North Indian Inscriptions

PART A

Edited by Cunningham, StBh. (1879), p. 133, No. 14, and Pl. LIII; Hultzsch, ɀDMG., Vol. XL. (1886), p. 64, No. 33, and Pl., and IA., Vol. XXI (1892), p. 230, No. 33; Barua-Sinha, BI. (1926), p. 8, No. 13.

TEXT:

1 Bibikanadikaṭa^[1] Budhino gahapatino
2 dānaṁ

TRANSLATION:

  The gift of the householder Budhi (Buddhi)^[2] from Bibikanadikaṭa (Bimbikānadīkaṭa ?).

  Buddhi, spelt both Buddhi and Budhi, is a common name at this time, and Barua-Sinha’s correction to Bodhi is quite unnecessary. The name of the place is probably correctly explained by Barua-Sinha as containing the name of a river Bimbikānadī, no t yet identified.

A 22 (728) ; PLATE IV

  ON a pillar of the South-Eastern quadrant, now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta (P 26). Edited by Cunningham, StBh. (1879), p. 133, No. 17, and Pl. LIII; Hultzsch, DMG., Vol. XL (1886), p. 64, No. 36, and Pl., and IA., Vol. XXI (1892), p. 230, No. 36, Barua-Sinha, BI. (1926), p. 8, No. 15, also p. 84, No. 197; Barua, Barh., Vol. II (1934), p. 104 f., and Vol. III (1937), Pl. XXVI (21-24).

TEXT:

1 Bibikanadikaṭa Suladhasa asavārikā-
2 sa dānaṁ

TRANSLATION:

  The gift of the horseman Suladha (Suladbha)^[3] from Bībikanadikaṭa (Bimbikānadīkaṭa ?).

   The upper half medallion of the pillar dedicated by Suladdha shows a fully accoutred ridings horse led by the bridle by a man whose clothing consists only in a short garment tied round his waist, while another man clad in the same fashion and holding a spear in his right hand appears at the horse’s tail. It is quite possible that Suladdha had the pillar decorated with a horse attended by a groom and a soldier with regard to his own profession, but I cannot agree with Barua’s opinion that the medallion illustrates the story of the Valāha horse either in the version of the Jātaka (No. 196) or in that of the Divy. (p. 120). The horse’s is certainly not represented as flying, the man behind does not seem to be tied to the horse’s tail, and the strange idea that the artist has represented the horse’s gift of human speech by the human figure in front will probably meet with little approval.

(f) A 23─24 Inhabitants of Bhojakaṭa

A 23 (861)⁴; PLATE IV

RAIL inscription, now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Edited by Cunningham, StBh.
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^[1]Both Hultzsch and Barua-Sinha read Bibikānadikaṭa, but the ka has no ā-sign.
^[2]See classification I, 1, a (Buddhist names). The name could also correspond to Budhin and refer to the planet Budha.
^[3]See classifications II, 3, a (names derived from birth).
^[4] Lüders’ treatment of this inscription is missing.