Mathura lion capital

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Indian English Template:Template other The Mathura lion capital is an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital (a part of a pillar) from Mathura in Northern India, dated to the first decade of the 1st century CE (1–10 CE). It was consecrated under the rule of Rajuvula, one of the Northern Satraps of the region of Mathura.

The capital was unearthed at the Saptarishi mound of Mathura by Bhagwan Lal Indraji in 1869. It is covered with Prakrit inscriptions in the kharoshthi script of northwestern India. The capital was made on the occasion of the funeral of "the illustrious king Muki and his horse" (Muki has been conjectured to be Maues).

The capital describes, among other donations, the gift of a stupa with a relic of the Buddha, by Queen Ayasia, the "chief queen of the Indo-Scythian ruler of Mathura, satrap Rajuvula". The Mathura lion capital, an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital from Mathura in Central India, and dated to the 1st century CE, describes in kharoshthi the gift of a stupa with a relic of the Buddha, by queen Nadasi Kasa, "the wife of Rajuvula" and "daughter of Template:Proper name", who is mentioned as the "daughter of Kharahostes". The lion capital also mentions the genealogy of several Indo-Scythian satraps of Mathura. It mentions Sodasa, son of Rajuvula, who succeeded him and also made Mathura his capital.

The capital also displays at its center a Buddhist triratana symbol, further confirming the involvement of Indo-Scythian rulers with Buddhism.

The inscription indicates support of the Sarvastivadin, against the Mahasamghikas.

It is on display in the South Asia section of the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery for China and South Asia at the British Museum.

List of inscriptions

File:Mathura Lion Capital showing Triratana.jpg

Buddhist symbol of the triratana at the center of the capital, supported by a convoluted tree, possibly a variation of the anthemion design.

File:Kharoshthi inscription on base of Mathura capital.jpg

Kharoshthi inscription on base of Mathura capital.

File:Mathura Lion Capital Detail.jpg

Lion detail on the Mathura lion capital. British Museum.

File:Mathura lion capital inscriptions.jpg

Layout of the Mathura lion capital inscriptions.

In a Latin transliteration of simplified Kharosthi script, the inscriptions read:

