Boṇḍā Plates of Tīvaradeva, Year 5

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00025

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 9"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

  1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00022

Layout: engraved-42 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh
śrīmattīvaradevasya kosalādhipater idaṁ
śāsanam dharmmavṛddhyartthaṁ sthiram ācandratārakaṁ

Plates

⎘ plate 1v 1v1spiralR

I. Āryā
jayati jagat⟨t⟩rayatilakaḥ
kṣitibhṛtkulabhavanamaṅgala⟨sta⟩mbhaḥ
śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mat⟨t⟩¿i?⟨ī⟩varadevo
dh(au)1v2reya⟨ḥ⟩ sakalapuṇyakṛtāMddandaHooked

svasti śrīpurāt samadhigatapañcamahāśabdānekanatanṛ-
1v3patikirīṭakoṭighṛṣṭacaraṇanakhadarppaṇo¡m!⟨d⟩bhāsitopakaṇṭhadiṅmukhaḥ prakaṭari-
1v4purājalakṣmī{ḥ}keśapāśākarṣṣaṇadurllalitapāṇip⟦ā⟧⟨⟨a⟩⟩llavaḥ niśitanistri¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śaghana-
1v5ghātapātitā◯ridv¿a?⟨i⟩radakumbhamaṇḍalagalad¡v!⟨b⟩ahala¡g!⟨ś⟩oṇitasa¡ṭ!⟨d⟩āsiktamuktāphala-
1v6prakarama◯ṇḍitaraṇāṅgaṇaḥ vividharatnasaṁbhāral⟦o⟧⟨⟨ā⟩⟩bhālobhavijṛmbhamāṇārikṣā-
1v7ravārivāḍavānalaś candrodaya Ivākṛtakarodvegaḥ kṣīroda Ivāvirbhūtānek¿a?⟨ā⟩tiśā-
1v8yiratnasampaT garutmān iva bhuj⟦o⟧⟨⟨a⟩⟩ṅgoddhāracaturaḥ parāmṛṣṭaśattrukalattranettrāñjan¿o?⟨a⟩k¿a?⟨o⟩mala-
1v9kapolakuṅkumapatrabhaṅgaḥ śiṣṭācāravyavasth¿a?⟨ā⟩paripālan¿e?⟨ai⟩kadatta{ḥ}cittaḥ Api ca prā-
1v10ktane tapasi yaśasi rahasi cetasi cakṣu¡s!⟨ṣ⟩i vapuṣi ca pūjito janenākliṣṭatayā n¿i?⟨ī⟩-
⎘ plate 2r 2r1tāntam avitṛpto g¿u?⟨ū⟩ḍho gāḍhaṁ svacchaḥ prasanno yauvanena c¿a?⟨ā⟩laṅkṛtaḥ svāmī bhavan⟨n⟩ apy abahulapa-
2r2no ’nujjhitakutṛṣ¡ṭ!⟨ṇ⟩o ’pi nitāntatyāgī ripujanapracaṇḍo ’pi s¿o?⟨au⟩myadarśano bhūtivibhūṣa-
2r3ṇo ’py aparuṣasvabhāvaḥ kiñ cāsantuṣṭo dharmmārjane na sampall¿a?⟨ā⟩bhe svalpa⟨ḥ⟩ krodhe na prabhāve lu-
2r4bdho yaśasi na paravittāpahāre{ḥ} saktaḥ subhāṣiteṣu na kāminīkrīḍāsu pratāpānaladagdhāśeṣa-
2r5ripukulatūlarāśis tuhinaśilāśailadhavalayaśorāśipr¿ā?⟨a⟩kāśitadigantaḥ k¿a?⟨ā⟩ntaḥ prakṛ-
2r6tyā śrīmadi◯ndra¡v!⟨b⟩alasūnor alaṅkṛtapāṇḍuva¡ṅg!⟨ṁś⟩asya śr(ī)nan(n)adevasya tanaya⟨ḥ⟩ pr¿a?⟨ā⟩-
2r7ptasakalako⟨sa⟩lādhipatyaḥ svapuṇyasambhārapraśamitāśeṣajagadupadravaḥ svaprajñā-
2r8s¿u?⟨ū⟩cīsamuddhṛtākhilakaṇṭakaḥ paramavaiṣṇavo mātāpitṛpādānuddhyātaḥ śrīm¿ā?⟨a⟩hā-
2r9śivatīvararājaḥ piharājabhuktī¡p!⟨y⟩abondaka-Avaḍikasahitaprativāsinaḥ samājñā-
2r10payati

