Āraṅg Plates of Sudevarāja, Year 7

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00011

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 7"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00010

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

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

prasa(nnārṇṇa)vasambhū(ta)mā(na)mātrendujanmana(ḥ)

śrīmats[udevarājasya sthiraṁ jagati] (śā)sanaṁ

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1spiralR svasti śarabhapurād vikkramopanatasāmantamakuṭacūḍāmaṇiprabhāpra-
^1v2sekāmbudhautapādayuga⊔lo ripuvilāsinīsīmantoddharaṇahetu-
^1v3r vvasu◯vasudhāgopradaḫ paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛpādānuddhyāta-
^1v4ś ś¿ṛ?⟨r⟩īmahāsudevarājaḥ tosa¡dḍa!⟨ḍḍa⟩bhuktīyaśiv¿i?⟨a⟩liṅgake prati⊔vāsi-
^1v5kuṭumbinas samājñāpayatidashDouble

viditam astu vo yathāyaṁ grāma-
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1s ¡tṛ!⟨tri⟩daśapatisadanasukhapratiṣṭhā⟨ka⟩ro yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇaprati-
^2r2hataghorāndhakā⟨⟨ra⟩⟩ṁ jagad avatiṣṭhate tāvad upabhogyas sanidhis sopa⊔nidhi-
^2r3r acāṭabha◯⟨⟨ṭa⟩⟩prāveśyas sarvvakaravisarjjita{ḥ}ḫ pratihārabhogillena mātā-
^2r4pitror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhivṛddhaye kātyāyanasagotramādhyandinavāja-
^2r5saneyayajñasvāmi¡naḥ!⟨ne⟩ Adhyarddh¡aṅg!⟨āṁś⟩ena bhāradvājakumāravats¡a Ā!⟨ā⟩tre-
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1yakāṇvavājasaneyayajñasvāmin¿a?⟨au⟩ pratya¡ṅg!⟨ṁś⟩ena kātyāyanaviśākha-
^2v2svāmikauśikamādhyandinagolasvāmi-Evaṁ-dāmodarasvāmidāmasvāmi-
^2v3bhāradvāja◯pañcālisvāmidīkṣitāyanīkā⟨n⟩ pratyarddh¡aṅg!⟨āṁś⟩ena tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsa-
^2v4nenātisṛ◯ṣṭo bhūtvāsmābhir anumodit⟦i⟧⟨⟨a⟩⟩ḥ

te yūyam evam upalabhyaiṣā-
^2v5mājñāśravaṇavidheyā bhūtvā yathocitaṁ bhogabhāgam upanayantas sukhaṁ
^2v6prativatsyatha bhaviṣyataś ca bhūmipān anudarśayati

I. Vasantatilakā

dānād viśiṣṭa{dashDouble}^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1m anupālanajaṁ purāṇā

dharmmeṣu niścitadhiyaḫ pravadanti dharmmaṁdashDouble

tasmā⟨d⟩ dvi^3r2jāya suviśuddhakulaśrutāya

dattāṁ bhuvaṁ bhavatu vo matir eva goptu⟨ṁ⟩dashDouble

^3r3tad bhavadbhi◯r apy eṣā da⟨t⟩tir anupālayitavyā vyāsagītā⟨ṁ⟩ś cātra ślokān u-
^3r4dāhara◯nti

II. Indravajrā

Agner apatya⟨ṁ⟩ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁdashDouble

bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasu^3r5tāś ca gāva⟨ḥ⟩

dattās trayas tena bhava{ṁ}nti lokā

yaẖ kāñcanaṁ gāṁ ca mahī⟨ṁ⟩ ca dadyāT

III. Anuṣṭubh

^3r6ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmida⟨ḥ⟩

Ācchettā cānuma{ṁ}ntā ca tā^{⎘ plate 3v}^3v1ny eva narake vase⟨T⟩

IV. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasudhā da⟨t⟩tā rājabhis sagarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩

^3v2yasya ya◯sya yadā bhūmi⟨s⟩ tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

V. Anuṣṭubh

svada¡ntā!⟨ttā⟩⟨ṁ⟩ parada¡ntā!⟨ttā⟩⟨ṁ⟩ vā yatnā^3v3d rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira

mahīm mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāñ chreṣṭha ⟨⟨dānā⟩⟩c chreyo ’nupālana¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩ti

svamu-
^3v4khā¡gn!⟨jñ⟩ayā ¡saṁvva!⟨saṁva⟩t 7 vaiśākha di 20 6 U¡kt!⟨tk⟩īrṇṇaṁ droṇa(siṅghe)nadotTriangle

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

^1v2 °dhauta° • The shape of the vowel marker for au is slightly irregular, but is the same as in other copperplate charters of the kings of Śarabhapura.
^2r2 °āndhakā⟨⟨ra⟩⟩ṁ° • The anusvāra, which should have been placed above the ra, is placed above the kā.
^2v2 °kauśika° • The shape of the vowel marker for au is slightly irregular, but is the same as in other copperplate charters of the kings of Śarabhapura. — ^2v2 °mādhyandina° ◇ °m¿a?⟨ā⟩dhyandina° LPP; °mādhyandina° AMS
^3r1 dharmmeṣu ◇ dharmmeṣu LPP; dha⟨r⟩mmeṣu AMS
^3r6 ṣaṣṭivarṣa° • The corner of the copperplate appears to have been cut off in the process of incising the characters, but the text can still be made out.
^3v4 7 ◇ 8 LPP; 7 AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

The permanent charter belongs to the illustrious Sudevarāja, who was born from the moon that was Mānamātra, who was born from the sea that was Prasanna.

Plates

^1v1-1v5Success! Hail! From Śarabhapura, the illustrious great Sudevarāja 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] Śivaliṅgaka situated in the Tosaḍḍa bhukti:

^1v5-2v4Let it be known to you that by means of [this] copperplate charter, this village has been granted on behalf of the pratihāra Bhogilla [and] confirmed by us, for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to Yajñasvāmin, belonging to the Kātyāyana gotra and to the Vājasaneya-Mādhyandina [school] with a share of one and a half; to Yajñasvāmin, belonging to the Ātreya gotra and the Vājasaneya-Kāṇva [school], and to Kumāravatsa, belonging to the Bhāradvāja gotra, with a share of one each; to the dīkṣita Āyanīka, to Pañcālisvāmin of the Bhāradvāja gotra, to Dāmasvāmin, to Dāmodarasvāmin, just as to Golasvāmin of the Kauśika gotra and the Mādhyandina [school], and to Viśākhasvāmin of the Kātyāyana gotra, with half a share each. [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.

^2v4-2v6Having 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:

2v6-3r2

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.

^3r3-3r4This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

3r4-3r5

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.

3r6-3v1

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!

3v1-3v2

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!

3v2-3v3

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

^3v3-3v4By the order from the king’s own mouth, [the copperplate charter] has been engraved by Droṇasiṅgha [on] the day 26 [of] the month of Vaiśākha [in] the year 7 [of Sudevarāja’s reign].

Commentary

The seal that belongs to this charter is heavily eroded and the legend is completely worn off. However, based on the traces of some characters, the legend appears to be the same as the one on the seal of Dk00008.

Bibliography

First edited by Pandeya 1935-1936 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 39–42; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma from the original plates (edition of the seal based on Pandeya).

Primary

Pandeya, L. P. 1935–1936. “Arang Plates of Mahā-Sudevarāja.” EI 23: 18–22.

[siglum LPP]

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

39–42. [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, 52, 235–236.