Basnagar Garuda Pillar Inscription

Inscription number 5.

Basnagar Garuda Pillar Inscription of the time of Bhagabhadra – Regnal year 14.

Provenance : Besnagar. vidisha District, Madhya Pradesh.
Script: Brahmi of the closing years of the 2nd century B.C. Prakrit influenced by Sanskrit.
Language: Prakrit influenced by Sanskrit.
Ref.: Vogel, A.S.I., A.R., 1908-09, p. 126; Rapson, Ancient India, p. 157; D.R. Bhandarkar, J.B.B.R.A.S., XXIII, p. 104; Raychaudhuri, Early History of the Vaishnava Sect, pp. 99 ff; Luders, List, No. 669; D.C. Sircar, Sel. Inss., I, pp.88f, R.B. Pandey, Hist and Lit. Inss., p.44.

TEXT
Part I
1. (दे) वदेवस वा (सुदे) वस गरुडध्वजे अयं
2. कारिते इ  (अ) हेलिओदोरेण भाग –
3. वतेन दियस पुत्रेण तख्खसिलाकेन
4. योन -दूतेन आगतेन महाराजस
5. अंत लिकितस उपंता सकातं रनो 
6. कासी-पुत्रस  भागभद्रस त्रातारस
7.  वसेन पत तु दसेन राजेन वधमानस
Part IT
1. त्रिनि अगुत-पदानि (इ अ ) स  अनुठितानि
2. नेयंति (स्वगं) दम  चाग अप्रमाद
संस्कृत छाया
देवदेवस्य वासुदेवस्य गरुडध्वज गरुड मूर्त्ति भूषित: शिखर:
ध्वज स्तम्भ: अयं कारित: इह हेलियोदोरेण ( =  by Hellodorus) भागवतेन दियस्य ( = of Dion)

Footnote 1.
1. Ancient vidisa, the capital of Akara or Dasarna (Modern east Malwa)
2. From Plate procured fron Govt. Epigraphist for Ind. ootakamund, Negative No. 3001.
3. Greeks in general were known in India and Iran about these times by the common designation yona, yauna or yavana, a term derived from Ionia. Ionias seem to have come into contact with the Iranians and Indians.

Footnote 2
1. Note the difference in the titles of the two kings. High sounding titles, like Maharaja, Rajetiraja etc., were Introduced and popularised in India, by the foreign ruling dynasties, namely Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Pahlavas and Kushanas. The Mauryas and the sungas, though ruling over far extensive empires, remained satisfied with modest titles, like Rajan and Senapati. But soon after them the Indian rulers, too, assumed similar high soundings titles. Bhagabhadra has been identified with Bhaga or Bhagavata, the ninth Sunga king in the Puran lists (see N.W. India of Second century B.C. pp. 198, by Dr M.V.D. Mohan )
Antalikita or Antialkides succeeded Helioclos as king of Gandhara and Kapisi about 135 B.C., and was still ruling about 100 B.C. when the present record was installed (ibid. pp. 196 ff.). 2. Bhandarkar:  ( = कौत्सीपुत्रस्य)

3. By extending an essentially a Greek title, Soteros or त्रातर्, to the sunga king, Heliodorus was probably acknowledging the fact that the sunga kings provided some sort of protection to the latter’s patron. In fact, it is known that the house of Eukratides, to which Antialkidas belonged seems to have received considerable support from the Sungas in establishing themselves as rulers at the cost of the Demetrian ruling house (see ibid. pp.Chapter VI,19, VII, 6.
4. Seo Mahabharata, V, 43, 23:  दमस्तयागो प्रमादश्च “एतेष्वमृतमाहितम् ।।

