Digambara Epigraphical Library (शिलालेख संग्रहालय)

The undisputed lithic charters of Digambara Jainism: royal proclamations, Sallekhana memorials, and Mūlasangha genealogies

📜12 Primary Inscriptions🖋️5 Ancient Scripts (Brahmi to Vatteluttu)🏛️Epigraphia Carnatica & Indica Verified
📜Brahmi • Prakritc. 170–150 BCE

Hathigumpha Inscription of King Kharavela

हाथीगुम्फा शिलालेख (महाराज खारवेल)
Location:Udayagiri Hills, Bhubaneswar
Dynasty & Patron:Chedi / Mahameghavahana Dynasty
“Namo Arahantānam Namo Sava Sidhānam ... Kalingādhipatinā Ceta-rāja-vasa-vadhanena Pasatha-subha-lakkhaṇena...”

Salutation to the Arhats (the Omniscient)! Salutation to all the Siddhas (the Liberated Souls)! Emperor Kharavela of the Chedi dynasty recovered the sacred image of Kalinga Jina looted by the Nanda kings and excavated rock-cut caves on Kumari Hill for Digambara ascetics.

Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XX, pp. 71–89 (Dr. K.P. Jayaswal & R.D. Banerji)Read Epigraph
📜Tamil-Brahmi • Tamilc. 100 BCE

Sittanavasal Ezhadipattam Asokan Bed Inscription

सित्तन्नवासल एऴडिपट्टम प्रस्तर-शय्या अभिलेख
Location:Ezhadipattam Cavern, Sittanavasal Hill, Pudukkottai
Dynasty & Patron:Early Pandya Dynasty
“Emi-nāṭṭu Asōkan seytha āthanam...”

The sacred polished stone meditation bed (karpadukkai) carved for the ascetic Asokan of Emi-nadu to undertake solemn dhyana and voluntary spiritual vow of Vadakkiruthal (Sallekhana).

Mahadevan, Iravatham, Early Tamil Epigraphy, Harvard Oriental Series, Vol. 62, 2003Read Epigraph
📜Brahmi • Prakritc. 98–127 CE (Year 49 of Kanishka)

Kankali Tila Vodva Stupa Epigraph

कंकाली टीला वोद्व स्तूप अभिलेख (मथुरा)
Location:Kankali Tila, Mathura
Dynasty & Patron:Kushana Dynasty
“Samva 49 hemanta-māse... deva-nirmite vodve thūpe arahato pratimā pratishṭhāpitā Kottiyāto gaṇāto...”

In Year 49 of the Great King... At the divine Vodva Stupa built by the gods, a sacred image of the Arhat was consecrated by the pious assembly belonging to the Kottiya Gana and the Brahmadasika Kula.

Bühler, Georg, Epigraphia Indica, Vol. I & II, 1892–1894Read Epigraph
📜Brahmi • Sanskrit460 CE (Gupta Era 141)

Kahum Stone Pillar Inscription of Skandagupta

कहाउम पाषाण स्तम्भ अभिलेख (स्कन्दगुप्त)
Location:Kahum, Deoria / Gorakhpur
Dynasty & Patron:Gupta Empire
“Khyāte-smin Gupta-vaṃśe... pañcendrān ātma-tṛptyā jina-vara-vṛṣabhānāṃ pratiṣṭhāpitā...”

During the peaceful reign of Emperor Skandagupta, the devotee Madra, full of compassion for all living beings, erected this indestructible stone pillar housing images of the five foremost Jina conquerors: Adinatha, Shantinatha, Neminatha, Parshvanatha, and Mahavira.

Fleet, J.F., Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. III (Inscriptions of the Early Gupta Kings), No. 15, 1888Read Epigraph
📜Kannada-Brahmi • Sanskritc. 600–650 CE

Chandragiri Hill Inscription No. 1 (Bhadrabahu & Chandragupta)

चन्द्रगिरि शिलालेख संख्या १ (भद्रबाहु एवं चन्द्रगुप्त)
Location:Chandragiri Hill, Shravanabelagola
Dynasty & Patron:Western Ganga Dynasty
“Asti Bhadrabāhu-svāmi-praśiṣya-paramparānuyāte... Kaṭavapra-nāmakasya giri-varasya...”

The venerable Shruta Kevali Bhadrabahu, having foreseen a twelve-year famine in North India, led the twelve-thousand-strong Sangha to the southern summit of Katavapra (Chandragiri). There, attended by his disciple Prabhachandra (Chandragupta Maurya), he accomplished the sacred vow of Sallekhana.

Rice, B. Lewis, Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. II: Inscriptions at Sravana Belgola, No. 1, 1889Read Epigraph
📜Kannada-Brahmi • Sanskrit634 CE (Saka 556)

Aihole Meguti Jinendra Inscription of Poet Ravikirti

ऐहोल मेगुती जिनेंद्र अभिलेख (कवि रविकीर्ति)
Location:Meguti Jinendra Temple, Aihole, Bagalkot
Dynasty & Patron:Western Chalukya Dynasty (Badami)
“Jayati bhagavān jinendro... yenākāri paronmukhā ravi-kaviḥ kīrtiḥ satāṃ saṃsadi...”

Victorious is Bhagwan Jinendra, who delivers beings from the ocean of rebirth! Ravikirti, who by his poetic skill equaled Kalidasa and Bharavi, built this stone abode of Jinendra under the sovereign protection of Satyashraya Pulakeshin II in the Saka Year 556.

