Baigram Charter of the Time of Kumāragupta I

Editors: Dániel Balogh, Amandine Wattelier-Bricout, Arlo Griffiths.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00049.

Language: Sanskrit.

Repository: Bengal Copper Plates (tfb-bengalcharters-epigraphy).

Version: 2024-08-16 14:10 (3b1ee6e), last modified 2024-01-31 13:29 (32b4399).

⟨Page 1r⟩ ⟨1⟩ svasti⟨.⟩ pañcanagaryyā bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ kumārāmātya-kulavr̥ddhir etad-viṣayādhikaraṇañ ca ⟨2⟩ vāyigrāmika-trivr̥t¿a?⟨ā⟩-śrīgohālyoḥ brāhmaṇottarān samvyavahāri-pramukhān grāma-kuṭumbinaḥ kuśalam anu⟨3⟩varṇya bodhayanti⟨.⟩

¿vijñāpayator atraiva?⟨vijñāpayato ’traiva⟩-vāstavya-kuṭumbi-bhoyila-bhāskarāv⟨.⟩ āvayoḥ pitrā śivanandi⟨4⟩nā kāritak¿a?⟨o⟩ bhagavato govindasvāminaḥ deva-kulas tad-asāv alpa-vr̥ttikaḥ⟨.⟩ Iha viṣaye samudaya- ⟨5⟩ bāhyādy-astamva-khila-kṣ¿a?⟨e⟩ttr¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇām akiñcit-pratikarāṇāṁ śaśvad-ācandrārkka-tāraka-bhojyānā¿ṁm? akṣaya-nīvyā ⟨6⟩ dvi-dīnārikkya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo ’nuvr̥ttas⟨.⟩ tad arhathāvayos sakāśāt ṣ¿ī?⟨a⟩ḍ dīnārān aṣṭa ca rūpakān āyī⟨7⟩kr̥tya bhagavato govindasvāmino deva-kule khaṇḍa-phuṭṭa-pratisaṁsk¿a?⟨ā⟩ra-karaṇāya gandha-dhūpa-dīpa- ⟨8⟩ sumanasā⟨ṁ⟩ pravarttanāya ca trivr̥tāyām bhogilasya khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ śrīgohālyā⟨ṁ⟩ Api ⟨9⟩ tala-vāṭakārtha⟨ṁ⟩ sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpa¿p?⟨m⟩ ekaṁ bhāskarasyāpi sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpañ ca dātu⟨10⟩m iti⟨.⟩

yato yuṣmān bodhayāma⟨ḥ⟩⟨.⟩ pustapāla-durgg(ā) dattārkkadāsayor avadhāraṇayā Avadhr̥ta⟨11⟩m astīha-viṣaye samudaya-bāhyādy-astamba-khila-kṣettrāṇā⟨ṁ⟩ śaśvad-ācandrārkka-tāraka-bhojyānāṁ dvi-dī⟨12⟩nārikya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo ’nuvr̥ttaḥ⟨.⟩ Evaṁ-vidhāpratikara-khila-kṣettra-vikkraye ca na kaścid rājārttha- ⟨13⟩ virodha Upacaya Eva bhaṭṭāraka-pādānāṁ dharmma-phala-ṣaḍ-bhāgāvāptiś ca ⟨.⟩ tad dīyatām iti Etayoḥ ⟨14⟩ bhoyila-bhāskarayos sakā⟨śā⟩t ṣaḍ dīnārān aṣṭa ca rūpakān āyīkr̥tya bhagavato govindasvāmino ⟨15⟩ deva-kulasyārtthe bhoyilasya trivr̥tāyāṁ khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ tala-v¿a?⟨ā⟩ṭakādy-artthaM ⟨.⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨16⟩ śrīgohālyā⟨ṁ⟩ sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpaṁ bhāskarasyāpy atraiva sthal¿i?⟨a⟩-v¿a?⟨ā⟩stuno droṇa-vāpa⟨17⟩¿p?⟨m⟩⟨.⟩

