Bārdūlā Plates of Śivagupta, Year 9

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00033

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 37"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

  1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00030

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

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh
rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śrīharṣaguptasya sūno(ḥ) sadguṇaśālina(ḥ)
śāsanaṁ śivaguptasya (sthi)tam ā (bhu)va(na)sthite(ḥ)

Plates

⎘ plate 1v 1v1spiralR svasty aśeṣakṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩śavidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahanīyavinayasa-
1v2mpatsa{ṁ}mpāditasakalavijigīṣuguṇo guṇava{ḥ}tsamāśraya⟨ḥ⟩ prakṛṣṭata-
1v3raśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudayaḥ kārt⟨t⟩ikeya Iva kṛttivā-
1v4saso rāj(ñ)a⟨ḥ⟩ ś(r)¿i?⟨ī⟩◯har¡p!⟨ṣ⟩adevasya sūnuḥ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambhava⟨ḥ⟩ paramamāheśvaro mā-
1v5tāpitṛpā◯dānudhyātaḥ ś¡ṛī!⟨rī⟩mahāśivaguptarājaḥ kuśalīddandaHooked kośīrananda-
1v6puraviṣayīyavaṭapadrake brāhmaṇāṁ sampūjya sapradhānā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ prativāsino
1v7yathākālādhyāsinas samāhartṛsannidhātṛpramukhān adhikāriṇas sa-
1v8karaṇān anyā¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩ś cāsmatpādopajīvina{ḥ}s sarvvarājapuruṣā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ samājñā-
⎘ plate 2r 2r1payati

viditam astu bhavatāṁ yathāsmābhir ayaṁ grāmas sanidhiḥ sopanidhiḥ
2r2sadaśāparādhaḥ sarvvakarasametaḥ sarvvap¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍāvarjjitaḥ pratiṣiddha-
2r3cāṭabhaṭapraveśa¡ḥ!⟨ś⟩ {c}chātranāṭāsīman¿ī?⟨i⟩v¿ī?⟨i⟩ṣṭacchāndogacchātranārāyaṇo-
2r4pādhyāyadandaHooked◯trailokyaha¡n!⟨ṁ⟩sopādhyāyadandaHookedvidyādharaha¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩sopādhyāyadandaHookedparama-
2r5ha¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩sopā◯dhyāyadandaPlainnakṣatrarūpadandaPlainsaloṇavidyādharadandaHookedvidagdhāsuradandaHookedpṛ-
2r6thiv¿i?⟨ī⟩rūpadandaHookeddurgakalaśadandaHookedpodavarāhadandaHookedtālarūpadandaHookedmadhyāhnarūpebhyo dvā-
2r7daś¿e?⟨a⟩bhyas tathārddhā¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śabhāj¡as!⟨e⟩ trayodaśam avigrahacaritāya ca kārttikaśukla-
2r8dvādaśyāṁ mātāpittror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye tām{b}raśāsanenācandrā-
⎘ plate 2v 2v1rkasamakālopabhogārtha{ṁ}m udakapūrvvaṁ pratipādita Ity

ato vidheya-
2v2tayā Ebhyaḥ samucitaṁ bhogabhāgādikam upanayadbhi(ḥ bha)vadbhi(ḥ) sukhaṁ pra-
2v3tivasta¡b!⟨v⟩yam itiddandaHooked bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān uddiśyedam abhidhīyate

I. Vasantatilakā
bhū2v4mipradā ◯divi lalanti patanti hanta
hṛtvā mahīṁ nṛpata(yo) nara2v5ke nṛśa¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩sā◯TdandaHooked
Etad ⟨d⟩vayaṁ parikalayya calāñ ca lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m
āyus tathā ku2v6ruta yad bhava(tā)m abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh
rakṣāpālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggatī
ko 2v7nāma svarggam u¡cchi!⟨tsṛ⟩jya narakaṁ pratipadyateddandaHooked

vyāsagītā⟨ṁ⟩ś cātra ślo(kā)n udāha(ra)nti{ḥ}

III. Indravajrā
2v8Agner apatya(ṁ) prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ
bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś ca gāva⟨ḥ⟩
dattā⟨s⟩ trayas te⎘ plate 3r 3r1na bhavanti lokā
ya⟨ḥ⟩ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca mahī⟨ñ⟩ ⟨⟨ca⟩⟩ dadyāTdandaHooked

IV. Anuṣṭubh
ṣaṣṭ¿ī?⟨i⟩varṣasaha3r2srāṇi svargge modati bhūmida(ḥ)
Ākṣe¡tp!⟨pt⟩ā c(ā)numantā ca tāny eva narake 3r3vaseTdandaHooked

