50. #Apaca Stone #Casket #Inscription of King #Bhagamoya (Azes) Year 77 Provenance: Apaca, Bajaur, Afghanistan. Language: North- Eastern Prakrit. Script: Kharoshthi
For Sanskrit, Hindi & English Translation of the Inscriptions by Dr Mehta Vasishtha Dev Mohan – (Ancient Indian Inscriptions- Volume 1. Citation requested Kindly Visit https://archive.org/details/@alok1954
Text 1. सवत्शर सत – स-सततिमये महराजस अयस वुर्त-कलस शवणस मसस दिवसये चतुविशिये शत्रोलेकेण मत्रवेण सुभुतिक-पुत्रेण अपव-राज भगमोयेण भगवतो शकमुणि ( स ) 2. सर्व-चतुव प्रतिठवित अप्रतिठवित मुर्वमि प्रदेशमि अठयिग्रमि कवावियण छुर्द – तण ( ) वर ग्रहंमि सर्व-बुध-पुजयित सर्वे-प्रवेग -सुबुधरहंत 3. पुजरह प् यंयित इम धतुवि म प्रतिठविति सध भर्ययि दविलिये पुत्रेहि च इंद्रवणणेन मेणहिण च मत -पित पुजयित भ्रद ‘ इंदसेण विकरो विजय मित्रो अखोट रज 4. ग्रो-णद -गंध-वेपमि पुजयिद्रे सुतुणकजि पुत्र सर्व-पूजवेह (हि ) पुजवित इमि धतु प्रमिगोवति पतोलशि शक – [खक -मोहि]
In the year Seven together with seventy (Seventy seventh) in era stated by the great King Aya, on the day twenty four (24) of the month Sravana, by the War (i e. Defence Minister, the vice-king Bhagamoya the Son of Subhtiutika Bhagamoya) were deposited all relics of the Lord Sakyamuni, in a place not previously deposited in, in their own little shrine of the kasyapiya in the Athayi village, after all the Buddhas were honored with Puja/Worship, after all pratyaka sambhuddhas, Arhats, Sravakas (Lay disciples) were honoured. These relics were deposited by me together with my wife Davili and with sons Indra Varnana and Manamha. Mother and father are honoured. The brother Indrasena, the kinsmen Vijayamitra, king of Akhota, are honored with Puja, with the dispersal of heavy gonarda perfumed oil. The sons of dependents are honoured in all approved Puja/worship. This body relic of Buddha, which destroys the doubts longings to Akanksha and infatuation (Moha) have been caused to be worshipped by the sons of my sons and all the subjects.
Reference H W Bailey, J.R.A.S No. 2 (1982). Page:144-55
Footnote 1.
1. From the facsimile in J.R.A.S. No- 2, 1982, Pls. IV-VIII, page 144-48. 2. The data here is clearly given in a reckoning connected with Maharaja Aya ie the great king Azes, and sets at rest the great controversy ranging for many years past regarding the date given in saka and kushan Inscriptions. 3. The same phrase occurs in the Shinkot Casket Inscripiton of Maninder and Vijayamitra and Vijayakamitra. (Ep. Ind. XXVI, Page 7 and XXVI Page 318 FF) where it has been rendered into skt. (Apratyaraj interpreted as Samantraj by , Dr. DC. Sircar, Sel.Inss, I,Page 105-106) According to Bailey, Paca in Apaca) represents Baja in Bajaur. The Latter seems to be a growth from Avacapura or Apacapura (See Supra No 11, non अप्रव्यग्राज शत्रेलेकेन) The first part शत्र is definitely from “शत्” to slay destroy or fight. Bailey (op.cit, P.15l, n.5) traces from the Khotanese or south-west Iranian rd in the base/yard to control, to instruct; and treats -eka or ika – as a suffix indicating Profession or a trade. But I would iike to trace the entire word लेक or तिक from the Sanskrit रिच which means to destroy, to eradicate, to clear. Thus शत्रोलेकेन would mean the General incharge of eradicating the country of enemies. Bailey traces mata the suffix “tra” in matrava to a zoroastrian pahalvi and Armenian word matiyan and to the older parthrian form matakarar (matakadara) for intendant, one Incharge of basic materials. To me Matrava is the same designation as often occurs in Ashokan edicts as a 3n matra in mahamatra. ( Great minister “शत्रोलेकेन or मात्र वेन” simply means “by the minister incharge” of dealing with the enemies or in modern term “The Defence Minister”
Footnote 2.
1. Bailey: “छद्रतण वनरि” But what he reads “प” is clearly “व” and an indistinct letter he reads as “न” in “वनरि” Seems to be cancelled strokas of a letter traced incompletely by mistake. His explanation for the word in the footnote is far-fetched. “तणवर तनुवर” occurs in the sense of “his own” स्वकीय 2. There is an additional stroke to the right under “ल” here and some of the following words. It possibly distinguishes the fricative त ट from ordinary words त ल Accordingly, it has been underlined.
3. What looks like a loop (Matra for u) under the word इ is the curve of anusvara.
4. Bailey निस
It is a single letter.
, but he reads the upper part as मि & lower as स.
5. The first akshra appears to be “इ”
rather then वि
” but even the sense of “इकरो” is not clear.
6.मद is traced between the upper loop of म् and the subscript stroke for र् in ग्रो
7 From J.R.A.S No 2, 1982, Pl. IV(a) Page 144 and Pl VIII Page 148 It is clear that the text is distributed in five lines but the facsimile being in nine sections, it is not easy to mark out a line, which appears 1.1 above, what appears in Bailey’s and our text as 1.2. So this portion is also put without 1.2.
Footnote 3 1. Vijay Mitra figures in Bajaur casket Inscripiton. I have tentatively followed Bailey in translating it into kinsman, which is conjectural. 2. The phrase in the inscription means “Worshipped by by flourishing in the incense of gonardha. 3. Another phrase in the inscription means “To destroy to annihilate 4. Bailey derives “palolshi” from a dialect form of sogdian, Zoroastrian Pahlavi In the sense of penalty, punishment or in the sense of restitution.
