Notes on the Nagarjunakonda Inscriptions

Summary

This detailed study examines a series of Prakrit inscriptions from the Buddhist site of Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh. The author transcribes and translates the epigraphs, many of which record donations to monasteries from queens, merchants and monks of the Ikshvaku dynasty. By comparing palaeographic features, the article dates the inscriptions to the third and fourth centuries CE. The paper contextualises the donors in the socio‑political milieu of the Eastern Deccan, where the Ikshvaku rulers patronised Buddhism while maintaining Brahmanical rituals. The author notes references to stupas, viharas and water tanks, shedding light on the layout of the monastic complex. Several inscriptions mention the construction of ayaka platforms and the dedication of relic caskets, illustrating ritual practices. The study also discusses linguistic aspects, such as the use of Buddhist hybrid Sanskrit and regional Prakrit, and comments on the evolution of scripts from Brahmi to early Bhattiprolu forms. The article argues that the Nagarjunakonda inscriptions complement literary accounts of Buddhism’s flourishing in the Deccan and provide evidence for the role of women and guilds in religious patronage. It concludes with a discussion of how these epigraphs contribute to reconstructing the chronology of the Ikshvaku dynasty.