Junagadh Rock Inscription of Skandagupta
First Part.
Perfection has been attained! Victorious is he, (the god) Vishnu,-the perpetual abode of the (goddess) Lakshmî, whose dwelling is the waterlily; the conqueror of distress; the completely victorious one,-who, for the sake of the happiness of (Indra) the lord of the gods, seized back from (the demon) Bali the goddess of wealth and splendour, who is admitted to be worthy of enjoyment, (and) who had been kept away from him for a very long time!
(Line 2.)-And next, victorious for ever is the supreme king of kings over kings, whose breast is embraced by the goddess of wealth and splendour; who has developed heroism by (the strength of his) arms; and who plucked (and utilised) the authority of (his local) representatives, who were so many Garudas, (and used it as) an antidote against the (hostile) kings, who were so many serpents, lifting up their hoods in pride and arrogance; Skandagupta, of great glory, the abode of kingly qualities, who, when (his) father by his own power had attained the position of being a friend of the gods, bowed down his enemies and made subject to himself the (whole) earth, bounded by the waters of the for oceans, (and) full of thriving countries round the borders of it;-whose fame, moreover, even (his) enemies, in the countries of the Mlêchchhas . . . . . . . . . . . . having (their) pride broken down to the very root, announce with the words- "verily the victory has been achieved by him;"-(and) whom the goddess of fortune and splendour of her own accord selected as her husband, having in succession (and) with judgment skillfully taken into consideration and thought over all the causes of virtues and faults, (and) having discarded all (the other) sons of kings (as not coming up to her standard).
(L. 5.)-While he, the king, is reigning, verily no man among his subjects falls away from religion; (and) there is no one who is distressed, (or) in poverty, (or) in misery, (or) avaricious, or who, worthy of punishment, is over-much put to torture.
(L. 6.)-Thus having conquered the whole earth, (and) having destroyed the height of the pride of (his) enemies, (and) having appointed protectors in all the countries, he cogitated in many ways,- "Among all my servants put together, who is there, who--suitable; endowed with intellect; modest; possessed of a disposition that is not destitute of wisdom and memory; endowed with truth, straightforwardness, nobility, and prudent behaviour; and possessed of sweetness, civility, and fame;-loyal ; affectionate; endowed with manly characteristics; and possessed of a mind that (has been tried and) is (found to be) pure by all the tests of honesty; possessed of an inner soul pervaded by (the inclination for) the acquittance of debts and obligations; occupied with the welfare of all mankind; capable both in the lawful acquisition of wealth, and also in the preservation of it, when acquired, and further in causing the increase of it, when protected, (and able) to dispense it on worthy objects, when it has been increased,-shall govern all my (countries of the) Surâshtras? I have it; (there is) just one man, Parnadatta competent to bear this burden."
(L. 9.)-(And it was this same Parnadatta) who, with pressing (and) with difficulty, was appointed by the lord of kings, who had thus deliberated in his mind for many days and nights, to protect in a proper manner the land of the Surâshtras. (And) just as the gods became comfortable, (and) not disturbed in mind, when they had appointed Varuna to the western point of the compass, so the king was easy at heart, when he had appointed Parnadatta over the region of the west.
(L. 10.)-His son,-possessed of a filial disposition; his own self, as it were, reduplicated; well trained by self-control; worthy to be protected, as if it were his own self, by the all-pervading spirit; always self-possessed; endowed with a naturally beautiful form; having a disposition the whole of which was always pervaded with joy through a variety of charming actions that were in accordance with (his) beauty; having a waterlily of a face that resembled a bed of waterlilies in full bloom; the refuge of men who came to him for protection,-was this same one who is renowned on the earth under the name of Chakrapâlita; who is beloved of the people; and who confers distinction upon (his) father by his own noble qualities which are everything except unpolished :-
(L. 11.)-In whom all these qualities dwell to a marked degree, (and) without eves wandering away (from him),-.viz. patience; lordship; modesty; and good behaviour; and heroism without (too) great an estimation of prowess; eloquence (?); self-control; liberality; and high-spiritedness; civility; the acquittance of debts and obligations; and freedom from empty-headedness; beauty; and reprobation of things that are not right; absence of astonishment; firmness; and generosity. Even in the whole world there is no one to be found, in whom a comparison with his virtues may be made; verily he has become, in all entireness, the standard of comparison for men who are endowed with virtuous qualities.
(L. 12.)-(And it was he) who was appointed by (his) father, after testing in person (the existence in him of) these same qualities mentioned above, and higher ones even than them; and who then accomplished the protection of (this) city in a way that quite distinguished him above his predecessors. Relying upon the process of his own two excellent arms (?), not on the pride of any other man, he subjected no one in this city to any anxiety; and he punished wicked people. Even in this time which is a mean one, he failed not to maintain confidence in the people, together with the inhabitants of the city; and, by carefully inquiring into faults, he has charmed all the citizens, together with . . . . . . . . . and children. And he has made (his) subjects happy by conversations addressed with smiles, and marks of honour, and presents; by free and reciprocal entering into (each other's) houses; (and) by carefully nourishing the family ceremonies of affection. Endowed with the highest piety, affable, pure, (and) in a suitable manner devoted to charity, he has, even without any conflict between religion and wealth, applied himself to such pleasures as may be attained at the proper time. What wonder is there in the fact that he, [born] from Parnadatta, is possessed of such proper behaviour?; can heat ever be produced from the moon, which is cold like a string of pearls or like a waterlily?
