24-36. Votive Inscriptions in the Chaitya Cave at Karle.
| In the beginning of November 1923, the Chowkidar of the caves at Karle while washing pillars and figures in the Chaitya hall, came across some new inscriptions and brought them to the notice of the Assistant Engineer, Bombay Road Subdivision. That officer communicated the news of the discovery through the Executive Engineer, Poona District, to the Superintendent of the Archeological Survey, Western Circle, who secured good impressions of all of them. These inscriptions are twelve in number and generally in a very good state of preservation, though all of them are not equally well inscribed, as is the case with some of the Karle inscriptions so ably handled by M. Senart (EI, VII). About the letters it might be remarked that they are of the slightly cursive variety adopted in the Nasik inscription, No. 20 (Buhler's Tafel, III, col. XIII), with the tailed ka, the hooked da and the crude ma. Though some of the technical terms used in these records are rather obscure and the places mentioned in them, viz. Gînåkàka, Umåhanàkaòa and Dhånukàkaòa, have not been located with ceriainty, yet they are of special interest, for they help us in showing the extent of the outlying parts from which the caves attracted donating pilgrims. (MV) |
| Madho Sarup Vats, EI, XVIII, No. 36. I-XIII |
No. 24 (I). Fifth pillar; right row.
TEXT.
1. Umåhanàkaòà Yavanasa
2. Viòasa[m*]gatànaì dànaì thahho÷.
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For Viòasa[ì*]ga- read Chiòasa Ga- [N. G. Majumdar, from additions].
No. 25 (II). Eighth pillar; right row.
TEXT.
1. Gîíåkàkasa Dhamula-upàsåkasaì
2. dåyadha[ì]ma thaìvî
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L.1 The anusvàra is redundant.
L. 2. Mark the crude outline of 'da' and 'ma' in this. 'Vî' seems to have been carved out
for 'bhî'.
No. 26 (III). Eleventh pillar; right row.
TEXT.
1. Dhånukàkaòà
2. Vàniya-gàma-
3. sa thabhî dànaì
No. 27 (IV). Thirteenth pillar; right row.
TEXT.
1. Dhånukàkaòà Ya[va]nasa Dhamadha-
2. yanaì thabhî dànaì
________________
The right side of the loop of 'va' in 'Yavanasa' is broken, but its outline is clearly
perceptible from the reverse side of the impression.
No. 28 (V). Fourteenth pillar; right row.
TEXT.
1. Dhånukàkaòà Rîhamitåna Chu[la]-
2. påtukasa Agilasa athà-
3. ya thabhî kàritî
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L. 2. Ep. Ind , Vol. VII, pp. 53-54. 'Chulapåtukasa' agrees with 'Agilasa', and seems to
be an epithet describing Agila though its meaning is not clear. [Chulapitukasa means 'of
the father's younger brother, i.e., uncle'.-Ed.] Upper part of the perpendicular stroke of
'la' is broken, but its outline is visible from relief on reverse of the impression.
It appears that the lower horizontal stroke of 'tha' to the right was in process of
engraving when the engraver discovered that he was placing it much lower than its proper
position, and consequently left it unfinished and crude.
No. 29 (VI). Fifteenth pillar; right row.
TEXT. 1. Dhånukàkaòà Chulayakhan[àì]
2. [Ya]vaíasa thabhî dàna
No. 30 (VII). Fourth pillar; left row. (N.B.-This inscription is
identical with No. 7 of M. Senart, carved on the top of the third pillar in the left row.)
TEXT.
1. Dhånukàkaòà Yavaíasa
2. Sihadhayàna[ì*] thaìbhî dànaì
No. 31 (VIII). Sixth pillar; left row.
TEXT.
1. Dhånukàkaòà Sîmilana-
2. kasa dàna thabhî
No. 32 (IX). Eighth pillar; left row.
TEXT.
1. Dhånukàkaòà Gîla-vàniya-
2. saputasa Isalakasa[ì] thabhî
3. [dà]naì
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L. 1. 'Gîla-vàniya' might mean a 'trader in myrrh', but appears to mean the 'trader
Gîla' here.
L. 2. Read Isalakasa, the anusvàra is superfluous. The anusvara in thaìbhî is perhaps
to be seen from relief on reverse of the impression, but is not certain.
L. 3. In line 3 it appears as if 'da' was being inscribed and then left and carved out
again immediately after.
No. 33 (X). Ninth pillar; left row.
TEXT.
1. Dhånukàkaòà Yavanasa
2. Yasavadhanàna[ì]
3. thabhî dàna[ì*]
No. 34 (XI). Tenth pillar; left row.
TEXT.
[Dh]ånukàkaòà [Ma]ha[ma]tà ghariniya
_________________
The outline of the 3rd letter in this word is not clear, it may be 'ma' or 'va.' Corrected
in additions: For "Mahamatà" read "Mahamità (Mahàmitrà)".-Ed.
No. 35 (XII). Thirteenth pillar; left row.
TEXT.
1. Dhånukàòà gahapati[nî] Àsåkasa natiyå
2. Dhamada(å)vayà dànaì
3 thabhî
_________________
Read Dhånukàkaòà; 'ka' is left out through oversight on the part of the engraver.
No. 36 (XIII). An inscribed piece of stone found near the caves.
TEXT.
. . . . [kha]sa Ùåga-putrasa
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These two letters (Ùåga) forming a proper name are not quite clear. The outline of the
first is misleading, but careful scrutiny of relief on reverse of the impression leads me
to think that it is either 'ùå' or 'gå' while the second appears to be 'ga'; the
accretion of an altogether new outline proceeding from its top along the left being merely
a development of the crack in stone.