Th.

Bloch, "An Unpublished Valabh Copper-Plate Inscription of King Dhruvasena I"

JRAS, (Apr., 1895), pp. 379-384

379

Art.

X.?An

unpublished
Dhruvasena

of King

Valabhi
I.

By

Copper-plate
Inscription
Dr. Til Blocii.

two copper-plates
from which
the subjoined
transcript
has been made were entrusted by Dr. Burgess
to Professor
Buhler
and he has kindly
for publication,
allowed me to
are
now
in
the
British
edit them.
Museum.
They

The

I.
They contain a Sanskrit
inscription of King Dhruvasena
dated (Gupta) Samvat 217 (536-37 a.d.), Asva
of Valabhi,
yuja, ba. 13.
The plates are by no means
in good preservation.
Both
and low down in the left-hand corner
in the upper margin
of the first some pieces are broken off, and the right-hand
so that
side of the second plate is in a similar condition,
of the inscription
the name of the place
in the beginning
from which the edict was issued has been totally destroyed;
the destructive
influence
of time,
and, further,
through
a few,
of
have
been
letters
lost,
many
parts
leaving
only
in some cases
almost
and
traces of them.
unreadable
it has been possible,
Nevertheless,
by the help of similar
to make

inscriptions,
only a few

have

fortunately,

being

king.
The

language
in prose, with

out

the majority
of the words,
and
remained
uncertain,
them, un
amongst
the name of the village granted
by the

of the inscription
of
exception

the

is Sanskrit.
It is written
two slokas from the

the

as usual at the end, to indicate

the
quoted
follow
that
and the curses
that
blessings
land-granting,
will fall on those who steal land.
or grammar
there is nothing
Concerning
orthography
to notice
some
of
the usual
particular
except,
perhaps,
clerical errors to be found in these plates, e.g. Bhatakkak
instead of Bhatdrkkah
of
(line 3) ; cf. another
grant
v. 205, plate
Dhruvasena
I. (Ind. Ant.
i. 1. 4), and Seal

Malmbharata,

VALABHI COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION

380
of

Maliya

Copper-plate
Inscr.
Ind. vol.

Inscription
iii. p. 164),
another
grant

(Corpus
rdfya-irih
{Ind. Ant.
eva instead

of

The

the dynasty,
sena; I., it

of
rdja-irih
of Dhruvasena
I.
and the
tdny=*
spelling

vamsdvall,

beginning
Srl-sendpati- Bhatarkkah,
records
the grant made

any
prohibiting
the subscription

future
of

II.

instead

(I. 8);
cf.
iv. 104, plate
i. 1. 9),
of tdny-eva
(1. 27), etc.
is
in
the
usual form;
inscription

the well-known

Dharasena

of

alteration

after

with

the

enumerating
of
founder

Dhruva
up to King
the
by
strictly
king,
with
it, and concludes

name

and titles,
the date
king's
of the dittaka, Bhatti, and the writer, Kikkaka.
a translation,
of the whole
therefore,
give
inscription
be a mere waste of time, and I think a few remarks
the

and names
To
would

to the
quite suffice to assign
in the rank of similar historical

will

inscription
documents.

its true place

Concerning
that though
the date
its age, it may be noticed
(Gupta
536-37
does not precede
Samvat
the date of
217;
a.d.)
one other
Ind.
Buhler,
published
by Professor
inscription
v. 205, viz. Gupta
Samvat
Ant.
which
still
remains
207,
the first recorded date of King Dhruvasena
I., nevertheless
it is one of the oldest Valabhl
which
have
Inscriptions
come

Its

under

our

notice.

is to record a grant made

object
by King
who
calls himself
I.,
by his usual titles?the
the great general,
the great kdrttdkrtika,
chamberlain,
main

Dhruvasena

great
and the great feudatory prince
(1. 11), to the congregation
in
the
of monks
founded by the king's
vihara,
residing
in
and
the
founded
sister, Duddd
another,
(1. 17),
by
teacher,

the venerable

Buddhadiisa

(1. 18, dearyya-bhadanta

consisted
of a village,
grant
named,
Buddhaddsa).
which
I
have been unable
to
Vataprajyaka
(?),
perhaps,
as situated
described
in
the
of a
identify,
neighbourhood
name
or
a
the
of which
is illegible,
district
few,
village,
most uncertain
Of the two
letters, aloue remaining
(1. 14).
in our inscriptions,
mentioned
monasteries
the first is well
from other inscriptions
of the same king
known
and his
The

successors

(e.g. Ind.

Ant.

iv.

175 ; ibid. 106;

v. 63),

and

OF KING DHRUVASENA I.

