Forms of "Dharmaguptaka" in inscriptions

[Richard Salomon]

In Kharosthi inscriptions, Dharmaguptaka appears in the forms
dha.mmagutaka- (Qunduz vase; also in a Brahmi ins. from Mathura, L:uders
Mathura Inscriptions no. 150) and dhamautea- (Jamalgarhi; corrected
reading by L:uders, AO 1940, pp.17ff.).  (dhar*)mautaa- occurs in a
potsherd ins., to be published in my book.  And (dhar*)mautaka-
appears in another potsherd published by Sadakata (JA 1996,
pp.301ff).  Another Brahmi ins. from
Mathura is reported to read dharmaguptika (Shizutani p.131), but this has
not be definitively published, as far as I know.  All of these forms are
usually found in the gen. pl., in formulaic phrases along the lines of
"acaryana dha.mmagutakana parigrahe".

That's the information I have, for what's it's worth.  But I doubt that it
will help much in solving the question of the origin of the name.

RS


>
> Actually, I wonder what form the name takes in your inscriptions. As you
> know, it is Dhamma-guttaa in the oldest literary source (Diip V 47). The
> later accepted form is no doubt influenced by (probably later) stories of
> the origin of the school from an eponymous founder: Dharma-gupta - no doubt
> mythical.
>
> Lance Cousins,
> Manchester
>