vidi⟨ta⟩m astu bhavatāṁ yathāsmābhir ayaṁ grāmo yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇa-
2r11pratihataghorāndhakāraṁ jagad avatiṣṭhate tāvad upabhogyaḥ sanidhi⟨ḥ⟩ sopa-
⎘ plate 2v 2v1nidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśyaḥ sarvvakarasam{av}etaḥ sadāśāparādhaḥ sāputtrikaveṇī-
2v2bhojyaḥ yajurvved¿ā?⟨a⟩sāmavedacarakāddhvaryy¿a?⟨u⟩maitrāya¡ni!⟨ṇī⟩yabhaṭṭamadhusūdanopāddhyā-
2v3yaddandaHooked{-Evaṁ t}trivikramopāddhyāyaddandaHookeddevasomopāddhyāyaddandaHookedsvāmidattopāddhyāyaddandaHookedviṣṇugho-
2v4ṣopāddhyāyaddandaHookedsthāvaropāddhyāyaddandaHookedbhaṭṭakamalapakṣasvāmiddandaHookedbhaṭṭaravi¡ṇ!⟨n⟩āgasvāmi- ddandaHooked
2v5śambhubhava◯svāmiddandaHookedba⟨n⟩dhudevayoraṅgaviṣṇubhavasvāmiddandaHookedlāṭaphalihasvāmi- ddandaHooked
2v6Aśokasvā◯middandaHookedśrīdharabh⟦ā⟧⟨⟨ū⟩⟩tisvāmiddandaHookedśīlapakṣasvāmiddandaHookedsāppūpakṣasvāmi-
2v7vāmanasvāmiddandaHookednāgaśarmmasvāmiddandaHookedgola⟨ca⟩ndrasvāmiddandaHookedbhadrasvāmiddandaHookedchāndogaca-
2v8raṇ¿i?⟨ī⟩yagopendrasvāmi{-Evaṁ}v⟦o⟧⟨⟨ā⟩⟩manasvāmiddandaHookedsomasvāmiddandaHookedyajñasvāmi- ddandaHooked
2v9Unnatameghasvāmibhyaḥ pañcavi¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śatibhyaḥdashPlain mātāpitror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi-
2v10vṛddhaye Udakapūrvvam pratipādita Ity

upalabhya yathocitaṁ bhogabhāga-
3r1m upanayantaḥ sukhaṁ prativatsyathetiddandaHooked bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān uddi-
3r2śyedam ¿i?⟨a⟩bhidhīyate

I. Vasantatilakā
bhūmipradā divi lalanti pat¿i?⟨a⟩nti hanta
hṛtvā mahī⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpata3r3yo narake nṛśa¡t!⟨ṁ⟩sā⟨T⟩
Et¿ā?⟨a⟩¡r!⟨d⟩ dvayaṁ parikalayya cal¿a?⟨ā⟩ñ ca lakṣmīm
āyus tath¿a?⟨ā⟩ kuruta ya3r4d bhavat¿a?⟨ā⟩m abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭa⟨ṁ⟩ddandaHooked

