Nashik Prashasti

This cave temple, a benefaction, the greatness of which is not excelled by the best of Vimanas, is
caused to be constructed on the summit of Trirasmi, which is like the summit of (??) on the 13th
thirteenth day, in the 2nd second fortnight of Grishma, in the year 19 nineteen of the King Sri
Pudumayi, the son of Vasishthi, by the Great Queen Gautami, the presiding genius of power, taking
delight in veracity, charity, forbearance, and abstinence from killing, devoted to religious austerities,
self-restraint, vows and fasts, and acting in every way as befits the title of daughter of royal sages
and the mother of Satakarni Gautamiputra, the King of Kings, whose might is equal to that of the
mountains Himalaya, Meru and Mandara; who is King of Asika, Asmaka, Mudhaka, Surashtra,
Kukura, Aparanta, Anupa, Vidarbha, Akara, and Avanti, and lord of the mountains Vindhyavat,
Pariyatra, Sahya, Krishnagiri, Malaya, Mahendra, Sreshthagiri and Chakora; whose orders are obeyed
by the circle of all kings, whose pure face resembles the lotus blown open by the rays of the sun,
whose beasts of burden have drunk the waters of the three seas, whose look is as graceful and
lovely as the full disk of the moon, whose gait is as pleasing as that of an excellent elephant, whose
arm is as stout, rounded, massive, long and beautiful as the body of the lord of serpents, whose
fearless hand is wetted by the water poured in granting asylums, who serves his living mother, who
has well arranged the times and places proper for the triad, whose happiness and misery are the
same as, and not different from those of his citizens, who has quelled the boast and pride of
Kshatriyas, who is the destroyer of the Sakas, Yavanas and Palhavas, who spends the revenue got
from taxes levied only according to the law, who does not like to destroy life even in the case of
enemies who have given offence, who has increased the families of the best of Brahmans, who
exterminated the race of Khagarata, who has established the glory of the family of Satavahana,
whose feet are adored by the whole circle of kings, who has stemmed the confusion of the four
castes, who has conquered the host of his enemies in innumerable battles, whose great capital is
unapproachable to his enemies and has its victorious flag unconquered, to whom the great title of
king has descended from a series of ancestors, who is the abode of learning, the support of good
men, the home of glory, the source of good manners, the only skilful person, the only archer, the
only brave man, the only supporter of Brahmans, whose exploits rival those of Rama, Kesava, Arjuna
and Bhimasena; who holds festive meetings on the occasion of the summer solstice, whose prowess
is equal to that of Nabhaga, Nahusha, Janamejaya, Sagara, Tayati, Rama and Ambarisha; who
conquered the host of his enemies in the brunt of battle in a curious and wonderful manner in virtue
of his innumerable worships and observances, and by means of rites concerning the wind, Garuda,
Siddhas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, Vidyadharas, ghosts, Gandharvas, Charanas, the moon, the sun, the
constellations and planets; who erects his neck high in the sky like mountains and trees and who has
brought prosperity to his race. The great Queen, the mother of the Great King and the grandmother
of the Great King, gives this cave to the congregation, the host of mendicants of the Bhadrayaniya
school. The Lord of (??)patha, desirous to please and to serve the venerable lady, the great Queen,
grants a village on the south-western side of the Trirasmi mount for the sake of the Chaityas in the
cave temple, in order thus to prepare a bridge for the fame and religious desert of her father and
husband

Junagadh Rock Inscription of Rudradaman

(Be it) accomplished!

(Line l.) This lake Sudarshana, from Girinagara [even a long distance?] ........ of a structure so well
joined as to rival the spur of a mountain, because all its embankments are strong, in breadth, length
and

height constructed without gaps as they are of stone, [clay], ............. furnished with a natural dam,

[formed by?]................................, and with well-provided conduits, drains and means to guard

against foul matter,........................three sections...............by...................and other favours is (now)

in an excellent condition.

(L. 3.) This same (lake) -on the first of the dark half of Margashirsha in the seventy-second -72nd -

year of the king, the Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman whose name is repeated by the venerable, the son
of . . .

