This stone inscription, in cave 16 at Ajaṇṭā, was first published in 1862 by Dr. Bhau Daji. As with the other stone inscription in cave 17 at Ajaṇṭā, this inscription has been damaged by exposure to weather. The inscription was written for Varāhadeva, a minister of the Vākāṭaka king, Hariṣeṇa. The inscription records the excavation and decoration of a cave dwelling, which both Mirashi (1963: 104) and Shastri (1997: 42) believe refers to the creation of cave 16 itself, where the inscription is found at Ajaṇṭā. The donation was made to an order of Buddhist monks.
Verse 1. (metre: upajāti)<1>1udīrṇṇa-loka-traya-doṣa-vahni-nirvvāp(a)ṇ(a)#i [⏑⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏓][a](bh)ipraṇamyapūrvvāṃ pravakṣye kṣitipānupūrvv(ī)[M]Verse 2. (metre: upajāti)<2>2mahā-vimarddeṣv abhivṛddha-śaktiḥkruddhas surair apy anivāryya-[vīryíaḥ][⏓-⏑--](?ra)ṇa-dāna-śaktiḥdvijaf prakāso bhuvi vindhyaśa[kt](i)[ḥ]Verse 3. (metre: upajāti)<3>3purandaropendra-sama-prabhāvaḥsva-bāhu-vī(r)y(yārj)j(i)ta(sa)[rvva-lokaḥ][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-](?ṭa)kānāṃbabhūva vākāṭaka-vaṅśa-_ke[tuḥ]Verse 4. (metre: upajāti)<4>4raṇe(ṣu / sva-)haryy-u(ddha)ta-reṇujāla-sañcchāditā(r)k(ka)(?s sa ca karmma)-[-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-](n arāt)īn(kṛ)tvābh(i)vāda-pravaṇā(ṃ)ś ca_kāraVerse 5. (metre: upajāti)<5>5(?vini)rjj(i)tāri(s-sura)-rāja-kāryyecakāra puṇyeṣu paraṃ praya(tnaṃ)[⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓]Verse 6. (metre: unidentified01)(?ari)-narendra-mauli-vinyasta-maṇi-kiraṇālīḍha-kramāmbujaḥ<6>6pravarasenas tasya putro bhūdvikasan-navendīvarekṣaṇa(ḥ)Verse 7. (metre: unidentified01)ravimayūkhad(ā)[#?4#][#?10#][?sa](?rvva)sena(f) pravarasenasyajita-sarvva-senas suto bhavaTVerse 8. (metre: unidentified01)<7>7[#?4#] pārtthivendrasya(?pra)śa(?śā)(sa) dharmmeṇa medinī(M)kuntalendra(?ṃ) vi[?ndhya][#?3#](śrī vi)(?ndhyasenaḥ)[#?4#]Verse 9. (metre: unidentified01)pravarase(?nas ta)sya putro bhūtpravarorjjitodāraśāsana(f)pravara-<8>8[#?7#][#?10#]Verse 10. (metre: upajāti)(tas)yātmaja[ # ](ma)[⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑](m a)vāpya rājyamaṣṭābdako yaf praśaśāsa samyaKVerse 11. (metre: upajāti)<9>9ta[syā](tmajo) bhūn-naradeva[?-saṃjñas][⏓-⏑--](bhu)vi devasenaḥyasyopabhogair lalitair-vvi[-⏓][ # ] devarājasya (pa)[-⏑-] bhūḥVerse 12. (metre: upajāti)puṇyānubhāvāt-kṣitipasya <10>10(?tasya)[⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--] ya guṇādhivās(aḥ)[⏓-](?v)i-kośo bhuvi hastibhojaḥVerse 13. (metre: upajāti)pra[-⏑--]f pṛthu-pīna-vakṣāssaroruhākṣax kṣapi-<11>11[?tā](?ri-pakṣaḥ)[⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑](?bāhur)dig-gandha-hasti-pratimo babhūvaVerse 14. (metre: upajāti)hito vinītaḥ pra(ṇa)y(a)-(?pradhāno)mano-nukūlo nuvidhāna-varttī niratyaya-<12>12[-⏑](sa)(no/ṇa)[⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑-]y(a)[⏑⏑-⏑]kaś caVerse 15. (metre: upajāti)ta(thai)va lokasya hitāśayatvātsukhena samyak-(p)aripālanena(?piteva) māteva sakheva nityaṃpriyo-bhigamyaś ca babhūva<13>13[-⏓]Verse 16. (metre: upajāti)[⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓]svasthas samāveśya sa tatra rājā(sasañ)ja bhogeṣu yatheṣṭa-ceṣṭaḥVerse 17. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)atha tasya suto babhū<14>14(?va)(rā)j(ā)(?lamara)[-⏑⏑-⏑-⏑-⏓]hari-r(ā)ma-hara-smare(ndu)-kāntir hariṣeṇo hari-vikkrama-pratāpaḥVerse 18. (metre: vaṃśastha)sa kuntalāvanti-kaliṅga-kosala-trikūṭa-lāṭ-āndhra-<15>15[⏑](īma)(?-jān)(i)(?mān)[⏑-⏑--⏑⏑](?śaury)(ya-v)(?i)(śr)(?u)(tān)(a)pi sva-nirddeśa-(?va)(śāna)ti-(s)(?th)(i)[tā](N)Verse 19. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)prathito bhuvi hastibhoja-sūnussacivas tasya mahīpater bbabhūvasakala-kṣiti-<16>16[-⏑-⏑-](?ya)(prava)(?ra)[⏑⏑-⏑-⏑--]Verse 20. (metre: upajāti)(?api pra)jeṣṭa(ḥ) sthira-dhīra-cetāstyāga-(kṣamaudā)ryya-guṇair upeta[+ḥ]dharmmeṇa dharmma-pravaṇaś-śaśāsadeśaṃ yaśaf-puṇya-guṇāṃśu-<17>17[-⏓]Verse 21. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)[⏑⏑-⏑⏑-⏑-⏑-⏓]prati puṇyopacayaṃ paraṃ cakārayata ūrddhvam [i](māṃ) sahā(ya)-dharmmā(?nira)to loka-gurau cakāra kārā(M)Verse 22. (metre: upajāti)āyur-vvayo-vitta-sakhānṇi<18>18[-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑](?cañca)lāniu(ddiśya) mātā-pitarāv udāraṃnyavīviśad veśma yatī(ndra-sevyaM)Verse 23. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)(sajalā)mbu(da)-(?vṛnda)-(lambi)tāgrebhujagendrādhyuṣite mahīdharendre<19>19[⏑⏑-⏑⏑-⏑-⏑-⏓][⏑] #i(ka/ra)-śrī-patinā śarā nikuñjeVerse 24. (metre: vaṃśastha)gavākṣa-niryyūha-suvīthi-vedikā-(su)rendra-kanyā-pratimādy-alaṅkṛtaMmanohara-stambha-vibhaṅga-<20>20(?meduraṃ)(?ni)(veśitābhyanta)ra-caitya-mandira(M)Verse 25. (metre: upajāti)ma[-⏑--]-tala-sanniviṣṭa(ṃ)vi(tāna)[--⏑] mano-(?bhi)rāmaṃ[⏓-] prakāmāmbu-mahā-nidhāna(ṃ)nāgendra-veśmādibhir a-<21>21[⏑-⏓]Verse 26. (metre: praharṣiṇī)[---](r m)m(a)hat(?i) sam(ī)raṇ(e)(sa)(?mantāt)[---](?vividha-vilāsa)[-⏑-⏓]grīṣmārkkasya ca kiraṇopatā(pa)-ta(ptaṃ)sarva-rtu-prathita-sukhopabhoga-yoga(M)Verse 27. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)<22>22[⏑⏑-⏑](su)rendra-mandirāṇā(ṃ)ruciman-(ma)ndara-kanda(?rānurūpaM)[⏑⏑-⏑⏑-⏑-⏑--⏓][⏑⏑--⏑](?janair) yathepsita[⏓]Verse 28. (metre: viyoginī?)a(s)ama(s)ya virocane girervvika-<23>23[?la][-⏑⏑] ka-śram(ā)(?nta)k(ā)(?bhavatīva para)[⏑-⏑⏓][⏑⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏑⏓]Verse 29. (metre: vasantatilaka)[--⏑](?viśāla)(m it)i yasya janena nāmaprīti-prasāda-vikaca-praṇa(yena) cakre(eta)(?sya)<24>24[-⏑⏑⏑-](?r)(laya)naṃ sur(endra)-mauli-prabhopa(cita)(?maṅgala-saṃgra)hāyaVerse 30. (metre: upajāti)nivedya saṅghāya [⏑-⏑] bha(ktyā)sa-bandhu-varggas sa varāhadevaḥnṛ-deva-saukhyāny a(nubhūya)<25>25[-⏓][⏓-](ṇa) śāstā sugata-praśastaḥVerse 31. (metre: śārdūlavikrīḍita)sāndrāmbhoda-bhujaṅga-bhoga-(?ni)[?karai]r yyāva[t][⏑--⏑⏓][--](?nūtna)-manaś-śilāla-kapilair yyāvat karair bhā_svaraḥ tāva(c che)-<26>26[⏑⏑-⏑-⏑⏑⏑---⏑-] sevyatāmantar-mmaṇḍapa-ratna(m e)tad amalaṃ ratna-tra[yo](dbhā)vita(ṃ||)Verse 32. (metre: mālinī)vividha-layana-sānus sevyamāno mahadbhirgirir aya-<27>27[m][⏑⏑---⏑--⏑-] ddhyaḥjagad api ca samasta-vyasta-doṣa-prahāṇā(d)v[i]śatu padam aśokaṃ nirjvaraṃ śāntam āryya(M)
