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No. 36.]
VOTIVE INSCRIPTIONS IN THE CHAITYA CAVE AT KARLE.
325
with the sundry taxes and with all (Buch) rights, by this charter, with the utmost devotion and by pouring libations of water-to last as long as the sun and the moon and the earth endure.
(L. 17) Knowing this and in obedience to (our) orders you should give to this (Brahmana) the land revenue and other income and everything due to him.
(L. 18) Similarly, considering that the merit of such a charitable deed is common (to all) the succeeding kings, whether of our family or of any other, should acquiesce in the charitable grant given by us and uphold it. For it is said
[Ll. 19-25 contain four of the customary benedictory verses.]
(L. 26) In the year 1076 on the 15th day of the bright fortnight of Bhādrapada. (This is) our own order.
(L. 27) Good luck (and) great prosperity! The sign manual of Sri-Bhöjadēva.
No. 36.-UNPUBLISHED VOTIVE INSCRIPTIONS IN THE CHAITYA CAVE AT
KARLE.
BY MADRO SARUP VATS, M.A.
In the beginning of November 1923, the Chowkidar of the caves at Kärle while washing pillars and figures in the Chaitya ball, came across some new inscriptions and brought them to the nctice of the Assistant Engineer, Bombay Road Subdivision. That officer communigated the news of the discovery through the Executive Engineer, Poona District, to the Superintendent of the Archeological Survey, Western Circle, who secured good impressions of all of them. These inscriptions are twelve in number and generally in a very good state of preservation, though all of them are not equally well inscribed, as is the case with some of the Kārle inscriptions so ably handled by M. Senart.1 About the letters it might be remarked that they are of the slightly cursive variety adopted in the Násik inscription, No. 20 (Bühler's Tafel, III, col. XIII), with the tailed ka, the hooked da and the crude ma. Though some of the technical terms used in these records are rather obscure and the places mentioned in them, viz. Göņēkāka, Umēbanākata and Dhēnukākața, have not been located with certainty, yet they are of special interest, for they help us in showing the extent of the outlying parts from which the caves attracted donating pilgrims.
My reading of these inscriptions is based on the impressions reproduced below. My insoription No. VII is identical with No. VII of Senart, but the other eleven are entirely different ; and to these latter a fragment of another inscription found near the caves has also been added. Pillars in the right and left rows have been numbered with reference to their position toward the visitor.
No. I. Fifth pillar; right row.
TEXT. 1. Umēhanākatā Yavanasa 2. Vitasa[m]gatānam(1) dånam
thabhd.
1 Ep. Ind., Vol. VII, p. 47 ff.