. . . . . . . . . , (and) son's son of the king, the Mahakshatrapa Lord Chashtana the taking of whose
name is

auspicious,............. when by the clouds pouring with rain the earth had been converted as it were
into

one ocean, by the excessively swollen floods of the Suvarnasikata, Palasini and other streams of
mount

Urjayat the dam .................., though proper precautions [were taken], the water- churned by a
storm

which, of a most tremendous fury befitting the end of a mundane period, tore down hill-tops, trees,
banks,

turrets, upper stories, gates and raised places of shelter - scattered, broke to pieces, [tore

apart].......................... ......., -with stones, trees, bushes and creeping plants scattered about, was
thus

laid open down to the bottom of the river:-

(L. 7.) By a breach four hundred and twenty cubits long, just as many broad, (and) seventy-five cubits

deep, all the water escaped, so that (the lake), almost like a sandy desert, [became] extremely ugly
[to look

at].

(L.8).........for the sake of.............ordered to be made by the Vaishya Pushyagupta, the provincial

governor of the Maurya king Chandragupta; adorned with conduits for Ashoka the Maurya by the

Yavana king Tushaspha while governing; and by the conduit ordered to be made by him, constructed
in a

manner worthy of a king (and) seen in that breach, the extensive dam..............

(L. 9.) ...........he who, because from the womb he was distinguished by the possession of undisturbed

consummate Royal Fortune, was resorted to by all castes and chosen their lord to protect them; who
made,
and is true to, the vow to the latest breath of his life to abstain from slaying men, except in battles;
who

[showed] compassion ............... not failing to deal blows to equal antagonists meeting him face to
face;

who grants protection of life to people repairing to him of their own accord and those prostrating

themselves before him; who is the lord of the whole of eastern and western Akaravanti, the Anups

country, Anarta, Surashtra, Svabhra Maru, Kachchha, Sindhu-Sauvira, Kukura, Aparanta, Nishada

and other territories gained by his own valour, the towns, marts and rural parts of which are never
troubled

by robbers, snakes, wild beasts, diseases and the like, where all subjects are attached to him, (and)
where

through his might the objects of [religion], wealth and pleasure [are duly attained]; who by force
destroyed

the Yaudheyas who were loath to submit, rendered proud as they were by having manifested their'
title of'

heroes among all Kshatriyas; who obtained good report because he, in spite of having twice in fair
fight

completely defeated Satakarni, the lord of Dakshinapatha, on account of the nearness of their
connection

did not destroy him; who [obtained] victory . . . . . . . .; who reinstates deposed kings; who by the
right

raising of his hand has earned the strong attachment of Dharma; who has attained wide fame by
studying

and remembering, by the knowledge and practice of, grammar, music, logic and other great
sciences; who

...... the management of horses, elephants and chariots, (the use of) sword and shield, pugilistic
combat

and other . ... .. . . .... the acts of quickness and efficiency of opposing forces; who day by day is in the

habit of bestowing presents and honours and eschewing disrespectful treatment; who is bounteous;
whose

treasury by the tribute, tolls and shares rightfully obtained overflows with an accumulation of gold,
silver,

diamonds, beryl stones and (other) precious things; who.............. prose and verse, which are clear,

agreeable, sweet, charming, beautiful, excelling by the proper use of words and adorned; whose
beautiful

frame owns the most excellent marks and signs, such as (auspicious) length, dimension and height,
voice,
gait, colour, vigour and strength; who himself has acquired the name of Mahakshatrapa; who has
been

wreathed with many garlands at the svayamvaras of kings' daughters; -he, the Mahakshatrapa

Rudradaman, in order to . . . . . . . . . . . cows and Brahmans for a thousand of years, and to increase
his

religious merit and fame, -without oppressing the inhabitants of the towns and country by taxes,
forced

labour and acts of affection -by (the expenditure of) a vast amount of money from his own treasury
and in

not too long a time made the dam three times as strong in breadth and length . . . . . . . . [on] all
[banks] . . . .

. . (and so) had (this lake) made (even) more beautiful to look at.

(L. 16.) When in this matter the Mahakshatrapa's counsellors and executive officers, who though
fully

endowed with the qualifications of ministers, were averse to a task (regarded as) futile on account of
the

enormous extent of the breach, opposed the commencement (of the work), (and) when the people
in their

despair of having the dam rebuilt were loudly lamenting, (the work) was carried out by the minister

Suvishakha, the son of Kulaipa, a Pahlava, who for the benefit of the inhabitants of the towns and

country bad been appointed by the king in this government to rule the whole of Anarta and
Surashtra, (a

minister) who by his proper dealings and views in things temporal and spiritual increased the
attachment

(of the people), who was able, patient, not wavering, not arrogant, upright (and) not to be bribed,
(and) who

by his good government increased the spiritual merit, fame and glory of his master.