eva⟨ṁ⟩ kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ sthala-droṇa-vāpa-dvayañ ca Akṣaya-nīvyās tāmra-paṭṭena dattaM⟨.⟩ ninna ⟨18⟩ ku 3 sthala-dro 2⟨.⟩

te yūyaṁ sva-karṣaṇāvirodhi-sthāne darvvīkarmma-hastenāṣṭaka-navaka-naḷābhyā⟨19⟩m apaviñcchya cira-kāla-sthāyi-tuṣāṅgārādinā cihnaiś cāturddiśo niyamya dāsyathākṣaya- ⟨20⟩ nīvī-dharmme¿n?⟨ṇ⟩a ca śaśvat-kālam anupālayiṣyatha varttamāna-bhaviṣyaiś ca saṁvyavahāryy-ādibhir eta⟨21⟩d dharmmāpekṣayānupālayitavyam iti⟨.⟩ Uktañ ca bhagava⟨tā⟩ veda-vyāsa-mahātmanā⟨.⟩

I. Anuṣṭubh

sva-dattāṁ para-dattāṁ ⟨22⟩ v{v}ā

yo hareta vasundharā(ṁ)(|)

sa viṣṭhāyāṁ k¿ri?mir bhūtvā

pitr̥bhis saha pacyate

II. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣa-saha⟨23⟩srāṇi

svargge ¿p?⟨m⟩odati bhūmidaḥ

Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca

tāny eva narake vase(T)

