Stray Būrhīkhār Plate of Śūrabala

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00021

Hand Description:

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Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: undated"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: ARTDaksinaKosala000003

Layout: engraved-11 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

^{⎘ plate 2r 2r1}gurudevatādhidaivataviśeṣaḥ ◯ śrīmāṁ śrīmatyāṁ devyā⟨ṁ⟩ droṇabha-
^2r2ṭṭārikāyām utpannaḥ śrīmahārājanāgabalaḥ

tatas tasya puttras ta-
^2r8tpādānudhyātaḥ paramamāheśvaraḥ paramabrahmaṇyaḥ pa-
^2r9ramagurudevatādhidaivataviśeṣaḥ śrīmāṁ śrīmatyāṁ devyāṁ
^2r10Indrabhaṭṭārikāyām utpannaḥ śrīmahārājabharataḥ

Apparatus

^2r1 śrīmatyāṁ • The character for śrī° seems to be corrupted.

Translation by Natasja Bosma

^2r1-2r2[[His (Vatsarāja’s) son - who was favoured by him (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

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.

The dust scattered over a long way by the falling hoofs [of his horses], along the road that his elephants are said to have followed, that [dust] is settled by the water sprouting from [their, i.e. the elephants’] large trunks. Therefore he is known by the name of king Nāgabala ("Elephant Force" ).

^2r7-2r10After him, his (Nāgabala’s) son – who was favoured by him (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.

[[Like Kārttikeya to Śailendraputrī, to her (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.]]

Commentary

It is clear from the contents of the text that this plate was meant to be the second plate in a set. The fact that the backside of the plate is not used is peculiar and raises the suspicion that either the charter has never been finished, or the engraver deviated from the standard and used more plates.

Sircar 1965: pages 347–3481974: page 265 has argued that the epithet paramagurudevatādhidaivataviśeṣaḥ in the introduction should be emended to paramagurudaivatādhidaivataviśeṣaḥ, as an elaboration of paramadaivata. He translates the compound with "one who is a great teacher (of his subjects) and devotee of the gods and the supreme god" . It seems unlikely that the word adhidaivata refers to the king’s devotion to "the supreme god" , however, because that devotion is already expressed in the epithet paramamāheśvara. The interpretation of the compound as translated here is provided by Yuko Yokochi, cf. Bosma 2018: page 274

The translation of incomplete passages is based on parallel passages in the Bamhanī and Malhār plates of the same king.

Bibliography

First mentioned by Bajpai 1977-1978; edited by Bosma 2018: 273–277 from a photograph of the original; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma.

Primary

Secondary