Epigraphia Indica Vol 07

Author(s): E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 68

No. 7.]
KARLE CAVE-INSCRIPTIONS.
53
her son, noems to indicato a Brahmapical origin. In the case of an ordinary householder of the Vaisya class we would doubtlessly have gahapati as elsewhere.
No. 6, Plate iv. (E. 6). Chaitya cave. On the pillar of the verandah in front of the central door
TEXT. 1 Dheņuk[&]kațakens (1) vahaking 2 na (2) Vepuvåsa-put . .pa (3) 3 mugha (4) kata durem . dhu
Semighara[sa] . . (5).
REMARKS. (1) AS. and OTI. rend rukáka. The long d seems very doubtful; tle slanting resembles a simple crack.-(2) After Sámi, CTI. inserts ka and AS. le; but in the estampagethere is no trace of a letter which might have disappeared. The na is very probable, but the crack which crosses the top of the character does not absolutely exclude the reading na.- (5) AS. and CTI. read putona; but the e attached to the t is at least vory indistinct. Besides, i appears from a comparison of the preceding lipe that there ought to have been an additiona! letter here. The existing traces would seem to point to the reading pulakena, though this diminative is not very plausible.- (4) AS. and CTI. read mughan. I cannot distinguish the anusvára, but will not deny that it exists. The stone is so much defaced that no detail is quite certain here.-(5) The d has a hook at the bottom wbich can easily be taken for u; but it must not be forgotten that here, as in other cases, this vowel is represented by a vertical line. The hrus at the top is too slanting to be considered an d. The e expressed by the stroke at the top of seems less doubtful. As the whole lower right portion of the m is obliterated, the reading 9221 AS. and OTI. is possible, but simply hypothetical. Between this character and the dhu the space makes it probable that one letter is lost. Certain traces suggest an h, perhaps maha. The last letter, read as ka in AB. and CTI., is at least very doubtful. CTI. adds a bnnl sa which, in my opinion, is inadmissible. The stone may have originally borne one or more additional letters. The sign of punctuation which AS. seems to discover, not without hesitation, is at any inte improbable.
TRANSLATION "By the carpenter Sami, son of Vēņuvåsa, a native of Dhénukakata, there was made the opening of the cave .
." The mutilation of the text renders its explanation imperfect. What is sure, is, that we lave here in some way the signature of a workman or artist. The separation of the usual compound gharamukha into gharasa mukha produces the impression that the inscription does not refer to the whole of the door, but to details connected with the opening. Theso may have been prefied by the word or words which remain obscure at the end of the inscription. And as iu fant the work of a carpenter is spoken of, we may have to think of some piece of carpontry or von doporation. The unoertainty of the reading leaves the name of this sculptor, Syamiln, Svýmin, or otherwise, undetermined.
No. 7, Plate 1. (K. 7). Chaitya cave. On the top of the third pillar; loft row.
TEXT, Dhenukakata (1) Yavanasa Sihadhayana thambho dávazn (2)