Stray Pokhra Plate of the Kings of Śarabhapura, undated

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00017

Hand Description:

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Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: undated"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: ARTDaksinaKosala000002

Layout: engraved-12 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

^{⎘ plate 2r 2r1}śitārākiraṇapratihataghorāndhakāraṁ jagad avatiṣṭh¿ā?⟨a⟩te tā⟨va⟩d upabhogya-
^2r2s sanidhis sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśyas sarvvakaravisarjjitaḥ sabā-
^2r3lavṛddhada◯ṇḍacakkreṇa puṇyābhivṛddhaye vājasaneyabh¿a?⟨ā⟩radvājasa-
^2r4gotrad¿i?⟨ī⟩kṣi◯tānantasvāminaḥ Atisṛṣṭak¿ā?⟨o⟩ bhūtvā tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsane-
^2r5nāsmābhir anumoditaḥ

te yūyam evam upalabhyāsyājñāśravaṇavidhe-
^2r6yā bhūtvā yathocitaṁ bhogabhāgam upanayantas sukhaṁ prativ¿i?⟨a⟩tsyatha
^{⎘ plate 2v 2v1}bhaviṣyataś ca bhūmipān anudarśayatidashDoubledot

^2v4tad bhavadbhir apy ¿a?⟨e⟩ṣā dattir anupālayitavyā vyāsagītāṁś cātra ślokān udā-
^2v5haranti

Apparatus

^2r1 avatiṣṭh¿ā?⟨a⟩te ◇ avatiṣṭhate MGD; avatiṣṭh¿ā?⟨a⟩te AMS
^2r2 sanidhis ◇ manidhis MGD; sanidhis AMS — ^2r2 sopanidhir ◇ mopanidhir MGD; sopanidhir AMS
^2r3 °vṛddha° ◇ °bṛddha° MGD; °vṛddha° AMS — ^2r3 °cakkreṇa ◇ °cakreṇa MGD; °cakkreṇa AMS
^2r4 °d¿i?⟨ī⟩kṣi◯tā° ◇ °dīkṣi◯tā° MGD; °d¿i?⟨ī⟩kṣi◯tā° AMS — ^2r4 Atisṛṣṭak¿ā?⟨o⟩ ◇ Atisṛṣṭako MGD; Atisṛṣṭak¿ā?⟨o⟩ AMS — ^2r4 bhūtvā ◇ bhūttvā MGD; bhūtvā AMS — ^2r4 tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩° ◇ tāmmra° MGD; tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩° AMS
^2r6 bhūtvā ◇ bhūttvā MGD; bhūtvā AMS — ^2r6 prativ¿i?⟨a⟩tsyatha ◇ prativatsyatha MGD; prativ¿i?⟨a⟩tsyatha AMS
^2v1 dashDoubledot • Dikshit 1957 interprets this punctuation symbol as a visarga — ^2v1 d⟦o⟧⟨⟨ā⟩⟩nād ◇ d⟦o⟧⟨⟨ā⟩⟩<<dā corr. ex o>>nād MGD; dānād AMS
^2v2 °dh¿ī?⟨i⟩yaḫ ◇ °dhiyaḫ MGD; °dh(i)yaḫ AMS — ^2v2 dvijāya{ḥ} ◇ dvijāya MGD; dvijāya{ḥ} AMS
^2v3 mat¿ī?⟨i⟩r ◇ matir MGD; mat¿ī?⟨i⟩r AMS — ^2v3 goptu⟨ṁ⟩dashDouble ◇ gopta¡ḥ!⟨M⟩ MGD; gopt¿a?⟨u⟩⟨M⟩dashDouble AMS
^2v4 ¿a?⟨e⟩ṣā ◇ eṣā MGD; ¿a?⟨e⟩ṣā AMS
^2v5 suvarṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩dashDouble ◇ suvarṇṇa¡ḥ!⟨M⟩ MGD; suvarṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩dashDouble AMS — ^2v5 bhūr ◇ bhur MGD; bhūr AMS — ^2v5 vvaiṣṇavī ◇ vvaiṣṇave MGD; vvaiṣṇavī AMS
^2v6 ca ◇ va MGD; ca AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

^2r1-2r5[[Let it be known to you that this village]] has been granted on behalf of Daṇḍacakra and members of his family [and] confirmed by us, for the increase of religious merit of dīkṣita Anantasvāmin, belonging to the Bhāradvāja gotra and to the Vājasaneya [school]. [The grant of the village] 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.

^2r5-2v1Having 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:

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.

^2v4-2v5This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

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.

Commentary

This is the second copperplate of a charter and, therefore, does not contain any information about the issuing king or the date. The stray plate was found in the possession of an inhabitant of Rājim, but originally the plate was unearthed in Pokhra as part of a complete set of copperplates. The other two plates and the ring were melted (Dikshit 1957).

Bibliography

First edited by Dikshit 1957 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 59–61; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs.

Primary

Secondary