Dhamatari Plates of Sudevarāja, Year 3

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00009

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 3"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00008

Layout: engraved-30 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

kramādhigatarājyasya vikramotkhātavidviṣaḥ

śrīmat(sudeva)rājasya (sthiraṁ jagati śāsanaṁ)

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1spiralR svasti śrīpurād vikramopanatasāmantamakuṭac¿u?⟨ū⟩ḍāmaṇipra-
^1v2bhāprasek¿a?⟨ā⟩¡mva!⟨mbu⟩dhautapādayugalo ripuvilāsinīsīma⟨n⟩to⟨d⟩dhara-
^1v3ṇahetur vvasuvasudhāgoprada⟨ḫ⟩ paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛpādā-
^1v4nuddhyātaḥ ◯śrīmahādurgarāja{ḥ}putraśr¿imā?⟨īma⟩hāsudevarāja⟨ḥ⟩
^1v5ḍakarībhog¿i?⟨ī⟩ya khalapadrake prativāsinas samājñāpa-
^1v6yati

viditam astu vo yathāsmābir ayaṁ grāma⟨ḥ⟩ tr¿a?⟨i⟩da¡s!⟨ś⟩apati-
^1v7sadanasukhapratiṣ¡ṭ!⟨ṭh⟩ākaro yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇa-
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1pratihataghorāndhakāraṁ jagad avatiṣ¡ṭ!⟨ṭh⟩ate tāvad upabhogyaḥ
^2r2sanidhi⟨s⟩ sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśya⟨s⟩ sarvvakaravisarjji-
^2r3ta⟨ḥ⟩ mātāpitror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhivṛddhaye kā¡s!⟨ś⟩yapa⟨sa⟩gotra-
^2r4vājasa◯neyimādhavacaturvvedasvāmine tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsane-
^2r5nātis¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩ṣ¡ṭh!⟨ṭ⟩aḥ

te y¿u?⟨ū⟩yam evam upalabhy¡a A!⟨ā⟩⟨syā⟩jñāśravaṇavidhey¿a?⟨ā⟩
^2r6bhūtvā yathoc¿a?⟨i⟩taṁ bhogabhāgam upanaya{ṁ}nta⟨s⟩ sukhaṁ prativats⟨y⟩atha
^2r7bhavi¡ś!⟨ṣ⟩yataś ca bhūmipālān anudarśayati

I. Vasantatilakā

dānād viśiṣṭam anupā^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1lanaja⟨ṁ⟩ pur¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇā

dharmme¡s!⟨ṣ⟩u niścitadhiya⟨ḫ⟩ pravadanti dharmmaṁ

tasmā⟨d⟩ dvijā^2v2ya suvi¡s!⟨ś⟩u⟨d⟩dhakulaśrutāya

da⟨t⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩ bhuva⟨ṁ⟩ bhavatu vo matir eva go^2v3¡s!⟨p⟩tu⟨ṁ⟩

tad bhavadbhir apy e¡ś!⟨ṣ⟩ā dattir anupālayitavyā{ḥ} vyāsagīt¿a?⟨ā⟩⟨ṁ⟩-
^2v4ś cātra ślo◯⟨kā⟩n udāharanti

II. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ su^2v5varṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩

bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś ca gāva⟨ḥ⟩

dattās trayas tena ^2v6bhavanti lok¿a?⟨ā⟩

yaẖ kāñcana⟨ṁ⟩ gāñ ca mahīñ ca dadyāTddandaHooked

III. Anuṣṭubh

^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1ṣaṣṭ¿ī?⟨i⟩varṣasahasr¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ

Ācche^3r2ttā {c}cānumantā {c}ca t¿a?⟨ā⟩ny eva narake vaseTddandaHooked

IV. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasu^3r3dhā dattā rājabhis sagarādibhiḥ

yasya yasya yadā bhūmis ta^3r4sya tasya ◯tadā phalaṁ

V. Anuṣṭubh

svadattāṁ paradattā¡m!⟨ṁ⟩ vā yatnād rakṣa yu^3r5dhiṣṭhira

mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ śreṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nup¿a?⟨ā⟩lana¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩tiddandaHooked

^3r6sarvv¿a?⟨ā⟩dhikārādhikṛtaśrīmahās¿a?⟨ā⟩manta-Indrabalarāja⟨ḥ⟩ddandaHooked
^{⎘ plate 3v}^3v1p⟨r⟩avarddhamānavijayarājye ¡samva!⟨saṁva⟩tsar¿u?⟨a⟩ 3 kārttika dina 9
^3v2śā¡ś!⟨s⟩anam utkīrṇṇaṁ ak¡k!⟨ṣ⟩aśālikagolasiṅghenaddandaHooked

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

^3r1 ṣaṣṭ¿ī?⟨i⟩° ◇ ⟨ṣa⟩ṣṭiṁ° BJ; ⟨ṣa⟩ṣṭiṁ° AMS
^3r6 Indrabalarāja⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ Indrarāja BJ; Indrabalarāja⟨ḥ⟩ AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

The permanent charter belongs to the illustrious Sudevarāja, whose kingdom was acquired by hereditary descent and whose enemies were annihilated by his valour.

Plates

^1v1-1v6Success! Hail! From Śrīpura, the illustrious great Sudevarāja, son of the illustrious great Durgarāja, 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 residents of [the village of] Khalapadraka situated in the Ḍakarī bhoga:

^1v6-2r5Let it be known to you that by means of [this] copperplate charter, this village has been granted by us for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to the Vājasaneyin Mādhava Caturvedasvāmin, belonging to the Kāśyapa gotra. [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.

^2r5-2r7Having 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:

2r7-2v3

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.

^2v3-2v4This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v4-2v6

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.

3r1-3r2

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!

3r2-3r4

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!

3r4-3r5

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

^3r6-3v2The illustrious and great sāmanta Indrabalarāja holds the office of chief minister. The charter has been engraved by the goldsmith Golasiṅgha [on] the day 9 [of] the month of Kārttika [in] the year 3 of the increasingly victorious reign [of Sudevarāja].

Bibliography

First edited by Jain 1978 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 32–34; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Jain).

Primary

Jain, Balchandra. 1978. “Mahasamund Plates of Sudevaraja: Year 3.” JESI 5: 93–97.

[siglum BJ]

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

28–31. [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].

234–235.