Akṣobhya Statue from Gondang Lor (11th or 12th c. CE)

Editor: Arlo Griffiths.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSIDENKGondangLor.

Language: Sanskrit.

Repository: Nusantara Epigraphy (tfc-nusantara-epigraphy).

Version: (b42d535), last modified (044506d).

Edition

I. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

⟨1⟩ || || śrīmad-dhīmad-amāna-dīdhitir adhiṣ¡ṭ!⟨ṭh⟩ātāva[ga]c¡c!⟨ch⟩eta saḥ

a

bhūmnābhūri-vibhūtimantam anagham kurvan· kr̥pāyās sadā,

b

tr¡e!⟨ai⟩lokyodara-vartinam· hitasukhādhīnañ ca yo janminam·,

c

maṇḍ(u)ṁkul·-kathito namāmi satatan tam· sadguṇam· śrīghanam· ||

d
II. Vasantatilakā

tāthāgatī pratikr̥tiḥ paripūrṇa-gātrā,

a

yat kāritākuśali¿m?⟨n⟩ā⟨2⟩pi mayā mahīyaḥ,

b

tenājarāmaraṇa-j¡e!⟨ai⟩na-pade bhavāmi,

c

śrī-dharmavaṅśa-kula-varddhana-nāmadheyaḥ || ||

d

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ kr̥pāyās sadā ⬦ kr̥pāyā (ya) B. — ⟨1⟩ hitasukhādhīnañ ⬦ hitasukhādīnañ B. — ⟨1⟩ maṇḍ(u)ṁkul·- ⬦ maṇḍaṁkul·- B. — ⟨1⟩ yat kāritākuśali¿m?⟨n⟩ā⟨2⟩pi ⬦ yatkāritā kuśali māli B • The reading li after seems possible on the estampages, but the stone only allows reading pi. I propose to emend the engraved text to akuśalināpi. The combination akuśalinā api mayā evokes such a famous literary phrase as etasmān māṁ kuśalinam abhijñānadānād viditvā mā kaulīnād asitanayane mayy aviśvāsinī bhūḥ (Kālidāsa, Meghadūta 109).

⟨2⟩ -j¡e!⟨ai⟩na-pade ⬦ -jena pade B. — ⟨2⟩ -dharmavaṅśa-kula- ⬦ -dharmavaṅśa-kr̥ta- B • The reading is unclear on the estampages but absolutely clear from the stone and the orthophotos. The same reading with -kula- is also mentioned by Boechari (1990 and 2012), without indication that it is a novelty.

Translation by Arlo Griffiths

I
Out of compassion, may that Empowerer who is illustrious (śrīmat), intelligent (dhīmat) and whose splendor (dīdhiti) is immeasurable (amāna), who never does any evil, assent to [me] who am abundantly (bhūmnā) lacking in might (abhūri-vibhūtimantam), who revolve in the bowels of the Triple World,1 an incarnated being subservient to convenience and pleasure, called Maṇḍuṅkul (“Hornless” or “Spiteful”?),2 who perennially bow to that Śrīghana (i.e., Buddha), of excellent qualities!
II
By virtue of the great [merit] that [this] Buddha image, with limbs complete, has been commissioned by one as unmeritorious as me, I, [also] having the epithet Śrī Dharmavaṅśakulavardhana (“Supporter of the illustrious family of Dharmavaṅśa”, “Family supporter of the illustrious lineage of the law”), am reborn in the state of a Jina, without old age and death.

Commentary

Bibliography

First published by F. D. K. Bosch (1919–1921). This digital edition by Arlo Griffiths from estampages and orthophotos.

Primary

[B] Bosch, Frederik David Kan. 1919–1921. “De inscriptie op het Aksobhya-beeld van Gondang Lor.” TBG 59, pp. 498–528.

Secondary

Knebel, J. 1910. “Beschrijving van de Hindoe-oudheden in de afdeeling Toeloeng-agoeng (Residentie Kediri) 1908.” ROC (Bijlage 43), pp. 181–232. Pages 201–202.

OV 1916. Oudheidkundige Dienst in Nederlandsch-Indië: Oudheidkundig Verslag 1916. Weltevreden; 's Hage: Albrecht & Co.; Nijhoff, 1916. Page 47.

Stutterheim, Willem Frederik. 1929. “Oudheidkundige aanteekeningen, I: Gĕmpĕng; II: De dateering van het Rāmāyaṇa kakawin; III: Het hoofdbeeld van tjaṇḍi Sewoe; IV: De ouderdom van tjaṇḍi Sewoe; V: De ouderdom van den Akṣobhya van Goṇḍang Lor; VI: De Goewa Tritis; VII: Het zuidelijk nevenbeeld van tjaṇḍi Mĕndoet; VIII: Sporen van het aśvamedha op Bali en Java?” BKI 85, pp. 479–510. DOI: 10.1163/22134379-90001488. [URL]. Pages 496–500.

Boechari. 1990. “The inscription of Garamān, dated 975 Çaka: A new evidence on Airlangga's partition of his kingdom.” In: Monumen: karya persembahan untuk Prof. Dr. R. Soekmono. Edited by Edi Sedyawati, Ingrid Harriet Eileen Pojoh and Supratikno Rahardjo. Seri Penerbitan Ilmiah 11 (Edisi Khusus). Depok: Lembaran Sastra, Fakultas Sastra Universitas Indonesia, pp. 125–142. Page 126.

Boechari. 2012. “The inscription of Garamān dated 975 Śaka: new evidence on Airlangga's partition of his kingdom.” In: Melacak sejarah kuno Indonesia lewat prasasti / Tracing ancient Indonesian history through inscriptions. Jakarta: Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG); Departemen Arkeologi, Fakultas Ilmu Pengetahuan Budaya, Universitas Indonesia; École française d'Extrême-Orient, pp. 437–451. Page 438.

Notes

  1. 1. Cf. Sādhanamālā, ed. Bhattacharya 1925, p. 55, (Śrī-Khasarpaṇalokeśvarasādhana): saṁbuddhapratyekaśrāvakabuddhānāṁ tatsutānām api bodhisattvānāṁ sattvānām api trailokyodaravarttināṁ yad eva kuśalaṁ tat sarvam anumodayāmīti | tadanu ratnatrayaśaraṇagamanam |.
  2. 2. The form maṇḍuṅkul does not seem to be attested in Old Javanese, but in some varieties of Malay there is mendongkol which seems to mean “to feel spite”, from base dongkol which is also able to express the same meaning as dungkul, namely “hornless”. In the Rameswarapura charter (1197 Śaka) we read the following sentence: juru ri suka lagu kbo ḍuṅkul sinuṅan pirak, ku 2, vḍihan, 1 “The headman at Suka Lagu [named] Kbo Ḍuṅkul (literally Hornless Buffalo) was given 2 kupaṅ of silver [and] 1 vḍihan”. This suggests that the person who claims to be bowing here bore a personal name of the same type.