Malhār Plates of Śūrabala, Year 8

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Current Version: draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00020

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 8"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00018

Layout: engraved-53 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

Seal

(śrīpuruṣaḥ)

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1spiralR svasty aparimitaguṇasamudayasya bhagavatas t¿ṛ?⟨ri⟩śūlapāṇer vva-
^1v2ravṛṣa⊔bhavāhanasya sphuradbhujagaparikarasyānaṅgāṅgavidhva¡t!⟨ṁ⟩sinaḥ
^1v3t¿ṛ?⟨ri⟩daśapatinutacaraṇā{ṁ}bjayugalasya śrījayeśvarabhaṭṭārakasye-
^1v4¡v!⟨d⟩aṁ śāsanaṁ{ḥ} likhyate śrī-UdīrṇṇavairānumatyayādashConvex tataḥ

I. Sragdharā

Ā^1v5sīd yaḥ pāṇḍavānā¡ḥ!⟨ṁ⟩ suvim¿i?⟨a⟩layaś⟦ā⟧⟨⟨a⟩⟩sām anvaye bhūridhāmnāṁ

^1v6rājābhū¡t!⟨n⟩ mekalāyāṁ{ḥ} kṣitipatitilakaḥ saṁprasūtorukī^1v7rttiḥ

śrīmā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ śrīsaṁvidhātā jayabala Iti yaḥ khyāpyate s¡ya!⟨vai⟩r yya^1v8śobhi⟨r⟩

llokesmi¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ sarvvadaiva pravaraguṇagaṇāla{ṁ}ṅkṛtaś cārumū⟨r⟩tti⟨ḥ⟩

II. Sragdharā

^1v9tasyāsīd vatsarājaḥ svabhujabalaguṇāk{k}rāntaśatrupratāpa⟨ḥ⟩

^1v10śrīmā⟨n⟩ vatsādhipeva kṣitipati◯tilako vatsarājaḥ kṣitīśa⟨ḥ⟩

^1v11putra⟨ḥ⟩ sadva¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śaketur mmaṇir iva sumahān unnataḥ śrīniketaḥ

^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1keyūrodbhāsitāt saḥ sphuritamaṇirucā cārup¿i?⟨ī⟩norubāhuḥ

^2r2tasya putras tatpādānudhyāt{t}aḥ ◯paramamāheśvaraḥ paramabrahmaṇya⟨ḥ⟩
^2r3paramagurudevatādhidaivataviśeṣaḥ śrīmā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ śrīmatyāṁ devyā⟨ṁ⟩ droṇabha-
^2r4ṭṭārikāyām utpannaḥ śrīmahārāj¿ā?⟨a⟩nāgabalaḥ

III. Upajāti

nāgai(ḥ) kṣaratpra^2r5srutadānagaṇḍaiḥ

bhramatpatākākulitāntarāl¿a?⟨ai⟩ḥ

sainya(ṁ)^2r6sphura{ḥ}cchastrarucā par¿i?⟨ī⟩taṁ

virājate yasya raṇāg⟨r⟩yabhūmau

^2r7tata{(ḥ)}s tasya putras tatp¿a?⟨ā⟩dānudhy¿a?⟨ā⟩taḥ paramamāheśvaraḥ
^2r8paramabrahmaṇyaḥ paramagurudevatādhidaivataviśeṣa⟨ḥ⟩
^2r9śrīmā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ śrīmatyāṁ devyām indrabhaṭṭārikāyām utpannaḥ śrī-
^2r10mahārājabharataḥ

IV. Indravajrā

Indro dayāśīlaguṇānvitā^2r11yā

AUdāryyacāturyyasamanvitāyāḥ

putra⟨ḥ⟩ ^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1prasūto malacārukāntiḥ

