Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 52

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2026-09-18Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00042.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⟩śavidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahan¿i?⟨ī⟩yav¿a?⟨i⟩naya-
^1v2sa⟨ṁ⟩patsampāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśrayaḥ prakr̥ṣṭa-
^1v3taraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudayaḥ kārttikeya Iva
^1v4kr̥t⟨t⟩ivāsa◯so rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣaguptarājadevasya s¿u?⟨ū⟩nu⟨ḥ⟩ somava-
^1v5¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambhava⟨ḥ⟩ paramamāh¿a?⟨e⟩śvaro mātāpitr̥pādānudhyātaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśiva-
^1v6guptarājadeva⟨ḥ⟩ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩| kikkiḍabhukt¿i?⟨ī⟩yagrāmāṭavituṅge| brāhma-
^1v7ṇāṁ sampūjya tatpratinivāsikuṭumb¿a?⟨i⟩no yathākālādhyāsinaḥ samā{da}-
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1ha⟨r⟩tr̥san⟨n⟩idhātr̥prabhr̥t¿i?⟨ī⟩n asmatpādopaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vinaḥ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ sa-
^2r2mājñāpayati|

viditam astu bhavatāṁ yathāsmābhiḥ sampraty ayaṁ grāmaḥ sani-
^2r3dhānaḥ sopanidhānaḥ s{s}ar¡bv!⟨vv⟩akarādānasameta⟨ḥ⟩ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩ap¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍāvivarjjitaḥ sada-
^2r4śāparādhaḥ ◯pratiṣiddhacāṭabhaṭapraveśa⟨ḥ⟩| asyām at¿i?⟨ī⟩takārttikapau-
^2r5rṇṇamāsyā◯m atraiva śr¿i?⟨ī⟩puratalapratiṣṭhitaśr¿i?⟨ī⟩¡mutnatle!⟨madbāle⟩śvaratapovana-
^2r6sthānagur¿u?⟨ū⟩bhyaḥ phuṭṭipāṭivinirggatanandapur¿i?⟨ī⟩yabhagavacchr¿i?⟨ī⟩madd¿i?⟨ī⟩-
^2r7rghācāryyapraśiṣyaśr¿i?⟨ī⟩mad¡u!⟨b⟩āleśvar¿i?⟨ī⟩yabhagavad¡b!⟨v⟩yāpaśivācāryyaśiṣyaśr¿i?⟨ī⟩-
^2r8madbhagavadastraśivācāryyebhyaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩jejjaṭavijñaptikayā śiṣyapra-
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1śiṣyāṇāṁ yāgad¿i?⟨ī⟩kṣā¡b!⟨v⟩yākhyānātrasat⟨t⟩rapravartanāya| mātāpitror āt¡n!⟨m⟩ana-
^2v2ś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩r̥ddhaye samakālopabhogārtham ācandratārakārkkam uda-
^2v3kapūr¡bv!⟨vv⟩akaṁ tām{b}raśāsanena pratipādita Ity

avagatya samucita bhoga-
^2v4bhāgādika⟨ṁ⟩ ◯samupanayanto bhavantaḥ sukhaṁ prativasant¿i?⟨ī⟩ti| bhāvina-
^2v5ś ca bhū⟨mi⟩pā◯lān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate|

I. Vasantatilakā

bhūmipradā divi lalanti ^2v6patanti hanta

hr̥tvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ nr̥patayo narake nr̥śa¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩sā⟨T⟩|

Etad ⟨d⟩vaya⟨ṁ⟩ parika^2v7l¿ai?⟨a⟩y⟨y⟩a calāñ ca lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m

āyus tathā ku⟨ru⟩ta yad bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh

rakṣā^2v8pālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩

ko nāma svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsr̥⟩jya nara^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1ka⟨ṁ⟩ pratipadyate|

