Lodhiā Plates of Śivagupta, Year 57

Metadata

Current Version: draft, 2026-09-18Z

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00046.xml

Hand Description:

Additional Metadata

No metadata were provided in the table for this inscription

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

rājñaḥ śrīharṣaguptasya sūnoḥ sadguṇaśālinaḥ

śāsanaṁ śivaguptasya sthitam ā bhuvanasthiteḥ

Plates

^{⎘ plate 1v}^1v1| svasty aśeṣakṣitīśavidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsādita{ḥ}mahanīya{ḥnaya}vi-
^1v2nayasampa⟨t⟩sampāditasakalav¿ī?⟨i⟩j¿ī?⟨i⟩gīṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśrayaḥ prakr̥ṣṭa-
^1v3taraś¿o?⟨au⟩rya{ḥ}prajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudayaḥ kārttikeya Iva kr̥tti-
^1v4vāsaso rā◯jñaḥ ¡śr̥ī!⟨śrī⟩harṣadevasya s¿u?⟨ū⟩nuḥ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambhava⟨ḥ⟩ parama-
^1v5māheśvaro ◯m¿a?⟨ā⟩tāpitr̥pādānudhyātaḥ ¡śr̥ī!⟨śrī⟩m¿ā?⟨a⟩hāśivaguptarājadeva⟨ḥ⟩ kuśalī-
^1v6Oṇibhog¿i?⟨ī⟩yagrāmavaidyapadrake| brāhmaṇā⟨ṁ⟩ samp¿u?⟨ū⟩jya tatpratinivāsikuṭumbi-
^1v7no yathākālādhyāsinaḥ samāharttr̥sannidhāttr̥prabhr̥tīn asmatpādopajīvina⟨ḥ⟩
^1v8sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣā⟨n⟩ samājñāpayati|

viditam astu bhavatāṁ yathā grāmo ‘yam asmā-
^{⎘ plate 2r}^2r1bhiḥ samprati sanidhānaḥ sopanidhānaḥ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩akar¿a?⟨ā⟩dānasametaḥ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩ap(ī)ḍāviva-
^2r2⟨r⟩jitaḥ sadaśāparādhaḥ pratiṣiddhacāṭabhaṭapraveśaḥ Asyāṁ kārttikap¿o?⟨au⟩rṇṇamā-
^2r3syāṁ pattanakhadirapadratalapratiṣṭhita¡śr̥ī!⟨śrī⟩madīśāneśvarabhaṭṭārakāya| ba-
^2r4l¿ī?⟨i⟩caru◯nivedyasat⟨t⟩ranr̥ttavāditrakhaṇḍasphuṭitasa⟨ṁ⟩skārārthaṁ dvaitavanī-
^2r5ya¡śr̥i!⟨śrī⟩matpa◯ñcayajñatapovanavinirggata{ṅ}capalagocariṇaḥ bhagavacchr¿i?⟨ī⟩-
^2r6pramathācāryaśiṣya¡śr̥ī!⟨śrī⟩śūlapāṇibhagavatpādaprārthana{ṁ}yā mātāpitro-
^2r7r ¿a?⟨ā⟩tmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩r̥ddhaye samak¿a?⟨ā⟩lopabhogārtham ācandratārakārkka⟨ṁ⟩ paya⟨ḥ⟩-
^2r8p¿u?⟨ū⟩r¡bv!⟨vv⟩akaṁ tām{b}raśāsanena pratipādito

{y}ato ’vagatya samu¿c?ita⟨ṁ⟩ bhogabhāgādika-
^{⎘ plate 2v}^2v1m upanayanto bhavantaḥ sukhaṁ prativasantu| bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān ud⟨d⟩i-
^2v2śyedam abhidhīyate

I. Vasantatilakā

bhūmipradā divi lalanti patanti hanta

hr̥tvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ṁ ^2v3nr̥patayo narake nr̥¡tsāḥ!⟨śaṁsāT⟩

Etad ⟨d⟩vayaṁ parikalayya calāñ ca l{l}akṣm¿i?⟨ī⟩m

āyus ta^2v4thā kuruta ◯yad bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭa⟨ṁ⟩|