Verse 1. (metre: upajāti)<1>1udīrṇṇa-loka-traya-doṣa-vahni-nirvvāp(a)ṇ(a)#i [⏑⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏓][a](bh)ipraṇamyapūrvvāṃ pravakṣye kṣitipānupūrvv(ī)[M]Verse 2. (metre: upajāti)<2>2mahā-vimarddeṣv abhivṛddha-śaktiḥkruddhas surair apy anivāryya-[vīryíaḥ][⏓-⏑--](?ra)ṇa-dāna-śaktiḥdvijaf prakāso bhuvi vindhyaśa[kt](i)[ḥ]Verse 3. (metre: upajāti)<3>3purandaropendra-sama-prabhāvaḥsva-bāhu-vī(r)y(yārj)j(i)ta(sa)[rvva-lokaḥ][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-](?ṭa)kānāṃbabhūva vākāṭaka-vaṅśa-_ke[tuḥ]Verse 4. (metre: upajāti)<4>4raṇe(ṣu / sva-)haryy-u(ddha)ta-reṇujāla-sañcchāditā(r)k(ka)(?s sa ca karmma)-[-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-](n arāt)īn(kṛ)tvābh(i)vāda-pravaṇā(ṃ)ś ca_kāraVerse 5. (metre: upajāti)<5>5(?vini)rjj(i)tāri(s-sura)-rāja-kāryyecakāra puṇyeṣu paraṃ praya(tnaṃ)[⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓]Verse 6. (metre: unidentified01)(?ari)-narendra-mauli-vinyasta-maṇi-kiraṇālīḍha-kramāmbujaḥ<6>6pravarasenas tasya putro bhūdvikasan-navendīvarekṣaṇa(ḥ)Verse 7. (metre: unidentified01)ravimayūkhad(ā)[#?4#][#?10#][?sa](?rvva)sena(f) pravarasenasyajita-sarvva-senas suto bhavaTVerse 8. (metre: unidentified01)<7>7[#?4#] pārtthivendrasya(?pra)śa(?śā)(sa) dharmmeṇa medinī(M)kuntalendra(?ṃ) vi[?ndhya][#?3#](śrī vi)(?ndhyasenaḥ)[#?4#]Verse 9. (metre: unidentified01)pravarase(?nas ta)sya putro bhūtpravarorjjitodāraśāsana(f)pravara-<8>8[#?7#][#?10#]Verse 10. (metre: upajāti)(tas)yātmaja[ # ](ma)[⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑](m a)vāpya rājyamaṣṭābdako yaf praśaśāsa samyaKVerse 11. (metre: upajāti)<9>9ta[syā](tmajo) bhūn-naradeva[?-saṃjñas][⏓-⏑--](bhu)vi devasenaḥyasyopabhogair lalitair-vvi[-⏓][ # ] devarājasya (pa)[-⏑-] bhūḥVerse 12. (metre: upajāti)puṇyānubhāvāt-kṣitipasya <10>10(?tasya)[⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--] ya guṇādhivās(aḥ)[⏓-](?v)i-kośo bhuvi hastibhojaḥVerse 13. (metre: upajāti)pra[-⏑--]f pṛthu-pīna-vakṣāssaroruhākṣax kṣapi-<11>11[?tā](?ri-pakṣaḥ)[⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑](?bāhur)dig-gandha-hasti-pratimo babhūvaVerse 14. (metre: upajāti)hito vinītaḥ pra(ṇa)y(a)-(?pradhāno)mano-nukūlo nuvidhāna-varttī niratyaya-<12>12[-⏑](sa)(no/ṇa)[⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑-]y(a)[⏑⏑-⏑]kaś caVerse 15. (metre: upajāti)ta(thai)va lokasya hitāśayatvātsukhena samyak-(p)aripālanena(?piteva) māteva sakheva nityaṃpriyo-bhigamyaś ca babhūva<13>13[-⏓]Verse 16. (metre: upajāti)[⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏓]svasthas samāveśya sa tatra rājā(sasañ)ja bhogeṣu yatheṣṭa-ceṣṭaḥVerse 17. