Mueang Phimai Inscription

Name other

N.M. 17, K. 952

Script

Old Khmer

Date

18th Buddhist century

Language

Sanskrit

Face/Line

4 faces ; contains 104 lines of writing, face 1 contains 24 lines, face 2 contains 28 lines (dilapidated and non-readable), face 3 and 4 contains 26 lines

Material

fine-grained sandstone

Form

a square stone with dome shaped top with a part of it broken and missing

Size

26 cm. width ; 106 cm. height ; 20 cm. thick

Found at

Prasat Hin Phimai, Ban Phimai, Nai Mueang Locality, Phimai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Exhibited

National Library of Thailand, Wasukri Pier, Sam Sen Road, Wachiraphayaban Subdistrict, Dusit District, Bangkok

Description

The writing on face I begins with the worship for the Lord Buddha and then for King Jayavarman 7th. The content on face II cannot be ascertained due to heavy decay. The left part of the face III is decayed while the lines on the right side mention the list of things which King Jayavarman 7th proffered as offerings, most of which are the names of herbs. The content on face IV is the continued list of offerings from face III, followed by an order that prohibited people from hurting each other, and that anyone who violated the order would be punished. The content ends with the wish for King  Jayavarman 7th to gain happiness from this merit making.

Reference

Edited by : The Insctriptions in Thailand Database Project  Staffs (2555 B.E.), SAC, from :
1) Cha-em Kaeokhlai, The inscriptions of Jayavarman VII  (Bangkok : The National Library of Thailand, NLT, 2528), 26-32 (in Thai).
2)Cha-em Kaeokhlai, “The Mueang Phimai Inscription,” in The Inscriptions in Thailand volume 4 : Khom Script, 17th-18th Buddhist century (Bangkok : The National Library of Thailand, NLT, 2529), 202-214 (in Thai).

Illustrations

Rubbing inscription picture from : Department of Oriental Languages, Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, 2545 (Record Number : CD; INS-TH-05, File Name; YS_003)