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh

rakṣāpāla¡natyavat!⟨nayos tāvat⟩ phalaṁ suga^2v5tidurggatī

◯ko n¿a?⟨ā⟩ma svarggam utsr̥jya narakaṁ pratipadyate|

¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩-
^2v6tā¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩⟨ś⟩ cātra ślokān udāharanti|

III. Indravajrā

Agner apatya⟨ṁ⟩ prathama⟨ṁ⟩ suvarṇṇaṁ

bhūr ¡bv!⟨vv⟩ai^2v7ṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ s¿u?⟨ū⟩⟨r⟩yasutāś ca gāva⟨ḥ⟩

dattās trayas tena bhavanti lok¿a?⟨ā⟩

yaḥ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca ma^2v8hīñ ca dadyāT|

IV. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭi{r}¡bv!⟨v⟩arṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bh¿u?⟨ū⟩midaḥ

¿A?⟨Ā⟩cchettā cā^{⎘ plate 3r}^3r1numantā ca tāny eva narake vaseT|

V. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir ¡bv!⟨vv⟩asudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarādi^3r2bhi⟨ḥ⟩

yasya yasya yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ|

VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradattām ¡b!⟨v⟩ā ya^3r3tnād rakṣa yudhiṣ¡ṭ!⟨ṭh⟩ira

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

VII. Anuṣṭubh

Asmā^3r4kam uparo◯dhena nityaṁ dharmmasya g¿o?⟨au⟩ravā-

d asmad⟨d⟩atti⟨ḥ⟩ svak¿i?⟨ī⟩yeva pālyā bhā^3r5vikṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩śva◯rai⟨ḥ⟩|

VIII. Puṣpitāgrā

Iti kamaladalāmbubindulolā⟨ṁ⟩

¡śr̥i!⟨śri⟩yam anuc¿ī?⟨i⟩^3r6ntya manuṣyaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vita{ṁ}¡ṅ!⟨ñ⟩ ca

sakalam idam udāhr̥ta¡ṅ!⟨ñ⟩ ca bu⟨d⟩dhvā

na hi pur¿a?⟨u⟩^3r7ṣaiḥ par¿i?⟨a⟩k¿i?⟨ī⟩rttayo vilopyā⟨ḥ⟩|

pravarddhamānavijayarājye sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare sapta
^3r8pañcāśattame kārttikap¿o?⟨au⟩rṇṇam¿a?⟨ā⟩syāṁ Aṅkena sam¡b!⟨v⟩aT| 50 7 kārttika dina 30

