Navamuni cave Inscription of the time of Uddyotakeśarin year 18

Author of digital edition: Amandine Wattelier-Bricout (amwb).

Contributor: Amandine Wattelier-Bricout (amwb).

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

Repository: Somavaṁśin (tfb-somavamsin-epigraphy).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSomavamsin00029.

File path: texts/DHARMA_INSSomavamsin00029.xml.

Version: 2026-09-16 20:28 (0db4e0f), last modified 2026-09-16 20:28 (0db4e0f).

Edition

⟨1⟩ ꩜ śrīmad-udyotakesari-devasya pravarddhamāne vijaya-rājye samvaT 18

⟨2⟩ śrī_-Ārya-saṁgha-prativaddha-graha-kula-vinirggata-deśī-gaṇa-Ācārya-śrī-kulacandra-

⟨3⟩ _-bhaṭṭārakasya tasya śiṣya-subhacandrasya{ḥ}╫⁜╫1

Apparatus

⟨2⟩ Ārya° S ⬦ Āryya R • There is no duplication of the °y° noticeable on the photo. — ⟨2⟩ °graha-kula° S R ⬦ °grahdvāla° P • The reading °graha-kula° is really clear on the photo and what Panigrahi 1961 suggests is not what is written but should be seen as an interpretation or a suggestion for correction of what is engraved in stone. — ⟨2⟩ °deśī-gaṇa° S R ⬦ °Ṛ¡śī!⟨ṣi⟩-gaṇa° P • Here again, there is no doubt for the reading °deśī-gaṇa° whose akṣaras are really legible on the photo. What Panigrahi 1961 suggests is not what is written but should be seen as an interpretation or a suggestion for correction of what is engraved in stone. — ⟨2⟩ °Ā¡v!⟨c⟩ārya° ⬦ °Ācārya° S; °Ācāryya° R; °Āvārya° P • If we compare the appearance of akṣara ca used in the words kulacandra and subhacandra, it appears more likely to read °Āvārya° as suggested by Panigrahi 1961. However, accepting this reading does not lead to a satisfactory meaning or syntactic construction. Moreover, the proximity of the word śiṣya (clearly legible) and the similarity of the two proper nouns (kulacandra and subhacandra) invite to understand a master-pupil relationship between these two and to read Ācārya. One can also compare this inscription with the other one legible in the same cave (see Lalāṭendukesari’s Cave Inscription of Mahābhavagupta Uddyotakesarin Year 5)

Translation by Rajaguru 1966

The year 18 of the increasing and victorious reign of the illustrious Udyotakeśarīdeva. (The work of) Śubhacandra, the disciple of the lord, the illustrious Ācārya Kulacandra, (who) belonged to the graha=kula of the illustrious Ārya congregation (and belonged to) the Desīgaṇa.

Translation

Hail ! During the year 18 of the glorious king Uddyotakesarin!

From¹ Subhacandra, disciple of the venerable lord Kulacandra, master of the guild Deśī from the Graha corporation, linked to the community of the venerable Ārya (or to the respectful community Ārya).

Translation into French

Hommage ! En l’année prospère 18 du règne du glorieux (śrī) roi (deva) Uddyotakesarin

De la part² de Subhacandra, disciple de sa majesté, le vénérable Kulacandra, maître de la confrérie Deśī issue de la corporation des Graha, rattachée à la communauté du respectable Ārya (ou de la respectable communauté Ārya).

Commentary

The inscription is found on the inner side of the architrave;

General Cunningham’s reading reported by Beglar & Cunningham 1882 is the following : “Sri Madusyota Kesari Devasya pravarddhanne rajye samvat 18 (?) Sri Arya Sangha prati Vadoha graha kula vivisca (?) de Sri Ganascarya Sri Kalacandra bha***sya*likhya Subha Cnadrasyeh***”

Bibliography

Whereas Prinsep 1837 was the first to edit some inscriptions found in Khaṇḍagiri and Udayagiri, he did not edit this one which was first noticed by Beglar & Cunningham 1882, who published it with Cunningham’s reading of it in the Archaelogical Survey Report, vol XIII, p. 85, note 1. First published by Banerji 1915–1916, pp. 165–166. Re-edited here by Amandine Wattelier-Bricout based on the photos taken with Annette Schmiedchen in January 2023.

