Raipur Plates of Sudevarāja, Year 10

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00013

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 10"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

  1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00012

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

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh
prasanna(hṛdayasyaiva vikkramākrāntavidviṣaḥ)
(śrīmatsudevarājasya śāsanaṁ ripuśāsanaṁ)

Plates

⎘ plate 1v 1v1spiralL svasti śarabhapurād vikkramopanatasāmantamakuṭacūḍāmaṇi-
1v2prabhāprasekāmbudhautapādayugalo ripuvilāsinīsīmantoddha-
1v3raṇahe◯tur vvasuvasudhāgoprada(ḫ) paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛ-
1v4pādānu◯ddhyātaś śrīmahāsudevarājaḥ pūrvvarāṣṭrīyaśrīsāhi-
1v5kāyāṁ prativāsikuṭumbinas samājñāpayatidashDouble

viditam astu vo
1v6yathāsmābhir ayaṁ grāmas ¡tṛ!⟨tri⟩daśapatisadanasukhapratiṣṭhāka-
⎘ plate 2r 2r1ro yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇapratihataghorāndhakāraṁ jagad ava-
2r2tiṣṭhate tāvad upabhogyas sanidhis sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśya⟨s⟩
2r3sarvvaka◯ravisarjjitaẖ k¿o?⟨au⟩ṇḍinyasagotravājasaneyasavit⟨ṛ⟩-
2r4svāmina ◯⟨ā⟩tmīyaka(n)yāpradāne⟨na⟩ AUpamanyava⟨va⟩tsasagotra ⟨⟨crossPlus⟩⟩yāmā-
2r5⟨⟨tro⟨ḥ⟩⟩⟩ nāgavatsasvāmibandhuvatsasvāminos tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsanenāti-
2r6s¡tṛ!⟨ṛ⟩ṣṭako bhūtvāsmābhir apy uttarāyaṇe mātāpitror ātmanaś ca
⎘ plate 2v 2v1puṇy¿e?⟨ā⟩bhivṛddhayenumoditaḥ⟨⟨crossPlus⟩⟩

te yūyam evam upalabhyā¡sy!⟨nayor⟩ ājñāśra-
2v2vaṇavidheyā bhūtvā yathocita⟨ṁ⟩ bhogabhāgam upa{mupa}nayantas su-
2v3kha⟨ṁ⟩ prativa◯tsyatha bhaviṣyataś ca bhūmipā⟨n a⟩nudarśayatidashPlain

I. Vasantatilakā
dānād viśiṣṭa2v4m anupā◯lanajaṁ purāṇ¿e?⟨ā⟩
{d}dharmmeṣu niścitadhiya(ḫ) pravada{ṁ}nti dharmmaṁ
tasmā2v5⟨d⟩ dvijāya su{i}viśuddhakulaśrutāya
dattā⟨ṁ⟩ bhuva⟨ṁ⟩ bhavatu vo matir eva goptu⟨ṁ⟩crossPlus

ta-
2v6d bhavadbhir apy eṣā dattir anupālayitavyā vyāsagītā⟨ṁ⟩ś cātra ślokān udāharanti

II. Indravajrā
⎘ plate 3r 3r1Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩
bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś ca gāva⟨ḥ⟩
dattā3r2s trayas tena bhavanti lokā
yaẖ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca mahīñ ca dadyāT

III. Anuṣṭubh
ṣaṣṭiva3r3rṣasaha◯srāṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ
Ācchettā cānumantā ca tāny e3r4va na⟨ra⟩ke va◯seT

IV. Anuṣṭubh
bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarādibhiḥ
yasya 3r5yasya yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

V. Anuṣṭubh
svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradattā⟨ṁ vā⟩ ya3r6tnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira
mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nupā


⎘ plate 3v 3v1Asmin⟨n⟩ eva grāme pūrvvataṭākasya paryya¡tta!⟨nta⟩bhūmivaprabaddhā śrī-
3v2⟨⟨crossPlus⟩⟩vāpikā pa¡tthā!⟨nthā⟩naṁ yāvaj ¡jā!⟨jye⟩ṣṭha iti kṛtvā nāga⟨va⟩tsasvāmine grāmārddhasyādhi⟨⟨kā dattā⟩⟩⟨⟨crossPlus⟩⟩
3v3lanam iti ◯svamukhājñayā pravarddhamānavijaya¡saṁvva!⟨saṁva⟩tsara 10 māgha 9
3v4U¡kt!⟨tk⟩īrṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩ droṇasiṅghena

