A Metrical Poem from Gandhāra (Split Collection 4)
This poem of seventy-four stanzas is the oldest known literary version of the Buddha's great miracle at Śrāvastī — one of the most widely depicted scenes in Buddhist art and one of the most celebrated episodes in the Buddha's life. The manuscript is a single sheet of birch bark inscribed on both sides (39 stanzas on the obverse, 35 on the reverse), written in Gandhāri Prakrit using the Kharoṣṭhī script, and dating to the 1st century CE.
The poem tells how the heretic Pūraṇa Kāśyapa and his followers, having lost royal patronage to the Buddhists, challenged the Buddha to a public contest of supernatural powers before Kings Bimbisāra and Prasenajit. When the day came, the Buddha demonstrated his luminous splendor — not through magic, but through the display of his awakened nature — while the heretics were unable even to attempt their own tricks. A yakṣa appeared in the sky, the heretics fought among themselves, and Pūraṇa was humiliated. The Buddha placed the yakṣa in heaven and the heretics were cursed.
The poem belongs to the Split Collection of Kharoṣṭhī manuscripts, discovered in the Bajaur region of northwest Pakistan. Roughly one-third of the birch bark was deliberately torn away in antiquity, so the first pāda (quarter-verse) of most stanzas is lost. The composition is entirely in mātrāchandas meters (Vaitalīya and Vegavatī), making it one of the earliest known examples of this verse form in a Buddhist literary text.
This is a Good Works Translation from Gandhāri Prakrit. Translated from the transliteration published by Harry Falk and Elisabeth Steinbrückner in ARIRIAB Vol. XXIII (2020). No prior freely available English translation existed.
Gospel Reading
The gaps in the birch bark are filled from context and parallel traditions to create a continuous reading. The scholarly translation below preserves all lacunae faithfully.
The Assembly
Śākyaputra, the great-souled, the noble —
the congregation of many kings approaches,
desiring to see him, the best of humans, the protector.
Śākyaputra, the great-souled, the noble —
with horses, elephants, and decorated chariots
they move swiftly toward the Jina, the hero by nature.
He entered the assembly
and spoke with a sweet voice.
Fruits, flowers, sweet by their essence —
the audience was furnished with the finest of noblemen.
He speaks in the assembly pleasantly.
He knows the various afflictions of living beings
who are frightened already in their earlier existences.
A petty thought they then remove —
for offspring must be destroyed along with their mothers.
He shows this for the ending of all intentions.
Going up to the highest state of the Sugata —
in all directions his renown spreads wide.
Therefore he acquired endless fame.
Then brought near on an indestructible chariot,
they expressed their veneration before the Jina,
as befits a Śākyamuni.
Dishes and most exquisite food were brought near,
gathered together for the Jina.
Still more was then donated in the bazaar.
The Heretics
And the heretics became boundless in their vanity.
On account of their anger,
after all had made Pūraṇa their chief once more,
the king of Kosala was hailed by the heretics.
This must be reported in the same way:
when the Śākyamuni made his presence,
they pay reverence before the greatest ascetic of all.
A layman goes to Gautama, the knower,
so that he may lead the people to his own dharma.
The heretics praised Pūraṇa:
"You are educated in the complete worldly knowledge,
quick in comprehension, brilliant in thinking,
in every direction of the earth supported as upholder.
Among women and men you are an expert in bodily marks.
These people run, as we know, to the Īśāna,
to the learned one, tied to him like a load to a beast of burden."
The Challenge
"Only when gone to the lion is a jackal happy.
Being together with the Great Ascetic, we wish
to see magic effected by supernatural powers.
More and more particular marvels
must we then produce by turns with the Śākyamuni.
Through the powers of our knowledge or the powers of our magic —
when the earthly kings have returned to their former ways,
then gain and praise shall accrue to Pūraṇa.
We shall surpass what he does — better and more.
Give here the answer of a victor,
so that the nitwit may go to hell."
Then, after having seen the enraged heretics, the king —
in the Jetavana, in the vicinity of the Sugata.
Pūraṇa the Kāśyapa, the Maukariputra,
arrived with many hundreds of naked ascetics,
relating as follows to the king:
"More and more particular marvels
must we then produce by turns with the Śākyamuni.
Through the powers of our knowledge or the powers of our magic —
when the earthly kings have returned to their former ways,
then gain and praise shall accrue to Pūraṇa.
