Patna plates of Mahābhavagupta Janamejaya Kārttika month year 6

Metadata

Current Version:  draft, 2026-03-30Z

Editor:   Amandine Wattelier-Bricout.

DHARMA Identifier: INSSomavamsin00006

Summary: The object of the inscription is to record the gift by the king of the village Pāsitalā attached to the viṣaya of Potā to the following two Brahmin brothers, Keśava and Apya, sons of Dāddī, belonging to the the Kauśika gotra and the pravaras of Audala, Devarāta and Viśvāmitra, students of the Kāṇva śākhā of the Śukla Yajurveda, immigrants from the village Kommāyira and residents at Loiśṛṅa. The record was written by Kāyastha Koighoṣa son of the Vallabhaghoṣa, attached to the office of the mahāsandhivigrahin Mallā son of Dhāradatta.

Hand Description:


Additional Metadata

Alternative identifier:

Origin:

Classification:

Languages:

    Corresponding Artefact: ARTSomavamsin000016$ARTSomavamsin000017$ARTSomavamsin000018 #CONARTSomavamsin000006

    Technique: engraved.

    Layout: 46 lines are observed/preserved on the artifact.

    Edition

    ⎘ plate 1v 1spiralR svasti| mūras¿i?ma-samāvāsita śrīmato vijaya-kaṭakāT parama-bha-
    2ṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-parameśvara-śrī-śivagupta-deva-pādānudhyāta-parama-mā-
    3heśvara-parama-bhaṭṭāraka-māhārājādhirāja-somakulatilaka-tr̥kaliṅgādhipa-
    4ti-parameśvara-śrī-mahābhavag¿ū?⟨u⟩pta-rājadevaḥ{ddanda} ku¿ṣ?⟨ś⟩alī{danda} potā-viṣaya-prati¡v!⟨b⟩addha-pā-
    5sitalā-grāme ¡v!⟨b⟩rāhmaṇā¿ṁ?⟨n⟩ sa⟨m⟩pūjya tat-pratinivāsi-k¿ū?⟨u⟩¿ū?⟨u⟩m¡v!⟨b⟩i-janapadā⟨ṁ⟩s tad-viṣayī-
    6ya-yathākālādhy¿u?⟨ā⟩sinaḥ samāhartr̥-sannidhātr̥-dāṇḍa-pāśika-cāṭa-bhaṭa-
    7-piś¿ū?⟨u⟩na-vetrikāvarodhajana-rājavallabhādī⟨n⟩ sarvvān rāja-pādopajī-
    8vinaḥ samājñāpayati⟨.⟩ viditam astu bhavatāṁ yathāsmābhir aya⟨ṁ⟩ grāmaḥ
    9sa-nidhiḥ sopanidhiḥ sarvva-¡v!⟨b⟩ādhā-vivarjjitaḥ sarvvoparikarakarādāna-sa-
    10hitaḥ sāmra-madhukaḥ sa-ga⟨r⟩ttoṣaraḥ pratiniṣiddha-cāṭa-bhaṭa-praveśaś catu⟨ḥ⟩-
    11-s¿i?⟨ī⟩māparyantaḥ kauśika-gotrābhyāṁ Audala-deva-rā¿j?⟨t⟩a-viśvābhiprava-
    12rābhyāṁ kāṇvaśākhādhyāyibhyāṁ kommāyira-vinirggatābhyāṁ loḍa-
    13śr̥ṅgāvāstavyābhyāṁ bhaṭṭa-putra-śrī -
    ⎘ plate 2r 14-kośava-śrī-Apyābhā⟨ṁ⟩ bhaṭṭa-dāddīs¿ū?⟨u⟩tābhyā⟨ṁ⟩ saliladhārāp¿ū?⟨u⟩raḥ-
    15saram ācandra-tārakārkka-kṣiti-samakālopabhogārtha¿ḥ?⟨ṁ⟩ śrī-deva-mātā-
    16-pitror ātmanaś ca p¿ū?⟨u⟩ṇya-yaśo ’bhivr̥ddhaye t{r}āmra-śāsanenākarīkr̥-
    17tya pratipādita Ity avagatya samucita-bhoga-bhāga-kara-hiraṇyādi-
    18kam ¿a?⟨u⟩panayadbhir bhavadbhiḥ sukhena prativastavyam iti| bhāvibhiś ca bhūpa-
    19tibhir dattir ¿ī?⟨i⟩yam asmadīyā dharmma-gauravād asmad-anurodhāc ca sva-
    20-dattir ivānupālanīyā⟨.⟩ tathā cokta⟨ṁ⟩ dharmmaśāstre|