ś¿i?⟨ai⟩lendraputryā Iva kā⟨r⟩ttikeya⟨ḥ⟩

V. Mālinī

daśara^2v2thakulaja¡t!⟨n⟩mād rāghavasyānujobhū-

d bharata Iti samantād g¿i?⟨ī⟩yate ya⟨ḥ⟩ ^2v3kṣitīśaiḥ

tadanu guṇagaṇo ’pi praśrayānamramūrtti-

r bharatanṛpat¿e?⟨i⟩^2v4r asmi¡bh!⟨n⟩ bhūtal¿a?⟨e⟩nduprakāśaḥ

tasya putras tatpādānudhyātaḥ paramamāheśva
^2v5raḥ paramabrahmaṇyaḥ paramagur¿a?⟨u⟩devatādhidaivataviśeṣaḥ śrīmā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ śrī
^2v6matyāṁ mah¿a?⟨ā⟩devyām utpanna⟨ḥ⟩ śrīmahārājaśūrabalaḥ

VI. Sragdharā

śrīmaccandrā¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śu^2v7kīrtter bharatabalanṛpasyottamā rājapatnī

jātā yā kosalāyā^2v8m amarajakulajā⟨ṁ⟩ kīrttim uccair ddadhānādashConvex

śaśvaddharmmādhikāraprativi^2v9hitata¡y!⟨m⟩ātīva lok¿ā?⟨a⟩prakāśā

yātā{ḥ} p¿u?⟨au⟩trai⟨ḥ⟩ prapautrair nnayavina^2v10yaratai rājasi¡ṅgh!⟨ṁh⟩aiḥ pratiṣṭāṁ

VII. Sragdharā

yo ’sau saṁpūrṇaśaktitrayavini^2v11patitānekasāmantamūrddha-

pro¡ṅ!⟨d⟩gh¿ra?⟨ṛ⟩◯ṣṭotphul⟨l⟩apadmadyuticalana¡yatā!⟨yugā⟩^2v12k{k}rāntadikcak{k}ravālaḥ

saumyaḥ somasya va¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śaḥ prabhava Iti jan¿e?⟨ai⟩⟨ḥ⟩ ^2v13kīrtyate yasya ^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1coc⟨c⟩ai⟨ḥ⟩ saḥ śrīmā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩

saṁ¡v!⟨b⟩abhūv¿a?⟨ā⟩pratimaguṇagaṇ¿a?⟨o⟩dīrṇṇavairo narendraḥ

tataḥ me-
^3r2kalāyāṁ dakṣiṇarāṣṭre sa{ṁ}ṅgama◯grāmake grāmakūṭapramukhā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ nāyaka-
^3r3pramukhāṁ⟨ś⟩ ca grāmaṁ samājñāpayati

viditam a¡ts!⟨st⟩u vo ’¡msā!⟨smā⟩bhir aya⟨ṁ⟩ grāmaḥ-
^3r4sodraṅgaḥ soparikaraḥ ¿Ā?⟨A⟩cāṭabhaṭapraveś¡ī!⟨śyaḥ⟩ sanidhi⟨ḥ⟩ sopanidhiḥ cora-
^3r5daṇḍavarjjitaḥ catuḥs¿i?⟨ī⟩māparyyantaḥ Ācandrārkakṣititārakānirodhena mā-
^3r6tāpitr¿ā?⟨o⟩r ātmanaś ca puṇyābhivṛddhaye yatra vaṇikamanorathapautrasya bo-
^3r7ṭaputrasya narasi¡ṅgh!⟨ṁh⟩asya prasādīkṛtas tad anenāpy asmadanumatyā bha-
^3r8gavataḥ śrījayeśvarabhaṭṭārakasya pratipādit¡e!⟨a I⟩ty

avagamya yad ucitam upanayana-
^3r9sukhaṁ prativatsyatheti svayam ājñāpan¿a?⟨ā⟩ ye cāsmadva¡ṅg!⟨ṁ⟩⟨ś⟩e samu⟨t⟩padyante rājānas tair apī-
^3r10yaṁ dattir anumodanīyānu{t}pālanīyā ca yaś c¿ai?⟨e⟩māṁ dattiṁ vilopam āpādayiṣya-
^3r11ti sa pañcabhir mmahāpātakaiḥ sa⟨ṁ⟩yukta⟨ḥ⟩ sy¿a?⟨ā⟩T