Inscription of the Mathura Lion Capital

Inscription	Original (Kharosthi script)	Transliteration	English translation
A1	𐨨𐨱𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨆𐨬𐨯 𐨪𐨗𐨂𐨫𐨯		Of the Great Satrap Rajuvula
A2	𐨀𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨨𐨱𐨅𐨮𐨁 𐨀𐨩𐨯𐨁𐨀		By the main Queen Ayasi
A3	𐨐𐨨𐨂𐨁𐨀 𐨢𐨁𐨟𐨿𐨪		Kamuia, daughter
A4	𐨑𐨪𐨀𐨆𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨯 𐨩𐨂𐨬𐨪𐨙		of the young king Kharahostes
A5	𐨨𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨣𐨡𐨡𐨁𐨀𐨐𐨯 𐨩		and mother of Nadadiaka,
A6	𐨯𐨢 𐨨𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨀𐨦𐨂𐨱𐨆𐨫𐨀		together with (her) mother, Abuhola,
A7	𐨤𐨁𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨨𐨱𐨁 𐨤𐨁𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨯𐨿𐨪𐨁𐨀 𐨧𐨿𐨪		(her) father's mother, Piśpasi, and (her) brother
A8	𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨱𐨩𐨂𐨀𐨪𐨅𐨣 𐨯𐨢 𐨱𐨣𐨕𐨣		Hayuara (and) together with the hanacana-
A9	𐨀𐨙𐨀𐨂𐨪𐨅𐨣 𐨱𐨆𐨪𐨐𐨤		añaüra donors'
A10	𐨪𐨁𐨬𐨪𐨅𐨣 𐨀𐨁𐨭 𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨢𐨬𐨁𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅		retinue, in this place of the earth,
A11	𐨭𐨅 𐨣𐨁𐨯𐨁𐨨𐨅 𐨭𐨪𐨁𐨪 𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨛𐨬𐨁𐨟𐨆		outside the monastery boundary, a relic is established
A12	𐨧𐨐𐨩𐨟𐨆 𐨭𐨐𐨨𐨂𐨞𐨁𐨯 𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨯		of the Lord, the Śākya sage, Buddha,
A13	𐨭𐨐𐨁𐨨𐨂𐨪𐨩𐨯 𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨀𐨅 𐨧𐨂𐨯𐨬𐨁𐨱		king of the Śākya in his own Busa
A14	𐨪 𐨠𐨂𐨬 𐨕 𐨯𐨓𐨪𐨨 𐨯𐨓𐨪𐨨 𐨕 𐨕𐨟𐨂		monastery, and also a stūpa, and quarters for the community, and the community of the four
A15	𐨡𐨁𐨭𐨯 𐨯𐨓𐨯 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬		directions, the sangha of the
A16	𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨁𐨬𐨟𐨣 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨱𐨅		Sarvāstivādas possesses it.
B1	𐨨𐨱𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨯		The Great Satrap
B2	𐨬𐨗𐨂𐨫𐨤𐨂𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨯		Rajuvula's son,
B3	𐨭𐨂𐨜𐨯 𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨅		the Satrap Śuḍasa,
E4′′	𐨐 𐨐𐨪𐨁𐨟		makes
E1'	𐨑𐨪𐨀𐨆𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨆		Kharahostes
E′	𐨐𐨨𐨂𐨁𐨀𐨆 𐨩𐨂𐨬𐨪𐨩		Kamuia, the young king,
E2	𐨑𐨫𐨨𐨯 𐨐𐨂𐨨𐨪		Prince Khalama,
E3	𐨨𐨗 𐨐𐨣𐨁𐨛		and Maja the youngest,
E4	𐨯𐨨𐨣𐨂𐨨𐨆𐨡		applaudants.
M1	𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨅 𐨭𐨂𐨜𐨁𐨯𐨅		The Satrap Śuḍasa
J2	𐨣𐨁𐨯𐨁𐨨𐨆 𐨐𐨪𐨁𐨟 𐨣𐨁𐨩𐨟𐨁𐨟𐨆		outside the monastic boundary; he offers
M2	𐨀𐨁𐨨𐨆 𐨤𐨢𐨬𐨁		of the earth
M3	𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨭𐨆		this region,
I2	𐨣𐨨𐨆 𐨐𐨢		called
I3	𐨬𐨪𐨆		the encampment
I1a	𐨬𐨅𐨩𐨀𐨡𐨁𐨪𐨿𐨞		Veyaadirṇa
I4	𐨬𐨁𐨩𐨀		(and) the Viyaa
I1b	𐨐𐨢𐨬𐨪𐨐𐨆 𐨦𐨂𐨯𐨤		encampment, from the Busa
J1	𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨟𐨐𐨅𐨣 𐨤𐨫𐨁𐨖𐨁𐨣		Mountain separated.
KL3	𐨀𐨂𐨟𐨀𐨅𐨣 𐨀𐨩𐨨𐨁𐨟		It is accepted by the water
KL1	𐨀𐨩𐨪𐨁𐨀𐨯		by the teacher
KL2	𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨟𐨅𐨬𐨯		Budhateva.
F1	𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨁𐨫𐨯 𐨣𐨐𐨪𐨀𐨯		By Budhila, a city-dweller
F2	𐨧𐨁𐨑𐨯 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨩𐨅𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨁𐨬𐨟𐨯		(and) Sarvāstivāda monk,
G1	𐨨𐨱𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨯 𐨐𐨂𐨯𐨂𐨫𐨀𐨯 𐨤𐨟𐨁𐨐𐨯 𐨨𐨅𐨬𐨐𐨁𐨯		in honour of the Great Satrap Patika Kusulaka, and of Mevaki
G2	𐨨𐨁𐨩𐨁𐨐𐨯 𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨯 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨅		Miyika, the satrap,
J3	𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨁𐨬𐨟𐨣 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨱		in the possession of the Sarvāstivādas.
N1	𐨀𐨩𐨪𐨁𐨀𐨯 𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨁𐨫𐨯 𐨣𐨐𐨪𐨐𐨯 𐨧𐨁𐨑𐨂		The teacher Budhila, city-dweller and monk
N2	𐨯 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨁𐨬𐨟𐨯 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨒𐨿𐨪		of the Sarvāstivāda community, his act of possession
N3	𐨣 𐨨𐨱𐨯𐨓𐨁𐨀𐨣 𐨤𐨿𐨪		to the Mahāsāṃghikas
N4a	𐨙𐨬𐨁𐨟𐨬𐨅		must be announced.
P1	𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯 𐨯𐨐𐨯𐨿𐨟		In the whole of
P2	𐨣𐨯 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨅		Sakastan's honour,
O1	𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨦𐨂𐨢𐨣 𐨤𐨂𐨩 𐨢𐨨𐨯		may all the Buddhas be honoured, may the Dharma
O2	𐨤𐨂𐨩 𐨯𐨓𐨯 𐨤𐨂𐨩		be honoured, may the Sangha be honoured.
R1	𐨟𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨁𐨫𐨯		Of Taxila.
R2	𐨐𐨿𐨪𐨆𐨣𐨁𐨣𐨯		Of Kronina.
N4b	𐨑𐨫𐨆𐨫𐨯		Of Khalola.
Q1	𐨑𐨪𐨿𐨡𐨀𐨯		Khardaa,
Q2	𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨯		the Satrap.
J′1	𐨑𐨫𐨭𐨨𐨂		Khalaśamuśa
J′2	𐨭𐨆
C1	𐨐𐨫𐨂𐨁𐨀		Kaluia,
C2	𐨬𐨪𐨗𐨆		Varaja,
C3	𐨐𐨨𐨂𐨐		Kamuka,
D	𐨣𐨀𐨂𐨫𐨂𐨡𐨆		Naaluda.
H′	𐨢𐨨𐨡𐨣		Dharma gift,
H	𐨒𐨂𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪		in the cave monastery.

Interpretation

File:Kambojika statue Mathura.jpg

The Saptarishi Tila statue, possibly representing Kambojika, the Chief Queen of Mahakshatrapa Rajula. Found in the Saptarishi Mound, the same mound where the Mathura lion capital was found. c. Template:Trim. Other angles.

Sten Konow, who compiled a definitive listing of Indian Buddhist inscriptions said: "If we bear in mind that mb becomes m i.e mm in the dialect of Kharoshthi dhammapada, and that is used for the common o in Sudasa in the Lion Capital Inscriptions, the Kamuia of the Lion Capital can very well represent a Sanskrit Kambojika ... I shall only add that if Kharoshtha and his father Arta were Kambojas, the same may have been the case with Moga, and we understand why the Kambojas are sometimes mentioned with the Sakas and Yavanas". Many of Konow's readings, his sequence of sentences and some of the interpretation, particularly the connection with king Maues, need to be changed in the light of a new reading of H. Falk.

Sources

• Baums, Stefan. 2012. "Catalog and Revised Texts and Translations of Gandharan Reliquary Inscriptions." In: David Jongeward, Elizabeth Errington, Richard Salomon and Stefan Baums, Gandharan Buddhist Reliquaries, pp. 219–222, Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project (Gandharan Studies, Volume 1).
• Baums, Stefan, and Andrew Glass. 2002– . Catalog of Gāndhārī Texts, no. CKI 48
• British Museum Collection Online Reg. No. 1889,0314.1 [1]