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

1v1 °makuṭa°°makuta° JFF; °makuṭa° AMS
1v2 °dhauta°°dhota° JFF; °dhauta° AMS • 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.
1v4–1v5 °śrīsāhi/kāyāṁ°°srīsāhi/kāyāṁ° JFF; °śrīsāhi/kāyāṁ° AMS
2r4 °svāmina°svāmina JFF; °svāmine AMS
2v2 yathocita⟨ṁ⟩yathocitaṁ JFF; yathocita⟨ṁ⟩ AMS2v2–2v3 su/kha⟨ṁ⟩su/kham JFF; su/kha⟨ṁ⟩ AMS
2v5 su{i}° • The vowel marker for i is also present, in addition to the vowel marker for u. It seems that si was engraved first, by accident, and it was corrected in su without chiselling out i.2v5 dattā⟨ṁ⟩dattāṁ JFF; dattā⟨ṁ⟩ AMS2v5 bhuva⟨ṁ⟩bhuvaṁ JFF; bhuva⟨ṁ⟩ AMS2v5 goptu⟨ṁ⟩goptuṁ JFF; goptu⟨ṁ⟩ AMS
3r6 ’nupā’nupāla JFF; ’nupā AMS • The phrase ’nupālanam iti is continued at the beginning of line 3v3.
3v2 pa¡tthā!⟨nthā⟩naṁpanthānaṁ JFF; pa¡tthā!⟨nthā⟩naṁ AMS3v2 grāmā°grāmā° JFF; grāma° AMS
3v3 lanam iti • This is the second half of the phrase ’nupālanam iti. The first half can be found at the end of line 3r6.
3v4 droṇasiṅghenadroṇasiṅgh¿a?⟨e⟩na JFF; droṇasiṅghena AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

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

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] Śrīsāhikā situated in the Eastern rāṣṭra:

1v5-2v1Let 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 Nāgavatsasvāmin and Bandhuvatsasvāmin, [both] belonging to the Vatsa gotra and to the Aupamanyava [school], who are the sons-in-law by the gift of his own daughters in marriage of Savitṛsvāmin, 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), [took place] on the occasion of a lunar eclipse; 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.

3v1-3v2In this same village, the [well called] Śrīvāpikā, constructed in a mound on the land that borders the eastern tank [and] extending up to the road, was granted in addition to [his] half of the village to Nāgavatsasvāmin because he is the elder [brother].

2v1-2v3Having taken note of that, you should be obedient to the command received from these two (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:

3r1-3r2
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.

3r2-3r4
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!

3r4-3r5
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!

3v3-3v4By the order from the king’s own mouth, [the copperplate charter] has been engraved by Droṇasiṅgha [on the day] 9 [of] the month of Māgha [in] the increasingly victorious year 10 [of Sudevarāja’s reign].

Commentary

There are several premodern editorial marks in the text, suggesting that the order of the text should have been engraved differently. First, the word yāmātroḥ at the end of line 2r4 and the beginning of line 2r5 is preceded by a kākapada, indicating that it should have been placed elsewhere. As suggested by Fleet 1970, the likely intended order of the description of the donees was: kauṇḍinyasagotravājasaneyasavitṛsvāminas ātmīyakanyāpradānena yāmātroḥ aupamanyavavatsasagotranāgavatsasvāmibandhuvatsasvāminos. Second, the lines 3v1 and 3v2 at the end of the inscription are part of the description of the grant and should have been engraved in that context, as indicated by the kākapada in line 2v1. The two lines also contain another two editorial marks, indicating that the order within this section should have been different as well. As suggested by Fleet 1970, the intended order was likely: Asminn eva grāme pūrvvataṭākasya paryyattantabhūmivaprabaddhā grāmārddhasyādhikā śrīvāpikā panthānaṁ yāvaj jyeṣṭha iti kṛtvā nāgavatsasvāmine dattā.

Bibliography

First edited by Fleet 1970 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 46–49; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Fleet).

Primary

Fleet, John Faithfull, ed. 1970. “Raypur Copper-Plate Inscription of the Raja Maha-Sudevaraja.” Inscriptions of the early Gupta kings and their successors, Third revised edition, 196–200. 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.
46–49. [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].
45, 237.