Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 55

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00043

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier: Year 57"

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

  1. Secondary language is late_Brahmi, script and

Corresponding Artefact: ARTDaksinaKosala000008

Layout: engraved-8 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⟩śavidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsādit¿i?⟨a⟩mahan¿i?⟨ī⟩yavinayasa-
1v2mpatsampāditasakalavij¿ī?⟨i⟩g¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇava{TdandaPlain}tsamāśrayaḥ prakṛ-
1v3ṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudaya⟨ḥ⟩ kārt⟨t⟩ikeya Iva{ḥ}
1v4kṛt⟨t⟩ivāsa◯¡ṣ!⟨s⟩o rājñaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣaguptar⟦e⟧⟨⟨ā⟩⟩jadevasya s¿u?⟨ū⟩nu⟨ḥ⟩ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasa-
1v5mbhava¡t!⟨ḥ⟩ paramamāheśvaro mātāpit¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩pādānudhyātaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśivaguptarāja⟨ḥ⟩-
1v6devaḥ kuśalīddandaHooked Uṇibhog¿i?⟨ī⟩yagrāmavārttoḍakedandaPlain brāhmaṇā⟨ṁ⟩ sa¡t!⟨ṁ⟩pūjya
1v7tatpratinivāsikuṭumbino yathākālādhyāsinas samāhartṛsan⟨n⟩idhātṛ-
⎘ plate 2r 2r1prabhṛt¿i?⟨ī⟩n asmatpādopaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vinaś ca sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣā¡ḥ!⟨n⟩ samā-
2r2jñāpayatidandaPlain

viditam astu bhavatā¡ḥ!⟨ṁ⟩ yathāsmābhir ayaṁ grāmaḥ samprati
2r3sanidhānaḥ sopanidhānas sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩akarādānasametaḥ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩ap¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍāviva-
2r4rjjitas sa◯daśāparādhaḥ pratiṣiddhacāṭabhaṭapraveśaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩bāle-
2r5śvarabhaṭṭārakaprati¡dvābba!⟨baddhāmme⟩śvarabhaṭṭārakapratiṣṭ¿a?⟨ā⟩kāle devakula-
2r6khaṇḍasphuṭitasaṁskāraṅap¿u?⟨ū⟩jādipravarttanārtham arddhenadandaPlain apa-
2r7rārddhenāpi gurudakṣiṇāyāṁ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩bhagavad¡b!⟨v⟩yāpaśivācāryyapādaśi-
⎘ plate 2v 2v1ṣyaśr¿i?⟨ī⟩madastraśivācāryyasthānagurubhyaḥ śiṣyapraśiṣyāṇāṁ ¡b!⟨v⟩yākhyānāt¡t!⟨r⟩a-
2v2sat⟨t⟩rapravarttanāyadandaPlain a¡bv!⟨bb⟩ani¡bv!⟨bb⟩aḍirājñ¿i?⟨ī⟩vijñaptikayā mātāpitror āt¡n!⟨m⟩anaś ca
2v3puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye samakālopabhogārtham ācandratārakārkka⟨ṁ⟩ payaḥpūr¡bv!⟨vv⟩akaṁ
2v4tām{b}raś¿a?⟨ā⟩sa◯nena pratipādito gorasapatraśāko devasya varjayi-
2v5tvā ⟨I⟩ty

avagatya samucita⟨ṁ⟩ bhogabhāgādikam upanayanto bhavantaḥ sukhaṁ-
2v6prativasa⟨n⟩tuddandaHooked bhāvinaś ca bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mipālān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate

I. Vasantatilakā
bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mipra2v7dā divi lalanti patanti hanta
hṛtvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo narake nṛ¡saṅśa!⟨śaṁsā⟩TdandaPlain
⎘ plate 3r 3r1Etad ⟨d⟩vaya⟨ṁ⟩ parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩y⟨y⟩a{ḥ} calāñ ca lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m
āyus tathā kuruta yad bhavatā3r2m abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh
ra¡khyā!⟨kṣā⟩pālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggatī
ko nāma sva3r3rggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya narakaṁ pratipadyateddandaHooked