We shall surpass what he does — better and more.
Give here the answer of a victor,
so that the nitwit may go to hell."
The king took the side of the Buddha and said:
"Let them go to the Kosala king
and tell the story there as I have ordered."
And so the heretics went to the second king and repeated their demands. And again: "We shall surpass what he does — better and more."
The Buddha's Response
The Buddha — the helper,
who knows how to live rightly, having attained the awakening of a Jina —
leads his followers swiftly from here to the enlightenment of one beyond compare.
"Magic with the heretics —
from this day, on the seventh,
there shall be a marvel in the Jetavana.
And these heretics, these inferior people —
from this day, on the seventh,
the winner shall be accepted by all as leader."
After venerating once more the Lord of all beings,
the Kosala king went on his way as a messenger.
The king, having ordered a boy with a bell:
"Proclaim today throughout my city everywhere:
From this day, on the seventh,
there will be a marvel of the Buddha in the Jetavana —
and of those heretics as well.
You will see their marvels there."
The Contest
Hundreds of benevolent yakṣas in all ten directions —
in the heavenly cities rising one above another,
many congregations of gods heard the word.
The word spreads again and again through the city:
"Today there are gatherings we may attend —
you will see the marvels of the ascetics!"
And the heretics shall be defeated by force.
There a lion-throne was prepared for the Buddha,
in the direction of the Jetavana, in the northern part.
Mattresses and colorful coverings —
there was abundant jasmine with many flowers,
by which the earth was covered all around.
Incense mixed with sandalwood powder.
Where the lion-throne of the Buddha stood,
that place the gods strewed over with flowers.
Where the Jina, the Arhat, the well-behaved Buddha was,
he shines, having sent forth pleasant fragrances.
The community of the disciples prepared a seat for the heretics,
so that they may be at ease and not unkind.
The king came out with a great retinue,
with flocks of ministers on all sides,
completely surrounded and made to shine.
He saw the congregations of wanderers and homeless ascetics,
these restrained god-women and god-men —
and went straight toward the Jetavana.
From around the cities of Kosala and Kāśī,
having heard of the marvel of the Jina —
people came to the main street from all directions.
Horses and elephants, palanquins and chariots —
people came by whatever they could mount.
The Buddha Appears
He came forth with well-built shoulders and feet, the Self-Arisen.
Without fear, with the gait of a lion,
the protector went to his seat and sat down.
One disciple sat to the left of the Jina.
He who is wise, noble, and great-souled —
Śāriputra sat down to the right.
Kātyāyana, Nanda, and the elder Revata,
the four they call "the Kāśyapa clan,"
and Pūrṇa, Yaśa, Vimala, and Upasena.
Five hundred great-souled arhats —
by whom the Protector is surrounded,
he shines like Brahmā within his host of gods.
The Dharma was made to shine by the dharma-words.
He became even more splendid through these,
like the moon among the hosts of stars.
Pūraṇa saw the Buddha sitting there, the Self-Existent.
He thought: "Where will I settle after this?" —
having recognized the Buddha as the widely-famed true enlightener of the world.
The teacher spoke with a sweet voice:
"Be without anger, be pure, and set against intoxication."
Then in turn the king of Kosala
made the whole group of heretics hasten to meet him.
The Jina reprimanded them in the first place.
He was asked to show his marvels first.
The so-called guardian of the sacrifice turned out to be merely a pretender of dominion.
The Miracle
The gods, the hosts of yakṣas, and the piśācas,
the garuḍas —
The leader of the assembly stood there in the sky with many copies of himself.
From here he certainly sends forth light in all directions —
how much more could he have done with actual supernatural powers!
The heretics — cut to pieces in the circular wood,
and terrible fights broke out among themselves
there in the great assembly.
The Self-Existent reprimanded their arrogance,
he, the Guru, the great destroyer.
Pūraṇa stood there in the great assembly —
like one garlanded with the finest jasmine for cremation.
A yakṣa moved through the heavens.
Pūraṇa the fool, with his dwindling followers —
the yakṣa in the sky with his terrifying body —
Pūraṇa became shocked, frightened.
Breaking through the clouds, the Lord approached.
They saw in the sky the elephant-shaped rain-cloud born of the marvels.
The yakṣa says: "Live on, O Self-Arisen, away from him!
Cursed is the entire lot of the heretics without exception."
