22 Text and Translation of Balandshahar Inscription. [No. 1, 



The reading of the letters ^ftnjT is very dubious, and it is painful 

 to observe that the two principal names (of the place and of the 

 family) which make the record important, are uncertain ; so is also 

 the date, the plate at that part being partly destroyed by time, and two 

 letters are missing. The name of the family which was at first read 

 as Rodra, on second thought appears to be something different. It is 

 most like Yodu ; but the final t (cr) of the previous verb ^n^rtrr being 

 combined with it, as it is in the inscription, would not appear so. 

 It is spelt as if it were djo (i[), the final t (rf )being changed into d (^), 

 and j (m)j as a matter of course, goes under it. The simple rules of 

 Sandhi must, however, change the final t (r| ) into j (*r), and not into 

 d (^) as it appears. On the other hand again, the word Yodu does not 

 begin with a (*f)j, but a (v) y> The reading then is evidently some- 

 thing else. Does the word %T3t stand for the Rahtor dynasty, a family 

 that ruled at Kanouj, and one of whose princes G-ovindachandra 

 reigned at about the time of the inscription, and whose name appears 

 in the Fyzabad inscription (J. A. S. B., vol X. p. 98) and also on 

 coins ? 



The letters which were construed to be the name of the country 

 Kalinga are very ambiguous and illegible. But considering the 

 rude stage of the art of engraving, the much ruder instruments 

 then in use, and the ignorance of the engravers, it may be safely 

 assumed that the «T there stands for ^r and as the compound letters are 

 not distinctly written, the BT may be said to represent %. Thus we 

 have the name of Kalinga. With the other reading of Kanishtlia 

 ( 3frf*r§"T ) however the passage explains itself equally well. The 

 passage translated reads thus with Kalinga. 



* Then from the sacrifices of the virtuous king of Kalinga, was 

 born Ananga, the chief of kings, full of prowess, and splendour." 

 With Kajiishtlia, however, it reads as follows : — 



' Then from him was born Ananga, the chief of kings, full of 

 prowess and splendour, (as well becomes) the younger brother of 

 (Yudishthira) Dharmaraja.' 



In the former reading, we have to supply an a T to ^fr^, while for 

 the second we have to assume a comparison. In either case, however, 

 to give sense, the a T after an<T must be changed to"Y 



The grant records the names of princes of two distinct families, 



