allahabad posthumous stone pillar inscription of samudragupta

7/27/2019 Allahabad Posthumous Stone Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta

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Allahabad Posthumous Stone Pillar Inscription of

Samudragupta

(Line 2g.)-This lofty column (is) as it were an arm of the earth, proclaiming thefame,-which, having pervaded the entire surface of the earth with (its) development that

was caused by (his) conquest of the whole world, (has departed) hence (and now)

experiences the sweet happiness attained by (his) having gone to the abode of(Indra) the

lord of the gods,-of theMahrjdhirja, the glorious Samudragupta,

(L. 1.)-[Who] . . . . . by his own kinsmen . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .;-whose .

. . . . . . . . . .;-

(L. 3.)-[Who] . . . . twanging (of the bow-string) . . . . . . . . . . burst open and

scattered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dishevelled . . . . . . . . . . .;

(L. 5.)-Whose happy mind was accustomed to associate with learned people; who

was the supporter of the real truth of the scriptures; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . firmly fixed . . . .

. . .;-who, having overwhelmed, with the (force of the) commands of the collective merits

of(his) learned men, those things which obstruct the beauty of excellent poetry, (still)

enjoys, in the world of the wise, the sovereignty of the fame (produced)by much poetry, .

. . . . . and of clear meaning;-

(L 7.)-Who, being looked at (with envy) by the faces, melancholy (through therejection of themselves), of others of equal birth, while the attendants of the court

breathed forth deep sighs (of happiness), was bidden by (his) father,--who, exclaiming

"Verily (he is) worthy," embraced(him) with the hairs of(his)body standing erect(through pleasure) (and thus) indicative of(his) sentiments, and scanned(him) with an

eye turning round and round in affection, (and) laden with tears (ofjoy), (and)perceptive

of(his noble) nature,-[to govern of a surety] the whole world;

(L. 9.)-Whose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . some people (were accustomed to) taste withaffection, displaying exceeding great joy when they beheld(his) many actions that

resembled nothing of a mortal nature; (and) whose protection other people, afflicted by(his) prowess, sought, performing obeisance, . . . . . . . . .. . . . .;--.

(L. 11.)-[Whose] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . doers of great wrong, always conquered by his

arm in battle, . . . . . . to-morrow and to-morrow . . . . . . . . . . . . pride . . . . . . . . . . . . .

repentance, with minds filled with contentment (and) expanding with much clearly

displayed pleasure and affection, . . . . . . . . . the spring (?);-


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(L. 13.)-By whom,-having, unassisted, with the force of the prowess of (his) arm

that rose up so as to pass all bounds, uprootedAchyuta andNgasna . ..;-(by whom),causing him who was born in the family of the Ktas to be captured by (his) armies,(and) taking his pleasure at (the city) that had the name ofPushpa, while the sun . . . . .the banks . . . . . .;-

(L. 15.)-(Of whom it used to be said),- "The building of the pale of religion; fame aswhite as the rays of the moon, (and) spreading far and wide; wisdom that pierced the

essential nature of things; . . . . . calmness . . . . . . . .; the path of the sacred hymns, that is

worthy to be studied; and even poetry, which gives free vent to the power of the mind ofpoets; (all these are his); (in short) what (virtue) is there that does not belong to him, who

alone is a worthy subject of contemplation for those who can recognise merit and intellect

?;"-

(L. 17.)-Who was skilful in engaging in a hundred battles of various kinds;-whose

only ally was the prowess of the strength of his own arm;-who was noted for prowess;-

whose most charming body was covered over with all the beauty of the marks of ahundred confused wounds, caused by the blows of battle-ayes, arrows, spears, pikes,barbed darts, swords, lances, javelins for throwing, iron arrows, vaitastikas, and many

other(weapons);-

(L. 19.)-Whose great good fortune was mixed with, so as to be increased by (his)

glory produced by the favour shewn in capturing and then liberating Mahndra ofKsala, Vyghraraja of Mahkantra, Mantarja ofKrala, Mahndra ofPishtapura, Svmidatta ofKottra on the hill, Damana ofrandapalla, VishnugpaofKchi, Nlarija ofAvamukta, Hastivarman ofVeng, Ugrasna ofPalakka,Kubra ofDvarshtra, Dhanamjaya ofKusthalapura, and all the other kings of the

region of the south;-

(L. 21.)-Who abounded in majesty that had been increased by violently

exterminating Rudradva, Matila, Ngadatta, Chandravarman, Ganapatinga,Ngasna, Achyuta, Nandin, Balavarman, and many other kings of(the land of)ryvarta;-who made all the kings of the forest countries to become (his) servants;

