No. 20. Karle Buddhist cave inscription. Prakrit. From the great Chaitya Cave at Kàrlå, on the front of the sill of the great arched window, to the left of the main door, dated in the 7th year of Puëumàyi.
| 1847 Bird-Mitchell, Hist. Res. p. 58 f., No. 18, and plate XXXVI, 4; 1854 Stevenson-Brett, JBRAS V, p. 153 f., No. 3, and Plate, No. 4; 1881 Bhagvanlal Indraji-Burgess, ICTWI, p. 34 f., No. 14, and Plate; 1883 Buôhler-Burgess, ASWI IV, p. 107 f., No. 9.17, and Plate LIV; 1896 corr. by Franke, ZDMG L, p. 596; 1902 Senart, EI VII, p. 61 f., No. 14, and Plate II; Luders list No 1100; SI No. 85; |
| Lu: -Gift of a village (gàma) to the community (sagha) of Valuraka
(Valóraka), of the Valuraka (Valóraka) caves (låna), by the mahàrathi Sîmadåva, son
of Vàsiòhè (Vàsiøòhè), the son of the mahàrathi Mitadåva (Mitradåva), son of
Kîsikè (Kauùikè), of the Okhaëakiyas. -Raãî Vàsiòhiputasa sàmi-Siri-P[uëumàvisa] savachharå satamå 7 [g]imhapakhå pachamå 5 [d]ivaså pathamå 1 åtàya puvàya. |
| SI often read c instead ch. Sircar dividing mark - [|*]. |
TEXT.
1. Raão Vàsiòhiputasa Sàmi-Siri[-Puëumayisa ] savachhare satame 7 gimha-pakhe pachame
5
2. divase pathame 1 [|] etàya puvàya Okhaëakiyànaì Mahàrathisa Kosiki-putasa
Mitadevasa putena
3. [ma]hàrathinà Vàsiòhiputena Somadevena gàmo dato Valuraka-saìghasa [|]
Valuraka-lenasa sa-karukaro sa-deya-
4. meyo [||]
Notes
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L. 1. There seems to be no doubt about this restoration [-Puëumayisa], as the i and sa
are still perceptible. (ASWI)
Bu. has Vasiòhiputasa Sàmisirip . . . . .s ; SI has Puëumàvisa.
L. 2. The thi of this word (Mahàrathisa) is not quite distinct, and might perhaps be read
òhi.(ASWI); Sen. has Okhaëakiyàna;
L. 3. Sen. has hàrathinà; Valuraka-saghasa Valóraka-lenana. Perhaps we should read
Valórakasaìghasa; the ó is quite distinct in the repetition of the name.(ASWI) Read
Valórakalenànaì, sakarukarosa is, doubtless, a misspelling of sakàrakàrasa, i.e.,
saìskàrakàràya.(ASWI)
SI read 4 stk as the last part of stk.3
____________________
(ASWI) On the 1st day, 1, of the fifth, 5, fortnight of the hot season, in the seventh, 7,
year of the king, the lord, the illustrious Puëumàyi, the son of the queen of the
Vàsiøòha race. On the above (day) the Mahàrathi of the Okhaëakiyas, Somadeva - born
of the wife of the Vàsiøòha race (and) son of the Mahàrathi Mitadeva (Mitradeva), born
of the wife of the Kauùika race - gave a village to the community (of monks) at
Valóraka. This gift (has been made) in order to keep the caves at Valóraka in repair.
Notes to translation (ASWI)
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1. I leave Mahàrathi untranslated, because I take it to be a title. The word is,
probably, closely connected with the old Sanskrit mahàratha, a great warrior, and stands
to it in the same relation as surópin to surópa; but when a person dating his grant by
the regnal year of an Andhra king is called tlie Mahàrathi of a certain tribe or people,
as in this case, it is evident that the word has a technical meaning, and characterises
the person indicated as a feudatory or official of the Andhras. The meaning of the term is
probably allied to that of Mahàbhoja or Mahàsàmanta. At all events, M. Garrez`s
conjecture (Jour. Asiat., ser. vi, tom. xx, p. 203), that it is equivalent to a Maràòha,
is shown by this inscription to be untenable.(ASWI)
2. The termination, -iya, i.e., -èya, frequently means - living in, and it might be
expected that Okhalaka was the name of a country. It may be noted that, according to the
Køitèùavaìsàvali, there was a district called Ukhaäa (see Pet. Dict., s.v.), and
possibly Okhaëaka may be the same.(ASWI)
3. Valóraka is evidently the name of the monastic establishment at Kàrle; it occurs also
in the inscription of Usabhadata, on the other side of the door from this.(ASWI)