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No. 8.]
NASIK CAVE INSCRIPTIONS.
G. and AS. add fragments of one more line: sya ma (AS. masa sarva[i]) rakshati (AS. rakshati) vidya (AS. Vishn[udata]) can discern nothing on the estampages.
89
TRANSLATION.
"Success! In the ninth year of king favarasena, the Abhira, son of Sivadatta, the Abhira, son of Madhari, on the thirteenth-13th-day of the fourth-4th-fortnight of summer on the above, by the lay devotee Vishnudatta, the Sakani, mother of the Ganapaka Visvavarma, wife of the Ganapaka Rebhila, daughter of Agnivarman, the Saka, for the well-being and happiness of all beings, in order to provide medicines for the sick of the Samgha of monks of whatever sect and origin dwelling in this monastery on mount Trirasmi, a perpetual endowment has been invested for all time to come with the guilds dwelling [at Govardhana], vis. in the hands of the guild of Kularikas, one-thousand- 1000-kárshápanas, of the guild of Odayantrikas, two-thousand, of the guild of.... . five-hundred-500-, of the guild of ... and those karshapanas.
oil-millers
sarva (AS. Of all this I
Bühler asserts that "gandpaka means 'protector or leader of a gana,' which consists of three gulmas or battalions, and may be taken as an equivalent of colonel." According to Bhagwanlal "it appears to be a professional name or a surname .... ganapaka means the head of a group." Neither of them gives references for this word which I do not find in the lexicons, and the analysis of which, as proposed by them, seems in no way self-convincing. What is most certain is the statement of Bhagwanlal that its meaning in this passage is not clear. It is no use comparing such ecclesiastical titles as ganáchárya, for example in Junnar No. 22. The only correct derivation of the word seems to be from ganipayati, a normal equivalent of ganayati, so that ganapaka would be an equivalent of ganaka, meaning 'accountant' or 'astrologer;' compare for instance the ganakas who are mentioned as important functionaries in the Mahavastu, III. 42, 9; 44, 5. It need hardly be added that this meaning is very hypothetical, because we have here a title, i.e. a consecrated form which does not well admit of variations.
The word vihara occurs in 1. 7, and this inscription is found in the court of a real vihara which contains not less than sixteen separate cells. The restoration Govadhanavástavyasu is hardly conjectural. As to the word which AS. writes Sugatágatásu, the stone certainly leaves sufficient space for one letter between td and ga, and it seems even that traces of it are visible on the accompanying Plate; I therefore consider the transcription ágatánágatásu as certain, Bhagwanlal appears to have made out the meaning correctly, and I do not see why the expression seems to have puzzled him. A perpetual rent is intended, which will have to be paid by the guilds mentioned indefinitely, such as they actually are in virtue of their past constitution, and such as they will be under the modifications which may be brought about in future. Unfortunately the names of these guilds are not so clear as we should wish. For kularika at least I see nothing better than Bühler's conjecture, taking it to be kulala, a potter.' The same is not the case with odayamtrika, which I take to be a derivative audayantrika, from udayantra (compare jalayantra, variyantra, tôyayantra, etc.), workers fabricating hydraulic engines,
water-clocks or others.'
No. 16, Plate vii. (N. 5).
On the back wall of the veranda in Cave No. 11, right of the doorway.
TEXT.
After chatâle (1. 12) the traces of the inscription are too scarce to allow of any solid hypothesis. The part of a protector,' which the text, as proposed by AS. for 1. 13, would attribute to Vishnudattâ, is in any case very unlikely.
1 Sidham Sivamitalekhakaputass
? Ramampakasa lepam deyadhammam (1).
