The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c16.117.4

v2.c16.117.4

Prinsep's reading of *tirāsi sikharāvalonam* cannot mean eighty-three caves, but eighty-three hills, which would be inconsistent, as there are nothing near eighty-three hillocks in the neighbourhood. It is not to be supposed that the inscription refers to distant hills, even if we [19] could set aside the grammatical objection by assuming that the writer was not particular in that respect. The meaning of the sentence, according to my interpretation will be: "By Aira, the great king, who has a mighty elephant for his vehicle, who has lavished his wealth in erecting Chaityas, who is distingushed by the attributes of Sākya, who is renowned for having looted the earth to its outermost limits, who is the sovereign of Kaliṅga, has this hill been excavated."