Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v1.c9.s19: No. 21. My-son Stelae Inscription of Vikrāntavarman II, dated 653 Śaka
Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champā; Vol. II: Suvarṇadvīpa) v1.c9.s19
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No. 21. My-son Stelae Inscription of Vikrāntavarman II, dated 653 Śaka
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The inscription was first brought to notice by M. Finot (B. E. F., Vol. IV, pp. 932-33, No. x), who could read only a few words. Later, M. Huber has partially restored the text (B. E. F., Vol. XI, p. 265).
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For localities cf. No. 4. The inscription is engraved on two faces of a stelae, containing respectively 11 and 12 lines of writing, besides the invocation.
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It begins with ‘Namaś Śivāya Svasti’, and then follows an invocation to Śiva in two verses (metre Mālinī), LL. 1-4. (Verse 1 is given below).
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The lines 5-11 contain each a śloka, and record that king Śambhuvarman built a brick vedī (quadrangular spot) covered with silver plates, with a statue of Lakṣmī thereon.
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The four ślokas that follow give a poetical description of the splendour of the temple.
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The first six lines of the second face each contain a śloka, and record that Śrī Prakāśadharma intended to build a vedī of stone, and that this was actually accomplished by one Naravāhana Varman, who further covered the stone vedī with silver and gold plates. It is difficult to decide whether Naravāhana Varman is identical with Vikrānta-Varman, the successor of Prakāśadharma, or a new king intermediate between the last two.
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The lines 8-9 contain a prose passage glorifying Vikrāntavarman.
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TEXT.
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(a).
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(V. 1.) जयति जितमनोजो ब्रह्मविष्णवादिदेव-
प्रणतपदयुगाब्जो निष्कलोऽप्यष्टमूर्तिः ।
त्रिभुवनहितहेतुस्सर्वसङ्कल्पहारी
परपुरुष इह श्रीशानदेवो ऽयमाद्यः ॥
(LL. 6-7) श्रीशम्भुवर्मणा राज्ञा वेदीवेष्टकमयी ।
बही रौप्यमयी लक्ष्मीं बिभ्रती वेदिका पुरा ॥
क्षीरोदधि…………
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(b).
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(L. 2) स श्रीप्रकाशधर्म्म कर्त्तुमिच्छन् शिलामयीम् ।
नरवाहनवर्म्म…………
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(LL. 4-6) नरवाहनवर्मश्रीरकरोत्तां शिलामयीम् । रुमरौप्यविहर्द्धां ब्रह्मा मेरुरिखामिव ॥ स्वर्णरौप्यमयीं लक्ष्मीं विभ्रती वेदिका पुनः । विद्युत्.........भाति शिखा हिमगिरेरिव ॥ तेनेदशी महावेदी दुष्करा पूर्वजैनृपैः । कृता यद्......अहंकरो......किमद्भुतम् ॥
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(LL. 8-9) श्रीशानेशादिदेवस्वपितृपदयुगाम्भोजरेणुप्रसादात्¹ प्रोत्तज्ञा यस्य कीर्त्तिः प्रथितपृथुयश...... स श्रीविकान्तवर्म......लक्ष्मीं कैलासशिखरोद्भवाम् येनेदशी......वेदी......स्थापिता पुनः
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(L. 10) भुक्ते रामार्थ्यटकेशगतिसमये पञ्चमे मा(घ)......² सादित्यर्त्तप्रपन्ने शशदिवसयुते अङ्गिरशुक्ललग्ने । मीनागारस्थसौरे वगतरविबुधे³ नौलिभौमासुरेऽस्मिन् श्रीमान् विकान्तवर्मा सुचिरवपुरिहास्थापयत् कीर्त्ति- कायम् ॥
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TRANSLATION. (a).
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LL. 1-4. Victorious is the Great Being, the primaeval God Śrī Īśānadeva, who conquered the Cupid, whose lotus-feet are saluted by Brahmā, Viṣṇu and other gods, who is without atoms, but has still eight forms, who is the cause of the welfare of the three worlds, and who fulfils all the desires.
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1. Huber reads °भुवनेरेणु°. But apparently the fragment is the first line of a stanza in sragdhara metre, which requires the syllable भु to be long. The third and the fourth line are too corrupt to be restored.
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2. This is Huber's reading. Possibly the missing word is मार्गशीर्षे which fits in with the metre here.
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3. Could it possibly be विगतरविबुधे ?
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LL. 6-7. King Śambhuvarman made a brick altar, covered with silver on the exterior, which supported Lakṣmī, —formerly the ocean of milk...........
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L. 2. He, Śrī Prakāśadharma, desiring to make.........of stone.........Naravāhanavarman.........
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LL. 4-6. Śrī Naravāhana-varman covered (that altar) of stone with gold and silver on the outside, as Brahmā made the peak of Meru. Moreover this altar, of gold and silver, supporting Lakṣmī......shines like the peak of Himālaya. By him was made this great altar, (a task) difficult for the previous kings,......how wonderful.
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LL. 8-9. Śrī Vikrāntavarman, whose great glory is well-known, and whose high fame is due to the grace of the lotus-feet of the primaeval God Śrī Īśāna and his (king's) father.........by whom Lakṣmī, born in the Kailāsa mountain, was again installed on such an altar.
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LL. 10 ff. Vikrāntavarman, possessed of fortune and a beautiful body, established here the famous (image of Lakṣmī)¹ in the year denoted by ‘Rāma-artha-ṣaṭ’ i. e. 653.
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¹ कीर्त्ति means any work, calculated to render famous the name of its constructor (cf. Fleet, Gupta Inscriptions, p. 212).
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( Astronomical details follow. )