Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 37

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2026-09-18Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00037.xml

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

No metadata were provided in the table for this inscription

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śrīharṣaguptasya sūno⟨ḥ⟩ sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩

śāsanaṁ śivaguptasya sthitam ā bhuvanasthite⟨ḥ⟩

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1| svasty aśeṣakṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩avidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahan¿i?⟨ī⟩yavi-
^1v2nayasampatsaṁpāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśraya⟨ḥ⟩
^1v3prakr̥ṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvi{ḥ}ta{ḥ}mahābhyudaya⟨ḥ⟩ kārttikeya
^1v4Iva kr̥t⟨t⟩i◯vāsaso rājñaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣadevasya sūnu⟨ḥ⟩ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasa-
^1v5mbhava⟨ḥ⟩ paramamāheśvaro mātāpi⟨tr̥pā⟩dānudhyāta⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśivaguptarājaḥ
^1v6kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩| svalpaśarkarāmārgg¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ya⟩hastipadrake brāhmaṇāṁ{ṅ} saṁpūjya sapra-
^1v7dhānā¡t!⟨n⟩ prativāsino yathākālādhyāsina⟨ḥ⟩ samāhartr̥sannidhā{r}tr̥prabhr̥t¿i?⟨ī⟩-
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1n anyā⟨ṁ⟩ś cāsmatpādopaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vina⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvarājapuruṣā⟨n⟩ saka⟨ra⟩ṇān adhikā-
^2r2riṇaś ca samājñāpayati

viditam astu bhavatāṁ yathāsmābhir aya⟨ṁ⟩ grāma⟨ḥ⟩
^2r3sanidhāna⟨ḥ⟩ sopanidhāna⟨ḥ⟩ sadaśāp⟦ā⟧⟨⟨a⟩⟩rādha⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvakarādānasameta⟨ḥ⟩ prati-
^2r4ṣi⟨d⟩dhacāṭa◯bhaṭapraveś¡ā!⟨aḥ A⟩dya vaiśākhaprathamapañcamyā⟨ṁ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩bāleśva-
^2r5rapratiṣṭhākāl¿a?⟨e⟩ nandap¿ū?⟨u⟩r¿i?⟨ī⟩yabhagavatpādad¿i?⟨ī⟩rghācāryyaśiṣyavyāpaśivā-
^2r6cāryyabhagavatpādānā¡n!⟨ṁ⟩ udakapūrvvaṁ mātāpittror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩r̥ddha-
^2r7ye tām{v}raśāsanenācandrārkasamakālopabhogārtha⟨ṁ⟩ pratipādita Ity

a-
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1vagatyāmiṣā samucitaṁ bhogabhāgādikam upanayadbhi{ḥ}r bhavadbhi⟨ḥ⟩ sukha(ṁ) pra-
^2v2tivastavyam iti| bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate

I. Vasantatilakā

bhūmi^2v3pradā divi lala{ṁ}nti patanti hanta

hr̥tvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ nr̥patayo narake nr̥śa^2v4¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩sāT|

Eta◯d ⟨d⟩vayaṁ parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yya calāñ ca lakṣmīm

āyus tathā kuruta ^2v5yad bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ

¿Ā?⟨A⟩pi ca

II. Anuṣṭubh

rakṣāpālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩

ko ^2v6nāma svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsr̥⟩jya narakaṁ pratipadyate|

vyāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tāṁś cāt{t}ra ślokān u-
^2v7dāharanti

III. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ

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

dattā⟨s⟩ t{t}rayas tena bhavanti lokā

ya⟨ḥ kā⟩ñcanaṁ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāT

IV. Anuṣṭubh

^3r2ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ

Ācchet⟨t⟩ā cānuma{ṁ}ntā ca tā^3r3ny eva narake vaseT

V. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩

yasya ^3r4yasya yadā ◯bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadattāṁ {m}paradat⟨t⟩ām vā ^3r5yatnād rakṣa{ḥ} yudhiṣṭhira

mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha{ḥ} dānā⟨t⟩ śreyo ’nupālana^3r6¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩ti|

pravarddhamānavijayarājye samvatsare saptatri¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śe vaiśā-
^3r7khaprathamapañcamy¡ā!⟨āṁ A⟩ṅkenāpi samvaT rla gra vaiśākha dina 5

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

^1v4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ
^1v5 mātāpi⟨tr̥pā⟩dānudhyāta⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ mātāpi⟨tr̥⟩pāpādānudhyāta BJ — ^1v5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ
^1v6 °mārgg¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ya⟩° ◇ °mārggī° BJ — ^1v6 brāhmaṇāṁ{ṅ} saṁpūjya ◇ brāhmaṇāṅ sapūjya BJ
^2r1 °opaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vina⟨ḥ⟩ ◇ °opajīvina BJ
^2r4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ
^2r6 °pādānā¡n!⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ °pādānāṁm BJ — ^2r6 udaka° ◇ udraka° BJ
^2v3 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ mahī BJ
^2v5 ¿Ā?⟨A⟩pi ◇ Api BJ
^2v6 °g¿i?⟨ī⟩tāṁś ◇ °gītāṁś BJ
^2v7 vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ ◇ vvaiṣṇavī BJ
^3r1 ya⟨ḥ kā⟩ñcanaṁ ◇ ya ⟨kā⟩ñcunaṁ BJ — ^3r1 ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca ◇ cu mahīñ cu BJ
^3r2 cānuma{ṁ}ntā ◇ cānumantā BJ
^3r7 samvaT rla gra ◇ samva 30 7 rla gra BJ

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 Kr̥ttivāsas (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 Hastipadraka situated in the Svalpa-Śarkkarā mārga, [the king] issues [the following command] to the governor and local council, to all other royal officers who are dedicated to our service, beginning with 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 the venerable ācārya Vyāpaśiva, pupil of the venerable ācārya Dīrgha of Nandapura. [The grant of the village took place] today, on the fifth [day] of the first [fortnight] of the month of Vaiśākha, on the occasion of the establishment of the illustrious Bāleśvara temple. [The grant]), 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 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 [shares of] periodical offerings, produce, and the like to those [donees], 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:

2v7-3r1

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!

^3r6-3r7[The copperplate charter has been engraved] on the fifth [day] of the first [fortnight] of the month of Vaiśākha, in the thirty-seventh year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta]. In numbers: Year 37, [Month] Vaiśākha, Day 5.

Bibliography

First edited by Jain et al. 2005: 196–217 from the original plates; published again by Bosma 2013; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma from the original plates (edition of the seal based on Jain).

Primary

Bosma, Natasja. 2013. “The Bāleśvara Temple Complex of Śivagupta: Epigraphical Evidence for the Śaiva Siddhānta and Soma Siddhānta Traditions in Dakṣiṇa Kosala.” IIJ 56 (3–4): 245–61. [DOI: 10.1163/15728536-13560309].

[siglum NB]

Jain, Balchandra, Girdhari L. Raikwar & Rahul Kumar Singh. 2005. Utkīrṇa lekha. Second edition. Chhattīsgarh (India): Culture & Archaeology Department.

196–217. [siglum BJ]

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.

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1992. “Balesvara-Bhattaraka, a Hitherto Unknown Saiva Establishment at Sripura.” JESI 18: 15–23.

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass.

196–217.