Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v1.c9.s32: No. 37. An-Thai Stelae Inscription dated 824 Ś
Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champā; Vol. II: Suvarṇadvīpa) v1.c9.s32
- Language
- English
No. 37. An-Thai Stelae Inscription dated 824 Ś
v1.c9.s32.2
The inscription was edited by M. Huber (B. E. F., Vol. XI, p. 277). It was engraved on two faces of a stelae found at An-Thai in the district of Quang-Nam. It contains 22 lines of writing, the last three lines being in Cham, and the rest in Sanskrit. The Sanskrit portion contains two prose passages and twelve verses, besides the invocation. The first two verses are almost entirely lost. The metres used are: v. 3, Sragdharā; vv. 4 and 7, Āryā; vv. 5, 8–11, Anuṣṭubh; v. 6, Indravajrā; v. 12, Upajāti.
v1.c9.s32.3
The inscription records the erection of a statue of Lokanātha in 824 Śaka (=902 A. D.) by Sthavira Nāga-Puṣpa the abbot of the monastery of Pramudita-Lokeśvara. It further relates that the monastery was founded by Bhadra-varman II, and confirmed in its possessions by Indravarman II. This is the earliest Buddhist Inscription found at Champa.
v1.c9.s32.4
(a).
v1.c9.s32.5
(नमो लो)कनाथा(य).
v1.c9.s32.6
स्वस्ति। येन — — मूर्त्तिर्व्यक्रैक……तस्मै नमः कारुणिकाय नित्यं। — — — — विगतसुखा लोहद्रडाभिघाताः। स्मृत्वा लोकेश्वर — — — — केवलमोक्षमापुः॥
v1.c9.s32.7
III. मारैरग्रैः परीताश्चिरमपि मनुजाः पूर्व्वकर्म्मानुरक्ता निश्चाणा — ◡ — परमकलुषिताः क्षुत्पिपासाभिभूताः। पूर्व्वश्वादानदोषात् सुगतविमुखतः प्राप्त — — — — — वज्रपाणिप्रशमितनिरयं बुद्धमार्गं समापुः॥
v1.c9.s32.8
IV. श्रीभद्रवर्मनृपतेः तस्य मतोऽत्यन्तवल्लभमतिः। सुजनाङ्घ्रियुगलसेवी नागपुष्पस्थविर'नामा॥
v1.c9.s32.9
V. लोकेश्वरजगद्व्याप्तं श्रद्धाभावैरतिष्ठिपत्। पृथिवीकीर्त्तये सोऽसै धर्मदेशनया हितः॥
v1.c9.s32.10
VI. लोक — ◡ — यशोऽशुद्धः चम्पाधिपस्सर्वसुखप्रदाता। श्री-इन्द्रवर्मा स सुरेन्द्रवर्मा तद्धृतमेव चकार तस्मिन्॥
v1.c9.s32.11
VII. करणामृतरसरसिकः केवलमेव प्रजाहितास्पदकृत्। यो मुक्तिं स च निखिलां प्रमुदितलोकेश्वरायादात्॥
v1.c9.s32.12
VIII. वज्रधातुरसपूर्व्व श्रीशाक्यमुनि शासनात्। शून्योपि वज्रधृद्धेतुः बुद्धानामालयोऽभवत्॥
v1.c9.s32.13
IX. पद्मधातुरतो लोकेश्वरहेतुर्जिनालयः। अमिताभवचो युक्त्या महाशून्यो बभूव ह॥
v1.c9.s32.14
¹ Read ºस्थविर.
