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JUXE, 1889.)
SIRPUR INSCRIPTION OF SIVAGUPTA.
179
SIRPUR STONE INSCRIPTION OF SIVAGUPTA.
BY PROFESSOR F. KIELHORN, C.I.E.; GÖTTINGEN. This inscription, which, at Mr. Fleet's request, I edit from rubbings supplied by General Sir A. Cunningham, was discovered in 1874 by Mr. Beglar, at a temple of the village of Sirpur, - or Sripurs, as it is called in the inscription itself, - about forty miles east by north from Râypar, in the Central Provinces; and an account of it, accompanied by a photo-zincograph, was given by Sir A. Cunningham, in Archæol. Survey of India, Vol. XVII. pp. 25-26, and Plate xviii. A. When first discovered, and when the rubbings were taken, it was complete ; according to Sir A. Cunningham, in 1881 the upper proper right corner of the stone had subsequently peeled off, carrying away the beginning of each of the first three lines.
The inscription contains 17 lines. The writing covers a space of about 13}" broad by 145 high, and was, at the time when the rubbings were taken, in a fair state of preservation; Judging from the rubbings, aboat ten aksharas were even then almost completely effaced; but every one of these can be readily supplied, so that the actual reading of the inscription, in my opinion, does not admit of any doabt whatever. The size of the letters is between t" and " The charactors belong to the northern class of alphabets; they resemble those of the Ghôsrâwâ inscription, of which a photo-lithograph is given ante, Vol. XVII. p. 310, and may be referred to about the eighth or ninth century A. D. The language is Sanskrit; and, excepting the introductory din namah Sivdya, the inscription, composed by Krishộanandin, the son of Devanandin, is in verse. In respect of orthography, I have only to note that b throughout is denoted by the sign for v.
The proper object of the inscription is, to record that two persons, named Någadeva and Kesava, subjects of a prince 'Sivagapta, assigned certain funds for providing garlands of flowers for the worship of Siva at the town of Sripura. And, by way of introduction, it is stated that Sivagupta, also styled Balirjana, was a son of Harshagupta, the son of Chandragupta, who was a son of Nannadáva, also called Nannêśvara, the son of Indrabala, who was a son of the prince Udayang, of the family of Saśadhara, the Moon,' i.e. of the lunar race; not, as has been stated elsewhere, in consequence of a misreading, of the race of Savaras' or
of the Savara lineage.' Considering the promise given by Mr. Fleet in Corpus Inscr. Ind. Vol. III. p. 294, I will only state here that, of these princes, Indrabala and Nannadeva are clearly the two chieftains who are mentioned in line 16 of the Rajim Copper-plate Inscription of Tivaradê va, ib. p. 295.
The inscription is not dated, but it may, as intimated above, on palæographical grounds be referred to the eighth or ninth century A.D. And this, too, is the time to which, on the grounds of language and style, I would assign the copper plate grant of Tivaradeva. I am, at any rate, convinced that neither inscription can be older than A.D. 700.
In Archæol. Survey of India, Vol. XVII. Plates xviii. B., and xix. C.D., Sir A. Cunningham has given photo-zincographic copies of three other (fragmentary) inscriptions from Sirpur, the characters of which closely resemble those of the present inscription, and which also are undated. Of these, the inscription B. has the name of Sivagupta in line 11; and C., the name of Harshagupta, which was followed by that of his son Si[vagupta), in line 4, and also the name of Sripuri, in line 8; as has been pointed out already by Sir A. Canningham. L cannot attempt to edit these inscriptions from the pablished photo-zinoographs.
TEXT. 1 Om namah Sivaya 11 Pâyâd -alingitâ yushmån-ka[ntha)-mêchaka-rochisha!
Sambh[r=bha)1 Archæol. Survey of India, Vol. VII. p. 169.
· This photo-zincograph appears to have been taken from a rubbing so much touched up by hand that some of the letters are quite disfigured and spoilt; notably, at the end of line 2, the first ta of fafadhar-dnvaya. It is a matter for regret that the rubbings before me are not suitable for photo-lithography,
From the rabbings. • Expressed by a symbol. 5 Metre, floks (Anushtabh); here, and throughout.
