Āraṅg Plates of Jayarāja, Year 5

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00006

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 5"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00005

Layout: engraved-26 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

prasa{ṁ}nnah(ṛda)yasyaiva vikkramākrā¡(ṁ)tta!⟨nta⟩vidviṣa⟨ḥ⟩

śrīmato jayarājasya śāsa(naṁ) ripuśāsanaṁ

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1svasti śarabhapurā{T}d vikkramopanatasāma¡ṁtta!⟨nta⟩cūḍāmaṇiprabhāprasekā{ṁ}-
^1v2mbubhir dh¿o?⟨au⟩tapādayugalo ripuvilāsinīsīma¡ṁtto!⟨nto⟩ddharaṇahetu-
^1v3r vvasuva◯sudhāgoprada{ḥ}ḫ paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛpā-
^1v4dānuddhyātaḥ {ś}śrīmahājayarājaḥ pūrvvarāṣṭrīyapamvā⟨yā⟩ṁ prati-
^1v5vāsikuṭu{ṁ}mbina{ḥ}s samājñāpayatidashPlain

viditam astu vo yathā-
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1smābhir ayaṁ grāma{dashPlain}s tridaśapatisadanasukhapratiṣṭhākaro yāva-
^2r2d raviśaśitārākiraṇapratihataghorā¡ddha!⟨ndha⟩kāraṁ jaga⟨d a⟩vatiṣṭhate
^2r3tāvad upa◯bhogyas sa¡na!⟨ni⟩dhis sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśyas sa-
^2r4rvvakaravisarjjitaẖ vā¡ji!⟨ja⟩saneyakauṇḍinyasagotra{ḥ}brahmadeva-
^2r5svāminedashDouble mātāpitror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhiv¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩⟨d⟩dhayedashDouble Udakapūrvva⟨ṁ⟩
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsanenāti¿sra?⟨sṛ⟩ṣṭaḥ

te yūyam evam upalabhyāsyāj¡ṇ!⟨ñ⟩āśravaṇa-
^2v2v¿ī?⟨i⟩dheyā bhūtvā yathocitaṁ bhogabhāgam upanaya¡ṁtta!⟨nta⟩⟨ḥ⟩ sukhaṁ prativa⟨t⟩sya-
^2v3thadashDouble bhaviṣya◯taś ca bhūmipān anudarśayatidashDouble

I. Vasantatilakā

dānād viśiṣṭam a^2v4nupālanajaṁ purāṇādashDouble

dharmmeṣu niścitadhiyaḫ pravada{ṁ}nti dharmmaṁdashDouble

^2v5tasmā⟨d⟩ dvijāya suviśuddhakulaśrutāyadashDouble

dattā⟨ṁ⟩ bhuvaṁ bhavatu vo ma⟨ti⟩r e^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1va gopt¡a!⟨u⟩ṁdashDouble

tad bhavadbhir apy eṣā dattir anupālayitavyādashDouble vyāsagītāṁś cātra
^3r2ślokān udāhara¡ṁtti!⟨nti⟩dashDouble

II. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩

bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sū^3r3ryyasut¿a?⟨ā⟩ś ca ◯gāvaḥ

dattās trayas tena bhava¡ṁtti!⟨nti⟩ lokā{ḥ}

yaẖ kāñcanaṁ gā⟨ñ⟩ ^3r4ca mahī⟨ñ⟩ ca dadyā⟨T⟩dashDouble

III. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣasahasrāṇi svargge vasati bhūmidaḥ

^3r5Ācchettā cānuma¡⟨ṁ⟩ttā!⟨ntā⟩ ca tāny eva narake vase⟨T⟩dashDouble

IV. Anuṣṭubh

svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradattā⟨ṁ⟩ vā ya^{⎘ plate 3v}^3v1tnā⟨d ra⟩kṣa yudhiṣṭhiradashDouble

mahī¡t!⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ ¡cchr!⟨śr⟩eṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nupālana⟨ṁ⟩dashPlain

V. Anuṣṭubh

^3v2bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhis sagarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩dashPlain

yasya ⟨yasya⟩ yadā bhūmis ta^3v3sya tasya ◯tadā phala{ṁ}¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩ti

svamukhā[jña]yā U¡kt!⟨tk⟩īrṇṇaṁ Aca{dashPlain}-
^3v4lasiṅghena pravarddhamānavijaya¡saṁvva!⟨saṁva⟩tsara 5 mārgaśira 20 5