v1.c9.s32.15
X. चक्रधातुरसौ शून्यातीतो वैरोचनाज्ञया । वज्रसत्वस्य हेतुः स्यात् तृतीयोऽभूज्जिनालयः ॥ XI. नागपुष्पाह्वयो भाति स्थाविर'स्तुल्य शीलधीः । पूर्वेण नगपुष्पाख्येनात्मवंशेन भिक्षुणा ॥ अस्मै श्रीप्रमुदितलोकेश्वरविह'राय तत्पुण्याय यत् सर्वमिदं क्षेत्रं श्रीभद्रवर्मदेवस्तदनुज्ञया दत्तवान् पुनरपि स श्री इन्द्रवर्मदेवः सकलराजाधिराजः तदनुग्रहसंभावात् तदेव नियुक्तं ॥ XII. गते शकाब्दे युगकर्णकायैः ज्येष्ठस्य शुक्ले नवमे दिनेयं । तेन प्रतिष्ठापितयात्मकीर्त्यं श्रीलोकनाथस्तु स जीववारे ॥
v1.c9.s32.16
TRANSLATION.
v1.c9.s32.17
(a).
v1.c9.s32.18
Reverence to Lokanātha.
v1.c9.s32.19
I. Hail! constant reverence to that merciful one by whom . . . . . one form . . . . . has been manifested. Those whose happiness was over, and who were being struck by iron rods . . . . . got the highest salvation by thinking of Lokeśvara.
v1.c9.s32.20
III. Sinful men, attached to their works in former lives, and without any hope of deliverance, were eternally surrounded by the terrible hosts of Māra, and overpowered by hunger and thirst, on account of their want of liberality and aversion to Sugata (i. e. Buddha) in former times.
v1.c9.s32.21
1. Read °स्थविर.
2. Read विहाराय.
v1.c9.s32.22
But being rescued by Vajrapāṇi from the hell, they secured the way (to salvation) pointed out by the Buddha.
v1.c9.s32.23
IV. The monk (*sthavira*) named Nāgapuspa, who adored the feet of virtuous men, was highly esteemed by king Bhadravarman, and cherished very loyal and friendly feelings towards him.
v1.c9.s32.24
V. He, (the king), established, for Nāgapuspa, with sentiments full of devotion, the (monastery) of Lokeśvara, who is omnipresent in the world. May He (Lokeśvara), consecrated for the sake of religious instruction, lead to his (the king's ?) glory in the world.¹
v1.c9.s32.25
¹ Huber translates: ‘Desiring to extend his glory all over the world, and delighted to hear religious instruction, he constructed for Nāgapuspa (a monastery placed under the name of) Avalokiteśvara, for the king was full of faith and love for him who is omnipresent in the world.’
v1.c9.s32.26
VI. Śrī Indravarman, king of Champā, who was purified by the rays of glory . . . . . world, who bestows all kinds of happiness, and who is (protected) by Indra (as an) armour, did the same kind of things to him (Nāgapuspa).
v1.c9.s32.27
VII. Having drunk the nectar of mercy, and being devoted to the good of his subjects in a unique manner, he gave all exemptions (*i. e.* from imposts) to Pramuditalokeśvara.
v1.c9.s32.28
VIII. This Vajradhātu, who, although non-existent, is the cause of the Vajra-wielder, became by the command of Śrī Śākyamuni, the abode of the Buddhas.
v1.c9.s32.29
IX. Then Padmadhātu, the great non-existent, (but) the cause of Lokeśvara, became, by the logic of Amitābha's words (commands), the abode of the Jinas (*i. e.* the Buddhas).
v1.c9.s32.30
X. This Cakradhātu, who, although beyond the state of non-existence, would be the cause of Vajrasattva, became, by the command of Vairocana, the third abode of the Jinas (i. e. Buddhas).
v1.c9.s32.31
XI. The monk (*sthavira*) Nāgapuspa, equal in intelligence and piety to a former monk of his own family, called Nagapuspa, flourishes in this world.
v1.c9.s32.32
Whatever fields etc. king Śrī Bhadravarman granted to the monastery of Pramuditalokeśvara, by his command and for the sake of his religious merit, all that has been confirmed by Śrī Indravarman, king of all kings, for the sake of his favour.
v1.c9.s32.33
XII. When the year of the Śakas, denoted by ‘yuga-karṇa-kāya’ (824) had elapsed, (astronomical details) he established this Lokanātha for the sake of his glory.
v1.c9.s32.34
(The concluding portion in Cham contains an enumeration of the fields granted).