The Buddha spoke: "The yakṣa, having lived in this world, away from myself —
I make him dwell in yonder world."
And he shifted him from this world to heaven.
Scholarly Translation
The following preserves all lacunae faithfully. [...] marks where the birch bark is damaged or lost.
Side A — The Assembly, the Heretics, and the Challenge
1.
[...]
Śākyaputra, the great-souled, the noble —
the congregation of many kings approaches,
desiring to see him, the best of humans, the protector.
2.
[...]
Śākyaputra, the great-souled, the noble —
with horses, elephants, and decorated chariots
they move swiftly toward the Jina, the hero by nature.
3.
[...]
Like [...] he entered the assembly,
[...]
[...] spoke with a sweet voice.
4.
[...]
[...] pleasant color,
fruits, flowers, sweet by their essence.
[...]
5.
[...] the audience
was furnished with the finest of noblemen.
He speaks in the assembly pleasantly.
[...]
6.
[...]
He knows the various afflictions of living beings
who are frightened already in their earlier existences.
[...]
7.
[...]
A petty thought they then remove —
for offspring must be destroyed along with their mothers.
[...]
8.
[...]
He shows this for the ending of all intentions.
9.
[...]
Going up to the highest state of the Sugata —
in all directions his renown spreads wide.
Therefore he acquired endless fame.
10.
[...]
Then brought near on an indestructible chariot —
they expressed their veneration before the Jina,
as befits a Śākyamuni.
11.
[...]
Dishes and most exquisite food were brought near,
gathered together for the Jina.
Still more was then donated in the bazaar.
12.
[...]
[...] and they became boundless in their vanity.
On account of their anger [...]
[...]
13.
[...]
After all had made Pūraṇa their chief once more,
the king of Kosala, hailed by the heretics [...]
[...]
14.
[...]
This must be reported in the same way:
when the Śākyamuni made his presence —
[...]
15.
[...]
By which draft animals with well-built haunches and fine tails
move from here to Veśālī [...]
[...]
16.
[...]
They pay reverence before the greatest ascetic of all.
A layman goes to Gautama, the knower,
so that he may lead the people to his own dharma.
17.
[...]
You are educated in the complete worldly knowledge,
quick in comprehension, brilliant in thinking,
in every direction of the earth supported as upholder.
18.
[...] You are
among women and men an expert in bodily marks.
These people run, as we know, to the Īśāna,
to the learned one, tied to him like a load to a beast of burden.
19.
[...]
Only when gone to the lion is a jackal happy.
Being together with the Great Ascetic, we wish
to see magic effected by supernatural powers.
20.
[...]
Magic effected by supernatural powers —
more and more particular marvels
must we then produce by turns with the Śākyamuni.
21.
[...]
Through the powers of our knowledge or the powers of our magic —
when the earthly kings have returned to their former ways,
then gain and praise shall accrue to Pūraṇa.
22.
[...]
Then, after having seen the enraged heretics,
from all sides [...] the king,
in the Jetavana, in the vicinity of the Sugata.
23.
[...]
Pūraṇa the Kāśyapa, the Maukariputra,
arrived with many hundreds of naked ascetics,
relating as follows to the king.
24.
[...]
Magic effected by supernatural powers —
more and more particular marvels
must we then produce by turns with the Śākyamuni.
25.
[...]
With our powers of knowledge or our powers of magic —
when the earthly kings have returned to their former ways,
then gain and praise shall accrue to Pūraṇa.
26.
[...] We shall surpass
what he does — better and more.
Give here the answer of a victor,
so that the nitwit may go to hell.
27.
[...] The king
took the side of the Buddha and said:
"Let them go to the Kosala king
and tell the story there as I have ordered."
28.
[...]
Pūraṇa, Kāśyapa, the Maukariputra,
arrived with many hundreds of naked ascetics,
relating as follows to the king.
29.
[...]
[...] magic effected by supernatural powers —
more and more particular marvels
must we then produce by turns with the Śākyamuni.
30.
[...]
Through our powers of knowledge or our powers of magic —
when the earthly kings have returned to their former ways,
then gain and praise shall return to Pūraṇa.
31.
[...] We shall surpass
what he does — better and more.
Give here the answer of a victor,
so that the nitwit may go to hell.
32.
[...]
[...] the Buddha [...] the helper,
who knows how to live rightly, having attained the awakening of a Jina,
leads his followers swiftly from here to the enlightenment of one beyond compare.
