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No. 23.]
NEW BRAHMI INSCRIPTIONS OF THE SCYTHIAN PERIOD. 117
TRANSLATION.
"Success. In the year 80, the 1st (month) of winter, the 12th day, of the Mahārāja Vasudeva,-on that (date specified as) above, the daughter of the lay hearer Sa the daughter-in-law of Samghanadhi (Samghanandin)
"
Bala
XI-INSCRIBED BAS-RELIEF FROM MATHURA, THE YEAR 99.
The inscription is incised along the raised border of a fragmentary bas-relief on yellow sandstone. The bas-relief consists of two panels with raised borders. The lower one is larger but its lower part is broken. The smaller panel at the top is in good preservation. It consists of a stupa in the centre with two Jinas on each side seated in the attitude of meditation under umbrellas. The Jina on the proper left of the stupa has no umbrella on his head. A sevenheaded snake takes the place of the umbrella and shows that it is Parsvanatha, the 23rd Tirthamkara. The inscription is incised on the rims at the top and bottom of this panel.
The lower panel contains the upper part of a woman's figure standing with her left hand on her hips and the right one lifted up. A small inscription consisting of two lines has been incised over her right shoulder (A). To her left stands a nude male figure, evidently an ascetic, with a iece of cloth on his left wrist. In the space between the heads of these two figures occurs the ription B. Two female figurines are standing to the left of the ascetic and behind them the plic's upper part of the figure of a Naga king under a tree with his hands folded in supleft ip. On each side of this group is a pillar with a bell shaped capital, of which the one on the ounted by a wheel. A drawing of this bas-relief has been published by Mr. Smith.*
The
soiption has already been published by Dr. Bühlert (No. 75 of Professor Lüders' List, above, p. 1 though Mr. V. A. Smith did not notice it at first. The original inscription differs in two a thraces from Dr. Bühler's readings.
of
TEXT.
1 S[i]doe[i] Ship 90 91 gri 2 di 10 e2 Koṭṭiyātō gapato Thaniyātō kulātō Vaï[rā]to sakható Ary Sura
2 [si]sini hama[s[i]ye niv[a]rtanā
Grahadatasya dhi[tā]
Dhanahathi
•
A. Anagha [Sethi Vi B. Kana 8(rama[n]
Ś[r]ama[a].5
Remarks.
1. The year is most certainly 99, as has already been recognized by Dr. Hoernle and Mr. V. A. Smith in the J. R.4. S. 190, p. 152.
2. The second of the symols denoting the date was taken by Dr. Bühler to be 8, but it is similar in all respects to the symbol for six, cf. above, Vol. I., p. 388, No XII.
3. The reading of the third sylable is certain though the cross-bar of sa is not distinct in the impression.
4. I have not been able to make at the aksharas preceding the word grahadatasya.
5. The smaller inscriptions are host probably labels and as such are unique among the Mathura sculptures of this period. Their Sanskrit equivalents are given in Dr. Führer's Annual Report for 1890-1 (p. 3). The baslief has not been explained as yet.
Jaina Stupa, p. 24, pl. XVII. fig. 2, and Lucknow Museum Catalogue No. J-623. + Ante, Vol. I. p. 392, No. XXII.
[On the plate the reading appears to be Dhamadharave.-Ed.]
