shambhu nandi inscription

Here is the Sanskrit inscription by Chattrapati Shambhuji Maharaja at Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple, atop Nandi hills in Bengaluru.

According to this Inscription, Chattrapati Shambhuji Maharaja was residing peacefully in Chikkaballapura in 1680. This epigraph also implies that Chattrapati Shambhuji Maharaja renovated Nandi Hills as his summer resort like his grandfather Shahajiraje Bhonsale used to. The Muslim Mleccha invader who came to desecrate Nandi Hills was none other than Dilir Khan, the infamous Mughal Commander of Aurangzeb.

Image Source — Taken by Shrivardhan More, from Inscriptions of Bangalore.

Translation

Obeisance to Nandishwara.

To the east of the Karnataka country is the mountain named Nandi, very lofty and impregnable, with only one path, filled with Champaka, asvatha (trees).

At the very top the huge cliff is adorned with a temple.

In the Ballapura kingdom, the great mountain was made a hill fort, being reckoned a secure protection from the fear of enemies.

In order to seize the hillfort, a Mleccha came with a great force but at length was beaten off greatly distressed.

(On the date specified, mostly 21 July 1680), Shiva-Chattrapati’s son Shambhujiraje is ruling here in peace.

And the Durgadhikari (or governor of hillfort) Balaji Krishna, governing the Jagadeva hillforts, here, in pursuance of Raghunath Pandit’s orders, took over the command (or possession) of this fine hillfort.

मूलम्

चिक्कबळ्ळापुरे नन्दिपर्वते शासनम्॥

श्रीनन्दीश्वराय नमः।
देशे कर्णाटके पूर्वे पर्वतो नन्दिनामकः।
अत्युन्नतो ऽभेद्यश् च मार्गेनैकेन संयुतः॥
चम्पकाश्वत्थनारङ्ग-तमालैः परितः श्रितः।
अत्युच्छ्रयो महावप्रो देवालयविभूषितः॥

राज्ये बळ्ळापुरस्यैव दुर्गं कृत्वा महागिरिम्।
मेने शत्रुभयात् त्रातुं स्वयम् अस्ति विनिश्चितम्॥

गृहीतुं दुर्गम् अग्राह्यं म्लेच्छो बहुबलान्वितः।
आजगाम, ततो जातस् ताडतोऽत्यन्त-विह्वलः॥

शकाब्द-सहस्रं द्वि-त्रि-शत-द्वे-वर्षे रौद्रौ श्रावण-शुद्ध-षष्ठ्यां बुधे च वारे शिव-च्छत्रपतेः कुमारः शम्भोजिराड् अत्र मुदानुशास्ति।
दुर्गाधिकारी - जगदेवसुदुर्गकनी - बालाजीकृष्णो ह्यनुशास्ति यत्र।
आज्ञानुसारी रघुनाथ-सुपण्डितस्य जग्राह दुर्गोत्तमयाजमान्यम्॥