Apparatus

Seal

^ab śrī° ◇ śrī° LPP; ¡śr̥ī!⟨śrī⟩° AMS

Plates

^1v7 samāharttr̥sannidhāttr̥° ◇ samāharttr̥sannidhātr̥° LPP; samāhartr̥sannidhāttr̥° AMS
^1v8 sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩a° ◇ sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩a° LPP; sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩a° AMS — ^1v8–2r1 asmā/bhiḥ ◇ asmā/bhi LPP; asmā/bhiḥ AMS
^2r1 sampratisanidhānaḥ ◇ sampratisanidhānaḥ LPP; sampratisanidh¿a?⟨ā⟩naḥ AMS — ^2r1 sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩a° ◇ sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩a° LPP; sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩a° AMS — ^2r1 sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩a° ◇ sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩a° LPP; sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩a° AMS
^2r2 °p¿o?⟨au⟩rṇṇa° ◇ °p¿o?⟨au⟩rṇṇa° LPP; °¡y!⟨p⟩¿o?⟨au⟩rṇṇa° AMS
^2r3 °bhaṭṭārakāya ◇ °bhaṭṭārakāya LPP; °bhaṭṭārakāra AMS
^2r5 °¡śr̥i!⟨śrī⟩mat° ◇ °¡śr̥ī!⟨śrī⟩mat° LPP; °¡śr̥i!⟨śrī⟩mat° AMS — ^2r5 °chr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ◇ °ch⟨r⟩¿i?⟨ī⟩° LPP; °chr¿i?⟨ī⟩° AMS
^2r6 °prārthana{ṁ}yā ◇ °prārthanayā LPP; °prārthana{ṁ}yā AMS
^2r8 °p¿u?⟨ū⟩r¡bv!⟨vv⟩akaṁ ◇ °p¿u?⟨ū⟩r¡bb!⟨vv⟩akaṁ LPP; °p¿u?⟨ū⟩r¡bv!⟨vv⟩akaṁ AMS
^2v5 °durggatī ◇ °durggat¿i?⟨ī⟩ LPP; °durggatī AMS
^2v6 cātra ◇ c¿a?⟨ā⟩tra LPP; cātra AMS — ^2v6–2v7 ¡bv!⟨vv⟩ai/ṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ ◇ ¡bv!⟨vv⟩ai/ṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ LPP; ¡bb!⟨vv⟩ai/ṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ AMS
^2v7 lok¿a?⟨ā⟩ ◇ lokā LPP; lok¿a?⟨ā⟩ AMS — ^2v7–2v8 ma/hīñ ◇ ma/hiñ LPP; ma/hīñ AMS
^2v8 ṣaṣṭi{r}¡bv!⟨v⟩arṣa° ◇ ṣaṣṭi{r}¡bb!⟨v⟩arṣa° LPP; ṣaṣṭi{r}¡bv!⟨v⟩arṣa° AMS
^3r1 ¡bv!⟨vv⟩asudhā ◇ ¡bb!⟨vv⟩asudhā LPP; ¡bv!⟨vv⟩asudhā AMS
^3r4–3r5 bhā/vi° ◇ bhā/(ki)° LPP; bhā/vi° AMS
^3r6 manuṣya° ◇ manuṣya° LPP; manuṣyā° AMS — ^3r6–3r7 pur¿a?⟨u⟩ /ṣaiḥ ◇ puru/ṣaiḥ LPP; pur¿a?⟨u⟩/ṣaiḥ AMS

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

^1v1-1v8Success! Hail! The illustrious and great rājadeva Śivagupta who has been born in the Lunar Dynasty as the son of a king, the illustrious Harṣadeva, 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 Vaidyapadraka situated in the Oṇi 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]:

^1v8-2r8Let 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 illustrious [god] Īśāneśvara-bhaṭṭāraka [in the temple] established in the plains of Pattana-Khadirapadra. [The grant of the village took place] on this day of the full moon in the month of Kārttika, [and] was made for the purpose of [financing] the repair of the temple’s dilapidations, as well as worship through dance and music, the performance of bali and caru offerings and to provide for a sattra. [The grant], which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon and the sun will endure, was requested by the venerable Śūlapāṇi, pupil of the venerable ācārya Pramatha, who was a constant wanderer hailing from the celebrated Pañcayajña penance grove situated in the Dvaitavana [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.

^2r8-2v2Therefore, having 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:

2v2-2v4

[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:

2v4-2v5

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

^2v5-2v6And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v6-2v8

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

2v8-3r1

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!

3r1-3r2

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!

3r2-3r3

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

3r3-3r5

With our protection and out of respect for the eternal dharma, future kings must protect our gift as if it is their own!

3r5-3r7

After thus considering that wealth and human life are unstable as a drop of water on a lotus petal and [also] knowing all that is said, the glories of others should not be violated by human beings.

^3r7-3r8[The copperplate charter has been engraved] on the day of the full moon in the month of Kārttika, in the fifty-seventh year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta]. In numbers: Year 57, [Month] Kārttika, Day 30.

Bibliography

First edited by Pandeya 1947-1948 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995: 128–133; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Pandeya).

Primary

Pandeya, L.P. 1947–1948. “Lodhia Plates of Maha-Sivagupta; Year 57.” EI 27: 319–25.

[siglum LPP]

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass.

128–133. [siglum AMS]

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].

65, 256–257.

Mirashi, Vasudev Vishnu. 1952. “A Note on the Lodhia Plates of Mahāsivagupta-Bālārjuna.” OHRJ 1 (1): 63–65.