Inscription of Monk Buddhavarman

 

This inscription is also known as the Ghori Matani Inscription. It was excavated in Ghori Matani, located in the Attock District of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Written in a mix of Prakrit and Sanskrit using the Kharoṣṭhī script, the inscription reads:

Line 1: Saṃ 20 mahārājasa rājātirājasa devaputrasa Kaniṣkasa
Line 2: Jeṭha māsa dive pṛathame Budhavaruṃasa śamaṇasa posavapu-
Line 3: trasa Majhilakasa Kimanoputasa Rovimasa

Translation:
"In the 20th year of the great king, the supreme ruler, the divine son, Kanishka, on the first day of the month of Jyeshtha (Pali: Jeṭṭha), this religious gift belongs to the monk Buddhavarman, son of Posava (or Posavaputra), of the Majhilaka (or Madhyamaka) family, (and) son of Kimana (or Rovima)."

Summary:

This inscription belongs to Monk Buddhavarman, a Buddhist monk whose exact sect is not explicitly stated. However, it is highly likely that he belonged to the Sarvāstivādin Sect, which was the dominant school during the reign of King Kanishka of the Kushan Empire. The inscription dates back to 103 CE (646 BE), during Kanishka’s rule, and explicitly mentions his name, making it a historically significant artifact.