III. Anuṣṭubh

pūrvva⟨24⟩-dattāṁ dvijātibhyo

yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira

mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ śreṣṭha

dānāc chreyo ’nupāla⟨25⟩nam

iti⟨.⟩ saṁ 100 20 8 māgha di 10 9⟨.⟩

⟨Page 1r⟩ 
⟨1⟩ svasti⟨.⟩ pañcanagaryyā bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ _ kumārāmātya-kulavr̥ddhir etad-viṣayādhikaraṇañ ca _
⟨2⟩ vāyigrāmika-trivr̥t¿a?⟨ā⟩-śrīgohālyoḥ _ brāhmaṇottarān samvyavahāri-pramukhān grāma-kuṭumbinaḥ _ kuśalam anu-
⟨3⟩ varṇya bodhayanti⟨.⟩ _ ¿vijñāpayator atraiva?⟨vijñāpayato ’traiva⟩-vāstavya-kuṭumbi-bhoyila-bhāskarāv⟨.⟩ āvayoḥ _ pitrā śivanandi-
⟨4⟩ nā kāritak¿a?⟨o⟩ bhagavato govindasvāminaḥ deva-kulas tad-asāv alpa-vr̥ttikaḥ⟨.⟩ Iha viṣaye samudaya-
⟨5⟩ bāhyādy-astamva-khila-kṣ¿a?⟨e⟩ttr¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇām akiñcit-pratikarāṇāṁ śaśvad-ācandrārkka-tāraka-bhojyānā¿ṁm? akṣaya-nīvyā
⟨6⟩ dvi-dīnārikkya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo ’nuvr̥ttas⟨.⟩ tad arhathāvayos sakāśāt ṣ¿ī?⟨a⟩ḍ dīnārān aṣṭa ca rūpakān āyī-
⟨7⟩ kr̥tya bhagavato govindasvāmino deva-kule khaṇḍa-phuṭṭa-pratisaṁsk¿a?⟨ā⟩ra-karaṇāya ⊔ gandha-dhūpa-dīpa- _
⟨8⟩ sumanasā⟨ṁ⟩ pravarttanāya ca trivr̥tāyām bhogilasya khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ ⊔ śrīgohālyā⟨ṁ⟩ Api 
⟨9⟩ tala-vāṭakārtha⟨ṁ⟩ sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpa¿p?⟨m⟩ ekaṁ _ bhāskarasyāpi sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpañ ca dātu-
⟨10⟩ m iti⟨.⟩_  yato yuṣmān bodhayāma⟨ḥ⟩⟨.⟩ _ pustapāla-durgg(ā) dattārkkadāsayor avadhāraṇayā Avadhr̥ta_-
⟨11⟩ m astīha-viṣaye _ samudaya-bāhyādy-astamba-khila-kṣettrāṇā⟨ṁ⟩ śaśvad-ācandrārkka-tāraka-bhojyānāṁ dvi-dī-
⟨12⟩ nārikya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo ’nuvr̥ttaḥ⟨.⟩ Evaṁ-vidhāpratikara-khila-kṣettra-vikkraye ca na kaścid rājārttha- 
⟨13⟩ virodha Upacaya Eva _ bhaṭṭāraka-pādānāṁ dharmma-phala-ṣaḍ-bhāgāvāptiś ca ⟨.⟩_ tad dīyatām iti Etayoḥ 
⟨14⟩ bhoyila-bhāskarayos sakā⟨śā⟩t ṣaḍ dīnārān aṣṭa ca rūpakān āyīkr̥tya bhagavato govindasvāmino 
⟨15⟩ deva-kulasyārtthe bhoyilasya trivr̥tāyāṁ _ khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ tala-v¿a?⟨ā⟩ṭakādy-artthaM ⟨.⟩ 
⟨Page 1v⟩ 
⟨16⟩ śrīgohālyā⟨ṁ⟩ sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpaṁ _ bhāskarasyāpy atraiva sthal¿i?⟨a⟩-v¿a?⟨ā⟩stuno droṇa-vāpa_-
⟨17⟩ ¿p?⟨m⟩⟨.⟩ eva⟨ṁ⟩ kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ sthala-droṇa-vāpa-dvayañ ca _ Akṣaya-nīvyās tāmra-paṭṭena dattaM⟨.⟩ ninna
⟨18⟩ ku 3 sthala-dro 2⟨.⟩  te yūyaṁ sva-karṣaṇāvirodhi-sthāne darvvīkarmma-hastenāṣṭaka-navaka-naḷābhyā-
⟨19⟩ m apaviñcchya ⊔ cira-kāla-sthāyi-tuṣāṅgārādinā cihnaiś cāturddiśo niyamya dāsyathākṣaya-
⟨20⟩ nīvī-dharmme¿n?⟨ṇ⟩a ca śaśvat-kālam anupālayiṣyatha _ varttamāna-bhaviṣyaiś ca saṁvyavahāryy-ādibhir eta-
⟨21⟩ d dharmmāpekṣayānupālayitavyam iti⟨.⟩ _ Uktañ ca bhagava⟨tā⟩ veda-vyāsa-mahātmanā⟨.⟩_  sva-dattāṁ para-dattāṁ 
⟨22⟩ v{v}ā yo hareta vasundharā(ṁ)(|) sa viṣṭhāyāṁ k¿ri?mir bhūtvā pitr̥bhis saha pacyate_   ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣa-saha-
⟨23⟩ srāṇi svargge ¿p?⟨m⟩odati bhūmidaḥ_ Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vase(T)   pūrvva-
⟨24⟩ -dattāṁ dvijātibhyo yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira_ mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ śreṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nupāla-
⟨25⟩ nam  iti⟨.⟩ saṁ 100 20 8 māgha di 10 9⟨.⟩  

⟨Page 1r⟩ ⟨1⟩ svasti⟨.⟩ pañcanagaryyā bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ _ kumārāmātya-kulavr̥ddhir etad-viṣayādhikaraṇañ ca _ ⟨2⟩ vāyigrāmika-trivr̥t¿a?⟨ā⟩-śrīgohālyoḥ _ brāhmaṇottarān samvyavahāri-pramukhān grāma-kuṭumbinaḥ _ kuśalam anu⟨3⟩varṇya bodhayanti⟨.⟩ _

