DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27192#0035
Chap. II.
ORISSA CAVES.
11
fullest translation of it,1 we learn that a king Kharavela of Kalinga
constructed rock-dwellings and bestowed abundant gifts on Jaina
devotees, and that he assisted the Andhra king Natakarni; also
that the thirteenth year of his reign coincided with the 165th
of the Maurya Era, that is, about 155 b.C.2 Palaeographically
also, the forms of the letters used in this and some other
inscriptions here are almost identical with those used by A^oka
in the copy of his edicts on the Dhauli rock close by, and in
that found at Jaugada, near the southern corner of the Chilkya
lake. The first presumption, therefore, is that they may be
within a century of the same date, which is supported by this
inscription.
The inscription, as well as another in the Svargapuri or
Vaikuntha cave, also commences with a distinctively Jaina
formula — a very important point that had previously been
overlooked. This supports the conclusion stated above as to
the origin of these caves.3
This Hathi-gumpha cave, probably the oldest here, looks as
if it might have been a great natural cavern, the brow of which
had been smoothed to admit of the inscription. There are
indications, however, that it had at least been improved by
art; but the rock is of loose and friable texture, and the present
state of the cave is largely due to decay; besides, so important
a record would hardly be placed over an excavation of no
consideration.
The whole style of the architecture and sculpture in the
older caves here points to a period quite as early as that
of the Sanchi gateways and the small vihara at Bhaja, and
we cannot be far wrong in ascribing most of them at least
to the 2nd century before our era. Nor is any trace of
Buddhism found among them: the figures of Gaja Lakshmt
or Nri, of snakes, sacred trees, the Svastika and other symbols
are all as much Jaina as Buddhist, and in several of the caves
1 This inscription first attracted the
attention of Stirling, and a plate, repre-
senting it very imperfectly, is given in the
15 th volume of the ‘Asiatic Researches.’
It was afterwards copied by Kittoe, and a
translation, as far as its imperfection
admitted, made by Prinsep (‘Journal of
the Asiatic Society of Bengal,’ vol. vi.
pp. io8off.) In 1866 Pandit Bhagwanlal
I ndraj i, Ph. D., made a careful copy of it on
the spot, and Mr. Locke in 1871-1872 took
a plaster cast of it: from these the Pandit
studied the record afresh, andpublished his
version in the ‘ Actes du sixieme Congres
internat. desOrientalistes’ (Leiden, 1884),
vol. iii. pt. 2, pp. 135-149. This gave
quite a new point in Indian Chronology.
— ‘Epigraphia Indica,’ vol. ii. pp. 88, 89.
2 Even as late as 1880, Babu Rajen-
dralal Mitra, who had the most ample
opportunities of examining every detail of
the Orissa caves, had no suspicion of their
being of other than Buddhist origin; and
his reading of the Hathi-gumpha inscrip-
tion— like the whole of his work—is
simply worthless.—‘Antiquities of Orissa,’
vol. ii. pp. 17ft.
3 Hiuen Tsiang, in the 7th century
stated that Kalinga was then one of the
chief seats of the Jains.—Beal, ‘ Buddhist
j Records,’ vol. ii. p. 208.
ORISSA CAVES.
11
fullest translation of it,1 we learn that a king Kharavela of Kalinga
constructed rock-dwellings and bestowed abundant gifts on Jaina
devotees, and that he assisted the Andhra king Natakarni; also
that the thirteenth year of his reign coincided with the 165th
of the Maurya Era, that is, about 155 b.C.2 Palaeographically
also, the forms of the letters used in this and some other
inscriptions here are almost identical with those used by A^oka
in the copy of his edicts on the Dhauli rock close by, and in
that found at Jaugada, near the southern corner of the Chilkya
lake. The first presumption, therefore, is that they may be
within a century of the same date, which is supported by this
inscription.
The inscription, as well as another in the Svargapuri or
Vaikuntha cave, also commences with a distinctively Jaina
formula — a very important point that had previously been
overlooked. This supports the conclusion stated above as to
the origin of these caves.3
This Hathi-gumpha cave, probably the oldest here, looks as
if it might have been a great natural cavern, the brow of which
had been smoothed to admit of the inscription. There are
indications, however, that it had at least been improved by
art; but the rock is of loose and friable texture, and the present
state of the cave is largely due to decay; besides, so important
a record would hardly be placed over an excavation of no
consideration.
The whole style of the architecture and sculpture in the
older caves here points to a period quite as early as that
of the Sanchi gateways and the small vihara at Bhaja, and
we cannot be far wrong in ascribing most of them at least
to the 2nd century before our era. Nor is any trace of
Buddhism found among them: the figures of Gaja Lakshmt
or Nri, of snakes, sacred trees, the Svastika and other symbols
are all as much Jaina as Buddhist, and in several of the caves
1 This inscription first attracted the
attention of Stirling, and a plate, repre-
senting it very imperfectly, is given in the
15 th volume of the ‘Asiatic Researches.’
It was afterwards copied by Kittoe, and a
translation, as far as its imperfection
admitted, made by Prinsep (‘Journal of
the Asiatic Society of Bengal,’ vol. vi.
pp. io8off.) In 1866 Pandit Bhagwanlal
I ndraj i, Ph. D., made a careful copy of it on
the spot, and Mr. Locke in 1871-1872 took
a plaster cast of it: from these the Pandit
studied the record afresh, andpublished his
version in the ‘ Actes du sixieme Congres
internat. desOrientalistes’ (Leiden, 1884),
vol. iii. pt. 2, pp. 135-149. This gave
quite a new point in Indian Chronology.
— ‘Epigraphia Indica,’ vol. ii. pp. 88, 89.
2 Even as late as 1880, Babu Rajen-
dralal Mitra, who had the most ample
opportunities of examining every detail of
the Orissa caves, had no suspicion of their
being of other than Buddhist origin; and
his reading of the Hathi-gumpha inscrip-
tion— like the whole of his work—is
simply worthless.—‘Antiquities of Orissa,’
vol. ii. pp. 17ft.
3 Hiuen Tsiang, in the 7th century
stated that Kalinga was then one of the
chief seats of the Jains.—Beal, ‘ Buddhist
j Records,’ vol. ii. p. 208.