33.
[...]
Magic with the heretics —
from this day, on the seventh,
there shall be a marvel in the Jetavana.
34.
[...]
And these heretics, these inferior people —
from this day, on the seventh,
the winner shall be accepted by all as leader.
35.
[...]
The reception of the heretics as subordinates —
after venerating once more the Lord of all beings,
the Kosala king went on his way as a messenger.
36.
[...]
The reception of the heretics as subordinates —
"From this day, on the seventh,
there shall be a marvel in the Jetavana."
37.
[...]
"And these heretics, these lowly people —
from this day, on the seventh,
the winner shall be accepted by all as leader."
38.
[...] The king,
having ordered a boy with a bell:
"[...]
Proclaim today throughout my city everywhere:
39.
From this day, on the seventh,
there will be a marvel of the Buddha in the Jetavana —
and of those heretics as well.
You will see their marvels there."
Side B — The Contest, the Miracle, and the Defeat
1.
[...]
Hundreds of benevolent yakṣas in all ten directions —
in the heavenly cities rising one above another,
many congregations of gods heard the word.
2.
[...]
The word spreads again and again through the city:
"Today there are gatherings we may attend —
you will see the marvels of the ascetics!"
3.
[...]
And the heretics shall be defeated by force.
4.
[...]
[...]
There a lion-throne was prepared for the Buddha,
in the direction of the Jetavana, in the northern part.
5.
[...]
Mattresses and colorful coverings —
there was abundant jasmine with many flowers,
by which the earth was covered all around.
6.
[...] scattering [...]
incense mixed with sandalwood powder.
Where the lion-throne of the Buddha stood,
that place the gods strewed over with flowers.
7.
[...]
Where the Jina, the Arhat, the well-behaved Buddha was —
having [...] them on the swept floor,
he shines, having sent forth pleasant fragrances.
8.
[...] the place
for the heretics — the community of the disciples
shall prepare a seat there,
so that they may be at ease and not unkind.
9.
[...]
He came out with a great retinue,
with flocks of ministers on all sides,
completely surrounded and made to shine.
10.
[...] the king saw [...] flags,
these congregations of wanderers and homeless ascetics,
these restrained god-women and god-men —
and went straight toward the Jetavana.
11.
[...]
From around the cities of Kosala and Kāśī —
having heard of the marvel of the Jina,
he was trembling with excitement in the Jetavana among the people.
12.
[...]
People had come to the main street from all directions.
Horses and elephants, palanquins and chariots —
people came by whatever they could mount.
13.
[...]
He came forth with well-built shoulders and feet, the Self-Arisen.
Without fear, with the gait of a lion,
the protector went to his seat and sat down.
14.
[...]
And sat to the left of the Jina.
He who is wise, noble, and great-souled —
Śāriputra sat down to the right.
15.
[...]
Kātyāyana, Nanda, and the elder Revata,
the four they call "the Kāśyapa clan,"
and Pūrṇa, Yaśa, Vimala, and Upasena.
16.
[...]
Five hundred great-souled arhats —
by whom the Protector is surrounded,
he shines like Brahmā within his host of gods.
17.
[...]
The Dharma was made to shine by the dharma-words.
He became even more splendid through these,
like the moon among the hosts of stars.
18.
[...] Pūraṇa
saw the Buddha sitting there, the Self-Existent.
He thought: "Where will I settle after this?" —
having recognized the Buddha as the widely-famed true enlightener of the world.
19.
[...] the king
speaks [...] enlightened.
The teacher spoke with a sweet voice:
"Be without anger, be pure, and set against intoxication."
20.
[...]
The teacher again, graciously looking down —
then in turn the king of Kosala
made the whole group of heretics hasten to meet him.
21.
[...]
The Jina reprimanded you in the first place.
22.
[...] He was asked
to show his marvels first.
The monk, [...] Gautama [...]
[...]
23.
[...]
The so-called guardian of the sacrifice turned out to be merely a pretender of dominion.
24.
[...]
The gods, the hosts of yakṣas, and the piśācas,
the garuḍas [...]
[...]
25.
[...]
Pūraṇa, the Kāśyapa, the Maukari offspring —
the hosts of yakṣas [...]
[...]
26.
[...]
The leader of the assembly stood there in the sky with many copies of himself.