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)atha tasya suto babhū<14>14(?va)(rā)j(ā)(?lamara)[-⏑⏑-⏑-⏑-⏓]hari-r(ā)ma-hara-smare(ndu)-kāntir hariṣeṇo hari-vikkrama-pratāpaḥVerse 18. (metre: vaṃśastha)sa kuntalāvanti-kaliṅga-kosala-trikūṭa-lāṭ-āndhra-<15>15[⏑](īma)(?-jān)(i)(?mān)[⏑-⏑--⏑⏑](?śaury)(ya-v)(?i)(śr)(?u)(tān)(a)pi sva-nirddeśa-(?va)(śāna)ti-(s)(?th)(i)[tā](N)Verse 19. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)prathito bhuvi hastibhoja-sūnussacivas tasya mahīpater bbabhūvasakala-kṣiti-<16>16[-⏑-⏑-](?ya)(prava)(?ra)[⏑⏑-⏑-⏑--]Verse 20. (metre: upajāti)(?api pra)jeṣṭa(ḥ) sthira-dhīra-cetāstyāga-(kṣamaudā)ryya-guṇair upeta[+ḥ]dharmmeṇa dharmma-pravaṇaś-śaśāsadeśaṃ yaśaf-puṇya-guṇāṃśu-<17>17[-⏓]Verse 21. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)[⏑⏑-⏑⏑-⏑-⏑-⏓]prati puṇyopacayaṃ paraṃ cakārayata ūrddhvam [i](māṃ) sahā(ya)-dharmmā(?nira)to loka-gurau cakāra kārā(M)Verse 22. (metre: upajāti)āyur-vvayo-vitta-sakhānṇi<18>18[-⏓][⏓-⏑--⏑⏑](?cañca)lāniu(ddiśya) mātā-pitarāv udāraṃnyavīviśad veśma yatī(ndra-sevyaM)Verse 23. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)(sajalā)mbu(da)-(?vṛnda)-(lambi)tāgrebhujagendrādhyuṣite mahīdharendre<19>19[⏑⏑-⏑⏑-⏑-⏑-⏓][⏑] #i(ka/ra)-śrī-patinā śarā nikuñjeVerse 24. (metre: vaṃśastha)gavākṣa-niryyūha-suvīthi-vedikā-(su)rendra-kanyā-pratimādy-alaṅkṛtaMmanohara-stambha-vibhaṅga-<20>20(?meduraṃ)(?ni)(veśitābhyanta)ra-caitya-mandira(M)Verse 25. (metre: upajāti)ma[-⏑--]-tala-sanniviṣṭa(ṃ)vi(tāna)[--⏑] mano-(?bhi)rāmaṃ[⏓-] prakāmāmbu-mahā-nidhāna(ṃ)nāgendra-veśmādibhir a-<21>21[⏑-⏓]Verse 26. (metre: praharṣiṇī)[---](r m)m(a)hat(?i) sam(ī)raṇ(e)(sa)(?mantāt)[---](?vividha-vilāsa)[-⏑-⏓]grīṣmārkkasya ca kiraṇopatā(pa)-ta(ptaṃ)sarva-rtu-prathita-sukhopabhoga-yoga(M)Verse 27. (metre: mālabhāriṇī)<22>22[⏑⏑-⏑](su)rendra-mandirāṇā(ṃ)ruciman-(ma)ndara-kanda(?rānurūpaM)[⏑⏑-⏑⏑-⏑-⏑--⏓][⏑⏑--⏑](?janair) yathepsita[⏓]Verse 28. (metre: viyoginī?)a(s)ama(s)ya virocane girervvika-<23>23[?la][-⏑⏑] ka-śram(ā)(?nta)k(ā)(?bhavatīva para)[⏑-⏑⏓][⏑⏑--⏑⏑-⏑-⏑⏓]Verse 29. (metre: vasantatilaka)[--⏑](?viśāla)(m it)i yasya janena nāmaprīti-prasāda-vikaca-praṇa(yena) cakre(eta)(?sya)<24>24[-⏑⏑⏑-](?r)(laya)naṃ sur(endra)-mauli-prabhopa(cita)(?maṅgala-saṃgra)hāyaVerse 30. (metre: upajāti)nivedya saṅghāya [⏑-⏑] bha(ktyā)sa-bandhu-varggas sa varāhadevaḥnṛ-deva-saukhyāny a(nubhūya)<25>25[-⏓][⏓-](ṇa) śāstā sugata-praśastaḥVerse 31. (metre: śārdūlavikrīḍita)sāndrāmbhoda-bhujaṅga-bhoga-(?ni)[?karai]r yyāva[t][⏑--⏑⏓][--](?nūtna)-manaś-śilāla-kapilair yyāvat karair bhā_svaraḥ tāva(c che)-<26>26[⏑⏑-⏑-⏑⏑⏑---⏑-] sevyatāmantar-mmaṇḍapa-ratna(m e)tad amalaṃ ratna-tra[yo](dbhā)vita(ṃ||)Verse 32. (metre: mālinī)vividha-layana-sānus sevyamāno mahadbhirgirir aya-<27>27[m][⏑⏑---⏑--⏑-] ddhyaḥjagad api ca samasta-vyasta-doṣa-prahāṇā(d)v[i]śatu padam aśokaṃ nirjvaraṃ śāntam āryya(M)