A hoard of five copper plates discovered during road construction near Mandsaur has revealed a detailed philosophical treatise on Saurya-Dharma. Dating to the reign of Chandragupta II, the plates describe a 'metaphysics of light' where the Sun is treated not just as a deity, but as the supreme exemplar of non-discriminatory duty (Dharma). The text argues that just as the sun shines on all without bias, a realized soul must practice Samadhana (equanimity) in governance and social interaction.
Epigraphists state that the plates include complex syllogisms linking the cycles of the day to the stages of human ethical development. This find provides evidence of a robust, independent philosophical tradition centered around solar worship that existed alongside the better-known Vedantic and Buddhist schools of the Gupta 'Golden Age'.