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

III. Indravajrā

Agner apatya⟨ṁ⟩ ^3r2prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ

bhūr ¡bv!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ ¡ś!⟨s⟩ūryyasutāś ca gāvaḥ

dattā⟨s⟩ trayas tena bha^3r3vanti lokā

yaḥ kāñcana⟨ṁ⟩ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāT|

IV. Anuṣṭubh

¡s!⟨ṣ⟩aṣṭivarṣasaha^3r4¡ś!⟨s⟩rāṇi svargge ◯modati bhūmidaḥ|

¿A?⟨Ā⟩cchettā cānumantā ca tāny eva na^3r5rake va¡ś!⟨s⟩eT

V. Anuṣṭubh

◯bahubhir ¡bv!⟨vv⟩asudhā dattā rājabhiḥ sagarādibhiḥ

yasya ya^3r6sya yadā bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadattāṁ {m}paradat⟨t⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩m ¡b!⟨v⟩ā yatnād ra^3r7kṣa yudhiṣṭhira{ḥ}

mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩bhr̥tā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha{ḥ} dānā⟨t⟩ śreyo ’nupālanaṁ|

prava-
^3r8rddhamānavijayarājye sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare dvāpa¡n!⟨ñ⟩cāśe mārggaprathamacaturdaśyā-
^{⎘ plate 3v}^3v1m aṅkenāpi sam¡b!⟨v⟩a⟨tsa⟩ru 5 2 mārgga dina 1 4 utk¿i?⟨ī⟩rṇṇaṁ tām{b}rapaṭ⟨ṭ⟩¿i?⟨a⟩ka⟨ṁ⟩ golā-
^3v2yyas¿u?⟨ū⟩nunā nāgadeveneti|||

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

^1v1 °mahan¿i?⟨ī⟩ya° ◇ °mahanīya° BJ
^1v2 °vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu° ◇ °vijigīṣu° BJ
^1v4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ
^1v5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ
^2r3 °p¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍā° ◇ °pīḍā° BJ
^2r5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ — ^2r5 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ °śrī° BJ
^2r7 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mad¡u!⟨b⟩āleśvar¿i?⟨ī⟩ya° ◇ °śrīrmadrāleśvarīya° BJ — ^2r7 °¡b!⟨v⟩yāpaśivā° ◇ °vyāpaśivā° BJ — ^2r7–2r8 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩ /mad° ◇ °śrī/mad° BJ
^2r8 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ śrī° BJ
^2v1 °¡b!⟨v⟩yākhyānātra° ◇ °vyākhyānātra° BJ
^2v5 ud⟨d⟩iśyedam ◇ udiṣyedam BJ
^2v6 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ mahī BJ
^2v7 lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m ◇ lakṣmīm BJ — ^2v7 abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ ◇ abhiṣṭaṁ BJ
^3r1 ¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩ś ◇ vyāsagītāś BJ
^3r2 ¡bv!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ ◇ bvaiṣṇavī BJ
^3r3 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ◇ mahīñ BJ — ^3r3 dadyāT ◇ dadyā⟨T⟩ BJ
^3r5 va¡ś!⟨s⟩eT ◇ va¡ś!⟨s⟩e⟨T⟩ BJ
^3r6 bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mis ◇ bhūmis BJ — ^3r6 svadattāṁ {m}paradat⟨t⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩m ◇ svadattām paradatam BJ
^3r7 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩bhr̥tā⟨ṁ⟩ ◇ mahī mahībhr̥tā BJ — ^3r7 ’nupālanaṁ ◇ ’nupālana BJ
^3r8 dvā° ◇ dvavā° BJ
^3v1 utk¿i?⟨ī⟩rṇṇaṁ ◇ utkīrṇṇaṁ 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 rājadeva Śivagupta who has been born in the Lunar Dynasty as the son of a king, the illustrious rājadeva Harṣagupta, 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 Aṭavituṅga situated in the Kikkiḍa bhukti, [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 householders being inhabitants of that [village]:

^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 venerable acārya Astraśiva, who is the senior officiant at the penance grove belonging to the Bāleśvara temple established here in the plains of Śrīpura, [and] who is the pupil of the venerable acārya Vyāpaśiva of the illustrious Bāleśvara temple and the grand-pupil of the venerable acārya Dīrgha of Nandapura, who originally hailed from Phuṭṭipāṭi. [The grant of the village took place] at the end of this day of the full moon in the month of Kārttika, and was requested by the illustrious Jejjaṭa in order to finance offering ceremonies, initiations, teaching, and housing of pupils and grand-pupils. [The grant]), which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon, the stars, and the sun will endure, 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:

2v5-2v7

[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:

2v7-3r1

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

^3r1And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

3r1-3r3

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

3r3-3r5

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!

3r5-3r6

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!

3r6-3r7

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

^3r7-3v2On the fourteenth day of the first [fortnight] of the month of Mārga[śīrṣa], in the fifty-second year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta], in numbers: Year 52, [Month] Mārga, Day 14, 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].

81, 254.

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.