From here he certainly sends forth light in all directions —
how much more could he have done with actual supernatural powers!
27.
[...]
Cut to pieces in the circular wood —
and terrible fights broke out among themselves
there in the great assembly.
28.
[...] enlightenment —
or by whom right conduct was taught to which people.
The Self-Existent reprimanded your arrogance,
he, the Guru, the great destroyer [...]
29.
[...]
Pūraṇa there in the great assembly —
like one garlanded with the finest jasmine for cremation,
[...]
30.
[...]
A yakṣa moved through the heavens.
Pūraṇa the fool, with his dwindling followers —
[...]
31.
[...]
The yakṣa in the sky with his terrifying body —
Pūraṇa became shocked, frightened.
[...]
32.
[...]
33.
[...]
[...]
[...]
Breaking through the clouds, the Lord approached.
34.
[...] they see in the sky
[...] the elephant-shaped rain-cloud born of the marvels.
The yakṣa says: "Live on, O Self-Arisen, away from him!
Cursed is the entire lot of the heretics without exception."
35.
"[...]
The yakṣa, having lived in this world, away from myself —
I make him dwell in yonder world,"
and shifted him from this world to heaven.
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Gandhāri Prakrit. Translated from the Split Collection manuscript no. 4, a single birch-bark sheet inscribed on both sides, dating to the 1st century CE. Source transliteration published by Harry Falk and Elisabeth Steinbrückner in "A Metrical Version from Gandhāra of the 'Miracle at Śrāvastī' (Texts from the Split Collection 4)," Annual Report of the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University Vol. XXIII (2020), pp. 3–42.
This is the earliest known literary version of the Śrāvastī miracle — predating all Chinese translations (the earliest of which dates to 306 CE) and all surviving Sanskrit versions. The poem narrates the contest between the Buddha and the heretic leader Pūraṇa Kāśyapa, composed in mātrāchandas meters (Vaitalīya and Vegavatī). Approximately one-third of the manuscript was torn away in antiquity; lacunae are marked with [...].
Translated and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2025.
🌲
Source Text: Gandhārī Prakrit Transliteration
Gandhāri Prakrit transliteration from Split Collection manuscript 4. Published by Harry Falk and Elisabeth Steinbrückner, ARIRIAB Vol. XXIII (2020). Conventions: "+" = one letter missing/erased/broken; ".." = letter partly visible but unidentifiable; "[x]" = damaged but recognizable; "(x)" = assumed from parallels; "°" = vowel stroke missing at damage; "·" = pāda separator. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
Side A (Stanzas A1–A39)
A1. + + + + + + + + + .. ° · śahia-putra mahatma kuliṇa ° · bahuparthiva-saṃgha uveti [°] · drekṣado ta dupadutamo ṇao
A2. + + + + + + + + + (*°) · śahia-p[*u][tra] mahatma kuliṇa ° · haya-kujara-citraraehi ° · eti joṇa paśu atmaṇa viro
A3. + + + + + + + + + · [ṇ· mi y· s· pariṣae upeti] ° · [t]e[ṣ·] .. [· ya ti ṇa ra t]i [e] _ · [me · k· · m· · r· e gira] ..
