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Bhagabhadra (Brāhmī: 𑀪𑀸𑀕𑀪𑀤𑁆𑀭 Bhā-ga-bha-dra, Bhāgabhadra) was a Shunga Emperor who reigned in northern and central India from around 114 BCE to 83 BCE. Although the capital of the Shungas was at Pataliputra, he was also known to have held court at Vidisha. It is thought that the name Bhagabhadra also appears in the regnal lists of the Shungas in the Puranic records, under the name Bhadraka, fifth ruler of the Shungas.

Heliodorus inscription

He is best known from an inscription at the site of Vidisha in central India, the Heliodorus pillar, in which contacts with an embassy from the Indo-Greek King Antialcidas of Taxila is recorded, and where he is named Kasiputra Bhagabhadra, the Saviour, son of the princess from Benares":

Devadevasa Va vasa Garudadhvajo ayam

karito i Heliodorena bhaga-

vatena Diyasa putrena Takhasilakena

Yonadatena agatena maharajasa

Amtalikitasa upata samkasam-rano

Kasiputasa agabhadrasa tratarasa

vasena dasena rajena vadhamanasa

Translation:

This Garuda-standard of Vasudeva, the God of Gods was erected here by the devotee Heliodoros, the son of Dion, a man of Taxila, sent by the Great Greek (Yona) King Antialkidas, as ambassador to King Kasiputra Bhagabhadra, the Savior son of the princess from Benares, in the fourteenth year of his reign.

(Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report (1908-1909))

This inscription is important in that it tends to validate that the Shungas ruled in the area of Vidisa around 100 BCE. This is also corroborated by some artistic realization on the nearby Sanchi stupa thought to belong to the period of the Shungas. Altogether, three Shunga pillars have also been found in the area .The Garuda pillar erected by Heliodorous and the inscription written on this pillar is regarded as the earliest material evidence of Bhagavatism in India.

References

1. Stadtner, Donald (1975). "A Sunga Capital from Vidisa". Artibus Asiae. 37 (1/2): 101–104. doi:10.2307/3250214. JSTOR 3250214.

External links

• Photo of the pillar with Brahmi inscription
• Heliodorus pillar at Vidisha
• Text of the inscriptions on Heliodorus pillar
• Vedic archeology

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