Kielhorn, F., Epigraphia Indica, Vol. VI, pp. 1–12, 1900Read Epigraph
📜Devanagari (Kutila) • Sanskrit862 CE (Vikrama Samvat 919)

Deogarh Temple No. 12 Pillar Inscription of Bhojadeva I

देवगढ़ मंदिर संख्या १२ स्तंभ अभिलेख (भोजदेव प्रथम)
Location:Shantinatha Temple (Temple 12), Deogarh Fort, Lalitpur
Dynasty & Patron:Gurjara-Pratihara Empire
“Saṃvat 919... Śrīmad Bhojadeva rājye... Śrī Śāntinātha deva prāsāde stambho pratiṣṭhāpitaḥ...”

In Vikrama Samvat 919, during the victorious reign of Paramabhattaraka Bhojadeva, this votive pillar was consecrated in the magnificent temple of Bhagwan Shantinatha at Luachhagir (Deogarh) by the assembly of the Saraswati Gachha.

Bruhn, Klaus, The Jina-Images of Deogarh, E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1969Read Epigraph
📜Vatteluttu • Tamilc. 770–850 CE

Kazhugumalai Vatteluttu Inscriptions of Female Monastics

कऴुगुमलै वट्टेऴुत्तु अभिलेख (आर्यिका संघ)
Location:Kazhugumalai Rock-Cut Cliffs, Thoothukudi
Dynasty & Patron:Pandya Dynasty
“Tirunechurathuk kurathigaḷ seytha paḷḷi... śrī Gunasena-periyadigal mānākkiyar...”

Dedicated by the revered female mendicants (Kurathiyar / Aryikas) of Tirunechuram, disciples of the venerable preceptor Gunasena. Over one hundred bas-relief Tirthankaras were commissioned by nuns, scholarly women preceptors, and civic guilds.

South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. V, Nos. 307–407, Archaeological Survey of IndiaRead Epigraph
📜Kannada-Brahmi • Archaic Kannada & Sanskrit983 CE

Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar Inscription of Chavundaraya

त्यागद ब्रह्मदेव स्तंभ अभिलेख (चामुंडराय)
Location:Vindhyagiri Hill, Shravanabelagola
Dynasty & Patron:Western Ganga Dynasty
“Śrī Cāmuṇḍarājena kāritaṃ... Gommaṭeśvarasya mahā-pratiṣṭhānam...”

Erected by Commander Chavundaraya, the crest-jewel of Ganga ministers and disciple of Acharya Nemichandra. Commemorates the miraculous carving and consecration of the 57-foot Gommateshwara monolith atop Vindhyagiri.

Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. II, No. 281 (Old 109)Read Epigraph
📜Kannada-Brahmi • Sanskrit1128 CE

Sravana Belgola Inscription No. 54 (Mallishena Epitaph)

श्रवणबेलगोला शिलालेख संख्या ५४ (मल्लिषेण प्रशस्ति)
Location:Behind Parshvanatha Basadi, Chandragiri, Shravanabelagola
Dynasty & Patron:Hoysala Empire
“Śrīmat-parama-gambhīra-syādvādāmogha-lāñchanam... Śrī Kundakundānvayo yatīndrāṇāṃ...”

Reverence to the profound doctrine of Syadvada! In the holy lineage of Acharya Kundakunda arose Umasswami, Samantabhadra who roared like a lion across India, Pujyapada the master of grammar, and Jinasena the royal preceptor of King Amoghavarsha.

Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. II (Revised), Inscription No. 54, pp. 20–35Read Epigraph
📜Kannada-Brahmi • Kannada1368 CE (Saka 1290)

Bukkaraya I Reconciliation Royal Charter of 1368 CE

महाराज बुक्कराय प्रथम धर्म-सहिष्णुता शासन (१३६८ ई.)
Location:Bhandara Basadi, Shravanabelagola
Dynasty & Patron:Vijayanagara Empire
“Jaina bhavanaṅgaḷiṅge hāni vṛddhi yāvudu adanu Vaiṣṇavaru tammadē endu rakṣisuvudu...”

Taking the hand of the Jain community and placing it in the hand of the Vaishnavas, Emperor Bukkaraya decreed: There is no difference between the religions. Any injury to the Digambara Jains is an injury to the realm. Let this royal edict be engraved in all temples across the empire.

Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. II, Inscription No. 344Read Epigraph
📜Devanagari • Sanskrit1440–1453 CE

Gwalior Fort Urwahi Valley Colossi Inscription

ग्वालियर दुर्ग उर्वही घाटी जिन-प्रतिष्ठा अभिलेख
Location:Urwahi Valley & Gopachal Cliff, Gwalior Fort
Dynasty & Patron:Tomara Dynasty
“Saṃvat 1510 varṣe vaiśākha sudī... Tomara vaṃśe Śrī Ḍūṅgarasiṃha rājye Bhaṭṭāraka Guṇabhadra...”

In Samvat 1510, during the illustrious reign of Tomara King Dungar Singh, the colossal standing image of Bhagwan Rishabhanatha (57 feet tall) and hundreds of Jina icons were consecrated by Bhattaraka Gunabhadra of the Kashtha Sangha.

Cunningham, Alexander, Archaeological Survey of India Reports, Vol. II, pp. 364–368, 1871Read Epigraph

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