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Dhanabhuti
Dhanabhūti (Brahmi: 𑀥𑀦𑀪𑀽𑀢𑀺) or Vatsiputra Dhanabhūti was a 2nd or 1st-century BCE Buddhist king in Central India, and the most prominent donor for the Bharhut stupa. He appears in two or three major dedicatory inscriptions at the stupa of Bharhut, and possibly in another inscription at Mathura. Dhanabhuti may have been a feudatory of the Sunga Empire, or a ruler in a neighbouring territory, such as Kosala or Panchala, or possibly a northern king from Sughana in Haryana. or he may have also been part of the Mitra dynasty of Kosambi.
Many portions of the stupa at Bharhut bear inscriptions with the names of Buddhist donors. Dhanabhuti is known from two, or possibly three, of these dedications, and he crucially dedicated the largest and most prestigious portion of the monument, the Eastern Gateway, now displayed in the Indian Museum, in Calcutta.
An epigraph on a pillar of the eastern gateway of the stupa of Bharhut mentions its erection "by Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti". The Bharhut eastern gateway is the only remaining of four original gateways. The flat linear style of sculptures at Bharhut is dated to circa 150 BCE, with the possibility that the more elaborate gateways were made slightly later in 100-75 BCE (most probably 75 BCE based on artistic analysis). The inscription is written in a classical form of the Brahmi script, highly similar with the script known from the time of Ashoka. The beginning of the inscription uses the expression "Suganam Raje", which is thought to mean "during the rule of the Sungas", although not without ambiguity.
In this inscription Dhanabhuti mentions that his grandfather was named "King Visvadeva", and his mother was named "Vāchhī".
Since Dhanabhuti was making a dedication to a Buddhist monument, and since the Sungas are known to have been Hindu monarchs, it seems that Dhanabhuti himself was not a member of the Sunga dynasty. His mention of "in the reign of the Sungas" also suggests that he was not himself a Sunga ruler.
The inscription, which can also be seen in a rubbing, reads:
1. Suganam raje raño Gāgīputasa Visadevasa
𑀲𑀼𑀕𑀦𑀁 𑀭𑀚𑁂 𑀭𑀜𑁄 𑀕𑀸𑀕𑀻𑀧𑀼𑀢𑀲 𑀯𑀺𑀯𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀲
2. pautena, Gotiputasa Āgarajusa putena
𑀧𑁅𑀢𑁂𑀦 𑀕𑁄𑀢𑁂𑀧𑀼𑀢𑀲 𑀆𑀕𑀭𑀚𑀼𑀲 𑀧𑀼𑀢𑁂𑀦
3. Vāchhīputena Dhanabhūtina kāritam toranām
𑀯𑀸𑀙𑀻𑀧𑀼𑀢𑁂𑀦 𑀥𑀦𑀪𑀽𑀢𑀺𑀦 𑀓𑀸𑀭𑀺𑀢𑀁 𑀢𑁄𑀭𑀦𑀁
4. silākammamto cha upamno.
𑀲𑀺𑀮𑀸𑀓𑀁𑀫𑀁𑀢𑁄 𑀘 𑀉𑀧𑀁𑀦𑁄
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Dhanabhuti
Dhanabhūti (Brahmi: 𑀥𑀦𑀪𑀽𑀢𑀺) or Vatsiputra Dhanabhūti was a 2nd or 1st-century BCE Buddhist king in Central India, and the most prominent donor for the Bharhut stupa. He appears in two or three major dedicatory inscriptions at the stupa of Bharhut, and possibly in another inscription at Mathura. Dhanabhuti may have been a feudatory of the Sunga Empire, or a ruler in a neighbouring territory, such as Kosala or Panchala, or possibly a northern king from Sughana in Haryana. or he may have also been part of the Mitra dynasty of Kosambi.
Many portions of the stupa at Bharhut bear inscriptions with the names of Buddhist donors. Dhanabhuti is known from two, or possibly three, of these dedications, and he crucially dedicated the largest and most prestigious portion of the monument, the Eastern Gateway, now displayed in the Indian Museum, in Calcutta.
An epigraph on a pillar of the eastern gateway of the stupa of Bharhut mentions its erection "by Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti". The Bharhut eastern gateway is the only remaining of four original gateways. The flat linear style of sculptures at Bharhut is dated to circa 150 BCE, with the possibility that the more elaborate gateways were made slightly later in 100-75 BCE (most probably 75 BCE based on artistic analysis). The inscription is written in a classical form of the Brahmi script, highly similar with the script known from the time of Ashoka. The beginning of the inscription uses the expression "Suganam Raje", which is thought to mean "during the rule of the Sungas", although not without ambiguity.
In this inscription Dhanabhuti mentions that his grandfather was named "King Visvadeva", and his mother was named "Vāchhī".
Since Dhanabhuti was making a dedication to a Buddhist monument, and since the Sungas are known to have been Hindu monarchs, it seems that Dhanabhuti himself was not a member of the Sunga dynasty. His mention of "in the reign of the Sungas" also suggests that he was not himself a Sunga ruler.
The inscription, which can also be seen in a rubbing, reads:
1. Suganam raje raño Gāgīputasa Visadevasa
𑀲𑀼𑀕𑀦𑀁 𑀭𑀚𑁂 𑀭𑀜𑁄 𑀕𑀸𑀕𑀻𑀧𑀼𑀢𑀲 𑀯𑀺𑀯𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀲
2. pautena, Gotiputasa Āgarajusa putena
𑀧𑁅𑀢𑁂𑀦 𑀕𑁄𑀢𑁂𑀧𑀼𑀢𑀲 𑀆𑀕𑀭𑀚𑀼𑀲 𑀧𑀼𑀢𑁂𑀦
3. Vāchhīputena Dhanabhūtina kāritam toranām
𑀯𑀸𑀙𑀻𑀧𑀼𑀢𑁂𑀦 𑀥𑀦𑀪𑀽𑀢𑀺𑀦 𑀓𑀸𑀭𑀺𑀢𑀁 𑀢𑁄𑀭𑀦𑀁
4. silākammamto cha upamno.
𑀲𑀺𑀮𑀸𑀓𑀁𑀫𑀁𑀢𑁄 𑀘 𑀉𑀧𑀁𑀦𑁄
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