Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, undated

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Current Version:  draft, 2024-05-31Z

Editor:   Natasja Bosma.

DHARMA Identifier: INSDaksinaKosala00051

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    Seal

    I. Anuṣṭubh
    rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śrīharṣaguptasya sūno⟨ḥ⟩ sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩
    śāsanaṁ śivaguptasya sthitam ā bhuvanasthite⟨ḥ⟩

    Plates

    ⎘ plate 1v 1v1spiralR svasty aśeṣakṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩avidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsādita{ḥ}mahan¿i?⟨ī⟩yavi-
    1v2nayasampatsa⟨ṁ⟩pāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśra-
    1v3ya⟨ḥ⟩ prakṛṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudayaḥ kā-
    1v4⟨rt⟩tikeya I◯va kṛttivāsaso rājñaḥ śṛ¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣadevasya sūnu⟨ḥ⟩ somava-
    1v5¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambhavaḥ paramamāheśvaro mātāpitṛpādānudhyātaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśi-
    1v6vaguptarājaḥ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩ddandaHooked rohās¿i?⟨ī⟩mābhog¿i?⟨ī⟩yacorapadrake brāhma-
    1v7ṇāṁ sa{ṁ}mpūjya sapradhānā¡t!⟨n⟩ prativāsinonyā¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩ś ca yathākālādhyāsina-
    ⎘ plate 2r 2r1s samāhartṛsannidhātṛprabhṛt¿i?⟨ī⟩¡t!⟨n⟩ sarvvarājapuruṣā⟨n⟩ samājñā-
    2r2payati

    viditam astu bhavatā⟨ṁ⟩ yathāsmābhir aya⟨ṁ⟩ grāmas sanidhi-
    2r3s sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭapraveśas sarvvakarādānasametas sarvva-
    2r4p¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍā⟨vi⟩va◯rjjitas sadaśāparādha⟨ḥ⟩ kanyakubjavinirggatāya k¿o?⟨au⟩śi-
    2r5kasagottrāya {c}chāndogak¿o?⟨au⟩thu¡n!⟨m⟩abhaṭṭajejjaṭāyodakapūrvva⟨ṁ⟩ mā-
    2r6tāpittror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye tām{v}raśāsanenācandrārkkasa-
    2r7makālopabhogārtha⟨ṁ⟩ pratipādita Ity

    avagamyāsya vidheyair bhūtvā
    ⎘ plate 2v 2v1samucita⟨ṁ⟩ bhogabhāgādikam upanayadbhi⟨ḥ⟩ bhavadbhi⟨ḥ⟩ sukha⟨ṁ⟩ prativasta-
    2v2vyam itiddandaHooked bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate

    I. Vasantatilakā
    bhūmi2v3pradā divi lalanti patanti hanta
    hṛtvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo na2v4rake nṛśa◯¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩sāTdandaPlain
    Etad ⟨d⟩vaya⟨ṁ⟩ parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yya calāñ ca lakṣmī2v5m
    āyus tathā kuruta yad bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭa⟨ṁ⟩

    ¿Ā?⟨A⟩pi ca

    II. Anuṣṭubh
    rakṣāpālana2v6yos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩
    ko nāma svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya narakaṁ 2v7pratipadyateddandaHooked

    vyāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tā⟨ṁ⟩ś cāt{t}ra ślokān udāharanti

    III. Indravajrā
    ¿Ā?⟨A⟩gner apatyaṁ ⎘ plate 3r 3r1prathama⟨ṁ⟩ suvarṇṇaṁ
    bhūr vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ s¿u?⟨ū⟩ryyasutāś ca gāva⟨ḥ⟩
    dattā⟨s⟩ trayas tena 3r2bhavanti lokā
    ya⟨ḥ⟩ kāñcana⟨ṁ⟩ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāTdandaPlain

    IV. Anuṣṭubh
    ṣaṣṭivarṣasa3r3hasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmida⟨ḥ⟩
    Ācchet⟨t⟩ā cānumantā ca tāny eva na3r4rake vase⟨T⟩

    V. Anuṣṭubh
    ◯bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩
    yasya yasya 3r5yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

    VI. Anuṣṭubh
    svadat⟨t⟩āṁ paradattām vā yatnā3r6d rakṣa{ḥ} yudhi⟨ṣṭhi⟩ra
    mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha{ḥ} dānā⟨t⟩ śreyo ’nupālana¡m!⟨M⟩

    ¡i!⟨I⟩tiddandaHooked

    Apparatus

    Seal

    Plates

    1v1 °kṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩°kṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩śa° BJ
    1v2 °vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu°°vijigīṣu° BJ
    1v4 śṛ¿i?⟨ī⟩°śṛī° BJ
    1v5 śṛ¿i?⟨ī⟩°śṛī° BJ
    1v6 °s¿i?⟨ī⟩mā°°sīmā° BJ
    2r4 °p¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍā°°pīḍā° BJ
    2r5 °gottrāya°gotrāya BJ
    2v2 ud⟨d⟩iśyedamudiṣyedam BJ
    2v4 parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yyaparikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yya BJ
    3r1 prathama⟨ṁ⟩prathamam BJ3r1 vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩vaiṣṇavī BJ
    3r2 dadyāTdadyā⟨T⟩ BJ
    3r5 phalaṁphala BJ3r5 svadat⟨t⟩āṁsvadat⟨t⟩ā 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 Corapadraka situated in the Rohāsīmā bhoga, [the king] issues [the following command] to all royal officers, beginning with the collector and the receiver; to those who are temporarily posted [in the village], and to the other inhabitants [of that village] with their headman:

    2r2-2r7Let 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 for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to bhaṭṭa Jejjaṭa belonging to the Kauthuma [branch] and the Chāndoga (Sāmaveda) of the lineage of Kauśika and coming originally from Kanyakubja. [The grant], which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon and the sun will endure, comes along with [the right to] hidden treasures and deposits; the exemption from being entered by irregular or regular troops; [the right to collect] all taxes [payable to the king]; the exemption from all kinds of unpaid labour; and [the right to] punish and realise fines for the ten offences.

    2r7-2v2Knowing this, [you] should be obedient [to the received orders] and render the proper [shares of] periodical offerings and produce to the donee, while living happily [in this village]. And this is said for the instruction of the future kings:

    2v2-2v5
    [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:

    2v5-2v7
    Fortune and misfortune are truly the fruit of protecting and not protecting [the land]; who then discards heaven and resorts to hell?

    2v7And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

    2v7-3r2
    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

    3r2-3r4
    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!

    3r4-3r5
    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!

    3r5-3r6
    O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

    Commentary

    Despite being a complete set of three copperplates, the content of this charter is unfinished: The text ends abruptly after the exhortatory verses, which means that there is no concluding section with a date in regnal years.

    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].
    82, 259.
    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.