The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has decoded two important Sanskrit inscriptions, one from Vietnam and the other from Nepal. These inscriptions provide valuable insights into the cultural and geopolitical influence of ancient India in Southeast Asia and the Himalayan region between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE.
According to K Muniratnam Reddy, the chief of ASI’s epigraphy division, the first inscription, carved on a ring discovered in southern Vietnam, dates back to the 3rd century CE.
The inscription, written in Sanskrit and Brahmi characters, reads “Jeshthamitrasya,” signifying ownership by an individual named Jeshthamitra. “This inscription underscores India’s cultural influence, as the Brahmi script, which originated in India, is the precursor to many scripts still used across both India and Southeast Asia,” explained Reddy. The ring was sent to ASI for decoding by Shiv Pratap Singh from Rajasthan.
The second inscription, discovered on the base of a Shivling in Mahadevtar village, located in Sindhupalchok district, Nepal, dates back to the 6th century CE.
The inscription, written in Sanskrit and late Brahmi characters, begins with an invocation to Lord Shiva. It mentions Bhimagupta and his son Devagupta, likely members of the Lichhavi dynasty. The partially damaged text seems to commemorate the installation of the Shivling by Devagupta in honour of his parents. This inscription was submitted for decoding by Professor Diwakar Acharya from the University of Oxford.
ASI’s epigraphy chief, Reddy, remarked, “These discoveries underscore India’s historical cultural and spiritual bonds with neighboring regions and Southeast Asia, shedding new light on the spread of Indian scripts and religious traditions.”