A4. + + + + + + + + + · + + .. r[ṣ· ṇ]o [śuho] varṇ[o] ° · [p(h)ala pu]ṣpa ra .. [svadu] + · + + + + + + + + + +
A5. + + + + + + + + + (°) · [a]r[i]hi agavarehi uvedo ° · bhaṇadi pariṣae m[·]ṇu + · + + + + + + + + + +
A6. + + + + + + + + sta ° · jaṇaδi satvavicidrakile1a [°] · purimeṣu [bha]veṣu viδerṇ· · + + + + + + + + + +
A7. + + + + + + + + + + (°) · kṣudra vitarka taδa avaṇeδi ° · haṃ[ñat]a p[r]aya hi matrihi ° · + + + + + + + + + +
A8. + + + + + + + + + + · .. 2aδi sarvav[i]ta[rkakṣayae °]
A9. + + + + + + + + + [ṇa] ° · aya a vhava3aδa su3aδasa ° · di2aδaṣu ya [ki]rti vi2ala · taspa aṇata-ya2a sa ahuṣi
A10. + + + + + + + + + .. ° · [ṇe]tva rae taδa ṇipariḍhahe ° · saḱaro karisu jiṇaspa ° · taspa yaaraho śakamuṇisa
A11. + + + + + + + + + + [°] · bhoyaṇa aṇa raagra praṇiδa ° · uaaharamaṇa jiṇaa _ · [bhuyaδara taa piilavhiδa]
A12. + + + + + + + + + + · + + [a]ṇatamaṇa ya ahusu ° · te kroaba[l·] + + + · + + + + + + + + +
A13. + + + + + + + + + yo ° · puraṇa kritva muho gaṇi sarve ° · varḍhavia [k]oa[la] .. + · + + + + + + + + + +
A14. + + + + + + + + [liṇa] ° · viñavaṇaraha edi1a bhoti ° · yaδa śakamuṇi upaṇo ° · + + + + + + + + + +
A15. + + + + + + + + + + ° · [y]ehi vahe iδi s·phisupuch ° · ve2a[lie] .. [hea] .. + .. .. .. .. .. · + + + + [ah]u[ṣi] u[paṇo]
A16. + + + + + + + + [ba]ro ° · sarvamahaśramaṇe praṇamati _ · ṇayaña yaδ[i] goδame ñaṇe ° · yeṇa praya sva3e dharme viṇea
A17. + + + + + + + + [3eo/u] ° · kovi_δa lo3ivañaṇe aśeṣe ° · tvariδagrahe śukramaṇatvi ° · bhumidiśe paḍhiδe upraḍhata
A18. + + + + + + + + .. ṇo ° · ṇari[ṇareṣu] .. lakṣaṇavidva ° · [ime] ya ku i2aṇa cara[ti °] · [yaa] va[he bha]ra ṇiṭhiδa ñaṇi
A19. + + + + + + + + · bila3aδe va siala ṇaδati ° · ichama mahaśramaṇeṇa ° · sadha vi3urvaṇa irdhibalei
A20. + + + + + + + + + ° · sadhe vi3urvaṇa irdhibalehi ° · uvaruari irdhiviśeṣa ° · sadha karomaa śakamuṇiṇa |
A21. + + + + + + + + śi [ṭho] ° · ñaṇabale aa irdhibale va ° · ṇivatiδa bh·majaṇi[tro] ° · labho ya1a ca pravatadu ta[a]
A22. + + + + + + + [jitva] .. .. ° · tirthig·ṇa ku[viδa [t]aδa driṭhva] ° · pariaδa [.. m·] [.. ..] jaṇidro ° · jeδavaṇe su3aδasa sa3aśe °
A23. + + + + + + + + .. .. + · puraṇo kaśavo makhaliputro ° · bahuṇagaśaδa upa3ama ° · rayiṇo edo gira kaayati
A24. + + + + + + + + + ° · sadha vi3urvaṇa irdhibalehi _ · uvaruaro irdhiviśeṣo ° · sadha karoma[a] śakamuṇiṇa
A25. + + + + + + + + + ·o _ · ñaṇabale _ a[a] _ irdhibale va °· · ṇivatiδa bhomajaṇid[r]a _ · [lavh· ya1a ca pravatadu taa]
A26. + + + + + + + + + .. · taspa kriδo_taδa utvari bhuyo ° · i2a dehi jiṇapraδivako ° · yaδi1a añe bhavea ṇarao
A27. + + + + + + + + + + _ · [e]3aδamate hahitva avoyi ° · vayaṇa khalu koala-rañi ° · tadra yaaaṇuśiṭha bhaṇadi _
A28. + + + + + + + + + + _ · puraṇa kaśavo mokhaliputro _ · bahuṇagaśa[tra ua]3ama _ · rayiṇ· edo gira kaa〈ya〉ti _
