Maṇḍapa pillar from site 32a at Nagarjunakonda

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

Language: Sanskrit (san) [Script (other) (script_other)].

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

Identifier: DHARMA_INSEIAD00077.

File path: texts/xml/DHARMA_INSEIAD00077.xml.

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

Edition

⟨1⟩ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ (śa)[k](kram)ukkhyapācakā [*](k)[ā]hvay[e] (8)
⟨2⟩ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⎼ ⏑ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ (ma)ṇḍapa stambaśa(tā)dhikojvala(ḥ)
⟨3⟩ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⎼ ⏑ ⏑ (p)ū(r)ṇṇa(to) ⎼ (ẖ) (kr̥)tātmanānena dhr̥to dhr̥tātmanā _9
⟨4⟩ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⎼ (ta) ⏑ ⎼ m (ś)obhane vihāramukkhye _vigatajvarālaye
⟨5⟩ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⎼ ⏑ ⏑ ⎼ (niveśitā) vihārabā(hā) vipulārtthakāṅkṣiṇā _10

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ (śa)[k](kram)ukkhya- ⬦ ⏑ mukkhyapācakā Sircar [1966] 1963–1964. — ⟨1⟩ [1×](k)[ā]hvay[e] ⬦ (Uka)hvay(e) Sircar [1966] 1963–1964.

⟨2⟩ ⏑ (ma)ṇḍapa stamba- ⬦ (sa ma)ṇḍapastamba- Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 • Understand maṇḍapaḥ and emend stambha-. — ⟨2⟩ -(śat)ādhi- Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 • The reading tā is not entirely certain.

⟨3⟩ (p)ū(r)ṇṇa(to) ⎼ (ẖ) ⬦ ⎼ ⏑ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ Sircar [1966] 1963–1964. — ⟨3⟩ (kr̥)tātmanānena ⬦ (ji)tātmanānena Sircar [1966] 1963–1964.

⟨4⟩ (tana) ⎼ ⏑ ⬦ ⎼ ⏑ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 • The second akṣara might be a n[.] and the fourth might well be a m[.].

Translation

... to him called … (spiritually) maturing Śakra, the chief (of the gods).

… a maṇḍapa, blazing with more than a hundred pillars … full … was held firm by him whose self is firm and disciplined.

10.

… he who seeks the interest of the many (or: a greater goal) established a wing of the monastery in the splendid chief among monasteries, dwelling of Him (i.e. the Buddha) who got rid of old age.

Commentary

⟨1⟩¹

⟨3⟩²

Bibliography

First published and edited in Sircar [1966] 1963–1964, pp. 17–8 (7.A). Re-edited here from available documentation and after autopsy of the pillar.

Secondary

ARIE

Sarkar, H. & B. N. Misra. 2006. Nagarjunakonda. Revised edition (1st edition 1966). New Delhi: Director General, Archaeological Survey of India. [URL]. Page 38.

Srinivasan, P. R. & S. Sankaranarayanan. 1979. Inscriptions of the Ikshvāku period. Epigraphical Series 14. Hyderabad: Govt. of Andhra Pradesh. Page no. 71.

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 56.

Raghunath, K. 2001. The Ikṣvākus of Vijayapuri: A study of the Nagarjunakonda inscriptions. Delhi: Eastern Book Linkers. Pages 177, no. 59.

Notes

1. Sircar’s representation the metrical pattern of the first line is a little bit confusing, and reveals some hesitation on his side as to the meter. He notes: “The meter of the stanza is probably Pañchachāmara. It may also be Tūṇaka, though in the latter case the number of syllable in this line would be 30 while the other lines would have 24 only… If it is believed that there were nine syllables in a foot, the metre may be Kāminī as well, though such short stanzas (except Anuṣṭubh) are rarely known from inscriptions” (Sircar [1966] 1963–1964, p. 18 n. 4). There is no reason to doubt that there is a similar number of syllables in this line as in the others, and the preserved akṣaras of the line correspond to the pattern—consisting of the regular alternance of light and heavy syllables—of a type of Jagatī known to the Vr̥ttaratnākara. This metre is almost identical to Pañcacāmara, with the difference that syllables 5-7 have ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ instead of ⏑ ⏑ ⏑.
2. Sircar [1966] 1963–1964 notes that the metre of this stanza and the following one is Vaṁśastha.

Display Options Word Wrap Line Numbers Comments Processing Instructions

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Data source: 'iksvaku-inscriptions/metadata/EIAD-inventory.xlsx'

- - - - - - - - -

[1] Inventory no. EIAD: 77

[2] Raghunath no.: 59

[3] Srinivasan & Sankaranarayanan no.: 71

[4] Tsukamoto no.: Naga 56

[5] Lüders no.:

[6] Support : maṇḍapa pillar, bottom part

[7] (Faces:) Lines: 5

[8] H: 64+

[9] W: 38

[10] D: 23

[11] H: 23

[12] W: 30

[13] Language(s): Sanskrit

[14] Original locality: Nagarjunakonda Site-32a

[15] Present locality: Aṇupu, reconstructed University site, on maṇḍapa platform

[16] Primary bibliography: Sircar 1963-64a: 17-8 (7A).

[17] Secondary bibliography: ARIE 1959-60: B.91. — Sarkar & Misra 1972: 38. — Raghunath 2001: 177 (59).

[18] Visual documentation: Sircar — RTI and photos JM 2017

[19] Substance of inscription:

[20] Remarks: in verses

[21] :

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the first line is a little bit confusing, and

reveals some hesitation on his side as to the meter. He notes: <cit><quote>The meter of the stanza is probably

<hi rend="italic">Pañchachāmara</hi>. It may also be <hi rend="italic">Tūṇaka</hi>, though

in the latter case the number of syllable in

this line would be 30 while the other lines

would have 24 only… If it is believed that

there were nine syllables in a foot, the

metre may be <hi rend="italic">Kāminī</hi> as well, though such

short stanzas (except <hi rend="italic">Anuṣṭubh</hi>) are rarely

known from inscriptions</quote><bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1963-1964_01"/>: <citedRange>18 n. 4</citedRange></bibl></cit>. There is no reason to doubt that there is a

similar number of syllables in this line as in the

others, and the preserved akṣaras of the line

correspond to the pattern—consisting of the regular

alternance of light and heavy syllables—of a type of

Jagatī known to the Vr̥ttaratnākara.

This metre is almost identical to Pañcacāmara, with the difference

that syllables 5-7 have ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ instead of ⏑ ⏑

⏑.</note></p><p n="3"><note><bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1963-1964_01"/></bibl> notes that the metre of this stanza and the

following one is Vaṁśastha.</note></p></div><div type="bibliography"><p>First published and edited in <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1963-1964_01"/>: <citedRange>17-8 (7.A)</citedRange></bibl>.

Re-edited here from available documentation and after

autopsy of the pillar.</p><listBibl type="primary"><bibl/></listBibl><listBibl type="secondary"><bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE"/><citedRange>1959-60: no. B.91</citedRange></bibl><bibl><ptr target="bib:Sarkar+Misra2006_01"/>:

<citedRange>38</citedRange></bibl><bibl><ptr target="bib:Srinivasan+Sankaranarayanan1979_01"/>:

<citedRange>no. 71</citedRange></bibl><bibl><ptr target="bib:Tsukamoto1996_01"/>: <citedRange>no. Naga

56</citedRange></bibl><bibl><ptr target="bib:Raghunath2001_01"/>:

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