V. Anuṣṭubh
¡v!⟨b⟩ahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩
yasya yasya yadā bhūmi3r4s tasya tasya ◯tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh
svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradattām vā yatnād rakṣa yudh¿ī?⟨i⟩⟨⟨ṣṭhi⟩⟩ra{ḥ}
mahī⟨ṁ⟩ 3r5mahīmatā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nupālana¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩tiddandaHooked

pravarddhamānavija⊔yarājy¿a?⟨e⟩
3r6sa¡m!⟨ṁ⟩vatsa⟨re⟩ (9)dandaHooked kārttikaśukladi 10 2

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

1v4 °har¡p!⟨ṣ⟩adevasya°harṣadevasya PBD; °har¡p!⟨ṣ⟩adevasya AMS
1v8 cā°ca° PBD; cā° AMS
2r8 °pittror°pittror PBD; °pitror AMS
2v5 lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩mlakṣmīm PBD; lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m AMS
2v6 °durggatī°durggatī PBD; °durgatī AMS
2v8 vvaiṣṇavīvaiṣṇavī PBD; vvaiṣṇavī AMS2v8 °sutāś°s¿ū?⟨u⟩tāś PBD; °sutāś AMS
3r4 yudh¿ī?⟨i⟩⟨⟨ṣṭhi⟩⟩ra{ḥ}yudhi⟨⟨ṣṭhi⟩⟩ra PBD; yudh¿ī?⟨i⟩⟨⟨ṣṭhi⟩⟩ra{ḥ} AMS3r4 kārttikaśuklakārttikaśukla PBD; kārtikaśuklā AMS

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

The charter of Śivagupta, son of the illustrious king Harṣagupta, who is possessed of good qualities, endures as long as the existence of the earth.

Plates

1v1-2r1Success! Hail! The illustrious and great king Śivagupta who has been born in the Lunar Dynasty as the son of a king, the illustrious Harṣadeva, like Kārttikeya is of Kṛttivāsas (i.e., Śiva); who is entirely devoted to Maheśvara; who is favoured by his father and mother; and who is in good health: He has acquired all the qualities of a conqueror through the perfection of praiseworthy discipline, effected in particular by implementing all the “political sciences”; he is a refuge for the virtuous; and his great prosperity has been brought about by his superior valour, intelligence, and strength! After having saluted the Brahmins in the village of Vaṭapadraka situated in the Kośīranandapura viṣaya, [the king] issues [the following command] to all royal officers who are dedicated to our service, to the governor and other local council, headed by the collector and the receiver, to those who are temporarily posted [in the village], and to the residents [of the village] with their headman:

2r1-2v1Let it be known to you that by means of [this] copperplate charter and 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 twelve students of the Chāndoga (Sāmaveda) who are settled in the outskirts of Chātranāṭā, [namely], Nārāyaṇopādhyāya, Trailokyahaṁsopādhyāya, Vidyādharahaṁsopādhyāya, Paramahaṁsopādhyāya, Nakṣatrarūpa, Saloṇavidyādhara, Vidagdhāsura, Pṛthivīrūpa, Durgakalaśa, Podavarāha, Tālarūpa, and Madhyāhnarūpa; and to Avigrahacarita, who receives half a share as thirteenth [donee]. [The grant of the village], which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon and the sun will endure, [took place] on the twelfth [day] of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika [and] comes along with [the right to] hidden treasures and deposits; [the right to] punish and realise fines for the ten offences; [the right to collect] all taxes [payable to the king]; the exemption from all kinds of unpaid labour; and the exemption from being entered by irregular or regular troops.

2v1-2v3Therefore, you should render the proper prescribed [shares of] periodical offerings, produce, and the like to these [donees], while living happily [in this village]. And this is said for the instruction of the future kings:

2v3-2v6
[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:

2v6-2v7
Fortune and misfortune are truly the fruit of protecting and not protecting [the land]; who then discards heaven and resorts to hell?

2v7And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v8-3r1
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

3r1-3r3
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!

3r3-3r4
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!

3r4-3r5
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

3r5-3r6[The copperplate charter has been engraved on] the day 12 of the light [half] of the month of Kārttika, in the year 9 of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta].

Bibliography

First edited by Desai 1947-1948 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 119–123; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs.

Primary

Desai, P. B. 1947–1948. “Bardula Plates of Mahasivagupta: Year 9.” EI 27: 287–91.
[siglum PBD]
Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass.
119–123. [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].
99, 249–250.