381

very often was

second is a new

favoured with
The
by them.
land-grants
one, and, as far as I know, has not hitherto
it was one
been found in any other inscription.
Probably
some
which
hundred
of
Hiuen
of the
sanghdrdmas,
Tsiang
a
us
account
in
his
short
Si-yu-ki
(translated
gives
by
Beal, ii. 266), quoting by name only one great sanghdrdma,
not far from the city which was built by the Arhat Acara
('O-che-lo),
of Atharya,

with
by Prof. Buhler
a
of
in
mentioned
grant
King
vi. 9), and to which
certainly
identified

the monastery
Dharasena
II.

also belonged
are found
at Valabhi,
whose names
here and there in similar inscriptions.
this very fact that King Dhruvasena,
himself
However,
of a Sivaitic
a worshipper
of Siva and descendant
family,
a grant
seen
in this
to
is again
inscription
making
as
it confirms one
is of no small interest,
Buddhist
monks,
(Ind. Ant.
the other monasteries

of

the

few

historical

accounts

of Valabhi,
exhibited
kings
viz.
the
fact that
documents,
they
Siva-worship,
lived in their
who
forms an
inscription
and that
records,
Duddii,
a follower
105

the sister
of

these feudatory
concerning
to us by their epigraphicai
to
devoted
though themselves

were

of the Bauddhas
great protectors
And
it
may be said that the
country.
important

together
of several

the Buddhist

link
with
Sivaitic

faith
and

in the chain
kindred
kings

of historical

facts, viz.
or princes,

(paramopasikii:
a founder of

that
was

Ind. Ant.
a Buddhist

ii. 1. 5),
f., plate
the founder of the
that, perhaps, Bhatiirkka,
a
one
had
built
similar
(Ind. Ant. vi. 9),
already
dynasty,
and that later on the illustrious
who
Guhaseua,
King
calls
to
himself
devoted
Siva
formerly
(paramamiihesvera:
iv.

monastery;

iv. 174) is suddenly

Ind. Ant.
called "the ardent devotee
of Buddha"
v. 206),
Ind. Ant.
from
(pararaopiisaka:
which
it appears
that this ruler was actually
to
converted
Buddhism
it
confirms
in
the
first
;
place the wide extent
of Buddhism
in this country during the sixth and seventh
centuries

an example
a.d., and in the second exhibits
of
tolerance
not
among medimval
religious
kings,
unworthy
indeed of the two great emperors Asoka
aud Akbar.

VALABHI COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION

382

First

Plate.

(1) Om [||*] Svasti [||*] Vijaya-Skandha[varat.

vasa-ka]t=Pra[8abha]-pra[na]t[-ami]tr[an?Hm]M[ai]
trakunara==atula-bala-8a[m]panna-ma[n]da[l-a]
- samsakta samprahara
sata-[labdha
(2) bhoga
-

opanata-dana-

pratiip

nmn-arjjav-

praliipa]h
-

anurag

oparjjit

anurakta-maulabhrta

(3) mitftjra^srenl-bal-uvapta-rjijya-srih
svaras=srI-seniipati-BHATAKKAH2

[||*]

parama-mahe
=
Tasya sutas

tac-carana-rajo-run-avanata

(4) [pav]i[tri]-krto-siras=siro-vanata-sat[t]ru8-ciidamani
din

prabha-vicchurita-piida-nttkha-pankti-didhitili
anatha-jan-opa

(5)

parama-mahesvarah
srf-senapati
[jlvya]miina-vibhavah
Dhahasenah
[II*] Ta8y=anujas=tat-pad-abhiprana
ma-prasasta4

- adi - mauli - manir=Mmanv

- vidhi
(6) [vi]raala
pranlta
vidhana-dharmmii
iva vihita-vinaya
Dharmmaruja

vyavastlm-paddba
par am a

(7) tir=akhila-bhuvana-mandal-abhog-aika-8vaminii
sviimina svayam-upahita-rajy-iibhiseka-raaha
5-srIh

(8) [vi]si anan-iivapiita-raja

parama-mahesvaras=srl

raaharaja-DK0NAsiMHAS=8imhaiva[||*]Ta8y==anujas=s
sva-bhu

para-gaja-ghat-anlkanam=eka

(9) ja-bala-parakkramena
vijayi

saranam

saran-aisinam

?avaboddha

(10)

kalpatarur=iva
[sastr-a]rttha-tatvanam8
yinam
yatha-bhilasita-kama-phal-opabhoga-dah

(Jl)

[parama-bha]ttiiraka-pad-anuddhyato

suhrt-prana

mahapralihara

mahadandanayaka-raahakarttakrtika-mahasamanta
1
whether
Doubtful,
* Read
JBhafdrkkah.
8 tt doubtful.
4 The usual
reading
i. 1. 7.
plate
8 Read
rajya.
Read tattv&n&m.

spelt with

one or two fa.

is prasastatara;

tava is wanting

also, Ind. Ant.

v. 205,

OF KING DHRUVASENA I.