¿vijñāpayator atraiva?⟨vijñāpayato ’traiva⟩-vāstavya-kuṭumbi-bhoyila-bhāskarāv⟨.⟩ āvayoḥ _ pitrā śivanandi⟨4⟩nā kāritak¿a?⟨o⟩ bhagavato govindasvāminaḥ deva-kulas tad-asāv alpa-vr̥ttikaḥ⟨.⟩ Iha viṣaye samudaya- ⟨5⟩ bāhyādy-astamva-khila-kṣ¿a?⟨e⟩ttr¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇām akiñcit-pratikarāṇāṁ śaśvad-ācandrārkka-tāraka-bhojyānā¿ṁm? akṣaya-nīvyā ⟨6⟩ dvi-dīnārikkya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo ’nuvr̥ttas⟨.⟩ tad arhathāvayos sakāśāt ṣ¿ī?⟨a⟩ḍ dīnārān aṣṭa ca rūpakān āyī⟨7⟩kr̥tya bhagavato govindasvāmino deva-kule khaṇḍa-phuṭṭa-pratisaṁsk¿a?⟨ā⟩ra-karaṇāya ⊔ gandha-dhūpa-dīpa- _ ⟨8⟩ sumanasā⟨ṁ⟩ pravarttanāya ca trivr̥tāyām bhogilasya khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ ⊔ śrīgohālyā⟨ṁ⟩ Api ⟨9⟩ tala-vāṭakārtha⟨ṁ⟩ sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpa¿p?⟨m⟩ ekaṁ _ bhāskarasyāpi sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpañ ca dātu⟨10⟩m iti⟨.⟩_

yato yuṣmān bodhayāma⟨ḥ⟩⟨.⟩ _ pustapāla-durgg(ā) dattārkkadāsayor avadhāraṇayā Avadhr̥ta_⟨11⟩m astīha-viṣaye _ samudaya-bāhyādy-astamba-khila-kṣettrāṇā⟨ṁ⟩ śaśvad-ācandrārkka-tāraka-bhojyānāṁ dvi-dī⟨12⟩nārikya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo ’nuvr̥ttaḥ⟨.⟩ Evaṁ-vidhāpratikara-khila-kṣettra-vikkraye ca na kaścid rājārttha- ⟨13⟩ virodha Upacaya Eva _ bhaṭṭāraka-pādānāṁ dharmma-phala-ṣaḍ-bhāgāvāptiś ca ⟨.⟩_ tad dīyatām iti Etayoḥ ⟨14⟩ bhoyila-bhāskarayos sakā⟨śā⟩t ṣaḍ dīnārān aṣṭa ca rūpakān āyīkr̥tya bhagavato govindasvāmino ⟨15⟩ deva-kulasyārtthe bhoyilasya trivr̥tāyāṁ _ khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ tala-v¿a?⟨ā⟩ṭakādy-artthaM ⟨.⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨16⟩ śrīgohālyā⟨ṁ⟩ sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpaṁ _ bhāskarasyāpy atraiva sthal¿i?⟨a⟩-v¿a?⟨ā⟩stuno droṇa-vāpa_⟨17⟩¿p?⟨m⟩⟨.⟩

eva⟨ṁ⟩ kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ sthala-droṇa-vāpa-dvayañ ca _ Akṣaya-nīvyās tāmra-paṭṭena dattaM⟨.⟩ ninna ⟨18⟩ ku 3 sthala-dro 2⟨.⟩

te yūyaṁ sva-karṣaṇāvirodhi-sthāne darvvīkarmma-hastenāṣṭaka-navaka-naḷābhyā⟨19⟩m apaviñcchya ⊔ cira-kāla-sthāyi-tuṣāṅgārādinā cihnaiś cāturddiśo niyamya dāsyathākṣaya- ⟨20⟩ nīvī-dharmme¿n?⟨ṇ⟩a ca śaśvat-kālam anupālayiṣyatha _ varttamāna-bhaviṣyaiś ca saṁvyavahāryy-ādibhir eta⟨21⟩d dharmmāpekṣayānupālayitavyam iti⟨.⟩ _ Uktañ ca bhagava⟨tā⟩ veda-vyāsa-mahātmanā⟨.⟩_

I. Anuṣṭubh

sva-dattāṁ para-dattāṁ ⟨22⟩ v{v}ā

yo hareta vasundharā(ṁ)(|)

sa viṣṭhāyāṁ k¿ri?mir bhūtvā

pitr̥bhis saha pacyate_

II. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣa-saha⟨23⟩srāṇi

svargge ¿p?⟨m⟩odati bhūmidaḥ_

Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca

tāny eva narake vase(T)

III. Anuṣṭubh

pūrvva⟨24⟩-dattāṁ dvijātibhyo

yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira_

mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ śreṣṭha

dānāc chreyo ’nupāla⟨25⟩nam

iti⟨.⟩ saṁ 100 20 8 māgha di 10 9⟨.⟩

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ -pādānuddhyātaḥ _ ⬦ -pādānuddhyātaḥ DB. — ⟨1⟩ °karaṇañ ca _ ⬦ °karaṇañ ca DB.

