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SANCHI STUPA INSCRIPTIONS.
VII-VOTIVE INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE SANCHI STUPAS.
Br G. BÜHLER, PH.D., LL.D., C.I.E.
The subjoined transcripts of a large number of the votive inscriptions, found on the Sânchi, or more correctly Kâkanada,'Stupas Nos. I and II, have been prepared according to impressions by Drs. Burgess and Führer. The former took impressions of about twenty inscriptions in the beginning of 1889, and Dr. Führer, who visited Sânchi during the cold season of 1889-90, made copies of the whole collection. Compared with Sir A. Cunningham's collection, Bhilsa Topes, plates xvi-xix and xxi, the present ones show a hundred and ten inscriptions less for Stúpa I, and twenty-seven less for Stupa II. On the other hand, there are, counting the duplicates, forty-one inscriptions from Stúpa I and five from Stupa II which I cannot trace in Sir A. Cunningham's work. The missing inscriptions are probably incised on stones, which may have been lost in the repairs executed some years ago, or during the forty years which have elapsed since the preparation of Sir A. Cunningham's book. The most serious loss is that of Sir A. Cunningham's No. 177 (Bhilsa Topes, plate xix), see also Corpus Inscr. Ind., vol. I, Plate xx3, which, as I have already pointed out in the Indian Antiquary, vol. XIX, p. 124, seems to contain a second version of Asoka's so-called Kosambi edict on the Allahâbâd Pillar. This much appears highly probable from a comparison of the middle portions of the two inscriptions:
Allahabad.
Sánchi.
..samgham (3) Bhokhati bhikhu [v*] a bhikhuni [vâ*] [] datâ (4) ni du[s] ni s[*]nam. [dh* A]p[*]yit [u] and [p]e (5) assi visapetaviye [] Ichha hi me så (6) ti samghasa mage chilathitîke siyà ti (7).
samgham [.] [Bho]khati bhikhu-va bhikhuni-vâ. [pi] chân [.] (2) da[tâ]ni [d]ushni • na dhâpayitu anapesa . v. s. y. y. [.]
87
Assuming a new sentence to begin with bhokhati L. 5, the remainder of the Sânchi version may be translated as follows:
"Monks and nuns will dine,' (and) causing white cloths to be put down for them, (you) will order it to be spread. For my wish is this, that the path of the Community (of Buddhist monks) may endure for a long time."
The order is evidently addressed to an official, probably to the mahámátra in charge of Målva, just as the edict on the Allahâbâd Pillar gives directions to the governor of
1 See J. F. Fleet: Corp. Inser. Ind. vol. III, p. 31.
Inscriptions found only in Sir A. Cunningham's collection will be referred to in the sequel, according to his numbers to which C is prefixed.
During the repairs under Major Keith, many loose stones were built into the dome, some of which may have borne short votive inscriptions. The Asoka edict was on a fragment of a large pillar, which still lies at the great stúpa. This and others may possibly have been overlooked by Dr. Führer in his hurried visit.-J. B.
Sir A. Cunningham's two facsimiles (4, Bhilea Topes, Plate xix; B, Corp. Inser. Ind., vol. I Plate xx) have the following readings, which I have corrected:
L. 4, ta bhikhu..i omdato (4) cha bhikhuni yi khudatâ (B.);
L. 5, dupáni (4), du [sa] pir (B); sanamh (A, B); .chhavam andte (4); pâyita and (B);
L. 6, vidhapetaviye (4).
L. 7, tim samghamhsa (4), tim (B); milathitikem (4).
I do not dare to propose a restoration of the first three lines of the Sanchi version. Mr. Prinsep's and Sir A. Cunning. ham's attempts (Bhilsa Topes, p. 260 f.) do not seem to me successful.
Or perhaps "(i) a monk or a nun will dine, (then) etc."
