulеkha)gaś cās(y)a Salomon2013 • It is tempting to emend kr̥ṣide(ś). — ⟨6⟩ -vardhamāna (b)[.][1×]-vardhamāna(kо) Sircarl eiad-bibl:Salomon2013; -vardhamāna 47 Sarma1970. — ⟨6⟩ tiṣyasarm(е)ṇa ⬦ tiṣyasaṁmеṇa Sircarl; tiṣyaśarmеṇa Sarma1970; tiṣya(saṁmе)ṇa Salomon2013 • The e is barely visible, while the repha is curiously executed. — ⟨6⟩ bhagavac(cha)k(ty)āḥ ⬦ bhagava(cchakty)āḥ Sircarl; bhagavatcḥaktyāḥ Sarma1970; bhagava(dbhakty)āḥ Salomon2013 • Sircar rightly suggests emending -cchaktyā. — ⟨6⟩ gоvrāt(е)bhyaḥ ⬦ gоvrāt(еbh)yaḥ Sircarl; gоbrāhmaṇebhyaḥ Sarma1970; ⟨brā⟩hmaṇ⟨e⟩bhyaḥ • Sircar notes that “the intended reading may be gоbrāhmaṇebhyaḥ”. We are inclined to accept the reading as it is, or to understand gоvratеbhyaḥ, as our translation implies.

Translation

(1–2) Success! Homage to the Bhagavant, Nārāyaṇa, the highest god among the gods, the primeval man (purāṇapuruṣa). In the 20th year of the king Vāsiṣṭhīputra Vasuṣeṇa, the Ābhīra, in the 4th fortnight of the rainy season, on the 1st day.

(3–5) The Great Village-chief (mahāgrāmika), Great Talavara, Great Commander (daṇḍanāyaka) Śivaseba, of the Peribeḍehas and belonging to the Kauśikagotra, who was not removed from (his) very position, (i.e.) from Saṁjayapurī, by (other) kings (such as) the Śaka Rudradāman from Avanta and Viṣṇurudraśivalānanda-Sātakarṇi from Vanavāsa, established this Bhagavant Aṣṭabhujasvāmin made from uḍumbara wood in Seṭagiri, and caused the enclosure of the mountain to be embellished, and had the well (vāpi) Mahānandā cleared, and had 2 tanks excavated in Seṭagiri and in Muḍerā, (and) had seven groves of Palmyra trees planted.

(5) Who for the sake of Brahmins and for the sake of friends considers not even (his) life and by (his) virtue

I
(is) a host to all, is a companion to all, is grateful, is devoted to truth, is the killer of the elephants of his enemies, is upright, is devoted to his love for planting fig trees (?), is righteous and rejoices among good people.

(6) R̥ṣideśa (is in ?) his Sеmbaka-estate. Made by the minister Tiṣyaśarman of the Bharadvājagotra by the power of the Bhagavant. Success to those who practice the cattle vow!

Commentary

(2) saṁjayapurī1

(5–6) 2

(6) govrāta3

Bibliography

First described and edited by Sircarl; edited again by Sarma1970 and Salomon2013. Re-edited here from available documentation and after autopsy of the stone.

Secondary

No name. N.d. Indian Archaeology: a review. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. Pages 1958–59: 8.

Mukherjee1959

No name. 1887–. Annual report on Indian epigraphy. Madras; Calcutta; New Delhi: Government of Madras; Archaeological Survey of India. Pages 1959–60: B.81.

Suryavanshi1962

Srinivasan1979a

Raghunath2001

Soundara_Rajan2006

Notes

  1. 1. This might be identified with Vijayapurī.
  2. 2. The stanza as it stands is very much altered. Taking into consideration the intended meter a reconstructed, standardised, version of the stanza would read as follows: sarvātithis sarvasakhā kr̥tajñaḥ satyavrataś śatrugajāvamardī | r̥jur vaṭanyāsanapremaniṣṭho yо dhārmikas sādhujanābhinandī ||.
  3. 3. This may either be an allusion to the Ābhīras as a dynasty of cowherds (see Suryavanshi1962), or to a Śaiva ascetic practice involving the vow of imitating a bull (see Acharya2013).