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94
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
TEXT.
1 Sidham raño Gotamiputasa sâmi-Siriyaña-Satakanisa samvachhare (1) sâtame 7 hematâņa pakhe tatiye 3
[VOL. VIII.
2 divase pathame (2) Kosikasa mahâsenâpatisa Bhavagopasa bharijaya mahâsenâpatiņiya (3) Vasuya lepa
3 Bopakiyatisujamâna apayavasitasamâne (4) bahukâņi varisâņi ukute payavasâņa (5) nito (6) châtudi
4 sasa cha bhikhusaghasa Avâso dato ti.
REMARKS.
(1) G. and AS. savachha. (2) G. padhame; AS. pathame. The central dot of tha seems certain on the back.--(3) AS. sendpatiniya.- (4) G. and AS. manasa pa°; AS. yavesita (5) G. and AS. payavasine.-(6) G. niîte.
O
TRANSLATION.
"Success! On the first day of the third-3rd- fortnight of winter, in the seventh7th-year of the king, the lord Sriyaña-Satakani, son of Gotami, the Mahúsenápatní Vâsu, wife of the Mahasenapati Bhavagopa, of the Kausika family, has completed and given, as an abode to the universal Samgha of monks, this cave which had been excavated for many years, but, after having been created by the ascetic Bopaki, had remained uncompleted."
Bühler gave up the interpretation of the third line, and Bhagwanlal's tentative translation was only arrived at by unaccountable devices. I think it absolutely necessary to co-ordinate the different links sujamâne, samâne, ukute, nito, the combination of neuters (eam) and masculines (supposing the readings to be certain) being here in no way surprising. The different epithets express with precision and in the most satisfactory manner the succession of events which concern the cave. The initial date cannot refer to anything but the finishing and consecration of the cave; it follows that the whole epigraph must be construed as a single sentence, which ends with the present donation after having enumerated the successive circumstances which explain it. The reading apaya instead of sapaya is important for understanding the passage. It is well known how similar the initial a and the s are in this script. We have here one more instance in the fact that Bühler wavers so much between the transcriptions tisuja and tiaja. The necessary antithesis between payavasana nito and apayavasita seems to place my correction above all doubt. The reading jamane also appears to be better supported by the traces visible on the estampage. It is after all of little importance, as the function and meaning of the word would in either case be just the same. The function is stated by what has been said above. As to the meaning, the matter seems more perplexing; but it is clear in a general way. The work must have been begun by the yati Vopaki (compare Vôpadêva). But srijati means to create, to produce' only in a half philosophical acceptation, and, it must be owned, such a use of the word here does not look very likely. As for ukute, I take it not utkrita which gives no good meaning, but utkritta, cut, hewn,' i.e. 'excavated.'
=
No. 25, Plate vi. (Ksh. 15).
On the front wall of an unfinished cave beyond Cave No. 23.
TEXT.
1 Sidham raño Vâsiṭhiputasa sâmi-Siri-Pulu
2 mâisa sanivachhare 2 hemamtâ pakhe 4 divase ? (1)
3 etiya puvaya kutumbikena Dhanamena ipa
4 kâritah saha m.. pituhi saha
. (2).
