This statue inscription, incised on the pedestal of a colossal image of the Jain tīrthaṅkara Śāntinātha, was reported from Bahuriband in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Executed in the Nāgarī script and Sanskrit language, the weather-worn epigraph is distributed across three sections on the upper and frontal surfaces of the stone pedestal.
The inscription is dated to a Tuesday, the ninth tithi (navamī) of the dark fortnight (kṛṣṇa pakṣa), during the victorious reign of the Kalacuri king Gayākarṇadeva, when his feudatory, the mahāsāmantādhipati Golhaṇadeva of the Rāṣṭrakūṭa lineage, exercised regional authority. It records that Mahābhoja, the devout son of sādhu Sarvadhara of the Gollāpūrva āmnāya, which had been expanded at Vellaprabhāṭikā, caused a beautiful temple dedicated to Śāntinātha to be erected. Sarvadhara is described as having received the blessings of the celebrated logician Māghavanandi. The inscription further states that an artisan named śreṣṭhin constructed an elegant white canopy (dhavalacchatra) for the shrine. Finally, the image was consecrated by ācārya Subhadra, a distinguished scholar belonging to the Deśī-gaṇa branch of the Candrakara ācārya lineage.
A
(On the top of the pedestal, to the left of the left of the feet of śāntinātha)
1. sādhuśrīsarvvadharadha
2. ………………mahā……………..
3. ………………………….
B
(On the top of the pedestal, to the right of the feet of Śāntinārtha)
1. sādhu śrī sasvalā
2. …………………………………….
3. ……………………………………
C
(On the front face of the pedestal of the image of śāntinātha)
1. svasti……………………………..vadi 9 bhaume……………… śrīmadgayākarṇṇadevavijayarā-
2. jye rāṣṭrakūṭakulodbhavamahāsāmantādhipatiśrīmadgolhaṇadevasya pravarddhamānasya ||
3. śrīmadgollāpūrvvāmnāye vellaprabhāṭikāyāmurukṛtāmnāye tarkkatārki kacūḍāmaṇiśrīma-
4. dmāghavanandinānuguhītassādhuśrīsarvadharaḥ tasya putraḥ mahābhojaḥ dharmmadānādhyayanarataḥ | tenedam kā-
5. ritam ramyam śāntināthasya mandiram || svalātyamasañjjaka sūtradhāraḥ śreṣṭhi nāmā | vitānam ca mahāśve–
6. tam nirmmitamatisundaram || 1 || śrīmaccandrakarācāryāmnāyadeśīgaṇānvaye samastavidyāvinayānandita-
7. vidvajjanāḥ pratiṣṭhācāryaśrīmatsubhadrāścira jayantu || ||o||
C
Lines 1 to 5
Hail! On Tuesday the 9th tithi of the dark fortnight ………………………….during the victorious reign of the illustrious Gayākarṇadeva, while the mahāsāmantādhipati, the illustrious Golhaṇadeva, born in the Rāṣṭrakūṭa family, is flourishing;
There was the pious layman, the illustrious Sarvadhara, (born) in the Gollāpūrva Āmnāya, the sacred traditions (āmnāya) of which were amplified at Vellaprabhaṭikā, who was blessed by the illustrious Māghavanandi, the crest-jewel of logicians. His son is a mahābhoja who is devoted to the performance of religious duty, charity and study of the sacred texts. By him has been caused to be erected this beautiful temple of Śāntinātha.
The Sajjaka sūtradhāra is named Sreṣṭhi. By him, (it) has been constructed (here) a very white and extremely beautiful canopy.
Lines 6 and 7
May the holy ācārya Subhadra, who has consecrated this image of Śāntinātha, be long glorious! He who belongs to the line (anvaya) of the Desī gaṇa in the āmnāya of the holy Candrakara ācārya, and who has delighted learned men by his perfect learning and humility!
| Dynasty: | Kalacuri |
| Ruler: | Gayākarṇa |
| Date: | c. 12th century CE |
| Place: | Bahuriband, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh |
| Donor: | Mahābhōja |
| Donee: | Temple of tīrthaṅkara Śāntinātha |
| Language: | Sanskrit |
| Script: | Nāgarī |
| Religion: | Jainism |
| Deities: | Śāntinātha |
| Nature of grant: | Religious endownment |
| Purpose: | To record the erection of a temple dedicated to the Jain Tīrthaṅkara Śāntinātha, the construction of a beautiful white canopy, and the consecration of the statue |
| Provenance of inscription: | Bahuriband, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh |
| Type of Inscription: | Stone Inscription |
| Source: |
The record sheds light on the religious and political landscape of the period, noting the expansion of the Gollāpūrva āmnāya at Vellaprabhāṭikā and the authority exercised by the Rāṣṭrakūṭa chief Golhaṇadeva under Kalacuri suzerainty.