Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 48

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00040

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: undated (presumably year 55 or later)"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00037

Layout: engraved-32 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⟩śavidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahanīyavina-
^1v2yasampatsampāditasakalaviji¿g?īṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśraya⟨ḥ⟩ pra-
^1v3kṛṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudaya⟨ḥ⟩ kārttikeya Iva
^1v4kṛt⟨t⟩ivāsa◯¡ś!⟨s⟩o rājñaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣadevasya ¡ś!⟨s⟩¿u?⟨ū⟩nu⟨ḥ⟩ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambhava¡t!⟨ḥ⟩ paramamā-
^1v5heśvaro mātāpitṛpādānudhyātaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśivaguptarāja⟨ḥ⟩ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩ddandaHooked
^1v6cullāṭasīmābhogīyabh¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇḍāgārāśvatthakapratibaddhadevapadrūllakedandaPlain br¿a?⟨ā⟩-
^1v7hmaṇā⟨ṁ⟩ samp¿u?⟨ū⟩jya tatpratinivāsinaś ca sapradhānān anyān api
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1samāhartṛsannidhātṛprabhṛt¿i?⟨ī⟩n asmatpādopaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vinaḥ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩arājapuru-
^2r2ṣā¡t!⟨n⟩ samājñāpayatidandaPlain

viditam astu bhavatā¡ḥ!⟨ṁ⟩ yathāsmābhiḥ sampraty a⟨yaṁ⟩ grāmaḥ
^2r3san¿a?⟨i⟩dhiḥ sopanidhiḥ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩akarādānasametaḥ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩ap¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍāvivarjjitaḥ sadaśā-
^2r4parādhaḥ pra◯tiṣiddhacāṭabhaṭapraveśaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩puratalapratiṣṭh¿a?⟨i⟩taśr¿i?⟨ī⟩bāle-
^2r5śvarabhaṭṭārakama¡ṭ!⟨ṭh⟩ikāttaḥpātipratyāyanaśr¿i?⟨ī⟩madamaradev¿i?⟨ī⟩kāritāma-
^2r6reśvarāyatanadevabhaṭṭārakapratiṣṭhāyāṁ nandapur¿i?⟨ī⟩yaśr¿i?⟨ī⟩madaghoraśivā-
^2r7paranāmad¿i?⟨ī⟩rghācāryyapraśiṣyebhyaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩¡b!⟨v⟩yāpaśivācāryyaśiṣyebhyo ⟨a⟩straśi-
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1vabhagavatpādebhyo gurupujāyāṁ śiṣyapraśiṣyāṇāṁ yāga¡daśattra!⟨dīkṣāvyākhyānasattra⟩catu-
^2v2ṣṭa¡v!⟨y⟩apravarttanāyāsyā eva vijñaptyāmarade¡b!⟨v⟩yā mātāpitror ātmanaś ca pu-
^2v3ṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye samakālopabhogārtha{ṁ}m udakapūr¡bv!⟨vv⟩aka{ṁ}m ācandratārak{k}ā-
^2v4rkka⟨ṁ⟩ tām{b}raśā◯sanena pratipādita Ity

avagamyāsya yathocita⟨ṁ⟩ bho-
^2v5gabhāgādikam upanayanto bhavantaḥ sukhaṁ prativasantuddandaHooked bhāvinaś ca bh¿ū?-
^2v6⟨mi⟩pālān uddiśyedam abh¿ī?⟨i⟩dh¿i?⟨ī⟩yatedandaPlain

I. Vasantatilakā

bhūmipradā divi lalanti patanti ^2v7hanta

hṛtvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo narake nṛśa¡t!⟨ṁ⟩s¿a?⟨ā⟩TdandaPlain

Etad ⟨d⟩vaya⟨ṁ⟩ parika^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1layya calāñ ca lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m

āyus tathā kuruta yad bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭa⟨ṁ⟩dandaPlain

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh

^3r2rakṣāpālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩

ko nā⟨ma⟩ svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya nara^3r3kaṁ pratipadyate ddandaHooked

¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩ś cātra ślokān udāharantidandaPlain

III. Indravajrā

Agner apatya⟨ṁ⟩ ^3r4prathama⟨ṁ⟩ su◯varṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩

bhūr ¡bv!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ sūryyasutā{ṁ}ś ca gāvaḥ

dattās trayas tena bha^3r5vanti lokā

yaḥ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāTdandaPlain

IV. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭivarṣasaha¡ś!⟨s⟩rāṇi ^3r6svargge modati bhūmidaḥ

¿A?⟨Ā⟩cchettā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake va¡ś!⟨s⟩eTdandaPlain