⟨2⟩ -śrīgohālyoḥ _ ⬦ -śrīgohālyoḥ DB. — ⟨2⟩ -kuṭumbinaḥ _ ⬦ -kuṭumbinaḥ DB.

⟨3⟩ bodhayanti⟨.⟩ _ ⬦ bodhayanti⟨.⟩ DB. — ⟨3⟩ -bhoyila- DB • This name is spelt thus also in lines 14 and 15, but -bhogila- in line 8. — ⟨3⟩ āvayoḥ _ ⬦ āvayoḥ DB.

⟨4⟩ kāritak¿a?⟨o⟩ ⬦ kāritaka- DB • Note that devakula here rather clearly is taken to be masculine; tad seems to bear adverbial function.

⟨5⟩ astamva-khila-kṣ¿a?⟨e⟩ttr¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇām ⬦ astamba-khila-kṣ¿a?⟨e⟩ttr¿a?⟨ā⟩ṇām DB • Correct -stambakhilakṣettrāṇām. Basak 1931-1932 reads thus, but the plate clearly shows -mva- and -ttra-. — ⟨5⟩ śaśvad-ācandrārkka- ⬦ śaśvad ācandrārkka- DB.

⟨6⟩ ṣ¿ī?⟨a⟩ḍ DB • Basak 1931-1932 reads ṣaḍ but this is clearly not what the plate shows; cf. line 14, where ṣaḍ is clear.

⟨7⟩ -kr̥tya DB ⬦ -[kr̥]tya RB • On this shape of kr̥, recurring also below in line 14, cf. the Nandapur plate, line 15. — ⟨7⟩ -phuṭṭa- DB • Basak 1931-1932 suggests to emend sphuṭita. But phuṭṭa, being ‘evidently a Prakrit form’ (Basak 1931-1932), must be retained. See Hinueber2013_01 on this case. — ⟨7⟩ °saṁsk¿a?⟨ā⟩ra- DB • Already corrected by Basak 1931-1932. — ⟨7⟩ -dīpa- _ ⬦ -dīpa- DB • This space left blank at the end of the line shows the scribe respects the segmentation of word in the compound.

⟨8⟩ sumanasā⟨ṁ⟩ DB ⬦ sumanasā[M] RB. — ⟨8⟩ śrīgohālyā⟨ṁ⟩ Api ⬦ śrīgohālyāś cāpi RB; śrīgohālyā¿(ś)?⟨m⟩ api DB • Correct śrīgohālyām api. RB reads śrīgohālyāścāpi and corrects this to śrīgohālyāñ cāpi.

⟨9⟩ -vāṭakārtha⟨ṁ⟩ ⬦ -vāṭakārtha[M] RB; -vāṭakār(t)tha⟨ṁ⟩ DB. — ⟨9⟩ -vāpa¿p?⟨m⟩ ⬦ -vāpam RB; -vāpa(m) DB • Correct -vāpam. Basak 1931-1932 reads -vāpam, but the required m has not been written here. See shape of pe in line 21; same error p for m in lines 16–17 and 23.

⟨10⟩ bodhayāma⟨ḥ⟩ DB • Already corrected by Basak 1931-1932. — ⟨10⟩ -durgg(ā)da° ⬦ -durgāda° RB DB • Or is the reading -durggada-? — ⟨10⟩ °ṇayā Avadhr̥ta _ ⬦ °ṇayā Avadhr̥ta° DB; -ṇayāvadhr̥ta- RB.