VIII. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasudh¿a?⟨ā⟩ bhuktā rāj¿ā?⟨a⟩bhi⟨ḥ⟩ sa^3r12garādi¡d!⟨bh⟩iḥ

yasya yasya yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phala⟨ṁ⟩

IX. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭi^3r13varṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bhūm¿o?⟨i⟩daḥ

Ācchettā cānumantā ca tā^3r14ny eva narake vase¡d!⟨T⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩ti

samāptañ cedaṁ śāsana⟨ṁ⟩
^{⎘ plate 3v}^3v1pravarddhamān¿ā?⟨a⟩vijayarājyasa⟨ṁ⟩vatsare ’ṣṭame kārttikakṛ-
^3v2ṣṇapakṣ¿e?⟨ai⟩kādaśyā⟨ṁ⟩ pūrvvaphā⊔lguṇyāṁ budhadineneti likhita-
^3v3ñ cedaṁ śāsanaṁ śivenotk¿i?⟨ī⟩rṇṇañ ca m¿a?⟨i⟩hirakeneti⊔

Apparatus

^1v3 °caraṇā{ṁ}bja° ◇ °caraṇābja° SS; °caraṇā{ṁ}bja° AMS
^1v8 llokesmi¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ ◇ llokeśmi¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ SS; llokesmi¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ AMS — ^1v8 °āla{ṁ}ṅkṛtaś ◇ °ālaṅkṛtaś SS; °āla{ṁ}ṅkṛtaś AMS — ^1v8 cārumū⟨r⟩tti⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ cārumūrtti⟨ḥ⟩ SS; cārumū⟨r⟩tti⟨ḥ⟩ AMS
^1v11 putra⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ putra⟨ḥ⟩ SS; putta⟨ḥ⟩ AMS
^2r1 °p¿i?⟨ī⟩no° ◇ °pīno° SS; °p¿i?⟨ī⟩no° AMS
^2r2 putras ◇ putras SS; puttas AMS
^2r3 śrīmā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ śrīmatyāṁ ◇ śrīmā¡d!⟨n⟩ śrimatyāṁ SS; śrīmā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ śrīmatyāṁ AMS
^2r4 °mahārāj¿ā?⟨a⟩° ◇ °mahārāja° SS; °mahārāj¿ā?⟨a⟩° AMS
^2r7 putras ◇ putras SS; puttas AMS
^2r9 indra° ◇ indra° SS; indrā° AMS
^2r11 °samanvitāyāḥ ◇ °samanvitāyaḥ SS; °samanvitāyāḥ AMS — ^2r11 putra⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ putra⟨ḥ⟩ SS; putta⟨ḥ⟩ AMS
^2v2 g¿i?⟨ī⟩yate ◇ gīyate SS; g¿i?⟨ī⟩yate AMS
^2v4 asmi¡bh!⟨n⟩ bhūtal¿a?⟨e⟩° ◇ asmi¡bh!⟨n⟩ bhūtale° SS; asmi¡m!⟨n⟩ bhūtal¿a?⟨e⟩° AMS — ^2v4 putras ◇ putras SS; puttas AMS
^2v8 amaraja° ◇ amaraja° SS; amarajā° AMS
^2v9 yātā{ḥ} p¿u?⟨au⟩trai⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ yāta{ḥ} putrai¡h!⟨ḥ⟩ SS; yātā{ḥ} puttai⟨ḥ⟩ AMS
^2v10 pratiṣṭāṁ ◇ pratiṣṭ¿a?⟨ā⟩ṁ SS; pratiṣṭāṁ AMS
^2v12 jan¿e?⟨ai⟩⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ jan¿ī?⟨ai⟩⟨ḥ⟩ SS; jan¿e?⟨ai⟩⟨ḥ⟩ AMS
^3r5 °s¿i?⟨ī⟩mā° ◇ °sīmā° SS; °s¿i?⟨ī⟩mā° AMS
^3r6 °ābhivṛddhaye ◇ °ābhivṛddhaya SS; °ābhivṛddhaye AMS
^3r10 c¿ai?⟨e⟩māṁ ◇ c¿ai?⟨e⟩maṁ SS; c¿ai?⟨e⟩māṁ AMS — ^3r10 vilopam āpādayiṣya ◇ vilopenāpādayiṣya SS; vilopam āpādayiṣya AMS
^3r11 vvasudh¿a?⟨ā⟩ ◇ vvasudhā SS; vvasudh¿a?⟨ā⟩ AMS — ^3r11–3r12 rāj¿ā?⟨a⟩bhi⟨ḥ⟩ sa/garādi¡d!⟨bh⟩iḥ ◇ rājābhi(ḥ) sā/garādi¡d!⟨bh⟩iḥ SS; rājabhi⟨s⟩ sa/garādi¡d!⟨bh⟩iḥ AMS
^3r12 phala⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ phalaṁ SS; phala⟨ṁ⟩ AMS
^3v2 °¿e?⟨ai⟩kādaśyā⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ °¿e?⟨ai⟩kādaśyāṁ SS; °¿e?⟨ai⟩kādaśyā⟨ṁ⟩ AMS — ^3v2 pūrvva° ◇ pūrvva° SS; pūrv¡b!⟨v⟩a° AMS
^3v3 °otk¿i?⟨ī⟩rṇṇañ ◇ °otkīrṇṇañ SS; °otk¿i?⟨ī⟩rṇṇañ AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

