Kumaragupta 2, Kramaditya was another emperor of the Gupta Empire. He succeeded Purugupta & He was succeeded by Budhagupta He was son of Puru-gupta grandson of Kumaragupta 1, and great-grandson of Chandergupta 2 and Dhruvadevi.
During 475 to 480 AD, A Hephthalite king Toramana broke through the Gupta defenses in the northwest of his empire.
Most of his empire was overrun by the Hunas lateron.
His empire disintegrated under the attacks of Toramana and his successor, Mihirakula; the Hunas conquered several provinces of the empire, including Malwa, Gujrat and Thanesar, as the empire was earlier broken away into small kingdoms, under the rule of local dynasties.
However It appears that, although the power of Kumaragupta 2, was diminished, but he successfully continued to resist the Hunas, and allied with small independent kingdoms to drive out the Hunas from most the northern India during 500 AD.
Inscription number 33
Sarnath Buddhist Stone Image Inscription of Kamaragupta 2.
Gupta Year: 154 ( 473 A. D.)
Provenance: Near Varanasi, U.P.
Script: Late Northern Brahmi.
Language: Sanskrit.
Metres
V.l उद्धगीति
V.2 आर्या
V.3 गीति
References: Gupte. A.S.I., Annual Reports, 1914-15. pp.124
D.C. Sircar, Select.Inss. . pp.328-29.
Footnote 1
From the facsimile in Archeological Survey of India. A.R 1914-15
Pl.LXIX-N.
2. Read: सच्चतु : to rectify the metre उद्धगीति
needs 15 meters in the second pada.
3. Better read ज्यैष्ठे
4. बुद्धस्य
English Translation of the inscription
V.1. In the year one hundred and fifty four of the Gupta kings, on the second day of the month of Jyeshtha ,
when Kumaragupta was protecting the earth.
V.2-3 This another image of the incomparable lord Buddha was
caused to be made for worship by the ascetic Abhayamitra, with his mind overwhelmed with devotion, and with
qualities bestowed on him by his mother, father, preceptor
and ancestors.
V. 3. By this meritorious deed may this spirtual person on attain
desired cessation (of existence) (and may the same be for the benefit and happiness of all creatures ).
Footnote
1. Gupta पूत्र्ति, D R Sahni पूव्र्वि ; पूर्वै: by ancestors
2. सत्तवकाय A person who is an abode of virtue. Spiritually inclined person
3. Sircar suggests restoration हित-सुखं तदैव भवतु सत्तवानाम
34.
Bhitari Seal of Kumaragupta 2.
Provenance: Bhitari, Ghazipur district, U.P.
Footnote
There is a great controversy regarding the identity of Kumara-gupta or Kumar Guptas, who £flourished after
skandagupta. One of them, .e. Kumaragupta 2, was ruling
in G.E. 154 ( 473, A.D.)when the Sarnath Buddhist Image Inscription was engraved. Purugupta, a brother or
stepbrother of Skandagupta has to be accommodated before
his son Budhagupta, who ruled from 475 to 500 AD, and before Kumaragupta 2, of 473 A. D. We have also to accomodate Narasimhagupta, also a Son most probably the eldest
son of Purugupta, before Kumaragupta 2. Thus in a short span of eight or nine years, three rulers have to be fitted over the very same area, i.e Bihar and Eastern U.P. There is no justification for imagining the existence of a 3rd Kumaragupta, to share these 8 years
with three other kings. Hence my belief that the Kumaragupta of the Bhitari Seal and of Samath Buddhist Image Inscription of the year 154 G. E. are identical. As regards, the Damodarpur Copper Grant of the G.E. 224
(543 AD.) the name of the king is illigible. Basak has suggested and Krishna sastri
as the reading. Suggestions being hypothetical, no theory can, be based on them Some gold coins of a
Kumaragupta, surnamed Sri-kramaditya are known, see Allan, B.M.C., Gupta Coins, pp140 ff.
Script: Late Brahmi of fifth and sixth century A.D.
