Carved in Caves – Part 3:
Epigraphic Echoes of the Satavahanas By Cdr Alok Mohan
I. The Nasik Cave Inscription of Vasishthiputra Pulumavi – Regnal Year 22 (c. 152 A.D.)
1. Provenance and Context
Location: Cave No. 3, Nasik (Pandavleni), back wall of verandah.
Date: Regnal Year 22 of Vasishthiputra Pulumavi, c. 152 A.D.
Script: Brahmi
Language: Prakrit
Donor: Issued under royal authority in the name of Pulumavi, son of Gautamiputra Satakarni.
This inscription continues the royal administrative record initiated in Year 19, reflecting an ongoing engagement with monastic grants.
2. Historical and Dynastic Background
Lineage: Pulumavi was the son of Gautamiputra Satakarni and Queen Gautami Balashri.
Territorial Expansion: Coins circulated widely in southern India, with maritime motifs suggesting overseas trade.
Maritime Strength: Ship iconography hints at links with Southeast Asia.
Religious Patronage: Strong support to the Bhadrayaniya Buddhist sect, in line with his father’s legacy.
Succession: Succeeded by Vasishthiputra Satakarni, who struggled against Western Kshatrapa incursions.
3. Content and Administrative Nature
Royal Command: Officer Siva-skandila of Govardhana was ordered to replace the earlier land grant (Sudarsana) with a new village, Salmalipadra.
Beneficiaries: Bhadrayaniya monks residing in the Queen’s cave on Trirasmi Hill.
Purpose: Religious merit (“bridge of piety”) and administrative correction of the earlier grant.
Immunities and Rights Granted:
Exemption from taxes (e.g., salt tax)
Immunity from penal law
Freedom from interference by state agents
4. Religious and Cultural Significance
Buddhist Devotion: Concludes with homage to the Buddha as “Baddha, the excellent jina.”
Sectarian Inclusivity: Specific support to Bhadrayaniya monks reflects doctrinal diversity.
Royal Legitimacy: Religious endowments functioned as instruments of moral and political authority.
5. Political Implications and Dynastic Decline
Post-Pulumavi Rule: Vasishthiputra Satakarni’s reign was marred by conflict with Rudradaman I of the Western Kshatrapas.
Dynastic Marriage: Alliance with Rudradaman through marriage failed to prevent military defeat.
Decline Begins: Losses against the Kshatrapas marked the onset of Satavahana decline in the western Deccan.
6. Administrative Structure and Personnel
Registrars and Royal Officers: The order was executed by the Mahasenapati (Maithuna), attested by Auda, the king’s maternal grandfather.
Roles:
Vishnupala: Messenger of the royal command
Auda: Administrative validator, showing dynastic interlinkage
7. Conclusion
This inscription reflects a harmonious blend of religious devotion, dynastic continuity, administrative sophistication, and cultural plurality. It showcases the use of royal inscriptions as tools for:
Administrative correction
Religious patronage
Political affirmation
Dynastic representation
II. The Karle Cave Inscription of Vasishthiputra Pulumavi – Regnal Year 24 (c. 154 A.D.)
1. Provenance and Context
Location: Karle, Pune District, Maharashtra; in a vihara cell near the Chaitya hall.
Date: Regnal Year 24, c. 154 A.D.