A29. + + + + + + + + + + · .. .. [vigurvaṇa irdhibalehi °] · [uaruvari irdhiviśeṣa] _ · [sadha karomaa śa]kamuṇiṇa
A30. + + + + + + + + śiṭho _ · ñaṇabale aa irdhibale va ° · ṇivatida bhomajaṇidra ° · lovha yaśa ca ṇivatad[u] ta[a]
A31. + + + + + + + + .. ° · taspa krido tada utvari bhuyo · i2a dihi jiṇapradivako _ · yadiśo añe bhavea ṇ· +
A32. + + + + + + + + + śi ° · [budh·] v[·] .. .. .. i va a ca [ṇao °] · [ṇayaña bodho ladhva jiṇasa] · [ṇeti] au iδo apratima[sa]
A33. + + + + + + + + jo bhi ° · sadha vi3urvaṇa tirthigaṇehi ° · iδi satamae divaasmi _ · bhodu vi3urvaṇa jedavaṇami |
A34. + + + + + + + + + + ___ · [ye vi ca tirthi]gaṇa ñi[1alog]e [°] · [iδi sadamae divaasmi °] · [bho]du praδigrahiδa gaṇi sarve
A35. + + + + + + + .. _ · teṣa praδi[graho] tirthigaṇaṇa ° · vaditva pu[ṇa] dupaδitro ° · koalo rayo uva3ami dutro
A36. + + + + + + [gaṇa] ___ · [teṣa pradigra]ho tirthigaṇaṇa ° · [i]δi satamae divaami [°] · bhod[u] vigurvaṇa jedavaṇami
A37. + + + + + + + + (ka/pra) · ye ?ti ca ti[rtha3a] _ṇa ñi1alo3e ° · [i] .. + [damae divaami] _ · bhotu praδigrahida gaṇi sarve
A38. + + + + + + rayo ° · ghahio [ma]ṇavo aṇavi tatra ° · pa .. .. .. vi[r]u [?ṣ·] [ṇ·] g·y[o/i]tro ° · ghoṣahi aja pure mi samato
A39. + + + + + + + + (*va)[a]smi ° · budhavi3urvaṇa jeδavaṇasmi ° · teṣa vi ca ti[rthiga]ṇaṇa ° · trekṣaa irdhivig(ur)vaṇa [tatra]
Side B (Stanzas B1–B35)
B1. + + + + + + + + + ·o ° · yakṣa[śaδe] uhiδo di2aδau ° · uparupari divapure[u] ° · śado [ṣuṇiu] ba[hu marusaṃgha]
B2. + + + + + + + + + [vo °] · śado puṇa caradi ṇa3arami ° · [aja sa]mayo gama[ṇae °] · drekṣaa ta 2amaṇaṇa vi3urva °
B3. + + + + + + + + .. _ · [ti]rthigaṇa ya parayida _ bala °
B4. + + + + + + + + .. [ṇa] ° · .. [ba v· 3a ye ghi hi] purv[e] yo [s]arve ° · sihaaṇo prañavi tatra ° · jeδavaṇadiśa utara[bha3]e [?]
B5. + + + + + + + .. gha ° · toliaastaraṇa ya vicitra ° · bahu puṣpamalia prahuδa ° · yeṇa samataδa chayae bhumi
B6. + + + + + + + + + + · [dhuaṇa cadaṇa-cuṇa vimiśa °] · [sihaaṇo yatra jiṇasa °] · taṃ kuumehi maru pra3irisu °
B7. + + + + + + + + + + śe · · yatra jiṇo raha budha viṇiδa ° · taṃ śikhiδo maṭhatala va ° · śobhadi gaṃdhamaṇuñavi3irṇo
B8. + + + + + + + + pradiśe ° · tirthiahalasa śrava3asaṃgha ° · paḍiyaδae aaṇo tatra ° · yadiśo te svo bhavi[k]o ṇa ruśa
B9. + + + + + + + + + + ° · ṇikhamita mahaδa jaṇaδae ° · amaca-gaṇehi samato ° · saṃpariarido śohayamaṇa
B10. + + + + + + + .. [keto] ° · [te cara3aparivraya3asaṃgha °] · ja[mi] + [devaṇariṇara] ya ° · jeδavaṇo uvaakrami kṣipa
B11. + + + + + + + + + ° · koalakaśipuruṣu samato ° ° · vi3[u]rvaṇa śrutva jiṇasa ° · kṣubhadi jeδavaṇe jaṇaδae
B12. + + + + + + + + + + ° · rayapaa diśaδaau samato ° · aśpagaya peḍha3e yaṇe [°] · yehi jaṇo aviru1a upeti
B13. + + + + + + + + + [·o/·i] _ · ṇikhami..skaṃdha-aṃghrie svayabhu · achaṃ[bi]o sihaaδae ° · aaṇ[e] gatva ṇiṣiδaδi ṇao °