Muziris

Recto, Column 2

[I have paragraphed the provisions for ease of comprehension.]

... of your other agents and managers. And

I will weigh and give to your cameleer another twenty talents for loading up for the road
inland to Koptos, and

I will convey [sc. the goods] inland through the desert under guard and under security to

the public warehouse for receiving revenues at Koptos, and

I will place [them] under your ownership and seal, or of your agents or whoever of them

is present, until loading [them] aboard at the river, and

I will load [them] aboard at the required time on the river on a boat that is sound, and

I will convey [them] downstream to the warehouse that receives the duty of one-fourth at

Alexandria and I will similarly place [them] under your ownership and seal or of your agents,

assuming all expenditures for the future from now to the payment of one-fourth—the charges

for the conveyance through the desert and the charges of the boatmen and for my part of the

other expenses.

With regard to there being—if, on the occurrence of the date for repayment specified in

the loan agreements at Muziris, I do not then rightfully pay off the aforementioned loan in my

name—there then being to you or your agents or managers the choice and full power, at your

discretion, to carry out an execution without due notification or summons,

you will possess and own the aforementioned security and pay the duty of one-fourth,

and the remaining three-fourths you will transfer to where you wish and sell, re-hypothecate,

cede to another party, as you may wish,

and you will take measures for the items pledged as security in whatever way you wish,

sell them for your own account at the then prevailing market price, and deduct and include in

the reckoning whatever expenses occur on account of the aforementioned loan, with complete

faith for such expenditures being extended to you and your agents or managers and there be-

ing no legal action against us [in this regard] in any way. With respect to [your] investment,

any shortfall or overage [sc. as a result of the disposal of the security] is for my account, the

debtor and mortgager...

Verso, Column 2

[The translation is based on Thür's analysis of the entries (loc. cit. [n. 4] 238f. nn. 34-44). The

abbreviation d. = drachmas, m. = Minas, and t. = talents (of weight when followed by m., of

money when followed by d.)]

1-3 Gangetic nard, 60 containers,

whose value (sc. for the one-fourth cus-

toms duty payable at Alexandria), like-

wise, is being reckoned at 4500 silver

drachmas per container .................................... 45 t.

4–10 ivory, sound condition, weighing ........................... 78 t. 54 3/4 m.

whose value (sc. for the one-fourth customs duty), likewise, is being reckoned

on a weight of ................................................... 78 t. 43 m.

or, converted on the weight scale used

by the one-fourth (customs duty) of

95 lbs. to the talent, = 7478 lbs.,7

of which the amount subject to duty (of one-

fourth at Alexandria), converting lbs.

per talent, is a weight of [7291 lbs.8]

in accordance with the customary

reckoning for merchants, or .............................. 76 t. 45 m.

at 100 d. per m. .................................................................................. 76 t. 4500 d.9

11-15 the remainder, representing the number in

tusks removed by the Arabarchs, (which

number is) over and above the number

subject to duty (that will be available)

for collection of the one-fourth (customs

duty), which tusks are also subject to the

collection of the one-fourth (customs

duty) ................................................................. 11 3/4 m.10

at the same rate of 100 silver d. per m. 1175 d.

for a total of ................................................................................. 76 t. 5675 d.

16-21 lengths of fabric, 54

weighing .................................................... 13 t. 9 3/4 m.

which, likewise, the value (for the

one-fourth customs duty) is being

reckoned on a weight of ................................ 12 t. 47 m.

which, as above, yields for the parcel

on the weight scale used by the one-

fourth (custom duty), (a weight of)

1214 lbs.,11

but, in accordance with the custom-

ary reckoning for merchants, a weight

(for customs' purposes) of 12 t. 27 m.12

at 70 silver d. per m. .............................................................................. 8 t. 4290 d.