⟨11⟩ astīha-viṣaye _ ⬦ astīha viṣay(e) DB. — ⟨11⟩ -kṣettrāṇā⟨ṁ⟩ DB • Already corrected by Basak 1931-1932. — ⟨11⟩ -bhojyānāṁ DB • -bhojyānām Basak 1931-1932 (misprint).

⟨13⟩ Upacaya Eva _ ⬦ Upacaya Eva DB. — ⟨13⟩ ca⟨.⟩ _ tad ⬦ ca⟨.⟩ tad DB.

⟨14⟩ bhoyila- DB • Understand bhogila-, as in line 8. — ⟨14⟩ sakā⟨śā⟩t DB • Emend sakāśāt (Basak 1931-1932).

⟨15⟩ bhoyilasya DB • Understand bhogilasya, as in line 8. — ⟨15⟩ tala-v¿a?⟨ā⟩ṭakādy-artthaM ⬦ tala-vāṭakādy-artthaM DB • Correct talavāṭakādyarttham, as Basak 1931-1932 reads.

⟨16⟩ śrīgohālyā⟨ṁ⟩ DB • Already corrected by Basak 1931-1932. — ⟨16⟩ droṇa-vāpaṁ _ bhāska° ⬦ droṇa-vāpaṁ bhāska° DB. — ⟨16⟩ atraiva ⬦ atr¿ī?⟨ai⟩va DB. — ⟨16⟩ sthal¿i?⟨a⟩-v¿a?⟨ā⟩stuno DB ⬦ sthalevastuno RB • Correct sthalavāstuno. RB reads sthalevastuno and makes the same correction. The akṣara he reads le has a slightly different shape than the le in line 7. — ⟨16⟩ -vāpa_⟨17⟩¿p?⟨m⟩ ⬦ -vāpam DB RB • See note on line 9.

⟨17⟩ ca _ Akṣa° DB • Basak 1931-1932 proposes in note to read cākṣa-, but the punctuation space between the two words means that non-application of sandhi is intentional. — ⟨17⟩ °kṣaya-nīvyās ⬦ °kṣaya-¿nīvyās?⟨nīvyā⟩ DB. — ⟨17⟩ dattaM DB ⬦ dattan RB.

⟨18⟩ te DB • In Basak 1931-1932, one reads this note: “The Paharpur plate gives tad- instead te (l. 19) which is a much better reading.—Ed.”. But the precise collocation te yūyaṁ is also found in the Mahatī-Raktamālā (line 20) and Nandapur (line 13) plates.

⟨19⟩ -sthāyi-tuṣāṅgār-ādinā DB • Correct -sthāyituṣāṅgārādināṁ or -sthāyituṣāṅgārādi- (thus Nandapur, line 14)? The latter option is reflected in the translation. Basak 1931-1932 reads -sthāyi-. — ⟨19⟩ cāturddiśo DB • Corr. caturdiśo or cāturddiśe? Cf. Nandapur, line 14–15 caturddiṅniyamitasīmānaṁ kr̥tvā.

⟨20⟩ dharmme¿n?⟨ṇ⟩a DB • Already corrected by Basak 1931-1932. — ⟨20⟩ anupālayiṣyatha _ vartta° ⬦ anupālayiṣyatha vartta° DB.

⟨21⟩ bhagava⟨tā⟩ veda- DB • Basak 1931-1932 emends bhagavadveda-.

⟨22⟩ vasundharā(ṁ) ⬦ vasundharāṁ DB • The sign for final M does not have its usual shape.

⟨23⟩ ¿p?⟨m⟩odati ⬦ modati RB DB • See note on line 9. — ⟨23⟩ vase(T) ⬦ vaseT DB • The sign for final -T does not have its usual shape.