    I. Anuṣṭubh
    ¡v!⟨b⟩ahubhir vvas¿ū?⟨u⟩dhā dat⟨t⟩ā
    21rājabhiḥ sagarādibhir
    yasya yasya yadā bhūmiḥ
    tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ|

    II. Anuṣṭubh
    22mā bhūd a-phala-śaṅkā vaḥ
    para-datteti pā⟨r⟩thivāḥ
    sva-dānāt phalam āna23ntyaṁ
    para-dattānupālane|

    III. Anuṣṭubh
    ṣaṣṭhi-varṣa-sahasrāṇi
    svargge modati bhūmi24daḥ
    Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca
    tāny eva narake vaseT|

    IV. Indravajrā
    Agner apatyaṁ pratha ⎘ plate 2v 25ma⟨ṁ⟩ suva⟨r⟩ṇṇa⟨ṁ⟩
    bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūrya-sutāś ca gāvaḥ
    yaḥ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca ma26h¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyā¿T?⟨d⟩
    dattās trayas tena bhavanti lok¿e?⟨āḥ⟩|

    V. Anuṣṭubh
    Āsphoṭayanti pitar¿a?⟨o⟩
    27pravalg{ay}anti pitāmahā⟨ḥ⟩
    bhūmi-dātā kule jātaḥ
    sa nas trātā bhaviṣya28ti|

    VI. Anuṣṭubh
    bhūmiṁ yaḥ pratigr̥h¡n!⟨ṇ⟩āti
    yaś ca bhūmiṁ prayacchati
    Ubhau t¿o?⟨au⟩ puṇya-ka29rmmāṇau
    niyataṁ svarga-gāminau

    VII. Anuṣṭubh
    taḍāgānā⟨ṁ⟩ sahasr¿āṇi?⟨eṇa⟩
    vāja-peya30-śat¿āṇi?⟨eṇa⟩ ca⟨.⟩
    gavāṁ koṭi-pradānena
    bhūmi-harttā na śudhyati|

    VIII. Anuṣṭubh
    ha31rate hāray¿ate?⟨ed⟩ ¿bhūmi?⟨yas tu⟩
    manda-¡v!⟨b⟩uddhi⟨s⟩ tamo-vr̥taḥ⟨.⟩
    sa ¡v!⟨b⟩addho vāruṇaiḥ
    pāsai 32¿ti?⟨s ti⟩ryag-yoniñ ca gacchati|

    IX. Anuṣṭubh
    sva-dattā⟨m⟩ para-dattām vā
    ¿po?⟨yo⟩ ha¿red va?⟨reta va⟩sundharāṁ⟨.⟩
    sa 33viṣṭhāyāṁ kr̥mir bhūtvā
    pitr̥bhiḥ saha pacyate|

    X. Anuṣṭubh
    suva⟨r⟩ṇṇam eka⟨ṁ⟩ gām ekāṁ
    34bhūmer apy arddham aṅgulaṁ⟨.⟩
    haran narakam āyāti
    yāvad āhūta -saṁplavaṁ|

    XI. Anuṣṭubh
    Ā35dityo varuṇo viṣṇuḥ
    ¡v!⟨b⟩rahmā somo hutāśanaḥ
    śūlapāṇi¿s? ca bhaga ⎘ plate 3r 36vān
    abhinandanti bhūmidaṁ|

    XII. Śālinī
    sāmānyo ’yaṁ dha⟨r⟩mma-setu⟨r⟩ nr̥pāṇāṁ
    kāle kāle37pālanīyo bhavadbhiḥ⟨.⟩
    sarvvānn etān bhāvinaḥ pārthivendrāN
    bhūyo bhūyo yā38cate rāmabhadraḥ|

    XIII. Puṣpitāgrā
    Iti kamala-dalām¡v!⟨b⟩u-¡v!⟨b⟩indu-lolāṁ
    śriyam anucintya39manuṣya-j¿i?⟨ī⟩vitañ ca⟨.⟩
    sa-kalam idam udāhr̥tañ ca ¡v!⟨b⟩u⟨d⟩dhvā
    na hi puruṣaiḥ para40-kīrtta¿p?⟨y⟩o vilopyā

    Iti parama-bhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-parameśva-
    41ra-śrī-janamejaya👤-devasya vijaya-rājye samva¿ccha?⟨tsa⟩re ṣaṣṭhe| kārtti-
    42kamāsasita-pakṣa-trayodaśyāṁ yatrāṅkataḥ samvaT 6 kārttika ś{r}udi
    4313 likhitam idaṁ śāsanaṁ mahā-sāndhivigrahi-śrī-malladatta👤-śrī-dhārada-
    44tta👤
    -suta-prati¡v!⟨b⟩addha-kāyastha-koIghoṣeṇa👤 vallabhaghoṣa👤-sutena| prativa-
    45rṣe cātra śāsane kara-paṇcar¿u?⟨ū⟩pya p⟨a⟩lāni niṣṭaṅkya⟨.⟩ kara-śāsanam idaṁ
    46dattaṁ yatra rūp⟨a⟩la 5

