Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 11

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00034

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 38"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00031

Layout: engraved-34 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

rājñaḥ śrīharṣaguptasya sūnoḥ sadguṇaśālinaḥ

śāsanaṁ śivaguptasya sthitam ā bhuvanasthiteḥ

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1spiralR svasty aśeṣakṣitīśavidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahan¿i?⟨ī⟩yavinaya-
^1v2sampatsampāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśraya⟨ḥ⟩ prakṛ-
^1v3ṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudaya⟨ḥ⟩ kārtt¿e?⟨i⟩keya I-
^1v4va kṛttivā◯saso rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣadevasya sūnuḥ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasa-
^1v5mbhavaḥ paramamāheśvaro mātāpitṛpādānudhyātaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśivagu-
^1v6ptarājaḥ kuśalīddandaHooked svalpaśark⟨k⟩arāmārgīy¡a-A!⟨ā⟩ḍakerake brāhmaṇān saṁpū-
^1v7jya yathākālādhyāsi⟨nas⟩ ¡b!⟨v⟩yavahāriṇaḥ sakaraṇān an¡o!⟨yā⟩n api samāha-
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1rtṛsannidhātṛprabhṛt¡iḥ!⟨īn⟩dandaPlain sarvvarājapuruṣā⟨n⟩ prativāsinaś ca sa⟨ṁ⟩ni-
^2r2diś¿ā?⟨a⟩ti

viditam astu bhavatāṁ yathāsmābhir aya⟨ṁ⟩ grāmaḥ sanidhiḥ sopa-
^2r3nidhir acāṭabhaṭapraveśaḥ sarvvakarādānasahitaḥ sadaśāparādhaḥ
^2r4sadvopa◯dravavivarjjitaḥ mātāpittror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhivṛddha-
^2r5ye kāmakāyanasagotrāya ¡v!⟨b⟩ahv¿a?⟨ṛ⟩cabhaṭṭanandikumārāya Udaka-
^2r6pūrvvakam ācandrārkasamakālopabhogārtha⟨ṁ⟩ tām{v}raśāsanena pratipādi-
^2r7ta Ity

avagamyāsya samucita⟨ṁ⟩ bhogabhāgam upanayadbhiḥ bhava-
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1dbhi⟨ḥ⟩ sukhaṁ prativasta¡b!⟨v⟩yam itiddandaHooked bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān uddiśye-
^2v2dam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate

I. Vasantatilakā

bhūmipradā divi lalanti patanti hant¿i?⟨a⟩

hṛtvā ^2v3mah(ī)⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo narake nṛśa⟨ṁ⟩sā⟨T⟩

Etad ⟨d⟩vayaṁ parikalayya calā^2v4ñ ca lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩◯m

āyus tathā kuruta yad bhavatām abhīṣṭaṁ

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh

^2v5rakṣāpālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩

ko nāma svargga^2v6m uts¿ri?⟨ṛ⟩jya narakaṁ pratipadyate

¡b!⟨v⟩yāsagītāṁś cāt{t}ra ślokān udāha-
^2v7ranti

III. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇa⟨ṁ⟩

bhūr vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ sūryyasutā^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1ś ca gāva⟨ḥ⟩

dattā⟨s⟩ trayas tena bhavanti lokā

ya⟨ḥ⟩ kāñcana⟨ṁ⟩ gāñ c¿u?⟨a⟩ mahīñ c¿u?⟨a⟩ dadyā⟨T⟩

IV. Anuṣṭubh

^3r2ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ

Ācchettā cānumantā ca ^3r3tā¡ṇ!⟨n⟩y eva narake vaseTddandaHooked

V. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarādibhiḥ

^3r4yasya ya◯sya yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadat⟨t⟩āṁ para^3r5dat⟨t⟩ām vā yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira

mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ śreṣṭha dānā⟨t⟩ śreyo ’nu^3r6pālana¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩tidandaHooked

pravarddhamānavijayarājye sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare Ekādaśame jyeṣṭha-
^3r7śuk⟨l⟩apakṣapañcamyāṁ Utk(ī)rṇṇaṁ Ak¡ā!⟨ṣa⟩śālikaboppanāgas¿u?⟨ū⟩n¿a?⟨u⟩nā golāyy¿a?⟨e⟩na