पुत्रेण ताक्षशिलाकेन तक्षशिला- वासिना] यवनदूतेन आगतेन महाराजस्य अन्तलिकितस्य  उपान्तात् सकाशं  राझ: काशी-पुत्रस्य – काशी-गोत्रीयाँ पुत्रस्य भागभद्रस्य त्रातु: वर्षेण चतुदर्शेन राज्येन वर्धमानस्य ।
II. त्रीणि अमृत-पदानि इट स्वनुष्ठितानि नयन्ति स्वर्ग दमः, त्याग: अप्रमाद: ।।
English Translation
This flagshaft surmounted by the image of a Garuda, has been got constructed here (in honour) of god of gods Vasudeva by the Greek ambassador Heliodora (Heliodorus) of Bhagavata faith, son of Diya (i.e Dion) and an inhabitant of Takshashia, who had come from the great king Amtalikita (Antialkidas) to (the court of) the Saviour king Bhagabhadra, son of Kautsi (or Kasi) during the latters fourteenth prosperous regnal year.
II. These immortal steps well executed in this world lead to heaven {they are) self-control., renunciation (and) alertness.
हिन्दी अनुवाद
देवों के देव वासुदेव का यह शिखरस्थ   गरुड़-मूर्ति-मण्डित शिला-मय ध्वनस्तम्भ भागात-धर्मानुयायी, दिय के पुत्र, तक्षशिला  -निवासी यवनदूत हेलियोदोरस ( Heliodorus) ने जो  महाराज अन्तलिखित (Antialkidas)  के पास से चौदहवें वर्ष में प्रवर्द्धमान राज्य  करते  हुए राजा काशी पुत्र त्राता भागभद्र  के पास दरबार में
आया हुआ था, निर्माण कराया !
इस संसार में अच्छी तरह अनुष्ठिा तीन अमृतमय पद (= आचरण ) स्वर्ग ले जाते है:-
इन्द्रिय- दमन, त्याग और अप्रमाद ।

The fifth inscription is of Garuda Pillar Basnagar, Vidisha district MP, of the “time of regnal year 14. It’s language is Prakrit & script is brahmi. Greeks in general were known in India and Iran about these times by the common designation Yona, Yauna or Yavena, a term derived from lonia. Ionians seem to have been tha earliest Greeks to have come into contact with the Iranians and Indian. Note the differences in the titles of the two kings. High sounding titles, like Maharaja, Rajatiraja etc., were introduced and popularised in India by the foreign ruling dynasties, namely Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Pahlavas and Kushanas. The Mauryas and the Sungas, though ruling over far more ‘ extensive empires, remained satisfied with modest titles like Rajan and Senapati. But soon after them the Indian rulers, too, assumed Similar high soundings titles..Bhagabhadra, has been identified with Bhaga or Bhagavakas the ninth Sunga king in the Puranic lists.“Bhagabhadra was one of the kings of the Indian shunga dynasty. He ruled in north, central, and eastern India from 124 BCE to 83 BCE” Indo Greek Coins by Dr M V D mohan.
Although the capital of the Shungas was at Pataliputra, he was also known to have held court at Vidisha. It is thought that the name Bhagabhadra also appears in the regnal lists of the Shungas in the Puranic records records, under the name Bhadraka, fifth ruler of the Shungas. Shungas ruled in the area of Vidisa around 100 BCE. Bhagabhadra is best known from the inscription at the site of vidisha.
The Heliodorus pillar, in which contacts with an embassy from the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas is recorded, and where he is named “Kasiputra Bhagabhadra, the Saviour, son of the princess from Banaras. Antalikita or Antiolkidas succeeded Heliocles as king of Gandhara and Kapisi about 135 B.C., and was still ruling about 100 BC, when the present record was installed.
A Garuda-standard of lord Vasudeva erected here by the devotee Heliodoros, of Taxila sent by the greek King Antialkidas, as ambassador to King Kasiputra Bhagabhadra
By extending an essentially a Greek title, Soteros or ATA, to the Sunga king, Heliodorus was probably acknowledging the fact that the sunga kings provided some sort of protection to the latter’s patron. In fact, it is known that the house of Eukratides, to which Antialkidas belonged, seems to have received considerable support from the Sungas in establishing themselves as rulers at the cost of the Domstrilan ruling house.

Translation of this inscription is:-

“The flagshaft surmounted by the image of Garuda has got constructed here in honour of God Vasudeva by the Greek ambassadors Heliodora (Heliodorus) of Bhagavata faith, son of Diya (Dion) and an inhabitant. of Takshasila, who had come from the great king amtalikita (antialkidas) to the court of the Saviour King Bhasgabehadra, son of Kautsi (or Kasi) during the Latters fourteenth prosperous regnal year. Three immortal steps well executed in this world lead to heaven. They are self-control, renunciation and alertness”
 “This is another Barli Stone Inscription of the time of Bhagavata of the Barli province, Ajmer district, Rajasthan. Script is brahmi language is prakrit of 2nd cantury Bec.
English Translation
success? During the kingship of Bhagavata…. eighty four pillars ( in Madhyamik&) a hall on the Màlini…… were donated by the residents of Madhyamik