B14. + + + + + + + + + + · vamado tasa ṇiṣaṇo jiṇasa ° · yo praña uraḍo mahatvo _ · daśiṇo śarisuva ṇiṣaṇo
B15. + + + + + + [kṣa bu/o]dh?va ° · kacayana ṇaaδa revado thero ° · caδure ahu kaśava-gotra ° · purṇo yaśo vimalo upaeṇa
B16. + + + + + + + + + ·o ° · paṃcaśaδa arahata mahatma ° · yehi parivarido ṇao ° · śobhadi bramo yaa marusaṃgha
B17. + + + + + + + + + .. ° · dharma [ya] dharmapadehi ghaṇiδa ° · aio uvaśobhadi tehi · taragaṇehi yaa uδuraye
B18. + + + + + + + + + + · ad(r)aśi b[u]dho ṇiṣaṇo [svayabhu] · kva aa ayaṇa mae paṃca ° · ñatva duraava lo3apradiva
B19. + + + + + + + [da] raye _ · a[dadi taś(i/o)] .. .. .. [paδi]δo ° · mauragira abravi (ya→)śasta ° · [bhohi ara3a (ya→)suyi maδaśatro]
B20. + + + + + + + + [ma]to ° · śasto muho avaloyayamaṇa ° · aa so puṇa koalaraye ° · tithigaṇa samu(dro→ya)δae sarve
B21. + + + + + + + + + + ṇo ° · tusve jiṇo aavado purve °
B22. + + + + + + + + + .. · [i]rdhibalaṇi vidarśido pu[rve] ° · ṣamaṇo + [hila godamo svaya] · + + + + + + + + + +
B23. + + + + + + + + + + .. .. · eṣapradiña ahu makhipala
B24. + + + + + + + + + .. _ · d(e)vaδa yakṣagaṇa ya piṣaya ° · garuḍa .. + + + · + + + + + + + + +
B25. + + + + + + + + + + · + + + [k·ś·v· mokhalipu]tro ° · [yakṣagaṇa] .. [hoṇa] ° · .. [·u] .. .. [yo] .. .. .. .. ..
B26. + + + + + + + + + [3a] ° · sa ku[ḍidha] bahuṇa gaṇi aha ° · iδi viṣva ṇa praδibhai ° · ki puṇa irdhibalehi vi[3urva]
B27. + + + + + + + + + .. ° · maḍalavaṇ[e] prabhagiδo chiṇo ° · kalaho ya paroparo ghoro ° · ta[tra maha]pariṣae kariu
B28. + + + + + + + + [b]odhi ° · yeṇa va yeṣa ṇayo uvaṇiδa ° · aavaδa maṇ· svayabhu ° · [3ur]o [ma]hava[aṇo i] .. ..
B29. + + + + + + + + + [ṇo] ° · puraṇo [tatra] mahapariṣae ° · [yaa sua]ragada[malita] · + + + + + + + + + +
B30. + + + + + + + + + + [°] · yakṣe ṇavha[ta]r[e] _ .. yayaro ° · pa[ri]taja[*ṇ]o puraṇo balo /// · + + + + + + + + + +
B31. + + + + + + + + + .. ° · yakṣo ṇavhatare ghoraśarira ° · utrasta hu [pura]ṇo bhido ° · + + + + + + + + + +
B32. + + + + + + + + + + · .. .. .. .. ·o .. sarve pra .. ga ° · .. .. .. ya hita .. + + + · + + + + + + + + + + +
B33. + + + + + + + + + + · + + + + + .. + + [liye ña] · .. .. .. + + .. .. · [pr·ḍaria uvaya[tit]o ṇao]
B34. + + + + + + + + + + · + + [ha]stimegha [irdhiba]laṇo [°] · tiṭhahi ṇarita svayabhu · · śata hu sarva gaṇi[ṇo] i[śeṣo]
B35. + + + + + + .. .. (*°) · .. .. [l(*o)ga ha]hitva (ṇa→ma)rida · kṣivayami añalo3a-dhadu · · ta pi paḍikṣivi lo[ga] + [di]vo
Source Colophon
Gandhāri Prakrit source text from Split Collection manuscript 4. Birch-bark scroll, 1st century CE, from the Bajaur region of northwest Pakistan (ancient Gandhāra). Currently in private hands. Transliteration by Harry Falk and Elisabeth Steinbrückner, published in ARIRIAB Vol. XXIII (Soka University, 2020). The transliteration system follows the conventions of the Dictionary of Gāndhārī (Baums & Glass 2002–).
🌲