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

^1v3 °sambhāvita° ◇ °savambhāvita° PKS
^1v4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° PKS — ^1v4 sūnuḥ ◇ s¿u?⟨ū⟩n¿ū?⟨u⟩ḥ PKS
^1v5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° PKS
^1v6 kuśalī ◇ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩ PKS — ^1v6–1v7 brāhmaṇān saṁpū/jya ◇ brāhmaṇā⟨ṁ⟩ saṁmpū/jya PKS
^1v7 °kālā° ◇ °kāla° PKS — ^1v7 yathākālādhyāsi⟨nas⟩ ¡b!⟨v⟩yavahāriṇaḥ • The intended reading may be yathākālādhyāsinaḥ and adhikāriṇaḥ, which are phrases used in the address of other copperplate charters issued by the same king. — ^1v7–2r1 samāha/rtṛ° ◇ samāha/tṛ° PKS
^2r2–2r3 sanidh¿ī?⟨i⟩ḥ sopa/nikadhar ◇ sanidhiḥ sopa/nidhir PKS
^2r4 sadvopa◯dravavivarjjitaḥ • The intended reading is probably sarvvapīḍāvarjjitaḥ, which is mentioned among the exemptions of the grant in other copperplate charters issued by the same king. — ^2r4 °pittror ◇ °pitror PKS
^2r5 °nandikumārāya ◇ °nandikumāraya PKS — ^2r5–2r6 Udaka/pūrvvakam ◇ Uṭaka/pūrvvakarm PKS
^2v1–2v2 uddiśye/dam ◇ uddaśye/dam PKS
^2v3 parikalayya ◇ parikalaruya PKS
^2v6 cāt{t}ra ◇ cātra PKS
^3r2 °sahasrāṇi ◇ °sahastrāṇi PKS
^3r4 bhūmis ◇ bhūmi PKS
^3r5 mahī⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ ⟨mahīṁ⟩ PKS
^3r7 °śuk⟨l⟩a° ◇ °śukla° PKS — ^3r7 °pañcamyāṁ ◇ °pañcamāṁ PKS — ^3r7 Ak¡ā!⟨ṣa⟩śālika° ◇ Āk¡ā!⟨ṣa⟩śālika° PKS

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 world

Plates

^1v1-2r2Success! 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 Āḍakeraka situated in the Svalpa-Śarkkarā mārga, [the king] issues [the following command] to all royal officers and the residents [of the village]; to the governor and other local council, beginning with the collector and the receiver; and to those who are temporarily posted [in the village]:

^2r2-2r7Let 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 bhaṭṭa Nandikumāra, belonging to the Kāmakāyana gotra and to the Bahvṛca [school]. [The grant of the village], which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon and the sun will endure, comes along with [the right to] hidden treasures and deposits; the exemption from being entered by irregular or regular troops; [the right to collect] all taxes [payable to the king]; [the right to] punish and realise fines for the ten offences; and the exemption from all kinds of unpaid labour.

^2r7-2v2Having 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:

2v2-2v4

[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:

2v5-2v6

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

^2v6-2v7And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v7-3r1

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

3r2-3r3

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!

3r4-3r6

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

^3r6-3r7In the eleventh year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta], on the fifth [day] of the light half of the month of Jyeṣṭha, the [copperplate charter] has been engraved by Golāyya, son of the goldsmith Boppanāga.

Bibliography

First edited by Singh 2009 from the original plates; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Singh).

Primary

Singh, Prabhat Kumar. 2009. “Sirpur Copper-Plates of Pāṇḍuvaṁśi Rulers.” PM 5: 11–27.

18–21. [siglum PKS]

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].

37, 77, 250.