(L. 15.)-Then, in due course of time, there came the season of clouds, bursting asunder with (its) clouds the season of heat, when much water rained down unceasingly for a long time; by reason of which (the lake) Sudarshana suddenly burst,-making the calculation in the reckoning of the Guptas, in a century of years, increased by thirty and also six more, at night, on the sixth day of (the month) Praushthapada. And these (other rivers) which take their source from (the mountain) Raivataka, (and also) this Palâshini, beautiful with (its) sandy stretches,-(all of them) the mistresses of the ocean,-having dwelt so long in captivity, went again, in due accordance with the scriptures, to their lord (the sea). (And) having noticed the great bewilderment, caused by the excess of rain, (the mountain) Ûrjayat, desirous of appropriating the wives of the mighty ocean, stretched forth as it were a hand, consisting of the river Palâshinî, decorated with the numerous flowers that grew on the edges of (its) banks.
(L. 17.)-[Then on all sides] the people fell into despair, discussing how they should act; and, spending the whole night awake in vain, in great anxiety they reflected,- "Here in a moment, (the lake) Sudarshana has (by the overflowing of its waters) assumed an unpleasing appearance towards all the people, (as if it were) a man (?); having the appearance of the ocean, quite full of water, can it ever (again) become pleasing of aspect, . . . . . . . ?"
(L. 18.)- . . . . . . . . . . . . he having become . . . . . . . . . . . . and displaying the height of devotion towards his father, (and) holding in full view, for the welfare of the king and of the city also, religion, which has such auspicious results,-in a century of years, increased by thirty and seven others also,. . . . . . . . . attentive to the sacred writings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . whose majesty is well known. Then, having sacrificed to the gods with oblations of clarified butter and with obeisances; and having gratified the twice-born with (presents of) riches; and having paid respect to the citizens with such honours as they deserved, and to such of (his) servants as were worthy of notice, and to (his) friends with presents,-in the first fortnight of the month . . . . . . belonging to the hot season, on the first day, he, having practised (all the above) respectful observances for two months, made an immeasurable expenditure of wealth, and, [built an embankment] a hundred cubits in all in length, and sixty and eight in breadth, and seven (?) men's height in elevation, . . . . . . . . . . . . of two hundred cubits. (Thus), having done honour to the kings, he laboriously built up, with a great masonry work, properly constructed, the lake Sudarshana, which is renowned as not being evil by nature, so that it should last for all eternity,-agitated by the defiances of the ruddy-geese which display (their) beauty along the edges of the firmly-built embankment, and by the settling down (in its waters) of the herons and the swans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pure waters; on the earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the sun and the moon.
(L. 23.)-And may the city become prosperous; full of inhabitants; cleansed from sin by prayers sung by many hundreds of Brâhmans; [and free from] drought and famine for a hundred years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Thus] ends the composition of the description of the restoration of (the lake) Sudarshana.
Second Part.
(L. 24.)- . . . . . . . . . . . . of him (Skandagupta), who destroyed the pride of (his) haughty enemies; who is of great glory; who is the banner of his lineage; who is the lord of the whole earth; whose pious deeds are even more wonderful than his supreme sovereignty over kings; . . . . . . . . . . . .
(L. 24.)- . . . . . . . . . . . . (Parnadatta), the protector of the island, and the leader of great . . . . . . . . of armies for the subjugation of (his) enemies.
(L. 25.)-By his son, who is endowed with his own good qualities, (and) whose life is devoted to (the worship of) the feet of (the god) Gôvinda, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -by him, who causes the citizens to bow down by his own prowess, having there attained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and the feet, which are like waterlilies, of (the god) Vishnu, with a great expenditure of wealth and time [there was built a temple] of that famous (god Vishnu) who carries the discus, . . . . . . . . . . . . enemies, (and) who became (incarnate and) human by the exercise of his own free will. (Thus) by Chakrapâlita, who is of a straightforward mind, there has been caused to be built a temple of (the god) Chakrabhrit, in a century of years, together with the thirty-eighth ( year), . . . . . . . . . . . . the time of the Guptas.
(L. 27.)- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . uprisen, as it were, of the mountain Ûrjayat, shines as if displaying (its) lordship on the forehead of the city.
(L. 28.)-And another . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . on the forehead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . obstructing the path of the birds, is resplendent . . . . . . . . . . . .
From: Fleet, John F. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum: Inscriptions of the Early Guptas. Vol. III. Calcutta: Government of India, Central Publications Branch, 1888, 61-65.