V. Anuṣṭubh

^3r7bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhiḥ sagarādibhiḥ

yasya yasya yadā bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mi^{⎘ plate 3v}^3v1s tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradat⟨t⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩m ¡b!⟨v⟩ā yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira{ḥ}

^3v2mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩bhṛtā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha{ḥ} dānā{t}c chreyo ’nupālanaṁddandaHooked

pravarddhamānavija-
^3v3yarājye sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare aṣ¡ṭh!⟨ṭ⟩acatv¿a?⟨ā⟩ri¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śe phalguṇadin¿a?⟨e⟩ 2 5 Aṅkenāpi sam¡b!⟨v⟩a-
^3v4t¡ch!⟨s⟩aru 4 8 Utk¿i?⟨ī⟩rṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩ tām{b}rapaṭ⟨ṭ⟩¿i?⟨a⟩ka⟨ṁ⟩ golāyyasya ¡ś!⟨s⟩¿u?⟨ū⟩nunā nāgadevenetidandaPlain

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

^1v1 °kṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩śa° ◇ °kṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣa° BJ — ^1v1 °mahanīya° ◇ °mahan¿i?⟨ī⟩ya° BJ
^1v2 °viji¿g?īṣu° ◇ °viji¡ś!⟨g⟩īṣu° BJ • The letter ga slightly deviates from its regular shape because of an additional horizontal stroke below the box-shaped head of the letter. Contrary to the horizontal stroke of the letter śa, which is positioned in the middle of the character, this stroke is inscribed immediately below the box. Therefore, it is more likely that the stroke was added by mistake.
^1v4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ — ^1v4 somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śa° ◇ somavaṅsa° BJ
^1v5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ
^1v6 cullāṭa° ◇ callāṭa° BJ
^2r4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ — ^2r4 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ °śrī° BJ
^2r5 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ °śrī° BJ
^2r6 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ °śrī° BJ
^2r7 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ — ^2r7 ⟨a⟩stra° ◇ ratra° BJ
^2v2 yāga¡daśattra!⟨dīkṣāvyākhyānasattra⟩catu/ṣṭa¡v!⟨y⟩apravarttanāyāsyā • The word catuṣṭaya denotes a set of four and sattra, teaching, initiations and offering ceremonies are a common combination in records related to the Bāleśvara complex. — ^2v2 vijñaptyā° ◇ vijñaptayā° BJ
^2v6 uddiśyedam ◇ uddiṣyedam BJ — ^2v6 abh¿ī?⟨i⟩dh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate ◇ abhidhiyate BJ
^2v7 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ mahī BJ
^3r1 lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m ◇ kṣmīm BJ
^3r3 °¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩ś ◇ °byāsagītāś BJ
^3r4 ¡bv!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ ◇ bvaiṣṇavī BJ
^3r5 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ◇ mahīñ BJ
^3r7–3v1 bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mi/s ◇ bhūmi/s BJ
^3v4 Utk¿i?⟨ī⟩rṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ Utkīrṇṇa BJ — ^3v4 °dandaPlain ◇ °ddandaPlain 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 Devapadrūllaka attached to Bhaṇḍāgāra-Aśvatthaka in the Cullāṭasīmā bhoga, [the king] issues [the following command] to all royal officers who are dedicated to our service, beginning with the collector and the receiver; and to the other inhabitants of that [village] with their headman:

^2r2-2v4Let 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 venerable Astraśiva, pupil of the venerable ācārya Vyāpaśiva and grand-pupil of the venerable ācārya Dīrgha of Nandapura, whose other name is Aghoraśiva. [The grant of the village] was in honour of the teacher [and took place] on the occasion of the installation of the devabhaṭṭāraka in the Amareśvara temple, which was erected by the illustrious [queen] Amaradevī in the maṭhikā of the illustrious Bāleśvara-bhaṭṭāraka temple, the latter being established in the plains of Śrīpura. [The grant]), which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon, the stars, and the sun will endure, was issued at the request of Amaradevī for the purpose of [financing] a sattra, teaching, initiations and offering ceremonies for the pupils and grand-pupils [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.

^2v4-2v6Having taken note of that, you should render the proper [shares of] periodical offerings, produce, and the like to the donee, while living happily [in this village]. And this is said for the instruction of the future kings:

2v6-3r1

[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:

3r2-3r3

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

^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!

3r7-3v1

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!

^3v2-3v4On the day 25 of the month of Phalguṇa, in the forty-eighth year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta], in numbers: Year 48, the copperplate charter has been engraved by Nāgadeva, son of Golāyya.

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].

37, 46, 78, 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.