A Bodh-Gaya Image Inscription

Summary

This short paper examines an inscribed statue of the Bodhisattva found at Bodh‑Gaya and gives the first published transcription and translation of the four‑line inscription. The inscription is incised on the pedestal of a Buddha figure representing the stage of arduous practice before the attainment of Buddhahood. Although parts of the surface have peeled away, the first line is almost intact and the second and third lines can be partially restored. Linguistic analysis shows that the text belongs to the Kus̩āṇa period: it is written in late Brahmi characters, exhibits Prakrit forms such as the case ending –e in bodhisatve patimā and uses words like upāsikā and piṭa, showing affinities with inscriptions from Mathurā. The inscription is dated in ‘Samvat 04’ of an uncertain era. If the era is reckoned from the Śaka era, the date is A.D. 142; if it is the Gupta era the date would be A.D. 384. The author inclines to the earlier date and relates the image stylistically to the second century A.D. The translation records that an unnamed monk ‘set up on the celebrated seat of enlightenment two images of the Bodhisattva mounted on lions’ and mentions a female lay devotee who worshipped them. The article situates the object in the context of early Buddhist devotional art, comparing it to the lion‑supported Bodhisattva images of Mathurā and noting that the dedication of paired images may reflect a lost ritual. By placing the inscription in a chronological and art‑historical framework the study adds to our knowledge of early Buddhist iconography and epigraphy.