Epigraphia Indica Vol 08

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

Page 56

No. 6.]
18 panaḥsêtubandha-nair[a]éyâd-hâhâbhûtâsu prajâsul ih-ådhishthânê paura-jânapadajan-ânugrah-årtham pârthivêna kritsnânâm-Anartta-Surâshtrânâm3 pâlanartthan='Diyuktêna
JUNAGADH INSCRIPTION OF RUDRADAMAN.
45
19 Pahlavêna Kulaipa-putrên âmâtyêna Suvisâkhena yathavad-artha-dharmavyavahara-darśanair-anuragam-abhivarddhayatâ saktêna dântên-âchapalên-âvismitên=
kryp-haryya
20 svadhitishthata dharma-kirtti-yasâmsi bhartur="abhivarddhayat-ânushtṭhitam-iti 1(1)
TRANSLATION,
(Be it) accomplished!
(Line 1.) This lake Sudarsana, from Girinagara [even a long distance?].
. of a structure so well joined as to rival the spur of a mountain, because all its embankments are strong, in breadth, length and height constructed without gaps as they are of stone, [clay], . . furnished with a naand with well
turallo dam, [formed by ?]
provided conduits, drains and means to guard against foul matter,11
.. by
.. three sections. favours is (now) in an excellent condition.19
and other
(L. 3.) This same (lake) 13 on the first of the dark half of Margasirsha in the seventy-second- 72nd-year of the king, the Mahâkshatrapa Rudradâman whose name is repeated by the venerable, the son of 15
1 Read prajdavik.
I. has drttham. Read "shtrandi, which is the reading of I. and B. I. and B. have Palhavena. I has -dharmmam.
I. has -kirti-.
I. has bhartturm.
11 The word midha of the original text has been translated only by Dr. Bhagvanlal Indraji. Taking midhavidhanam as a separate epithet of the lake, he rendered it by 'the outline of which runs in curves like a stream of urine,' to which Prof. Bühler added the note that mstrarékhd is a common expression in Gujarati for "crooked. " Both scholars apparently took midha to be synonymous with gómitraka; but this could hardly be approved of. Besides, midha-vidhanam, as we now see, really forms part of the Bahuvrihi compound commencing with suprativihita, and therefore either midha by itself or midha-vidhana must denote something that was provided for the lake just as conduits and drains were provided for it. In my opinion midha is identical with the Pâli milha (e.g. in milhena littá, Jataka, Vol. III. p. 244, 1. 18, milha-littam mahdpatham, ibid. p. 525, 1, 27, milhena tam vadhisedmi pati haññatu pátind, Vol. II. p. 211, 1. 25, mittadduno milham adenti bald, Vol. VI. p. 112, 1. 2), meaning 'excrements' or dirt, foul matter' generally; according to the smaller St. Petersburg dictionary midha is used in this sense also in the Lalitavistara, e.g. in midha-giri, a danghill,' Calcutta ed. p. 240, 1. 4. Now since foul matter would not have been provided for the lake, that which was so provided must be denoted by midha-vidhana, and I feel no hesitation in explaining this word to mean arrangements made to guard against foul matter or impurities." By the context vidhana here as elsewhere becomes practically equivalent to parihdra or pratikriyd; on Ram. III. 24, 11 andgata-vidhanam is explained by ajigamishitasy-dwishfasya pratividhanam parihdrah, and on VII. 21, 5 vidhana is similarly paraphrased by pratikriyd.
"
19 If it were possible to say so with reference to a lake, I should have translated: 'is (now) in a highly prosperous state."
I. has drthan.
7 I. and B. have hdryena. 10 Literally non-artificial.'
The sentence is continued below, in the words with stones, trees, bushes,' etc.
14 As has been pointed out by Prof. S. Lévi (Jour. Asiatique, 1902, p. 100), the use of abhy-as and the statement that Rudradaman's name was repeated by gurus at once suggest the notion that for these reverend personages the name was like another Vêda, demanding assiduous study and devout veneration, and yielding the most precious fruit. Gurubhir-abhyasta-náman seems a stronger expression than the ordinary sugrihita-ndman which will be mentioned presently. In gurubhiraabhyasta-ndman (for the more logical garvabhyasta-ndman) we have one of those constructions which Indian grammarians impeach by the statement sapeksham-asamartham 3havati, but after all justify by gamakatodt-samdsah; similar constructions occur elsewhere in the text.
15 I.e. the son of the king, the Kshatrapa Lord Jayadaman; see the note on the text. In inscriptions and on coins Jayadaman is called Kshatrapa, not Mahakshatrapa; compare Ind. Ant. Vol. X. p. 157; Archeol. Surv. of West. India, Vol. II. p. 140; Ind. Ant. Vol. XII. p. 82; and Jour. Roy. As. Soc. 1890, p. 645.