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

III. Indravajrā
A3r4gner apatyaṁ ◯prathama⟨ṁ⟩ suvarṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩
bhūr ¡bv!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ sūryya¡ś!⟨s⟩utāś ca gāvaḥ
dattā⟨s⟩ traya3r5s tena bhava◯nti lokā
yaḥ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāTdandaPlain

IV. Anuṣṭubh
ṣaṣṭivarṣasa3r6ha¡ś!⟨s⟩rāṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ
¿A?⟨Ā⟩cchet⟨t⟩ā cānumantā ca t{t}āny eva narake va¡ś!⟨s⟩eTdandaPlain

V. Anuṣṭubh
3r7bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ ¡ś!⟨s⟩agarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩
yasya yasya yadā bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mis tasya ta3r8sya tadā phalaṁ

VI. Anuṣṭubh
¡ś!⟨s⟩vadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradat⟨t⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩m ¡b!⟨v⟩ā yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira
mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ ma⎘ plate 3v 3v1h¿i?⟨ī⟩bhṛtā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭh¿ā?⟨a⟩ dānā⟨t⟩ ¡st!⟨ś⟩reyo ’nupālanaṁddandaHooked

pravarddha-
3v2mānavijayarājye sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare pañcapañcāśattame
3v3śrāvaṇaprathamacaturthyām aṅkena sam¡b!⟨v⟩aTdandaPlain ru 5 5

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

1v1 °kṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩śa°°kṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣa° BJ
1v2 °vij¿ī?⟨i⟩g¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu°°vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu° BJ
1v3 kārt⟨t⟩ikeyakārttikeya BJ
1v4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°śrī° BJ
1v5 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°śrī° BJ
2r1 °opaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vinaś°opajīvinaś BJ
2r3 °p¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍā°°pīḍā° BJ
2r4 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°śrī° BJ
2r7 śr¿i?⟨ī⟩°śrī° BJ
2v1 °śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mad°°śrīmad° BJ2v1 ¡b!⟨v⟩yākhyā°vyākhyā° BJ
2v2 a¡bv!⟨bb⟩ani¡bv!⟨bb⟩aḍi° • An emendation to bhaṭṭinī° seems to be the best possibility here.
2v6 bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mi°bhūmi° BJ2v6 ud⟨d⟩iśyedamudiṣyedam BJ2v6 bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mi°bhūmi° BJ
3r1 lakṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩mlakṣmīm BJ
3r3 °g¿i?⟨ī⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩ś°gītāś BJ
3r4 ¡bv!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩bvaiṣṇavī BJ
3r5 mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñmahīñ BJ
3r6 va¡ś!⟨s⟩eTdandaPlainva¡ś!⟨s⟩eT BJ
3r7 bh¿u?⟨ū⟩misbhūmis BJ
3r8–3v1 ma/h¿i?⟨ī⟩bhṛtā⟨ṁ⟩ma/hībhṛtā BJ
3v3 sam¡b!⟨v⟩aTsambata 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 Vārttoḍaka situated in the Uṇi 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 householders being inhabitants of that [village]:

2r2-2v5Let 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, senior officiant [at the Bāleśvara complex] and the pupil of the venerable acārya Vyāpaśiva. [The grant of the village took place] on the occasion of the establishment of the Ammeśvara-bhaṭṭāraka temple attached to the illustrious Bāleśvara-bhaṭṭāraka temple, [and] was requested by the noble queen (i.e., Ammādevī), for the purpose of teaching and housing for the pupils and grand-pupils. Half of the grant is meant [to finance] the repair of the temple’s dilapidations and [to sponsor] worship and the like, whereas the other half is a gurudakṣiṇā. [The grant]), which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon, the stars, and the sun will endure, was issued after having excluded milk and vegetables for the god [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.

2v5-2v6Having 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:

2v6-3r2
[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!

3r7-3r8
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!

3r8-3v1
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

3v1-3v3[The copperplate charter has been engraved on] the fourth [day] of the first [fortnight] of the month of Śrāvaṇa, in the fifty-fifth year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta]. In numbers: Year 55.

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, 79, 255.
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.