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

^2r2 °ā¡ddha!⟨ndha⟩kāraṁ ◇ °āndhakāraṁ JFF; °ā¡ddha!⟨ndha⟩kāraṁ AMS
^2r3 sa¡na!⟨ni⟩dhis ◇ sanidhis JFF; sa¡na!⟨ni⟩dhis AMS
^2r5 puṇyābhiv¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩⟨d⟩dhaye ◇ puṇy¡e!⟨ā⟩bhivṛ⟨d⟩dhaye JFF; puṇy¡e!⟨ā⟩bhiv¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩⟨d⟩dhaye AMS
^2v1 °āti¿sra?⟨sṛ⟩ṣṭaḥ ◇ °āti¿sra?⟨sṛ⟩ṣṭaḥ JFF; °ātisṛṣṭaḥ AMS — ^2v1 °āj¡ṇ!⟨ñ⟩ā° ◇ °ājñā° JFF; °āj¡ṇ!⟨ñ⟩ā° AMS
^2v2 v¿ī?⟨i⟩dheyā ◇ v¿ī?⟨i⟩dheyā JFF; vidheyā AMS
^2v4 purāṇā ◇ purāṇ¡e!⟨ā⟩ JFF; purāṇā AMS
^3r1 gopt¡a!⟨u⟩ṁ ◇ gopt¡a!⟨u⟩ṁ JFF; goptu⟨m⟩ AMS
^3v3 phala{ṁ}¡m!⟨M⟩ ◇ phala{ṁ}m JFF; phalam AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

The enemy-chastising charter belongs to the illustrious Jayarāja, who was the heart of Prasanna and whose enemies were overcome by his valour.

Plates

^1v1-1v5Hail! From Śarabhapura, the illustrious great Jayarāja whose feet are washed by the sprinkling water that is the brilliance of the crest-jewels of his feudatories who have been brought into submission by his prowess; who made the women of his enemies tear out their parted hair; who is a giver of riches, land, and cattle; who is entirely devoted to Viṣṇu; and favoured by his father and mother, issues [the following command] to the landholders settled in [the village of] Pamvā situated in the Pūrvarāṣṭra:

^1v5-2v1Let it be known to you that by means of [this] copperplate charter [and] preceded by a libation of water, this village has been granted by us for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to Brahmadevasvāmin, belonging to the Kauṇḍinya gotra and to the Vājasaneya [school]. [The grant of the village], which leads to happiness and fame in the abode of the lord of the gods (i.e., Indra’s heaven), is to be enjoyed as long as the world will endure, [the world] of which the darkness of the night is removed by the rays of the sun, moon and stars; [comes along with the right to] hidden treasures and deposits; is not to be entered by irregular or regular troops; and is exempt from all taxes.

^2v1-2v3Having taken note of that, you should be obedient to the command received from him (i.e., the donee) and render the [proper shares of] periodical offerings and produce, while living happily [in this village]. And [the king] instructs the future rulers:

2v3-3r1

The ancients, reflecting on virtue, proclaim that the religious merit arising from the protection [of a grant] is more excellent than [that which arises] from the giving [itself]; therefore, your intent should indeed be to protect the earth that has been granted to a Brahmin of perfectly pure family and religious learning.

^3r1-3r2This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

3r2-3r4

Gold is the first child of Agni, land is born of Viṣṇu, and cows are the offspring of Sūrya: [Therefore], whoever would give gold, a cow, and land would give the three worlds.

3r4-3r5

A giver of land dwells in heaven for sixty thousand years; he who confiscates it or allows [another to confiscate it] will dwell for the same period in hell!

3r5-3v1

O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

3v2-3v3

The earth has been granted by many kings, beginning with Sagara; whoever possesses the land at any time, to him belong the fruits at that time!

^3v3-3v4By the order from the king’s own mouth, [the copperplate charter] has been engraved by Acalasiṅgha [on the day] 25 [of] the month of Mārgaśiras [in] the increasingly victorious year 5 [of Jayarāja’s reign].

Bibliography

First edited by Fleet 1970 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 20–23; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma from the original plates (edition of the seal based on Fleet).

Primary

Fleet, John Faithfull, ed. 1970. “Arang Copper-Plate Inscription of the Raja Maha-Jayaraja.” Inscriptions of the early Gupta kings and their successors, Third revised edition, 191–95. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum 3. Varanasi: Indological Book House.

[siglum JFF]

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass.

20–23. [siglum AMS]

Secondary

Bosma, Natasja. 2018. Dakṣiṇa Kosala: A Rich Centre of Early Śaivism. Groningen: Barkhuis. [https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1937261].

15, 19, 233.