On a Nagarjunikonda Inscription
Summary
This article announces and interprets a newly discovered stone slab inscription unearthed during excavations at Nagarjunikonda in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. The slab bears six lines of writing in a Brahmi script resembling that of the Iksvaku dynasty and is palaeographically dated to the third or fourth century CE. The language of the inscription shows attempts at Sanskritisation, indicating that the composer was transitioning from Prakrit to Sanskrit. The record commemorates the installation of an image of Astabhujasvamin (an eight‑armed form of Visnu) within an enclosure during the ninth regnal year of King Vasisthiputra Abhira Vasusena. It honours the deity with epithets such as ‘Bhagavan’, ‘devaparamadeva’, ‘purusottama’ and ‘Narayana’. The inscription also mentions several dignitaries associated with the consecration, including the mahabhajika Sivasena of the Kausika gotra, the Yonaraja from Sanjaya‑puri, Saka general Rudradimna of Avanti and Visnurudrasivalananda Satakarni of Vanavasaka. Their presence suggests that the ritual had support from diverse political groups and may have symbolised a coalition of local powers. Because only a photograph is available, parts of lines 3–6 remain illegible and the reading is tentative. The author argues that the inscription was produced after the decline of the Iksvaku dynasty but before the rise of the Pallavas in the region. This conclusion is based on palaeographic similarities to Iksvaku records and the fact that Vasusena appears to have ruled independently. The article situates Vasusena between the end of Iksvaku rule and the beginning of Pallava authority, suggesting that the inscription can be dated to the mid‑fourth century CE. The find is important for reconstructing the chronology of Andhra history because it provides evidence for an Abhira ruler at Nagarjunikonda and hints at interactions among Abhiras, Sakas, Yonakas and Satavahana or Pallava successors. The article concludes by calling for further study once more complete photographs become available.
AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.
Conclusion
The Nagarjunikonda inscription reveals that in the ninth regnal year of Vasisthiputra Abhira Vasusena an eight‑armed Visnu image was installed with participation from local rulers and foreigners. Palaeography links the record to the late Iksvaku period, while references to Vasusena and Saka and Yona figures suggest a transitional era before Pallava domination. By identifying the epigraph as mid‑fourth century, the article fills a gap in Andhra chronology and highlights cross‑cultural interactions at Nagarjunikonda.