Malhār Plates of Jayarāja, Year 9

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00007

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 9"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00006

Layout: engraved-28 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

prasa{ṁ}nnatanayasyedaṁ vikkramotkhāttavidviṣaḥ

śrīmato jayarājasya śāsana⟨ṁ⟩ ripuśāsanaṁ

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1svasti śarabhapurā{T}d vikkramopanatasāma{ṁ}ntamakuṭacūḍāmaṇiprabhā-
^1v2prasekāmbudhautapādayugalo ripuvilāsinīsīma{ṁ}ntoddharaṇahetu-
^1v3r vvasuvasu◯dhāgopradaḫ paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛpādānuddhyātaḥ
^1v4{ś}śrīmahājayarājaḥ nagarottarapaṭṭ¿i?⟨ī⟩yamokkeppikāyāṁ prativāsikuṭumbi-
^1v5nas samājñāpayat⟦i⟧⟨⟨y⟩⟩

astu vo viditaṁdashPlain yathāsmābir ayaṁ grāmas t¡ṛ!⟨ri⟩daśa¿ya?⟨pa⟩ti-
^1v6sadanasukhapratiṣṭhākaro yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇapratihataghorā{ṁ}ndha-
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1kāraṁ jagad avatiṣṭhate tāvad upabhogyas sanidhis sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśya⟨s⟩
^2r2sa⟨r⟩vvakaravisarjjito mātāpi{t}tror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhivṛ⟨d⟩dhyarttha⟨ṁ⟩ ¡haḍappa!⟨hṛtapra⟩grāha (va)-
^2r3tsena bahvṛcabhārggavasagotramaheśvarasvāmidashPlain Eva⟨ṁ⟩ śabarabhogika-
^2r4ba⟨h⟩v¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩cabhā◯rggavarudrasvāmi_13_
^2r5_18_nām ¡i!⟨a⟩tisṛṣṭako
^2r6bhūtvā tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsanenāsmābhir an¡a!⟨u⟩moditas

te yūyam evam upala-
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1bhyaiṣām ājñāśravaṇavidheyā bhūtvā yathocitaṁ bhogabhāgam upanaya-
^2v2¡tte!⟨nta⟩s sukhaṁ prativatsyatha bhaviṣyataś ca bhūmipān anudarśayati

I. Vasantatilakā

^2v3dānād viśiṣṭam anupālanajaṁ purāṇādashDouble

dharmmeṣu niścitadhiyaḫ pravada{ṁ}^2v4nti dharmma(ṁ)dashPlain

◯tasmā⟨d⟩ dvijāya suviśuddhakulaśrutāyadashPlain

dattā⟨ṁ⟩ bhuvaṁ bha^2v5vatu vo matir eva goptu⟨ṁ⟩dashPlain

tad bhavadbhir apy eṣā da⟨tti⟩r anupālayitavyādashPlain vyāsa-
^2v6gītā⟨ṁ⟩ś cātra ślokān udāharanti

II. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ

bhūr vvai^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1ṣṇavī s¡u!⟨ū⟩ryyasutāś ca gāvaḥ

dattās trayas tena bhava{ṁ}nti lokā{ḥ}

^3r2yaẖ kāñcanaṁ gāṁ ca mahī⟨ṁ⟩ ca dadyā⟨T⟩dashDouble

III. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge moda^3r3ti bhūmidaḥ

Ācchettā cānuma¡ṁttā!⟨ntā⟩ ca tāny eva narake vase⟨T⟩dashDouble

IV. Anuṣṭubh

^3v2bahubhi^3r4r vvasudhā ◯dattā rājabhis sagarādibhiḥ

yasya yasya yadā bhūmi⟨s⟩ ^3r5tasya tasya tadā phalaṁdashDouble

V. Anuṣṭubh

svadattāṁ paradattāṁ vā yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira

^3r6mahī¡t!⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāñ chreṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nupālana¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩tidashDouble

^{⎘ plate 3v}^3v1svamukhājñayā Utkīrṇṇaṁ AcalasiṅghenadashPlain pravarddhamānavijaya-
^3v2¡saṁvva!⟨saṁva⟩tsara 9 jyeṣṭha di 5gomutraFinal

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

^1v1 °cūḍāmaṇi° ◇ °cūḍ¿e?⟨ā⟩maṇi° BS; °cūḍāmaṇi° AMS
^1v3 mātā° ◇ mātā° BS; māta° AMS
^2r4 ba⟨h⟩v¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩ca° ◇ ba⟨h⟩vṛca° BS; ba⟨h⟩v¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩ca° AMS
^2r6 an¡a!⟨u⟩moditas ◇ an¡a!⟨u⟩moditas BS; an¡a!⟨u⟩modita{ḥ}s AMS
^3r6 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāñ ◇ mahimatāñ BS; mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matā⟨ñ⟩ AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

The enemy-chastising charter belongs to the illustrious Jayarāja, who was the son 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 on the crests 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] Mokkeppikā situated in the Nagarottarapaṭṭa [district]:

^1v5-2r6Let 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, on behalf of the officer in charge of tracing stolen goods [named] Vatsa, to _31_, śabarabhogika Rudrasvāmin and to Maheśvarasvāmin, [both] belonging to the Bhārgava gotra and to the Bahvṛca [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.

^2r6-2v2Having taken note of that, you should be obedient to the command received from them (i.e., the donees) and render the [proper shares of] periodical offerings and produce, while living happily [in this village]. And [the king] instructs the future rulers:

2v3-2v5

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.

^2v5-2v6This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v6-3r2

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.

3r2-3r3

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

3r3-3r5

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!

3r5-3r6

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

^3v1-3v2By the order from the king’s own mouth, [the copperplate charter] has been engraved by Acalasiṅgha [on] the day 5 [of] the month of Jyeṣṭha [in] the increasingly victorious year 9 [of Jayarāja’s reign].

Commentary

Most of the text of this inscription (lines 2r3-3r6) is written on palimpsest copperplates. The original text was erased and only minor traces can be made out.

There is a blank space in the section that lists the donees of the grant (lines 2r4-2r5) and the names of only two donees are present. Although the surface of the palimpsest copperplate seems to be affected here by traces of original writing, the genitive plural ending of the compound and the plural eṣām in line 2v1 indicate that the grant was meant to be in favor of more than two donees.

Bibliography

First edited by Bhattacharya and Sivayya 1961-1962 from impressions of the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 24–27; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Bhattacharya and Sivayya).

Primary

Bhattacharya, Gourishwar & M. Sivayya. 1961–1962. “Mallar Plates of Jayaraja, Year 9.” EI 34: 28–31.

[siglum BS]

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

24–27. [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].

16, 19, 233–234.