Q.Read this short inscription and answer: “In the year 33 of the maharaja Huvishka (a Kushana ruler), in the first month of the hot season on the eighth day, a Bodhisatta was set up at Madhuvanaka by the bhikkhuni Dhanavati, the sister’s daughter of the bhikkhuni Buddhamita, who knows the Tipitaka, the female pupil of the bhikkhu Bala, who knows the Tipitaka, together with her father and mother.”

This inscription is a perfect example of how ancient Indian rulers and their subjects used regnal year dating — a system where years are counted from the king’s accession to the throne, not from a fixed era.

1. Dhanavati dated her inscription by stating the regnal year of the reigning Kushana king, maharaja Huvishka — specifically, “year 33”. She then added the season (first month of the hot season) and the day (eighth day) for precision.
2. She installed an image of the Bodhisatta (Bodhisattva) because, in Mahayana Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is a compassionate being who delays their own liberation to help all sentient beings attain enlightenment. Installing such an image was an act of merit-making, believed to bring spiritual benefit to herself and her family.
3. The relatives she mentioned are: her father and mother (with whom she made the dedication), and her maternal aunt (the sister’s daughter of the bhikkhuni Buddhamita — meaning Buddhamita was her aunt, and Dhanavati was Buddhamita’s niece). …

This inscription, found on a Buddhist image from the Kushana period, is a wonderful window into the world of a Buddhist nun named Dhanavati. She lived during the reign of the great Kushana emperor Huvishka, who ruled a vast empire stretching from Central Asia into northern India in the early centuries CE. The inscription is written in a form of Prakrit, the everyday language of the people, and it tells us not just about a religious act, but about family, learning, and the way time was measured.

1. How did Dhanavati date her inscription? Dhanavati used the regnal year of the reigning king. She says, "In the year 33 of the maharaja Huvishka." This was the standard way to date official records, donations, and inscriptions in ancient India. Instead of a fixed calendar era like we use today (e.g., 2025 CE), people referred to the number of years a particular king had been ruling. So, "year 33 of Huvishka" means the 33rd year since Huvishka ascended the throne. This system was practical because everyone knew who the current king was, and it gave the inscription a clear, official context. She then adds more precision: "in the first month of the hot season on the eighth day." This shows she used a lunisolar calendar, dividing the year into seasons (hot, rainy, cold) and months within them.
   Note

   The regnal year system is different from an "era" like the Vikrama Samvat or the Saka era, which are continuous counts starting from a fixed historical event. Regnal years reset with each new king.

2. Why do you think she installed an image of the Bodhisatta? The term "Bodhisatta" (Bodhisattva in Sanskrit) refers to a being who is on the path to becoming a Buddha but has postponed their own final liberation to help all other beings achieve enlightenment. Installing an image of a Bodhisatta was an act of great religious merit. Dhanavati, as a bhikkhuni (a Buddhist nun), would have done this for several deeply spiritual reasons:

• To gain merit (punya): In Buddhism, making donations—especially of images, monasteries, or scriptures—is believed to generate positive karma that leads to a better rebirth and ultimately to enlightenment. Dhanavati likely dedicated this merit to the well-being of her family and teachers, as she mentions them.
• As an act of devotion (bhakti): The Kushana period saw a rise in the devotional worship of Buddha images and Bodhisattva figures. Setting up an image was a public expression of faith and reverence.
• For the benefit of all beings: A Bodhisattva is a compassionate figure. By installing his image, Dhanavati was making the object of veneration available to other monks, nuns, and laypeople, thus helping them on their own spiritual paths.

(c) Who were the relatives she mentioned?

Dhanavati mentions her family with great care, showing the importance of kinship even within the monastic community. She says she set up the image "together with her father and mother." This means her parents were alive and associated with this meritorious act. She also identifies herself as "the sister’s daughter of the bhikkhuni Buddhamita." This means her aunt (her mother's sister) was also a Buddhist nun named Buddhamita. This is a fascinating detail—it shows that religious vocation could run in families, and that Dhanavati came from a family of devout Buddhists. …