Sap Champa Inscription 4

Name other

L.B. 22

Script

Post-Pallava

Date

13th-14th Buddhist century

Language

Pali

Face/Line

1 face ; contains 4 lines of writing

Material

stone

Form

octagon pillar (damaged)

Size

28 cm. width

Found at

Sap Champa Ancient City, Sap Champa Locality, Tha Luang District, Lop Buri Province

Exhibited

Somdet Phra Narai National Museum, Tha Hin Locality, Mueang District, Lop Buri Province

Description

Although the heavy dilapidation has caused almost all the inscription to disappear, the remaining 4 lines which are also not in complete sentences allow us to somehow understand that the first line is about “Ye Dhammā Gāthā”, the second is of “Narratives on the Four Noble Truths”, the third and the fourth are about “Buddha Udāna”. These kinds of Dhamma are reminiscent of the “Inscription on Octagon Pillar 1 (Sap Champa)” (L.B. 17) which is inscribed in Pallava language talking about Ye Dhammā Gāthā, Narratives on the Four Noble Truths, Buddha Udāna, and Dhammapāda. Therefore, the once complete inscription of this stele could have been similar to that of Inscription on Octagon Pillar 1 (Sap Champa). (Please refer to the content of each of the four Dhammas in “Inscription on Octagon Pillar 1 (Sap Champa)” (L.B. 17)

Reference

Edited by : The Inscriptions in Thailand Database Project Staffs (2553 B.E.), SAC, from :
1) Anchana Chitsutthiyan, “Sap Champa Inscription 4,” in The early ancient inscription found at Lopburi Province and the vicinity (Bangkok : The Fine Arts Department, FAD, 2524), 28-29 (in Thai).
2) Anchana Chitsutthiyan, “Sap Champa Inscription 4,” in The Inscriptions in Thailand volume 1 : Pallava and Post-Pallava Script, 12th-14th Buddhist century (Bangkok : The National Library of Thailand, NLT, 2529), 241 -243 (in Thai).
3) Georges Coedes, “Appendix : the Dharmacakra Stone, the Pali Inscription from Nakhon Pathom Province,” in Recueil des inscriptions du Siam : deuxieme partie : inscriptions de Dvaravati, de Crivijaya et de Lavo ([Phra Nakhon] : The Fine Arts Department, FAD, 2504), 46-52 (in Thai).
4) Gorge Cœdès, “Une roue de la loi avec inscription en Pāli provenant du site de P’ra Pathom,” Artibus Asiae XIX, 3/4 (1956) : 221.
5) Mahamakut Buddhist University, MBU, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta,” in Vinaya Piṭaka volume 4, Mahāvagga Part 1, and Atthakathā, 3rd edition (Bangkok : Mahamakut Buddhist University, MBU, 2536), 47-48 (in Thai).
6) Somdet Phra Maha Samanachao Krom Phra Paramanuchit Chinorot, Pathomsomphothikatha (Bangkok : Literature and History Division, The Fine Arts Department, FAD, 2540), 122-123.

Illustrations

Photograph from : The Inscriptions in Thailand volume 1 : Pallava and Post-Pallava Script, 12th-14th Buddhist century (Bangkok : The National Library of Thailand, NLT, 2529)