________________
82
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(Vol. XXX
if it is proposed to refer the year of the date of our record to the regnal reckoning of an unknown Kushåna overlord of Kadambesvaradāsa. Sahni was inclined to refer the year 25 in our inscription to the Gupta era. But it is difficult to believe that the suzerainty of the Guptas and the use of their ora ever spread over the flazara District where the inscription under review was found.
The name of king Kadambesvaradīsa literally means "the servant (i.e. devotee) of Kadambakvara", in which Kadambökvara is certainly the name of a deity, probably Siva in the Linga form. Sive-lingas with names ending in the word isvara are known from all parts of India. Kadamba is primarily the name of a particular tree (Nuclea Cadamba) but may also be taken to be the name of a person, family or clan. But whether the name of the deity Kadambē vara was due to his installation by a person named Kadamba or his association with a particular Kadamba tree cannot be determined.
The inscription ends with the letters looking like dathasaka in line 4. This seems to refer to the locality where the temple of the yod Kumāra was built by Shấphara. In that case we may suggest the emendation Dahasaki. If, however, the last two letters may be taken to stand for Sanskrit sake," in his own ", the first two may be read as dathe. The four letters would then road datha svakė, "in his (i.e. Shūpharu's) own datha". But we do not know any word like datha. which may suit the context.
TEXT
1 (8a]* 20 5 M[a]rgatira-di' pratha. kāritocya' 2 Kunsåra-sthānam GaśūraņaMaka-putrēna 3 Shapharēņa mahärāja-Kadambēkvaradasa-r[äjy]8 4 datha[8]kao [ll]
No. 12-NOTE ON BADAGANGA INSCRIPTION OF BHUTIVARMAN
(1 Plate)
D. C. SIROAR, OOTACAMUND The Badaganga rock inscription of Bhūtivarman, which is the earliest epigraph so far die covered in Assam, has been edited above by the late Dr. N. K. Bhattasali. Previously an article on the inscription was published by the same author in the Journal of the Assam Research Society, Vol. VIII, 1941, pp. 138-39 (cf. alsó Bhäratavarsha, B.S. 1348, P. 90; IHQ, March, 1945, pp. 19-28). He also published a rejoinder in the form of footnotes added to my comments on his
For a sketch of the history of the area about the North-West Frontier Province about the third and fourth centarios, noo The Olassical Ape (The History and Culture of the Indian Peoplo, Vol. III), pp. 50 f.
01. above, Vol. XXVIII, p. 182, note 4. Prom an impression. .I.o., Sash which is a contraction of Sanhvaluard.
Discontraction of dine or divual. Pratha is a contraction of prathamd. * The reading intended is no doubt karit&=yan; but the context would require karikasidant. • Hoad Gabapa or Cabinamith.
For these letters sou our remarks above. * Vol. XXVII, pp. 18-23. The local pronunciation of Badaganga, as written by Dr. Bhattasali, is Harganga.