^1v1-1v4Success! Hail! This charter of the illustrious Jayeśvara-bhaṭṭāraka (i.e. Śiva), the god who is furnished with unlimited qualities; who carries the trident in his hand; who has an excellent bull for his vehicle and quivering snakes for his retinue; who destroyed the body of Kāma; and whose pair of lotus-like feet are praised by the Lord of the gods (Indra) is written with the permission of the illustrious Udīrṇavaira (i.e. Śūrabala). Consequently;

1v4-1v8

There was in the lineage of the Pāṇḍavas, who are of flawless glory and possess great splendour, a king of Mekalā who was an ornament among kings and whose fame was widely known; who was illustrious and a disposer of fortune; who was decorated with a multitude of most excellent qualities; whose appearance was handsome; and who, by his own glorious deeds, was well-known in this world for all times as Jayabala!

1v9-2r1

His son was the illustrious Vatsarāja, the glory of whose enemies was attacked by his virtues and the power of his arms; who was an ornament among kings like king Vatsarāja the king of Vatsa; the banner of a noble race; a jewel like a huge prominent lotus-flower; whose large and muscular arms were glowing through the lustre of the sparkling jewels from his ornamented armlets.

^2r2-2r4His (i.e. Vatsarāja’s) son — who was favoured by him (i.e. his respected father), who was entirely devoted to Śiva, who was the foremost patron of brahmins, the distinguished one who was entirely devoted to his teacher/elders and deities – was the illustrious mahārāja Nāgabala, born from the illustrious queen Droṇabhaṭṭārikā.

2r4-2r6

He whose army – surrounded by the glittering of flashing weapons, with elephants that have their temples moist with the flow of rut-fluid and the space in between [their temples] filled with fluttering banners – shines on the van of the battlefield.

^2r7-2r10After him, his (i.e. Nāgabala’s) son – who was favoured by him (i.e. his respected father), who was entirely devoted to Śiva, who was the foremost patron of brahmins, the distinguished one who was entirely devoted to his teacher/elders and deities – was the illustrious mahārāja Bharata, born from the illustrious queen Indrabhaṭṭārikā.

2r10-2v1

Like Kārttikeya to Śailendraputrī, to her (i.e. Indrabhaṭṭārikā) – who possessed the virtues of compassion and integrity, and who was fully endowed with generosity and amiability – was born a son, Indra, whose beauty was spotless and lovely.