22-25 the remainder that was removed (sc. by the

7 See note to verso col. 2, line 7.

8 See note to verso col. 2, line 8.

9 See note to verso col. 2, line 10.

10 See note to verso col. 2, line 13.

11 See note to verso col. 2, line 19.

12 See note to verso col. 2, line 20.

Arabarchs), which, as above, represents

an amount over and above (what will be

available) for collection of the one-fourth

(customs duty) (to the amount of) 22 3/4 m.13

at the same rate of 70 silver d. per m. ..................................... 1592 d. 3 ob.

total for the lengths of fabric .................................................. 8 t. 5882 d. 3 ob

26 total for the value of the ivory 76 t. 5675 d.

27-29 grand total for the 6 parcels of the cargo exported on the ship

Hermapollon in silver
NANEGHAT ISCRIPTION!!
Success! Obeisance to Dharma, [the lord of all creatures], Indra, Sankarshana (Balarama),
Vasudeva (Krishna), the Moon, the Sun, the four great guardians of the world, (viz.) Yama,
Varuna, Kubera, (and) Indra, and also the best of the kumäras (Kärttikeya)!. . of King Vedi-śri
of the

heroic, brave and invincible Lord of the Dakshinapatha³ who is Maharathi, who was born in
the Angiya family (and who is) the foremost warrior on the earth surrounded by mountains
and oceans* who is the wife of the illustrious.

[and] great (person); who is the mother of King Vedi-śri who has performed (several)
charitable works, who confers the cherished boons (on supplicants), fulfils their desires, and
makes (munificent) gifts of wealth (to them); and (who is also) the mother of the illustrious
Sakti; who is an eminent lady of the Näga race; who observes fasts of a month (at a stretch);
who lives in her home like a recluse; who leads a chaste life; who is adept in the
performance of vows, initiatory ceremonies and sacrifices- -performed sacrifices perfumed
with incense regularly. In the Agnyadheya sacrifice was given the sacrificial fee of twelve
-12- cows and 1 horse; in the Anvärambhaniya sacrifice (was given) the sacrificial fee of
1,700 cows,

10 elephants, 280 water pota, 17 silver pots in the Angārika sacrifice the sacrificial fee
11,000 cows, 1,000 horses, to a sacrificial attendant

excellent village, 24,400 kärshapanas, 6,001 kärshapanas to the sacrificial

attendant. In the Rajasiya sacrifice the sacrificial fee........a cart, a good
garment, to him who was employed in the disposal of mountains of grains,
(and also) 1 horse, 1 horse-chariot (and) 101 cows. A second Asvamedha (was
performed) in which the sacrificial fee given was 1 horse with silver trappings
(and) gold [ornaments] (and) 12 . The sacrificial fee given was 14,000
karshapanas, 1 village....elephants...the sacrificial fee was given ... cows...1 cart
to him who was employed to disposal of heaps of grains. . sacrifice was
performed 17 cows... Saptadaśātirätra Sacrifice was performed 17... gift was
made to the attendant of the sacrifice 12.... 1 horse with silver trappings,
10,000 kärshä panas..... 20,000 cows; the Bhagaladaśarátra sacrifice was
performed (and) the (following sacrificial fee) was given 10,001 kärshäpanas;
the Gargatrirätra sacrifice was performed; the sacrificial fee was given...301
garments to the attendants of the sacrifice; the Gavamayana sacrifice was
performed - 1,101 cows (were given)... 101 kärshä panas to the attendant of
the sacrifice, 100 garments; the Aptoryama sacrifice was performed.... the
Gavamayana sacrifice was performed; the sacrificial fee 1,101 cows was given;
the Angirasāmayana sacrifice was performed; the sacrificial fee 1,101 cows
[was given];... the sacrificial fee 1,101 cows; the Satatirâtra sacrifice.... the
sacrificial fee 1,100 cows; the Angirasatriätra sacrifice [was performed] the
sacrificial fee...... 1,002 cows; the Chhandomapavamânatrirätra sacrifice, the
sacrificial fee ....1,001; the Angirasatriätra sacrifice was performed; the
sacrificial fee was given.....tirätra sacrifice was performed, the sacrificial fee
was given 1,001 cows... She herself.... gave the sacrificial fee of.... cows. The
Angirasamayana of six years duration was performed... the sacrificial fee was
given.. 1,000 cows... 1,001 cows ... Trayodaśatiratra... the sacrificial fee was
given.... cows... The Dasarătra [sacrifice was performed ] 1,001 cows.... 1,001
cows....the sacrifice was performed, the sacrificial fee was given.... .