Boṇḍā Plates of Śivagupta, Year 22

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00036

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 48"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

  1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00033

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

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh
rājña⟨ḥ⟩ (śrīha)rṣaguptasya sūno⟨ḥ⟩ sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩
(śāsanaṁ śi)vaguptasya sthitam ā bhuvanasthiteḥ

Plates

⎘ plate 1v 1v1spiralR svasty aśeṣakṣ¿ī?⟨i⟩t¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩a(vi)dyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahanīyavina-
1v2yasampatsaṁpāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśrayaḥ
1v3prakṛṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasaṁbhāvitamahābhyudayaḥ kārttike-
1v4ya Iva ◯kṛttivāsaso rājñaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣadevasya sūnu⟨ḥ⟩ soma-
1v5va¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasa{ṁ}mbhavaḥ paramamāheśvaro mātāpittṛpādānudhyāta⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāś¿ī?⟨i⟩va-
1v6guptarāja⟨ḥ⟩ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩ddandaHooked lāyoḍḍakavaiṣayikaśarkkarāpāṭake brā-
1v7hmaṇāṁ saṁp¿u?⟨ū⟩jya sapradhānā⟨n⟩ prativāsino yathākālādhyāsina⟨ḥ⟩-
⎘ plate 2r 2r1samāharttṛsannidhāttṛpramukhān anyā¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩ś cāsmatpādopajīvina(ḥ)-
2r2sarvvarājapuruṣān samājñāpayati

viditam astu bhavatāṁ yathā-
2r3smābhir aya¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩ grāmaḥ sanidhiḥ sopanidhiḥ sadaśāparādhaḥ sarvvaka-
2r4rādānasa◯metaḥ sarvvap¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍāvarjjitaḥ pratiṣiddhacāṭabhaṭaprave-
2r5śo {c}chāndogabharadvājasagottrabhaṭṭat¡ṛ!⟨ri⟩vikramasvāmine pauṣasaṁkrāntyā-
2r6m udakapūrvvaṁ mātāpittror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye tām{b}raśāsanenā-
2r7candrārkasamakālopabhogārthaṁ pratipādita Ity

avagatyāsya vidhe-
⎘ plate 2v 2v1yatayā samucitaṁ bhogabhāgādikam upanayadbhir bhavadbhi⟨ḥ⟩ sukhaṁ prat(i)-
2v2vasta¡b!⟨v⟩yam itiddandaHooked bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān uddiśyedam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yat(e)

I. Vasantatilakā
bhūm¿ī?⟨i⟩2v3pradā divi lalanti patanti hanta
hṛtvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ṁ nṛpatayo narake nṛśa¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩2v4T
Etad ⟨d⟩va◯yaṁ parikalayya calāñ ca lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m
ā⟨yu⟩s tathā kuruta ya2v5d bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭa⟨ṁ⟩

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh
rakṣāpālanayos tāvat pha{ṁ}laṁ sugat¿ī?⟨i⟩2v6durggat¿i?⟨ī⟩
ko nāma svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya naraka(ṁ) pratipadyatedandaPlain

¡b!⟨v⟩yāsagī-
2v7tāṁś cāt{t}ra ślokān udāharanti

III. Indravajrā
Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇaṁ
⎘ plate 3r 3r1bhūr vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ sūryyasutāś ca gāvaḥ
datt¿a?⟨ā⟩s trayas tena bhavanti lokā
ya⟨ḥ⟩ 3r2k¿a?⟨ā⟩ñcanaṁ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāT

IV. Anuṣṭubh
ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge mo3r3dati bhūmidaḥ
Ācchettā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vaseT

V. Anuṣṭubh
ba3r4hubhir vasu◯dhā dattā rājabhiḥ sagarādibhiḥ
yasya yasya yadā bhūmi3r5⟨s⟩ tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh
svadattāṁ paradattām ¡b!⟨v⟩ā yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira
mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ 3r6mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ śreṣṭha dānā⟨t⟩ śreyo ’nupālana¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩tiddandaHooked

pravarddhamānavijayarājye
3r7sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare dvāvi¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śe pauṣaprathamapakṣaṣaṣṭhyām aṅkenāpi saṁ¡b!⟨v⟩aT 20 2 puṣya
⎘ plate 3v 3v1dina 6dandaPlain

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

1v1 °kṣ¿ī?⟨i⟩t¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩°kṣ¿ī?⟨i⟩t¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩a° MP; °kṣ¿ī?⟨i⟩t¿i?⟨ī⟩śa° AMS
1v2 °vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu°°vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu° MP; °v¿ī?⟨i⟩jig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu° AMS
1v5 °sa{ṁ}mbhavaḥ°sambhavaḥ MP; °sa{ṁ}mbhavaḥ AMS1v5 °pittṛ°°pitṛ° MP; °pittṛ° AMS
2r1 °sannidhāttṛ°°sannidhāt{t}ṛ° MP; °sa{ṁ}nnidhāt{t}ṛ° AMS2r1 °opajīvina(ḥ)°opajīv¿ī?⟨i⟩na(ḥ) MP; °opajīv¿ī?⟨i⟩na(ḥ) AMS
2r5 °sagottra°°sagottra° MP; °sagotra° AMS
2r6 °pittror°pittror MP; °pitror AMS
2v1 prat(i)°prat¿ī?⟨i⟩° MP; prati° AMS
2v5 pha{ṁ}laṁphalaṁ MP; pha{ṁ}laṁ AMS2v5 sugat¿ī?⟨i⟩°sugati° MP; sugat¿ī?⟨i⟩° AMS
2v7 cāt{t}racāt{t}ra MP; cātra AMS
3r1 sutāś ca gāvaḥsutāś ca gāvaḥ MP; sutā gāvaḥ AMS3r1 datt¿a?⟨ā⟩sdattās MP; datt¿a?⟨ā⟩s AMS
3r4 sagarādibhiḥsagarādibhiḥ MP; s¿ā?⟨a⟩garādibhiḥ AMS
3r7 sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsaresam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare MP; samvatsare 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 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 Śarkkarāpāṭaka situated in the Lāyoḍḍaka viṣaya, [the king] issues [the following command] to all royal officers who are dedicated to our service 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:

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 Trivikramasvāmin, belonging to the Bharadvāja gotra and to the Chāndoga [school]. [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 occasion of a saṁkrānti in the month of Pauṣa [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.

2r7-2v2Having taken note of that, you should render the proper prescribed [shares of] periodical offerings, produce, and the like to to the donee, while living happily [in this village]. And this is said for the instruction of the future kings:

2v2-2v5
[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:

2v7-3r2
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!

3r3-3r5
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!

3r5-3r6
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

3r6-3v1[The copperplate charter has been engraved] on the sixth day of the first half of the month of Pauṣa in the twenty-second year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta]. In numbers: Year 22, [Month] Pauṣa, Day 6.

Bibliography

First edited by Mirashi and Pandeya 1963-1964 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 124–127; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Mirashi and Pandeya).

Primary

Mirashi, Vasudev Vishnu & L.P. Pandeya. 1963–1964. “Bonda Plates of Mahasivagupta, Year 22.” EI 35: 60–65.
[siglum MP]
Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass.
124–127. [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].
251.