2v1-2v4

King Bharata, whose fame [spread wide and far], like the moon [illuminating] the face of the earth; who was the embodiment of propitiousness and modesty, along with many more good qualities; who was glorified by kings everywhere, as was Bharata, the younger brother of Rāghava and born in the family of Daśaratha.

^2v4-2v6His (i.e. Bharatabala’s) son – who was favoured by him (i.e. his respected father), who was entirely devoted to Śiva, who was the foremost patron of brahmins, the distinguished one who was entirely devoted to his teacher/elders and deities – was the illustrious mahārāja Śūrabala, born from the illustrious chief queen (Mahādevī).

2v6-2v10

Peerless, the chief queen of king Bharatabala, whose fame resembles the illustrious rays of the moon! She, being born in Kosalā and holding high the fame of the family descending from Amara, and being very much the Lustre of the World (Lokaprakāsā), by whom darkness has been counteracted by continuous meritorious acts, she has attained pre-eminence [owing to] her grandsons and great-grandsons, princes like lions, devoted to good policy and conduct.

2v10-3r1

He who overcame all regions with his pair of feet, having the splendour of a full-blown lotus flower, that were touched by the heads of many feudatory chiefs paying homage to the threefold powers with which he was endowed: That illustrious king is Udīrṇavaira, whose numerous good qualities are unparalleled and whose birth is celebrated by people highly [with the words]: The famous Lunar Race, belonging to the moon!

^3r1-3r3He (i.e., Śūrabala Udīrṇavaira) issues [the following command] to the collective inhabitants of the village of Saṅgama in the Dakṣiṇa rāṣṭra of Mekalā, headed by the village headmen (grāmakūṭa) and the military officers(nāyaka):

^3r3-3r8Let it be known to you that for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, this village extending to its four boundaries has been graciously granted by us to Narasiṁha, son of Boṭa and grandson of the merchant (vaṇik) Manoratha; and by him, also with our permission, that [village] has been granted to the illustrious god Jayeśvarabhaṭṭāraka. [The grant of the village comes] along with [the right to] tax on permanent and temporary tenants, [the right] not to be entered by irregular or regular troops, and [the right to] hidden treasures and deposits, with the exception of the fines imposed on thieves, and is to be enjoyed as long as the moon, the sun, the earth, and the stars will endure.

^3r8-3r11Knowing this, you should live happily [in this village], while rendering the proper shares [of periodical offerings and produce]. This grant [was issued] by my own order and those kings who will be born in our family should also protect it and consent to it! And whoever will cause the obstruction of [the enjoyment of] this gift, he will bring upon himself [the guilt of] the five great sins!

3r11-3r12

The earth has been enjoyed by many kings, beginning with Sagara: Whoever possesses the land at any time, to him belong the fruits at that time!

3r12-3r14

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

^3r14-3v3This charter has been completed in the eighth year of the increasingly victorious reign (i.e., of Śūrabala Udīrṇavaira), on the eleventh [day] of the dark fortnight of the month of Kārttika, when the nakṣatra was Pūrva-phālguṇī, on a Wednesday; and this charter has been written by Śiva; and has been engraved by Mihiraka.

Bibliography

First edited by Sitaraman and Sharma 1977 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 80–85; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs.

Primary

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

80–85. [siglum AMS]

Sitaraman, B. & M.J. Sharma. 1977. “Malhar Plates of Pāṇḍava King Śūrabala: Year 8.” JESI 3: 183–93.

[siglum SS]

Secondary

Ahmad, Nisar. 1992. “The Records of the Pandavas of Mekala: Some Observations.” JESI 18: 55–61.

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].

24–26, 39–40, 53, 64–65, 240–241, 273–277.

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1980. “The Date of the Bamhani and Mallar Plates of Śūrabala Udīrṇavaira.” Bhāratī-bhānam = Light of indology: being Dr KV Sarma felicitation volume, 439–43. Panjab University Indological Series 26. Hoshiarpur: Vishveshvaranand Vishva Bandhu Inst. of Sanskrit and Indolog. Studies, Panjab Univ.