Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 52

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00042

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 57"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

  1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: CONARTDaksinaKosala00039

Layout: engraved-43 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⟩śavidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahan¿i?⟨ī⟩yav¿a?⟨i⟩naya-
1v2sa⟨ṁ⟩patsampāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśrayaḥ prakṛṣṭa-
1v3taraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudayaḥ kārttikeya Iva
1v4kṛt⟨t⟩ivāsa◯so rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣaguptarājadevasya s¿u?⟨ū⟩nu⟨ḥ⟩ somava-
1v5¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambhava⟨ḥ⟩ paramamāh¿a?⟨e⟩śvaro mātāpitṛpādānudhyātaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśiva-
1v6guptarājadeva⟨ḥ⟩ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩ddandaHooked kikkiḍabhukt¿i?⟨ī⟩yagrāmāṭavituṅgedandaPlain brāhma-
1v7ṇāṁ sampūjya tatpratinivāsikuṭumb¿a?⟨i⟩no yathākālādhyāsinaḥ samā{da}-
⎘ plate 2r 2r1ha⟨r⟩tṛsan⟨n⟩idhātṛprabhṛt¿i?⟨ī⟩n asmatpādopaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vinaḥ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩ sa-
2r2mājñāpayatidandaPlain

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⟩dandaPlain 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⟩rapravartanāyadandaPlain mātāpitror āt¡n!⟨m⟩ana-
2v2ś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye samakālopabhogārtham ācandratārakārkkam uda-
2v3kapūr¡bv!⟨vv⟩akaṁ tām{b}raśāsanena pratipādita Ity

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

I. Vasantatilakā
bhūmipradā divi lalanti 2v6patanti hanta
hṛtvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo narake nṛśa¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩sā⟨T⟩dandaPlain
Etad ⟨d⟩vaya⟨ṁ⟩ parika2v7l¿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
rakṣā2v8pālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩
ko nāma svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya nara⎘ plate 3r 3r1ka⟨ṁ⟩ pratipadyateddandaHooked

¡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 bha3r3vanti lokā
yaḥ kāñcana⟨ṁ⟩ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāTdandaPlain

IV. Anuṣṭubh
¡s!⟨ṣ⟩aṣṭivarṣasaha3r4¡ś!⟨s⟩rāṇi svargge ◯modati bhūmidaḥdandaPlain
¿A?⟨Ā⟩cchettā cānumantā ca tāny eva na3r5rake va¡ś!⟨s⟩eT

V. Anuṣṭubh
◯bahubhir ¡bv!⟨vv⟩asudhā dattā rājabhiḥ sagarādibhiḥ
yasya ya3r6sya yadā bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh
svadattāṁ {m}paradat⟨t⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩m ¡b!⟨v⟩ā yatnād ra3r7kṣa yudhiṣṭhira{ḥ}
mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩bhṛtā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha{ḥ} dānā⟨t⟩ śreyo ’nupālanaṁdandaPlain

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 nāgadevenetiddandaHookedcircleddandaHooked

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° BJ2r5 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°°śrī° BJ
2r7 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mad¡u!⟨b⟩āleśvar¿i?⟨ī⟩ya°°śrīrmadrāleśvarīya° BJ2r7 °¡b!⟨v⟩yāpaśivā°°vyāpaśivā° BJ2r7–2r8 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩ /mad°°śrī/mad° BJ
2r8 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°śrī° BJ
2v1 °¡b!⟨v⟩yākhyānātra°°vyākhyānātra° BJ
2v5 ud⟨d⟩iśyedamudiṣyedam BJ
2v6 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩mahī BJ
2v7 lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩mlakṣmīm BJ2v7 abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁabhiṣṭaṁ BJ
3r1 ¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩śvyāsagītāś BJ
3r2 ¡bv!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩bvaiṣṇavī BJ
3r3 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñmahīñ BJ3r3 dadyāTdadyā⟨T⟩ BJ
3r5 va¡ś!⟨s⟩eTva¡ś!⟨s⟩e⟨T⟩ BJ
3r6 bh¿u?⟨ū⟩misbhūmis BJ3r6 svadattāṁ {m}paradat⟨t⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩msvadattām paradatam BJ
3r7 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩bhṛtā⟨ṁ⟩mahī mahībhṛtā BJ3r7 ’nupālanaṁ’nupālana BJ
3r8 dvā°dvavā° BJ
3v1 utk¿i?⟨ī⟩rṇṇaṁutkīrṇṇaṁ 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 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 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.