Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 46

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00039

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 55"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

  1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00036

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

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh
rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śrīharṣaguptasya sūno⟨ḥ⟩ sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩
śāsanaṁ śivaguptasya sthitam ā bhuvanasthite⟨ḥ⟩

Plates

⎘ plate 1v 1v1spiralR svasty aśeṣakṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩avidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahanīya{ḥ}vi-
1v2nayasampatsampāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ś!⟨ṣ⟩uguṇo guṇavatsamāśraya⟨ḥ⟩
1v3prakṛṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudaya⟨ḥ⟩ kārt⟨t⟩ike-
1v4ya Iva kṛ◯t⟨t⟩ivāsa¡ś!⟨s⟩o rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣadevasya ¡ś!⟨s⟩¿u?⟨ū⟩nu⟨ḥ⟩ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambha-
1v5va⟨ḥ⟩ paramamāheśvaro mātāpit¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩pādānudhyāta⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśivagupta-
1v6rāja⟨ḥ⟩ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩ddandaHooked dev¿i?⟨ī⟩bhog¿i?⟨ī⟩yabhāṇḍāgāratakkaḍaṅgake brāhma-
1v7ṇā⟨ṁ⟩ saṁp¿u?⟨ū⟩jya tatpratinivāsinaś ca sapradhānān a¡ṇ!⟨n⟩¡n!⟨ṁ⟩ś ca yathākāla-
⎘ plate 2r 2r1bhāvina⟨ḥ⟩ sam¿a?⟨ā⟩ha⟨r⟩t¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩san⟨n⟩idhātṛprabhṛt¿i?⟨ī⟩n asmatpādopaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vina⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvarā⟨ja⟩-
2r2puruṣā⟨n⟩ samājñāpayati

viditam astu bhavatā⟨ṁ⟩ yathāsmābhi⟨ḥ⟩ sa⟨ṁ⟩praty a-
2r3yaṁ gr¿a?⟨ā⟩ma⟨ḥ⟩ sanidhāna⟨ḥ⟩ sopanidhāna⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvakarādānasameta⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvap¿i?⟨ī⟩-
2r4ḍāvivarji◯ta⟨ḥ⟩ sadaśāparādha⟨ḥ⟩ pratiṣiddhacāṭabhaṭapraveśa⟨ḥ⟩ Ihai-
2r5va śr¿i?⟨ī⟩puratalakāritaśr¿i?⟨ī⟩bāleśvarabhaṭṭārakamaṭhikāntasvakārit¿o?⟨a⟩-
2r6dayeśvarabhaṭṭārakāya pratiṣṭhāyām eva khaṇḍasphuṭitasa⟨ṁ⟩sk¿a?⟨ā⟩rā-
2r7rtha⟨ṁ⟩ t{t}adupayogiparikarapratipālanārtha¡ma!⟨ṁ⟩ hara{ha}p¿u?⟨ū⟩jā-
⎘ plate 2v 2v1sa⟨ṁ⟩g¿i?⟨ī⟩takapravarttan¿a?⟨ā⟩rtha¡ñ!⟨ṁ⟩ ca mātāpitror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddha-
2v2ye samakālopabhogārtham udakapūrvvakam ¿a?⟨ā⟩candratārakārkka⟨ṁ⟩ tām{v}raśā-
2v3sanena sat⟨t⟩rāya gorasapat⟨t⟩ra¡ga!⟨śā⟩kakalpayitvā pratipādita Ity

avaga-
2v4mya samuci◯ta⟨ṁ⟩ bhogabhāgādikam upanaya¡m!⟨d⟩bhir bhava¡m!⟨d⟩bhi⟨ḥ⟩ sukhaṁ pra-
2v5tivasta¡b!⟨v⟩yam itiddandaHooked bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate

I. Vasantatilakā
bhū2v6mipradā divi lalanti patanti hanta
hṛtvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo narake 2v7nṛ¡saṅś!⟨śaṁs⟩āTdandaPlain
Etad ⟨d⟩vaya⟨ṁ⟩ parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yya calāñ ca lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m
āyus tathā kuru⎘ plate 3r 3r1ta yad bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ

A¡ṣ!⟨p⟩i ca

II. Anuṣṭubh
rakṣāpālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidu3r2rggat¿i?⟨ī⟩
ko nāma svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya narakaṁ pratipadyateddandaHooked

¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩ś cātra śl¿a?⟨o⟩-
3r3kān udāharanti

III. Indravajrā
Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ
bhūr vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ ¡g!⟨s⟩ū3r4ryyasutāś ca ◯gāva⟨ḥ⟩
dattā⟨s⟩ trayas tena bhavanti lokā
yaḥ kāñcana⟨ṁ⟩ gā3r5ñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāTdandaPlain

IV. Anuṣṭubh
ṣaṣ¡ṭh!⟨ṭ⟩ivarṣasaha¡ś!⟨s⟩rāṇi svargge modati bhū3r6mida⟨ḥ⟩
Ācchettā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vaseTdandaPlain

V. Anuṣṭubh
bahubhi3r7r vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ ¡ś!⟨s⟩agarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩
yasya yasya yadā bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mi⟨s⟩ tasya ⎘ plate 3v 3v1tasya ta◯dā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh
svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradat⟨t⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩m ¡b!⟨v⟩ā yatnād rakṣa yudhi3v2ṣṭhira
mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩mat{t}ā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha dān¿a?⟨ā⟩⟨t⟩ ¡g!⟨ś⟩reyo ’nupālana¡m!⟨M⟩

¡i!⟨I⟩tiddandaHooked


3v3pravarddhamānavijayarājye sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare ṣadcattvāri¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śe śrāvaṇapau
3v4rṇṇamā¡ś!⟨s⟩yām aṅkenāpi sam¡b!⟨v⟩aTdandaPlain pū 4 6 śrāvaṇa di rla circle

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

1v1 °mahanīya{ḥ}°°mahan¿i?⟨ī⟩ya° BJ
1v2 °vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ś!⟨ṣ⟩°vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu° BJ
1v4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°śrī° BJ
1v5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°śrī° BJ
2r5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°śrī° BJ2r5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° BJ
2v5 ud⟨d⟩iśyedamudiṣyedam BJ
2v7 lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩mlakṣmīm BJ2v7–3r1 kuru/tak¿ū?⟨u⟩ru/ta BJ
3r2 ko nāmako ¡māna!⟨nāma⟩ BJ3r2 ¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩śvyāsagītāś BJ
3r3 suvarṇṇaṁsuvarṇṇa BJ3r3 vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩vvaiṣṇavī BJ
3r5 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñmahīñ BJ3r5 °saha¡ś!⟨s⟩rāṇi svargge°sahastrāṇi svargga BJ
3v2 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩mat{t}ā⟨ṁ⟩mahīmattā BJ
3v4 sam¡b!⟨v⟩aTsamba⟨T⟩ 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 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 Bhāṇḍāgāra-Takkaḍaṅgaka situated in the Devī bhoga, [the king] issues [the following command] to all 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 other inhabitants of that [village] with their headman:

2r2-2v3Let 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 today for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to the Dayeśvara-bhaṭṭāraka temple that was erected by ourselves (i.e., Śivagupta) inside the maṭhikā of the illustrious Bāleśvara-bhaṭṭāra temple, the latter being erected by ourselves [as well] here in the plains of Śrīpura. [The grant of the village took place] on the occasion of the establishment [of the Dayeśvara temple] and was made for the purpose of [financing] the repair of the temple’s [future] dilapidations; to sustain the shrine’s entourage and to sponsor music and worship for Hara. [The grant]), which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon, the stars, and the sun will endure, was issued after having furnished the sattra with milk and vegetables [and] comes along with [the right to] hidden treasures and deposits; [the right to collect] all taxes [payable to the king]; the exemption from all kinds of unpaid labour; [the right to] punish and realise fines for the ten offences; and the exemption from being entered by irregular or regular troops.

2v3-2v5Having taken note of that, you should render the proper [shares of] periodical offerings, produce, and the like, while living happily [in this village]. And this is said for the instruction of the future kings:

2v5-3r1
[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:

3r1-3r2
Fortune and misfortune are truly the fruit of protecting and not protecting [the land]; who then discards heaven and resorts to hell?

3r2-3r3And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

3r3-3r5
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

3r5-3r6
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!

3r6-3v1
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!

3v1-3v2
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

3v3-3v4[The copperplate charter has been engraved] on the day of the full moon in the month of Śrāvaṇa, in the forty-sixth year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta]. In numbers: Year 46, [Month] Śrāvaṇa, Day 30.

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].
78, 252–253.
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.