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh
rakṣāpālanayos t¿a?⟨ā⟩vat phala⟨ṁ⟩ sugatidurggatī
ko nāma svargga3r5m utsṛjya naraka⟨ṁ⟩ pratipadyate

vyāsagītā⟨ṁ⟩ś cātra ślokān udāharanti

III. Indravajrā
Agner apatyaṁ pra3r6thama⟨ṁ⟩ suva◯rṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩
bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś ca gāvaḥ
dattās trayas tena bhavanti lokā
3r7yaẖ k¿a?⟨ā⟩ñcanaṁ gāñ ca mahīñ ca dadyāTddandaHooked

IV. Anuṣṭubh
ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasr¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ
¿A?⟨Ā⟩cchettā c{c}ānumantā c{c}a tāny eva narake vaseTddandaHooked

V. Anuṣṭubh
bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhis sa3r8garādibhiḥ
yasya yasya yad¿a?⟨ā⟩ bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh
svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradatt¿a?⟨ā⟩m vā yatnād ra3r9kṣa yudhiṣṭhira
mahī¡n!⟨m⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ śreṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nupālana¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩tiddandaHooked

pravarddhamānavijayarā-
3r10jye sa¡m!⟨ṁ⟩vaT 5 mārgga di 1 U¡kt!⟨tk⟩īrṇaṁ Akṣa¡s!⟨ś⟩ālikayotranāgasūnunā boppanāgenaddandaHooked

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

1v5 °sa¡ṭ!⟨d⟩ā°°saṭā° DCS; °sadā° AMS
1v6 °ma◯ṇḍita°°ma◯ṇḍita° DCS; °mu◯ṇḍita° AMS
1v8 °śattrukalattranettrā°°śattrukalattranettrā° DCS; °śatrukalatranetrā° AMS
1v10 janenākliṣṭatayājanenākliṣtaṭayā DCS; janenākliṣṭatayā AMS1v10–2r1 n¿i?⟨ī⟩ /tāntamnī/tāntam DCS; ni/tāntam AMS
2r6 °i◯ndra¡v!⟨b⟩ala°°i◯ndra¡v!⟨b⟩ala° DCS; °i◯ndrabala° AMS
2v2 °maitrāya¡ni!⟨ṇī⟩ya°°maitrāya¡n!⟨ṇ⟩īya° DCS; °maitrāya¡ni!⟨ṇī⟩ya° AMS
2v3 {-Evaṁ t}trivikramopāddhyāya{r}avantivikramopāddhyāya DCS; eva⟨n⟩tripāddhayā vikramopāddhyāya AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

This charter of the illustrious Tīvaradeva the king of Kosala, which is for the sake of an increase of dharma, endures as long as the moon and stars.

Plates

Success!

1v1-1v2
Victorious is the illustrious Tīvaradeva, who is the ornament of the three worlds (heaven, earth, lower world); a pillar of happiness in the palace of the [Pāṇḍava] kings; and foremost of those who perform meritorious deeds!

