1871. ] Proceedings of the Asiatie Society. 259 
as a hermitage for the most devoted Bhadantas (Buddhist 
ascetics).”” Dasaratha, according to the Vishnu Purana, was the 
grandson of Asoka, and as the son of Asoka, Sayasus, only reigned 
eight years, the accession of Dasaratha must have taken place 
in 214, B. C. 
Nos. 47 and 48.—The other caves in the Nagurjuni group are 
situated in the northern side, and on the southern face of a rocky 
ridge, running parallel with the Nagarjuni hill, there are two 
caves, one to the west being nearly hidden in a recess, and has its 
entrance facing the east. The cave itself is 16 feet, 4 inches, by 
4 feet, 3 inches, and there is a rude brick wall running across it, 
dividing it into two rooms, which has been done by some late occu- 
pant, said to have been a Musalman fakir. There is an inscrip- 
tion in ancient Pali, in which the cave is called Vadithi-ka-Kubha, 
the rest being letter for letter the same as the inscription in the 
Gopi cave; the date is therefore the same. 
No. 49.—The eastern cave has a small porch 6 feet long by 5} 
feet broad, and the doorway is Egyptian, like all the doors of these 
eaves. The cave itself is 11 feet, 3 inches, by 16 feet, 9 inches long ; 
the roof is vaulted, 10 feet, 6 inches in total height. There is an 
inscription on the porch in the ancient character of Asoka’s edicts, 
in which the cave is called Vapiya-ka-Kubha, or the wellcave. The 
inscription is word for word the same as that on the Gopi cave, so 
that the date is the same, 214 B. C. In front ofthe cave there is 
a large well 9 feet in diameter. From various inscriptions on these 
caves it would seem that they have been at various times occupied 
by Buddhists and Brahmanists, but were originally excavated for 
Buddhist ascetics by the kings Asoka and Dasaratha, in the third 
century B.C. About the third or fourth century of our era, the kings 
Sardula Varma and Anunta Varma placed Brahminical images in 
three of them, and subsequently Mussulman fakirs took posses- 
sion of them. They are now, and have been for many years, 
uninhabited. 
Nos. 50 and 51,—Alongside the Vapiya cave there is a curious 
boulder poised on two others, and the cavity thus formed had been 
built up into a grotto no doubt for Buddhist ascetics.. The 
Nagurjuni hills are some little distance from the Burrabur group, 