Language; Sanskrit
References, Hoerale J.A.S.B, LVIII, J.F. Fleet, IND.Ant, XIX, (1890) pp225, D.C. Sircar Select.Inss, I, pp329-30.
Footnote 2
From the Facsimile in J.A.S.B, LVIII,Pt I, The upper part of the Gupta seals is occupied by emblems, one of
which being Garuda in relief on a countersunk Surface.
Nalanda seals of Kumara-gupta 2, bear the same text. See
AS.I. Memoirs, No. 66, pp-66. Pl.VIII d-e). So they are being omitted here.
Footnote 3
The obverse legend on gold coin in the British Maseum is variously read
by Allan (B.M.C., Gupta Coins, pp134.
Pl.XXI, No 23) and by S.K Sarswati as बुध(Indian Culture, I,.pp691 f). The reverse bears the title: श्री विकर्म or श्री विकर्मादित्य
According to a Buddhist tradition.
Vikramaditya of Sarasvati or Ayodaya was the father Baladitya, the patron of Vasubandha and the conquerer of
Mihirakula. Those two kings have been identified with Purugupta and Narasimhagupta respctively. The latters
gold coins bear the legend ज्यति नरसिंहगुप्त
and वा नादित्य
under the king’s left arm on the obversation and
on the reverse See B.M.C Gupta Coins, pp137 ff.
2. Fleet श्री वत्स
The name of as Narasimhagupta’s mother on the Nalanda seal is read as वैण्यदेवी by H Shastri
(Ep.Ind.. XXI, pp 77, only a brief reference at the end)
and
by N.P. Chakravarti (AS..I, A R 1934-35.
pp-63).
3. King Narasimhagupta Baladitya of Magadha, whose gold coins
have come down to us, was according to Yaan Chang (watters on
Yaan Chang’s Travels, I, pp.208 f.) a contemporary of Mihiraaula, whom he took prisoner and later released on the
behest of his mother. If Mihirakula flourished from 515 to 535 A.D.as it is believed, Narasimhagupta has to be placed not only after Budhagupta (475-500 A D.) but also after
Maharaja Vainyagupta (507 AD.) and Raaja Bhanugupta
(510 A D.).But the Last two were more probably only subordinate rulers, though their solitary surviving records
do not refer to any overlord. Yuan chwang’s statement
that Budhagupta was Succeeded by Tathagatagupta, and the
latter by Baladitya, may after all be correct.
English Translation of the inscription
Ll.1-3 The Son of Samudragupta who Was the exterminator of all kings who was a matchless warrior in the world,
who was the great-grandson of Maharaja Sri Gupta, who
was the grand son of Maharaja Ghatotkacha who was the son of Maharajadhiraja Sri Chandragupta (1)
who wasthe daughter’s son of the Lichahhavis, who was
begotten on Mahadevi Kumaradevi,
L1.3-4 was Maharajadhiraja Sri Chandragupta 1, who was
accepted by him ( i.e. Samudragupta)who was begotten on
Mahadevi Dattadevi, who was himself a matchless warrior, and who was a devout worshipper of Lord vishnu
Ll.4-5 His son was Maharajadhiraja Sri Kumaragupta, who meditated on his feet and who was begotten on Mahadevi Dhruvadevi.
Ll.5-6 His son was Maharajadhiraja Sri Puru gupta, who meditated on his father’s feet and who was begotten on
Mahadevi Anantadevi
Ll.6 Hi son was Maharajadhiraja Sri Narsimhagupta, who
meditated on his feet who was begotten on Mahadevi Sri Chandra devi
Ll.7-8 His son is Maharajadhiraja Sri Kamaragupta who was begotten on the Chief queen Srimati Mitra devi
and who is devout worshipper of lord Vishnu (whose Seal it is).
Footnote
1. Fleet महा लक्षमी देवी but CF of Nalanda seal (Ep.Ind, XXI, pp77, ASI, AR, 1934-35, pp-63.)