Bihar Stone Pillar Inscription of Skandagupta

        . . . . . . . . . . . . a very moon of a man; equal in prowess to (the god Vishnu) the younger brother of Indra; unequalled in respect of virtuous qualities; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

        (Line 2.)— . . . . . . . . . . moreover, his son, docile towards (his) master on the earth; renowned; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by his own fame.

        (L. 3.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . whose sister, indeed, [was espoused] by Kumâragupta, of unequalled prowess.

        (L. 4.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . both the deceased ancestors and the gods, with the oblations proper for each of them; . . . . . . . . always . . . . . . . . . . . . things that are injurious to man, &c.

        (L. 5.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . caused to be made a group of temples, not [rivalled by] anything else that could be compared with it in the world.

        (L. 6.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . assuredly in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . which is beautiful with the erection of (this) best of columns.

        (L. 7.)— . . . . . . . . . . . of the trees . . . . . . . . . . . . the groups of fig-trees and castor oil plants, the tops of which are bent down by the weight of (their) flowers.

        (L. 8.)— . . . . . . . . . . by (the presence of) Bhadrâryâ, the house shines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the sky laden with fresh clouds.

        (L. 9.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . headed by (the god) Skanda, and by the divine Mothers, on the earth, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mankind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

        (L. 10.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . [he] made, indeed, the erection of (this) sacrificial pos . . . . . . . . . . . Bhadrâryâ and others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in (the village (?) called) Skandaguptabata (?), 30 (and) 5 shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

        (L. 12.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . if there be any misdeed on the part of (his) father (or) his mother, let him share . . . . . . . . . . .

        (L. 13.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . in the agrahâra of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 shares . . . . . . . . by Anantasêna . . . . . . . . .

        (L. 14.)— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The son of the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Samudragupta,— who was the exterminator [of all kings]; who had no antagonist (of equal power) in the world; [whose fame was tasted by the waters of the four oceans]; who was equal to (the gods) [Dhanada and Varuna] and Indra and Antaka; [who was the very axe] of (the god) Kritânta; [who was the giver of many millions of lawfully acquire cows and gold]; who was the restorer of the ashvamêdha-sacrifice, that had been [long] in abeyance; [who was the son of the son's son of the Mahârâdha, the illustrious Gupta]; who was the son's son of [the Mahârâja, the illustrious] Ghatôtkacha; (and) who was [the son] of the Mahârâjâdhâja, [the glorious Chandragupta (I.), (and) the daughter's son of Lichchhavi], begotten on the Mahâdêví Kumâradêvî,—

        (L. 19.)—(was) the most devout worshipper of the Divine One, the Mahârâjâdhirâja, [the glorious Chandragupta (II.)],— who was accepted by him;2 [who was begotten on] the Mahâdêvî [Dattadêvî]; (and) [who was himself without an antagonist (of equal power.)]

        (L. 21.)— [His son], who meditated on [his feet], (and) [who was begotten] on the Mahâdêvî Dhruvadêvî, (was) [the most devout worshipper of the Divine One], [the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Kumâragupta].

        (L. 22.)— [His] son, who meditated on his feet, (is) [the most devout worshipper the Divine One, the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious] Skandagupta.

        (L. 24.)— [1], the most devout worshipper of the Divine One, (the Mahârâjâdhirâja, the glorious Skandagupta, issue a command] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of the town of Ajapura in the . . . . . . vishaya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a perpetual endowment . . . . . . . . . . . a village-field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the Uparika, the Kumâyâmâtya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . acquired by the merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in the seat (of office) (?) of the Âgrahârika, the Saulkika, and the Gaulmika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and others who subsist on Our favour;—

        (L. 31.)— " I have been requested by . . . . . . varman,— By my father's father, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by the Bhatta Guhilasvâmin, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . belonging to Bhadrâryâ . . . . . . . . . . . "

From: Fleet, John F. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum: Inscriptions of the Early Guptas. Vol. III. Calcutta: Government of India, Central Publications Branch, 1888, 50-52.