When archaeologists excavated an ancient site called Govindnagar, near Mathura, they discovered this beautiful Buddha image lying face down. It was carved from red sandstone. After cleaning, it was revealed to be a work of Gupta-period Buddhist art, dated around B.E. 1100 (c. 557 CE). The Buddha’s face is serene and radiant. Without the inscription at the base, we would not have known who created it.
The inscription on the base is quite clear. It is written in Sanskrit using Brāhmī script from the Gupta period, arranged in three lines:
Line 1: Saṃ(vatsare) 100 10 5 Śrāvaṇa di(vasē) 10 3 asyam divasapurvayam bhagavataḥ daśabalabalinaḥ śākyamunēḥ
Line 2: pratimā pratiṣṭhāpitā bhikṣuṇā saṅghavarmanā yat atra puṇyaṃ tat mātāpitari pūrvavaṅgama kṛtvā sarvasattvānām
Line 3: sarvaduḥkhapahānāyānuttara jñānāvāptayē ghaṭitā dinē
Translation of the inscription:
"Success. In the year 115, on the 13th day of the month of Śrāvaṇa, this image of the Bhagavat (Blessed One), the Śākyamuni possessing the Ten Powers, was installed by the monk Sanghavarman (Saṅghavarman संघवर्मन). Whatever merit has been gained from this creation, may it be dedicated to his mother and father who came before him, and may it also benefit all beings—so that they may be freed from all suffering and attain supreme wisdom."
The sculpture was carved by an artisan named Dina (or Dinna).
Summary:
This standing Buddha image in the gesture of granting blessings (abhaya-mudrā) was created by Venerable Sanghavarman, a learned monk, and dedicated as an offering to his parents. He also extended the merit of this act to all sentient beings. The sculptor was Dinna.
Interestingly, at Kushinagar, another Buddha image in the Parinirvāṇa posture also bears an inscription mentioning an artisan named Dinna. It is possible that the same sculptor created both images, although further study is required to confirm this. What is certain is that the Kushinagar Buddha image also comes from the same Mathura school of sculpture.
Today, this Buddha image is housed in the Mathura Museum, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