383

- sri -Dhkuvasenah
sorvvan=eva
[kusal]!
[maharaja]
sviin?ayuktaka-viniyuktaka-drangika-mahattara-cata

(12)

bha

(13)

t-adin=anyaras=ca
yatha-samfbajdhyamanakan
=
Astu
vas=samviditaiii
[jilapaya]ty
[||*]
yatha

,ama
maya

. sthaia^sannikrsta-VATAPRAJYAKA
. man
2-gramah
- dana - vata 8 oparikaka(ra)s=sa
[d]i[tya]
bh[uta

(14)

pratya]
(15)

[ya]h

. . i . ribha
.

kirttibha

sah=anyais=ca

bh[u]mic[ch]i[dra-ny]ayena.;
Plate.

Second

(16)

[pun]y-apyayanay=atmanas=c

[matu-pi]troh

. . aih8

[ai]hik

amusmika-yatha-bhilasita-phal-avapti-nim[ittara
(17)

arnnava-ksiti-sarit-parvvata-sama-kalinah

[candr-iir]kk

(18).-

=a]

ValabhI-tala-8va-bhagineyi-Dur)yA-karita-[viharaP]
bhadanta-Buddhadasa
[a]caryyavihara-kutyam

pratistapita-bhagavatam4

-karita
Ssamya[k

sambu]
(19)

[ddhanara
opayogi

Buddh]anam
ca

viharasya

gandha-dhupa-puspa-dipa-tail
khanda-sphutita-pati[ta]

(20)

[vi]s[i]rnna-prati8aTnsk{iran-arttham

(21)

gat-obhaya-vihara-prativasi-bhiksu-8aiighasya
.
[
pijndapata-sayan-asana-glana-pratyaya-bhaisajya
ca

pariskar-opayog-arttham

[||*]

(22) [tip]aditah

Yato

krsatam

bhunjatam

catur-ddis-abhya

pra

bhiksu-sangh 5-adhikrtanam

pradisatam

na

kais=cit=svalpa

py=a
1 Tho

first letter looks like ra or ka; the third may have been nda, but
only
a small na is visible;
the th of stha seems also uncertain.
* va
uncertain.
aud/ya
9 I am uuable to make out the
letters.
The
reading o! these fragmentary
ai
is
uncertain.
last
* dm and the double s are rather
but
the
doubtful,
reading of the whole
is obvious from a similar
iv.
passage
inscription of the same king, Ind. Ant.
104 f., plate ii. 1. 6 ff.: Valabhydm
sva-bhaffineiji-param-opasikd-Duddd-kdrita
vihara-pratitfhapitdndm
bhagava'tdm
* This
reading is not quite certain.
j.r.a.s.

1895.

25

Samyak-sambuddhdnam

Buddhdndm,

etc.

384
(23)

(24)

TALABHI COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION.

[badhak]aryy?a8mad-vansa-jair=agarai-nrpatibhis=c?
manusyam
anityany=aisvcryyany=a8thiram
yam ca
[bhu]mi-dana-phalam=avagacchadbhir=ayam
o * numan
diiy
tavyah paripalay ita vy as=ca
acchi

saman

=asmad
?=
c?

[ 11
*] Yas

(25)

sa
va=nuraodeta
[ndyad] =acchidyamanam
pamcabhir?
s
mmaha
piitakaih
opapatakais=samyuktas=syad=

(26)

varsa-sa
slokau bhavatah
[Vya]sa-gitau
[||*] Sastim
hasrani svargge modati bhumi-dah
acchetta
[|*]

(27)

[c=anumanta]ca
tany=eva2narake
vaset[||*]Bahubhir=
vvasudha bhukta rajabhis=Sagar-adibhih
[|*] yasya

[II*] I[ty-m*]pi"?

(28) [yasya yada bhumi]h tasya tasya tada phaiam=iti ||

Sva-hasto

(29)

mama

mahapratihara-mahadanda

[n ^yaka-mahakartt]akrtika-mahasamanta-raaharaja-sri
Dhruvasenasya
I)Dutakorajastbaniya-BHATTiH

[||*]

(30) [Likbi]tara KiKKAKEN=eti[ir] Sam 200-10-7 Asvayuja

bal33||
1
Or, perhaps, J[AJss*]jpi.
8
Read tatty = eva.
8
a small
of the
Though
only
portion
is wanting
of the numeral
something
signs
certain.

letters tarn and ba is visible,

and
of 10 and 7, the reading
is quite