History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.198

v5.c74.t2.198

¹⁴⁷¹ I am not unmindful of the fact that in the Iron Pillar Inscription of a king called Candra at Meherauli (nine miles south of Delhi) the last verse reads तेनार्ये प्रणिधाय भूमिपतिना . . प्रांशुर्विष्णुपदे गिरौ भगवतो विष्णोर्ध्वजः स्थापितः (Gupta Inscriptions, No 32 at p. 141). This shows that near Delhi there was a hill called विष्णुपद But there is nothing to show that there was a place called गयशिरस् near it. Hence विष्णुपद and गयशिरस् being taken together point out to Gayā The Inscription is undated but looking to the characters it would not be far wrong to assign it to a period near Samudra- (*Continued from last page*) gupta. Therefore Viṣṇu's footprint existed on a hill near Delhi in the 4th century A D. There is no sound reason advanced why it could not have existed at Gayā about the same time or even earlier. Besides in the Rām. II 68 19 a विष्णुपद south of the river विपाशा is mentioned.