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OCTOBER, 1891.] BARABAR AND NAGARJUNI HILL CAVE INSCRIPTIONS.
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16 years (1 suppose in quest of adventures); that he lived 15 years as an adherent of the orthodox Brahmanic religion, and then 40 years as a follower of Jainism. If these periods are to be taken as successive ones, the verses would seem to indicate that Vikrama ascended the throne in his 24th year (ie., 494 A. V.), and that he died at the age of 79 years (i.e., in 549 A. V.). Possibly some of the periods may be overlapping; but as, in that case, the verses would give no certain indication as to the years when Vikrama ascended and when he died, such an interpretation has not much probability. As to the possible meaning of the 16 years of wandering, see the preceding note.
Professor Jacobi's remarks on the subject, in the Introduction to his Kalpa-Sûtra, p. 30, I do not understand. The readings of his manuscript (No. 629, see above) may have differed from those of mine. Bat I am inclined to think that his statement, "the year of his (Pushpadanta's) death (683 A. V.) is also given for the birth of Vikrama," is merely the result of a misunderstanding of the vernacular commentary.70 The passage, in § 11, Sri-Mahavir syum varsha 683 páchhai; Vikramaditya ko janma huvau, must be interpunctuated after páchhai, and the date (683 A. V.) must be constructed with what has gone before, not with Vikrama's birth. The latter is clearly stated to have taken place in 470 A. V. Again, in the passage (in § 10): Sri Virát varsha 633 Pushpadantáchárya varsha 30; Sri-Virát varsha 683 Bhútavalyáchárya varsha 20, the number 683 is clearly a mere clerical error for 663, as Pushpadanta is said to have pontificated for 30 years and to have commenced his pontificate in 633 A. V. On the other hand, Bhutavali's pontificate, which lasted 20 years, ended in 683 A. V. Accordingly Pushpadanta's death was in 663 A. V., and not in 683 A. V., the latter is the date of Bhûtavali's death.
3. On the title of Bhattaraka. With regard to the notice in the patțâvali of MS. A, that the title of Bhattaraka was conferred on the pontiff Padmanandin (No. 84) by a Gujarati 'Sravak, in Samvat 1375, I may add a statement made to Mr. Bendall by his Jaipur informant, that it was the wife of Muhammad Gori who desired to see the chief of the Digambaras; and on his being clothed for the ceremony, the title of Bhattaraka was conferred on him. This tradition, if it be a tradition, does not quite agree with that of the patțâvali; and I only give it here for what it may be worth.
THE BARABAR AND NAGARJUNI HILL CAVE INSCRIPTIONS OF ASOKA AND DASARATHA.
BY G. BÜHLER, PH.D., LL.D., C.I.E.
The transcripts of the subjoined six inscriptions from the Barabar and Nagarjunî Hill Caves have been made according to Mr. Fleet's impressions, from which the accompanying facsimiles have been prepared. These documents have been repeatedly transcribed and translated, and the impressions of the five well preserved ones offer very few new readings. With respect to the third, which appears to be in a very bad state, it must be noted that in the defaced portions the impressions do not agree with the distinct readings of Sir A. Cunningham's. facsimiles, Arch. Surv. India, Vol. I. Plate xx. and Corp. Inser. Ind., Vol. I. Plate xvi.
Short as these inscriptions are, they yet possess a very great value for the history of the Indian religions and of Indian art. Five of them state explicitly that the caves, in which they are incised, were presented to the venerable Ajivikas" (ájivikéhi bhadamtéhi). Who these Ajivikas were, has been first recognised by Professor Kern. In his account of the history of Indian Buddhism1 he identifies them with the Ajivikas of Asôka's seventh Pillar-edict, with
Accordingly Vikrama's reign extended to (15+40=) 55 years, and his life to 79 years. According to the Svêtêmbaras he reigned for 86 years.
70 That statement has also puzzled Prof. A. Weber, see his Indische Studien, Vol. XVII, p. 219.
1 Der Buddhismus und seine Geschichte in Indien, Vom Verfasser autorisirte Uebersetzung von H. Jacobi, Leipzig, 1883-84, 2 Vols. The passages regarding the Ajivikas will be found collected in the index, sub voce Ajtvika.
