Ancient History of the Deccan c3.s3.11

c3.s3.11

No. 3. Śâtakarṇi of Sâñchi.— The grand Stûpa at Sâñchi which dates from Aśôka has been restored and embellished at different times. The most interesting part of it is undoubtedly the balustrade which has four magnificently ornamented gateways. The oldest of them (Archæological Survey of India; Report for 1913-1914, page 6) is the one in the south. It is also the only one that contains an inscription in which the name of a king is mentioned and this name, strange to say, is Śâtakarṇi. This inscription says, in fact, that an image is due to the sculptor of the great king Śâtakarṇi. Unfortunately, this name has been borne by a great number of Śâtavâhana kings. We are however glad to have the certainty that this dynasty extended its empire up to Bhilsâ, namely the antique Vidiśa, and that it was precisely under this dynasty that one of the most celebrated monuments of India was sculptured. The inscription has been reproduced only in fac-simile in Cunningham's "Bhilsâ Topes" where it figures as No. 190. Bühler has formed the following judgment (Ep. Ind. Vol. II. p. 88) on the characters of the inscription: "they are almost identical with those of the Nânâghâṭ inscriptions, and differ only slightly from the type of the characters of Aśôka times."