(L. 22.)-Whose imperious commands were fully gratified, by giving all (kinds of)

taxes and obeying (his) orders and coming to perform obeisance, by the frontier-kings of

Samatata, Davka, Kmarpa, Npla, Kartripura, and other(countries), and by theMlavas, rjunyanas, Yaudhyas, Mdrakas, Abhras, Prrjunas, Sanaknkas,Kkas, Kharaparikas, and other(tribes);-

(L. 23.)-Whose tranquil fame, pervading .the whole world, was generated by

establishing (again) many royal families, fallen and deprived of sovereignty;-whose

binding together of the (whole) world, by means of the amplitude of the vigour of(his)arm, was effected by the acts of respectful service, such as offering themselves as

sacrifices, bringing presents of maidens, (giving) Garuda-tokens, (surrendering) the

enjoyment of their own territories, soliciting (his) commands, &c., (rendered) by the


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Daivaputras, Shhis, Shhnushhis, Sakas, andMurundas, and by the people ofSimhala and all (other) dwellers in islands;-who had no antagonist (ofequal power) inthe world;-who, by the overflow of the multitude of(his) various virtues adorned by a

hundred good actions, rubbed out the fame of other kings with the soles of(his) feet;-

who, being incomprehensible, was the spirit that was the cause of the production of good

and the destruction of evil;-who, being full of compassion, had a tender heart that couldbe won over simply by devotion and obeisance;-who was the giver of many hundreds of

thousands of cows;-

(L. 26.)-Whose mind busied itself with the support and the initiation, &c., of themiserable, the poor, the helpless, and the afflicted;--who was the glorified personification

of kindness to mankind;-who was equal to (the gods) Dhanada and Varuna and Indra and

Antaka;-whose officers were always employed in restoring the wealth of the various

kings who had been conquered by the strength of his arms;-

(L. 27.)-Who put to shame (Kashyapa) the preceptor of(Indra) the lord of the gods,

and Tumburu, and Nrada, and others, by (his) sharp and polished intellect and choralskill and musical accomplishments;- who established(his) title of king of poets by

various poetical compositions that were fit to be the means of subsistence of learnedpeople;-whose many wonderful and noble deeds are worthy to be praised for a very long

time;-

(L. 28.)-Who was a mortal only in celebrating the rites of the observances ofmankind, (but was otherwise) a god, dwelling on the earth;-who was the son of the son's

son of theMahrja, the illustrious Gupta;- who was the son's son of theMahrja, theillustriousGhattkacha;--whovas the son of the Mahrjdhirja, the gloriousChandragupta (I.), (and)- the daughter's son ofLichchhavi, begotten on theMahdv

Kumradv;-

(L. 30.) -(And) chose fame,-ever heaped up higher and higher by the development of(his) liberality and prowess ofarm and composure and(study of ) theprecepts of thescriptures,- --travelling by many paths, purifies the three worlds, as if it were the pale

yellow water of(the river) Gang, flowing quickly on being liberated from confinement

in the thickets of the matted hair of(the god) Pashupati.

(L. 31.) -And this poetical composition,- (the work) of the Khdyatapkika, the son

of theMahdandanyaka Dhruvabhti, the Smdhivigrahika andKumrmatya,the

Mahdandanyaka Harishna,who is the slave of these same feet of theBhattraka,

(and) whose mind is expanded by the favour of constantly walking about in (his)presence,-let it be for the welfare and happiness of all existing beings!

(L. 33.)-And the accomplishment of the matter has been effected by the

MahdandanyakaTilabhattaka, who meditates on the feet of the Paramabhattraka.


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From: Fleet, John F. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum: Inscriptions of the Early Guptas.Vol. III. Calcutta: Government of India, Central Publications Branch, 1888, 10-17.

allahabad posthumous stone pillar inscription of samudragupta

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