Jainism in North India

SR No.: 011067
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Chimanlal J Shah
Publisher: Longmans Green and Compny London
Publication Year: 1932
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 3 MB

Page 255

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA supreme lord and supreme king of great kings, the illustrious Kumaragupta, on the twentieth day (of the winter-month Karttika) -on that (date, specified as) above an image was set up by Samadhya (Syamadhya), daughter of Bhattabhava (and) housewife of the ferry-man (?) Grahamittrapalita, who had received the command (to make the dedication) from Datilacayya (Dattilacarya) out of the Kottiya Gana (and) the Vidyadhari-Sakha." 1 With regard to the other two inscriptrons, one of them is not in good condition, and so no continuous translation is possiblc. It apparently records the building or restoration of a temple. The other one, however, on palaeographical grounds has been considered by Buhler to belong to the Gupta period. The said Inscription, which is incised on the base of a small statue, runs as follows: "In the fifty-seventh, 57, year, in the third month of winter, on the thirteenth day, on the (date specified) as above ..." To quote the learned scholar: "The shape of the letters, and especially the peculiar method of marking the long and short-ie. by turning the former to the right of the consonant and the latter to the left-makes it, I think, impossible to assign No. XXXVIII to an earlier period." 4 As to the exact period of the above two inscriptions, dated m the years 113 and 57 of the Gupta period, we shall have to refer to the era founded by the Guptas. From the words "Guplakala," "Guptavarsha," etc, which were found in the Gupta cpigraphical and other records, it appears that this era must bave been started by some king of the Gupta dynasty. No recorded evidence has been available up till now for this, but from Samudragupta's inscription at Allahabad we find that Candragupta I, who was his predecessor, is the first Gupta king who calls himself "Maharajadhiraja" His predecessors, both Gupta and Ghatotkaca, are entitled simply as "Maharaja" 6 This, combined with the inscriptional records of the period of Candragupta II, the successor of Samudragupta, ol 1 Buhler, E 1, 11, Ins No XXXIX, pp. 210-211 Ibad, Ins No XL, p 211 . Ibid, Ins No XXXVIII, p 210 Ind, 108 This 19 Mr Growse's No V (14,9, 210) Speaking About the learned scholar obseries "If the date is realls the ser 67 of the same crans traat employed in the inscriptions of Kanishka and ITuvashkn, it is the earliest unmistakao Jarna figure yet found in this neighbourhood I cannot, however, believe stil that it compimtis cly modem Growse, op cal, p 278 "Who (Samudragupta) 104 a mortal only a celebrating the riles of the obstone of mankind, (but was otherwise) a god, discling on the carth-wlowns son of the 200