    Apparatus

    line L

    Translation by Laskar 1905

    From the victorious camp located at Murasīma [or from the victorious (city of) Kaṭaka ]—

    1-4The most devout worshipper of (the god) Maheśvara, the Paramabhaṭṭāraka, the Mahārājādhirāja, the ornament of the Somakula, the lord of the three Kaliṅgas, the Parameśvara, the glorious Mahā-Bhavagupta-rājadeva, who meditates on the feet of the Paramabhaṭṭāraka, the Mahārājādhirāja, the Parameśvara, the glorious

    4-5Śivaguptadeva, [’being in residence at Murasīma’ (this is to be put here if the interpretation of the description of the place of issue given above in the first line of the Abstract be objected to) ], being in good health and having done worship to the Brāhmans of the Pāsītalā village in the Potā district (viṣaya),

    5-8issues this command to the cultivators and other inhabitants of the village as well as to all the dependents of the king who may be living from time to time in that district, such as the Samāhattṛs, etc.

    8-18“Be it known to you that for the increase of the religious merit and glory of our godly parents as well-as of our own selves, this village,—with everything included within its four boundaries, with its hidden treasures and deposits, with the freedom from all lets and hindrances, with the power to receive all extra cesses, with its ditches and deserts, with the exemption from the entrance into it by regular and irregular troops—is granted by us with libations of water, after being made revenue-free—to be- enjoys as long as the moon, the stars, the sun and the earth endure,

    11-14to Bhaṭṭaputras (Śrī) Keśava and (Śrī) Apya, sons of Bhaṭṭa Dāddī, belonging to the Kauśika gotra, with the pravaras Audala, Devarāta and Viśvāmitra, students of the Kāṇva śākhā, immigrants from Kommāpīra and inhabitants of Loisṛgā.

    17-18Knowing this you should live in happiness, rendering unto them (the donees) the taxes, gold and other shares of their enjoyments.

    18-40In these lines are contained the mandate to future kings for the preservation of the grant and the usual imprecatory and benedictive verses.

    40-46This charter was written by Kāyastha Koighoṣa, son of Ballabhaghoṣa and a writer attached to the office of the Mahāsāndhivigrahin Malladatta, son of Dhāradatta, on the thirteenth tithi of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārtika in the sixth year of the victorious reign of Paramabhaṭṭāraka, the Mahārājādhirāja, the glorious Janamejayadeva. Or (dated) in figures, Samvat 6, Kārtika sudi 13. This revenue-charter is granted after the fixing of the yearly revenue as five silver coins.

    Bibliography

    The set is preserved in the Odisha State Museum. The photos are available here.

    Primary

    Laskar, Ganga Mohan. 1905. “Four New Copper-Plate Charters of the Somavaṁśī Kings of Kośala (and Kaṭaka?).” JASB 1 (1): 1–26.
    № G, pages 4–6, pages 12–13. [siglum L]
    Rajaguru, Satyanarayan. 1966. Inscriptions of Orissa, Vol. 4. Sri Sarada Press. [https://archive.org/details/inscriptions-of-orissa-v04-1966].
    № 19, pages 112–117. [siglum R]
    Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass.
    № III, pages 179–183. [siglum S]

    Secondary

    Bhandarkar, Devadatta Ramakrishna. 1927–1936. A List of the Inscriptions of Northern India in Brahmi and Its Derivative Scripts, from about 200 A. C.: Appendix to Epigraphia Indica and Record of the Archaeological Survey of India, Volumes XIX to XXIII. Calcutta: Archaeological Survey of India. [https://zenodo.org/records/3360216].
    № 1558.
    Gai, Govind Swamirao. 1986. Dynastic List of Copper Plate Inscriptions Noticed in Annual Reports on Indian Epigraphy from 1887 to 1969. Mysore: Archaeological Survey of India.
    № 942.
    Tripathy, Snigdha. 2010. Descriptive Topographical Catalogue of Orissan Inscriptions. New Delhi: Manohar.
    Pages 117–118.
    Acharya, Subrata Kumar. 2014. Copper-Plate Inscriptions of Odisha: A Descriptive Catalogue (circa Fourth Century to Sixteenth Century CE). New Delhi: D. K. Printworld.
    № 6, pages 233–234.
    No identifier given for janamejayaNo identifier given for malladattaNo identifier given for dhārada-
    44tta
    No identifier given for koIghoṣeṇaNo identifier given for vallabhaghoṣa