The Paikore stone pillar inscription of Karṇa was discovered in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. It is an undated Sanskrit prose record engraved in the Proto-Bengali script.
The inscription opens with an invocation to the deity Ganapati, seeking his protective grace. It records the pious dedication of an image of a goddess by the Kalacuri sovereign mahārāja Karṇa, who is designated as the illustrious lord of Cedi. The text extols the king for his devotion to gods, Brāhmaṇas, and spiritual preceptors, noting that his religious acts were performed without desire for personal reward. It concludes by identifying the sculptural monument as a celebrated work executed through the grace of the feet of Viśvakarman by an artisan distinguished by liberality, prowess, and justice.
1. śrī śrīgaṇapati |
2. tatpratipālita
3. siddhiḥ | devadvijagurūn bhajatā śrīcedidevenabhaktayātra
4. nehayan śraddhatmanaḥ karmmaṇā rājaśrīkarṇṇadevasya |
5. siddhiḥ | svasti śrīmahārāja śrīcedirājasya śrīkarṇṇadevasya dānārṇṇava kīrtipratāpanyāye-
6. tanmaya viśvakarmmacaraṇaprasādātatdevīmūrttinirmirtāstīyam śrīkīrtiḥ ||
Line 1
The holy Gaṇapati. Being protected by him…………………
Line 3 and 4
Success! This image has been set up by the illustrious king Karṇadeva, the glorious lord of Chedi, who honours gods, Brāhmaṇas and preceptors with devotion,…………………… desiring no reward for his faith and doings.
Line 5 and 6
Success! Hail! This is a famous glorious work, the image of the goddess made by the grace of the feet of Viśvakarman, by an artist who is absorbed in the glory springing from the ocean of liberality, prowess, and justice………………………..of the mahārāja, the glorious lord of Chedi, the illustrious Karṇa.
| Dynasty: | Kalacuri |
| Ruler: | Karṇa |
| Date: | c. 11th century CE |
| Place: | Paikore, Bhirbhan, West Bengal |
| Donor: | Karṇadeva |
| Language: | Sanskrit |
| Script: | Proto-Bengali |
| Nature of grant: | Religious endownment |
| Purpose: | To officially record the dedication and creation of an image by the king |
| Provenance of inscription: | Paikore, Bhirbhan, West Bengal |
| Type of Inscription: | Stone Inscription |
| Source: |
Bibliography & Research
Sastri, H. M. M. (1919). Bīrbhūmabibaraņa, Vol II, p. 10.
- Cunningham, A. (1924). Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India 1920-1921. Archaeological Survey of India.
- Mirashi, V. V. (Ed.). (1955). Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Inscriptions of the Kalachuri Chedi Era. In (Vol. Vol 4 (Part 1), lxvii-cviii and 250-252. Archaeological Survey of India.