Primary

[B] Banerji, Rakhal Das. 1915–1916. “Inscriptions in the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves.” EI 13, pp. 159–167. Item XIV, pages 165–166.

[P] Panigrahi, Krishna Chandra. 1961. Chronology of the Bhauma-Karas and the Somavaṁśīs of Orissa. No place. Page 55.

[R] Rajaguru, Satyanarayan. 1966. Inscriptions of Orissa, vol. 4. No place: Sri Sarada Press. [URL]. Item 38, pages 242–243.

[S] Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass. Item XXV, pages 301–302.

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]. Entry 1573.

Tripathy, Snigdha. 2010. Descriptive topographical catalogue of Orissan inscriptions. New Delhi: Manohar. Pages 299–300.

Notes

1. This is an adverbial genitive which expresses an original value "from" "on the part of" (see Renou 1975, № 222b, p. 305).
2. Le génitif employé ici correspond à un génitif adverbial exprimant une valeur d’origine "provenant de", "de la part de" (sur ce point, voir Renou 1975, № 222b, p. 305).

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<note>The reading °<foreign>graha-kula</foreign>° is really clear on the photo and what <bibl><ptr target="bib:Panigrahi1961_01"/></bibl> suggests is not what is written but should be seen as an interpretation or a suggestion for correction of what is engraved in stone.</note>

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<p>The year 18 of the increasing and victorious reign of the illustrious Udyotakeśarīdeva. (The work of) Śubhacandra, the disciple of the lord, the illustrious Ācārya Kulacandra, (who) belonged to the graha=kula of the illustrious Ārya congregation (and belonged to) the Desīgaṇa. </p>

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<p>Hail ! During the year 18 of the glorious king Uddyotakesarin!</p>

This is an adverbial genitive which expresses an original value "from" "on the part of" <supplied reason="explanation">see <bibl><ptr target="bib:Renou1975_01"/><citedRange unit="item">222b</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">305</citedRange></bibl></supplied>.

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Subhacandra, disciple of the venerable lord Kulacandra, master of the guild Deśī from the Graha corporation, linked to the community of the venerable Ārya (or to the respectful community Ārya).</p>

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<p>Hommage ! En l'année prospère 18 du règne du glorieux <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>śrī</foreign></supplied> roi <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>deva</foreign></supplied> Uddyotakesarin </p>

Le génitif employé ici correspond à un génitif adverbial exprimant une valeur d'origine "provenant de", "de la part de" <supplied reason="explanation">sur ce point, voir <bibl><ptr target="bib:Renou1975_01"/><citedRange unit="item">222b</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">305</citedRange></bibl></supplied>.

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de Subhacandra, disciple de sa majesté, le vénérable Kulacandra, maître de la confrérie Deśī issue de la corporation des Graha, rattachée à la communauté du respectable Ārya (ou de la respectable communauté Ārya).

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<p>The inscription is found on the inner side of the architrave;</p>

<p>General Cunningham's reading reported by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Beglar+Cunningham1882_01"/></bibl> is the following : <q>Sri Madusyota Kesari Devasya pravarddhanne rajye samvat 18 (?) Sri Arya Sangha prati Vadoha graha kula vivisca (?) de Sri Ganascarya Sri Kalacandra bha***sya*likhya Subha Cnadrasyeh***</q></p>

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<p>Whereas <bibl><ptr target="bib:Prinsep1837_04"/></bibl> was the first to edit some inscriptions found in Khaṇḍagiri and Udayagiri, he did not edit this one which was first noticed by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Beglar+Cunningham1882_01"/></bibl>, who published it with Cunningham's reading of it in the Archaelogical Survey Report, vol XIII, p. 85, note 1. First published by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Banerji1915-1916_01"/><citedRange unit="page">165-166</citedRange></bibl>. Re-edited here by Amandine Wattelier-Bricout based on the photos taken with Annette Schmiedchen in January 2023.</p>

<bibl n="S"><ptr target="bib:Shastri1995_02"/><citedRange unit="item">XXV</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">301-302</citedRange></bibl>

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