Prayagraj stone pillar inscription of Samudra Gupta
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| Prayag Prashasti |
Prayagraj stone pillar inscription of Samudra Gupta is writings in stone pillar during the term of king Samudra Gupta, the ruler of the Gupta Empire (c. 335 – c. 375 CE), located in Prayaga (now in Uttar Pradesh), inscribing events during his tenure in and around his empire.
Content
Though some the parts of inscription are unreadable, few are in good shape.
- Line 1 - [Who] by his own kinsmen , ;-whose .
- Line 2g - This lofty column (is) as it were an arm of the earth, proclaiming the
fame,-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
the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Samudragupta,
. . . . . . . . . .;-
- Line 3 - [Who] twanging (of the bow-string) burst open and
scattered dishevelled ;
- Line 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;-
- Line 7 - Who, being looked at (with envy) by the faces, melancholy (through the
rejection 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
(of joy), (and) perceptive of (his noble) nature,-[to govern of a
surety] the whole world;
- Line 9 - Whose some people (were accustomed to) taste with
affection, 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, ;--.
- Line 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 (?);-
- Line 13 - By whom,-having, unassisted, with the force of the prowess of (his) arm
that rose up so as to pass all bounds, uprooted Achyuta and Nâgasêna .
. .;-(by whom), causing him who was born in the family of the Kôtas to
be captured by (his) armies, (and) taking his pleasure at (the city)
that had the name of Pushpa, while the sun the banks ;-
- Line 15 - (Of whom it used to be said),- "The building of the pale of religion; fame as
white 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 of poets; (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 ?;"-
- Line 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 a hundred 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);-
- Line 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
Mahêndra of Kôsala, Vyâghraraja of Mahâkantâra, Mantarâja of Kêrala,
Mahêndra of Pishtapura, Svâmidatta of Kottûra on the hill, Damana of
Êrandapalla, Vishnugôpa of Kâñchi, Nîlarâija of Avamukta, Hastivarman of
Vengî, Ugrasêna of Palakka, Kubêra of Dêvarâshtra, Dhanamjaya of
Kusthalapura, and all the other kings of the region of the south;-
- Line 21 - Who abounded in majesty that had been increased by violently
exterminating Rudradêva, Matila, Nâgadatta, Chandravarman,
Ganapatinâga, Nâgasêna, Achyuta, Nandin, Balavarman, and many other
kings of (the land of) Âryâvarta;-who made all the kings of the forest
countries to become (his) servants;
- Line 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, Davâka, Kâmarûpa,
Nêpâla, Kartripura, and other (countries), and by the Mâlavas,
Ârjunâyanas, Yaudhêyas, Mâdrakas, Abhîras, Prârjunas, Sanakânîkas,
Kâkas, Kharaparikas, and other (tribes);-
- Line 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 Daivaputras, Shâhis, Shâhânushâhis, Sakas, and
Murundas, and by the people of Simhala and all (other) dwellers in
islands;-who had no antagonist (of equal power) in the 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 could be won over simply by
devotion and obeisance;-who was the giver of many hundreds of thousands
of cows;-
- Line 26 - Whose mind busied itself with the support and the initiation, &c., of the
miserable, 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;-
- Line 27 - Who put to shame (Kashyapa) the preceptor of (Indra) the lord of the gods,
and Tumburu, and Nârada, and others, by (his) sharp and polished
intellect and choral skill 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 learned people;-whose many
wonderful and noble deeds are worthy to be praised for a very long
time;-
- Line 28 - Who was a mortal only in celebrating the rites of the observances of
mankind, (but was otherwise) a god, dwelling on the earth;-who was
the son of the son's son of the Mahârâja, the illustrious Gupta;- who
was the son's son of the Maharaja, the illustrious Ghatotkacha;--who vas
the son of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Chandragupta (I.), (and)-
the daughter's son of Lichchhavi, begotten on the Mahâdêvî Kumâradêvî;-
- Line 30 - (And) chose fame,-ever heaped up higher and higher by the
development of (his) liberality and prowess of arm and composure and
(study of ) the precepts of the
scriptures,- --travelling by many paths, purifies the three worlds,
as if it were the pale yellow water of (the river) Gangâ, flowing
quickly on being liberated from confinement in the thickets of the
matted hair of (the god) Pashupati.
- Line 31 - And this poetical composition,- (the work) of the
Khâdyatapâkika, the son of the Mahâdandanâyaka Dhruvabhûti, the
Sâmdhivigrahika and Kumârâmatya, the Mahâdandanâyaka Harishêna, who is
the slave of these same feet of the Bhattâraka, (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!
- Line 33 - And the accomplishment of the matter has been effected by the
Mahâdandanâyaka Tilabhattaka, who meditates on the feet of the Paramabhattâraka.