1v2-2r10Hail! From Śrīpura, the illustrious Mahāśiva Tīvararāja—who illuminates the neighbouring regions with his mirror-like toe-nails, which are polished by the curved edges of the diadems of the many [feudatory] kings who salute [him], having obtained the [privilege of] the five great sounds; whose fingers bluntly seize the good Fortune of adversary kings by her locks of her hair in public; by whom the battlefields are adorned with a scattered heap of pearls, which are the thick [drops of] blood continuously oozing from the domed foreheads of the elephants of [his] enemies, struck down by the hard strokes of [his] sharp sword; who is a submarine fire to the salt water of [his] enemies, gaping with the desire of acquiring a multitude of various gems; who does not cause distress by [levying heavy] taxes, just as the rising moon does not cause distress by [its] rays; who, like the ocean of milk, demonstrates a wealth of many most excellent jewels; who, like Garutmat, is competent in uprooting serpents (i.e., evil); who ruined the black collyrium [applied to] the eyes and the [golden glow of grinded] saffron petals on the tender cheeks of the [widowed] wives of his enemies, afflicted [by grief]; whose mind is focused solely on the protection and establishment of virtuous behavior. Moreover, who is worshipped by people without relunctance because of the religious austerities [he performed] in a previous [birth]; who is not easily satisfied in [acquiring] fame; who is trustworthy in keeping secrets; whose mind is very pure; whose eyes are bright; and whose body is adorned with youth; who, though being a commander, does not [indulge in] excessive talking; who, though desirous for conquering land, is excessively liberal [in the granting of land]; who, though fierce to the race of his adversaries (i.e., like the sun), is gentle in appearance (i.e., like the moon); who, though adorned with majesty, is not harsh in disposition. Furthermore, who is never satisfied in generating religious merit, [but] not in accumulating wealth; who is devoid of anger, [but] not of power; who is longing for fame, [but] not for appropriating the wealth of others; who is skillful in eloquent speech, [but] not in consorting with promiscuous women; who has consumed the race of his adversaries completely, as a heap of cotton, with the fire of his splendor; who illuminated the earth as far as the horizon with his massive fame as bright white as the rocky mountain of snow (i.e., Himālaya); who was the son of the illustrious Nannadeva, son of the illustrious Indrabala, and who has obtained sovereignty over the whole of Kosala; who reduced all misfortune in the world with his meritorious acts; who has removed all thorns (i.e., annoying enemies) with the needle of his wisdom; who is entirely devoted to Viṣṇu; and who is favoured by his father and mother—issues [the following command] to the residents of [the villages of] Bondaka and Avaḍika in the Piharāja bhukti:

2r10-2v10Let it be known to you that, preceded by a libation of water, this village has been granted by us for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves to (a group of) twenty-five caraka-adhvaryu priests, of which five are belonging to the Sāmaveda (Chandoga): Gopendrasvāmin, as well as Vāmanasvāmin, Somasvāmin, Yajñasvāmin, and Unnatameghasvāmin; and twenty are belonging to the Yajurveda (Maitrāyaṇīya): bhaṭṭa Madhusūdanopāddhyāya, Trivikramopādhyāya, Devasomopādhyāya, Svāmidattopādhyāya, Viṣṇughoṣopādhyāya, Sthāvaropādhyāya, bhaṭṭa Kamalasvāmin, bhaṭṭa Ravināgasvāmin, Śambhubhavasvāmin, Bandhudeva, Yoraṅgaviṣṇubhavasvāmin, Lāṭaphalihasvāmin, Aaśokasvāmin, Śrīdharabhūtisvāmin, Śīlapakṣasvāmin, Sāppūpakṣasvāmin, Vāmanasvāmin, Nāgaśarmmasvāmin, Golacandrasvāmin, and Bhadrasvāmin. [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; comes along [with the right to] all taxes [payable to the king]; comes along with the right to punish and realise fines for the ten offences; and comes along with the enjoyment of the inheritance of men who die without male offspring.

2v10-3r2Having taken note of that, you should render the [proper shares of] periodical offerings and produce, while living happily [in this village]. And this is said for the instruction of the future kings:

3r2-3r4
[Kings] who donate land sport in heaven, [but] look, kings who have taken land fall into hell for their wickedness. After having taken to heart these two rules and taken hold of Lakṣmī, you should live you life as you wish!

And also:

3r4-3r5
Fortune and misfortune are truly the fruit of protecting and not protecting [the land]; who then discards heaven and resorts to hell?

3r5And they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

3r5-3r7
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

3r7
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!

3r7-3r8
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!

3r8-3r9
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

3r9-3r10[The copperplate charter has been engraved on] the day 1 [of] the month of Mārga [in] the increasingly victorious year 5 [of Tīvaradeva’s reign].

Bibliography

First edited by Sircar 1961-1962 from the original plates and impressions; published again by Shastri 1995: 102–106; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Sircar).

Primary

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass.
53–55. [siglum AMS]
Sircar, Dines Chandra. 1961–1962. “Bonda Plates of Mahasiva Tivara, Year 5.” EI 34: 111–16.
[siglum DCS]

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].
244.