3. Eran Inscription (now in Indian Museum, Calcutta) of Samudragupta.

Discovered 1874-75 or 1876-77 by Cunningham, notice in ASI, v. X, 89. Publ. CII, III, 18-21. From CII.III (Bh.) Eraí, Sàgar (Saugor) distr., MP. Now in Indian Museum, Calcutta.
(Fl. No. 2; Bh. No. 1539) Hiralal, Inscrs. in C.P. and Berar, p. 47, No. 79; Dasarath Sharma, JIH. Vol. XIV (1935), pp. 27-29; D. C. Sircar, SI. Bk. III, No. 3, pp. 260-62; Jagan Nath, JIH. Vol. XIX (1940), pp. 27-29; D. C. Sircar, PIHC. XVII (1954), pp. 72-77; B. Upadhyaya, SAII. pt. II, pp. 49-50; R. B. Pandey, HLI. (1962), pp. 77-78.
Metre: v.2 - Vasantatilaka, throughout. With exeption of l.9-12, as far as l.24 contain exactly a pada of each verse. L. 25ff. contained exactly two pàdas of each verse(Fl.)

Text.

1. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß
2. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß (|*)
3. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß
4. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß (||*)1.
5. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß
6. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß (|*)
7. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ suvaríía-dàne
8. [saìvà*]rità nðpatayaõ pðthu-ràghavàdyàõ (||*)2.
9. [putro*]babhóva dhanadàntaka-tuøòi-kopa-tulyaõ
10. [paràkra*]ma-nayena samudraguptaõ (|*)
11. [yaì prà*]pya pàrthiva-gaíassakalaõ pðthivyàm
12. [parya*]sta-ràjya-vibhava-ddhrutamàsthito(¸*)bhóta(||*)3.
13. [tàte*]na bhakti-naya-vikkrama-toøitena
14. [yo*]ràja-ùabda-vibhavairabhiøecanàdyaiõ (|)
15. [sammà*]nitaõ parama-tuøti-puraskðtena
16. [so¸yaì dhru*][vo]nðpatiraprativàryya-vèryyaõ (||*)4.
17. [dattà*]sya pauruøa-paràkkrama-datta-ùulkà
18. [hastya*]ùva-ratna-dhana-dhànya-samðddhi-yuktà (|*)
19. [nitya*]êgðheøu mudità bahu-putra-pautra-
20. [sa*]êkràmiíè kulavadhuõ vratinè niviøòà (||*)5.
21. [yasyo*]rjjitaì samara-karmma paràkrameddhaì
22. [pðthvyàì*]yaùaõ suvipulamparibabhramèti (|*)
23. [kàryà*]íi yasya ripavaù=ca raíorjjitàni
24. [sva*]pnàntareøvapi vicintya paritrasanti (||*)6.
25. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß [sta*][mbha?]õ svabhoganagarairrikiía-pradeùe (|*)
26. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß [saì*]sthàpitassvayaùasaõ paribriêhanàrttham 6 (||*)7.
27. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß ß ß ÿ vo nðpatiràha yadà ÿ ß ß(|*)
28. ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß ß ß ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ÿ ß ÿ ß ß(||*)8.


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Commentaries and variants.

L.8 ta in nðpatayaõ is writen below the line.(SI)
L.17 The 'nàmaikadeùa' dattà stands for dattadevè; cf. satyabhàmà satyeti and satyabhàmà bhàmeti cited in Màhàbhàøya (SI). From this Jagannath thinks, that Samudragupta won Dattadevè in an open contest(CII, III, Bh.)
L.20 Read kulavadhórvra- (SI).
L.23 Or perhaps caraí-àrjjitàni.(Fl.)
L.25 = mod Eraí. Pillar, bearing the inscription may have been raised by the ruler of Airikiía, who was probably a feudatory of Samudragupta, and a relation of Dattadevè.
L.26 read -bðêhaíà-. (SI)