Script & Language: Brahmi script in Prakrit with Sanskritic influence
Donor: Haraparna, a lay devotee from Amburama, son of a perfumer (Svetaparna)
2. Nature of the Donation
Gift: A nine-celled hall for the Mahāsāṃghika monastic order
Dedication: Made in honor of Haraparna’s parents, for universal spiritual benefit
Joint Donors: Budharakshita and her mother also contributed, including a pedestal for a Buddha image
3. Doctrinal Affiliation and Sectarian Identity
Mahāsāṃghika Affiliation: The gift supports this liberal and influential early Buddhist school
Inclusivity: Intended for Samgha of all directions, reflecting ecumenical character
Scholarly Debate: Reference to “Sovasaka” is debated, but majority align it with Mahāsāṃghika over Sauvarshaka interpretations
4. Religious and Social Implications
Lay Patronage: Reflects growing influence of merchants and artisans in Buddhist endowment
Filial Piety: Religious donations seen as a way to honor family and accrue merit
Women’s Role: Budharakshita’s mother’s participation highlights the gendered dynamics of piety
5. Architectural Contribution
Monastic Expansion: Suggests structural growth of Karle during Pulumavi’s rule
Functionality: Nine cells for monk residence, integrated with devotional architecture
Private Patronage: High-quality religious structures not limited to royalty
6. Political Context
Late Pulumavi Period: Indicates enduring royal influence and religious tolerance
Karle as a Center: Prominent Buddhist hub receiving both state and private patronage
7. Conclusion
The Karle inscription is a microcosm of the Satavahana world—showing interaction between:
State authority and private piety
Sectarian pluralism
Gendered religious agency
Architectural innovation
III. Numismatic and Epigraphic Legacy of Late Satavahanas
1. Overview: Decline and Transformation
The late 2nd century CE saw political fragmentation, despite efforts by rulers like Vasishthiputra Satakarni and Yajna Sri Satakarni to restore imperial strength.
2. Vasishthiputra Satakarni (c. 159–166 A.D.)
Coin Features:
Bust with Indo-Greek stylistic influence
Ujjayini symbol, six-peaked hill, rayed sun
Legends in Dravidianised Prakrit
Symbolism:
Maritime and territorial motifs
Assertion against Western Kshatrapa coinage
Cultural amalgamation of northern and southern elements
3. Yajna Sri Satakarni (c. 174–202 A.D.)
Nasik Inscription: Dated to Year 7, salutes Vasudeva (Krishna), suggesting rising Vaishnavite leanings
Maritime Trade: Sail-ship depictions on coins indicate thriving overseas commerce
Territorial Control: Brief recovery of western Deccan from Kshatrapas
4. Decline and Fragmentation
Key Factors:
Dynastic strife
Abhira intrusion in western Deccan
Ikshvaku emergence in Andhra
Rise of Chutus and Pallavas
Final Satavahanas:
Pulumavi IV presided over a fractured empire
Transition from imperial unity to regional kingdoms
IV. The Nagarjunikonda Pillar Inscription of Gautamiputra Vijaya Satakarni
1. Context and Provenance
Location: Nagarjunikonda, Andhra Pradesh
Date: Regnal Year 6, Vaisakha Purnima
Language & Script: Prakrit in Southern Brahmi
2. Inscription Summary
“Adoration to the lord, the best of beings. The pillar is the gift made on the Vaisakha-Purnima day of the 4th fortnight of summer during the 6th regnal year of King Gautamiputra Vijaya Satakarni.”
3. Religious Implication
Buddhist Context: Association with Vaisakha Purnima (Buddha’s birth/Nirvana) affirms Buddhist patronage
Donative Nature: Establishes Vijaya Satakarni’s role in religious architecture
4. Historical Significance
Last Year of Rule: Only six years of reign (as per Puranas)
Chronological Bridge: Links decline after Yajna Satakarni to Ikshvaku ascendency
Archaeological Support: Coin hoards and layers beneath Ikshvaku structures attest to Satavahana presence
V. Concluding Remarks
The inscriptions and coinage of the Satavahana rulers, particularly Pulumavi, Vasishthiputra Satakarni, Yajna Sri Satakarni, and Vijaya Satakarni, offer a layered understanding of:
Dynastic politics and succession crises
Religious patronage spanning Buddhism and emerging Vaishnavism
Administrative sophistication in land grants and immunities
Economic vitality reflected through coinage and maritime trade
Artistic and architectural innovation, especially in rock-cut cave sites
These records not only chronicle a dynasty but also preserve a civilizational ethos where kingship, piety, trade, and art converged to shape the Deccan’s historical landscape.