⟨24⟩ dvijātibhyo ⬦ dvijātibhy¿ā?⟨o⟩ DB. — ⟨24⟩ -dattāṁ DB • -dattām Basak 1931-1932 (misprint)

Translation by Arlo Griffiths

(1–3) Hail! From Pañcanagarī,¹ the princely advisor Kulavr̥ddhi, favored by the feet² of His Majesty the (Gupta) Sovereign,³ and the council of this district, greet the village tenants of [the hamlets] Trivr̥tā and Śrī-Gohālī of [the village] Vāyigrāma⁴ — consisting chiefly of Brahmins,⁵ led by the administrator (saṁvyavahārin) — and inform them:

(3–10) The two tenants Bhoyila and Bhāskara who reside in this very place⁶ respectfully request:

This temple of Lord Govindasvāmin, founded by our father Śivanandin, has limited means. In this district, the custom is sale for two dīnāras of one kulyavāpa of uncultivated land that is without revenue charges, covered with original shrubs,⁷ and yields no tax, as permanent endowment to be enjoyed in perpetuity as long as the moon, the sun and the stars [will last]. Thus (tad), be so kind as to take from us in cash (āyīkr̥tya)⁸ six dīnāras and eight rūpakas and — for the purpose of carrying out the repairs of breaches (khaṇḍa) and cracks (phuṭṭa)⁹ in the temple of Lord Govindasvāmin, and for offerings of perfume, incense, lamps and flowers — give

in [the hamlet] Trivr̥tā, to Bhogila, three kulyavāpas of uncultivated land;
and in [the hamlet] Śrī-Gohālī, to serve as parcel adjacent [to the temple], ¹⁰ one droṇavāpa of inhabitable terrain;
and [in the same hamlet] to Bhāskara, one droṇavāpa of inhabitable terrain.

(10–13) Wherefore we (Kulavr̥ddhi and the council) inform you: “It has been ascertained through the investigation of the record-keepers Durgādatta and Arkadāsa that the custom in this district is sale for two dīnāras of one kulyavāpa of uncultivated land that is without revenue charges,covered with original shrubs, to be enjoyed in perpetuity as long as the moon, the sun and the stars [will last]. And in the sale of such uncultivated land that yields no tax there is no conflict with the interest of the king; there is only benefit, and obtainment by His Majesty the Sovereign of a sixth part of the merit (accruing from the donation);¹¹ so that it ought to be given”

(13–18) After six dīnāras and eight rūpakas had been taken in cash from these two, Bhoyila and Bhāskara, for the purpose of the temple of Lord Govindasvāmin,

to Bhoyila, in [the hamlet] Trivr̥tā, three kulyavāpas of uncultivated land to serve as parcel adjacent [to the temple] etc.;
in [the hamlet] Śrī-Gohālī,¹² one droṇavāpa of inhabitable terrain;
and in this very place to Bhāskara, one droṇavāpa of inhabitable terrain;

in this way three kulyavāpas and two droṇavāpas have been given with a copper plate for a permanent endowment. Low (ninna): 3 ku⟨lyavāpa⟩; inhabitable: 2 dro⟨ṇavāpa⟩.

(18–21) You there (mentioned at the start of the grant) shall separate them off using two reeds, eight by ninefold with the ladle-work (darvīkarma) cubit,¹³ in a place that does not conflict with your own cultivation; shall limit them in the four directions with long-lasting markers such as (pots filled with)¹⁴ chaff or charcoal; shall make the donation and shall protect it in perpetuity according to the rule of a permanent endowment. And out of deference to this rule it is to be protected by present and future administrators, etc.

(21–25) And it has been said by the magnanimous Lord Vedavyāsa:

I

The one who would steal land given by himself or another becomes a worm in excrement and is cooked with his ancestors.¹⁵

II

The giver of land resides sixty thousand years in heaven; the one who challenges (a donation) as well as the one who approves (of the challenge) will reside as many [years] in hell.¹⁶

III

You, excellent Yudhiṣṭhira, must strenuously protect land previously given to brahmins by kings. Safeguarding is even better than giving.¹⁷

(25) Year 128, (month of) Māgha, day 19.

Commentary

Regarding the indication ninna ku 3 sthala dro 2 (line 17), in Basak 1931-1932 one reads the following note: “This word (ninna) put before the abbreviated totalisation of the amount of land purchased does not appear to me explicable. [Phuṭṭa (= Skt. sphuṭṭa) in line 7 would suggest that it might stand for Skt. nimna meaning low land.—Ed.]”. The editor’s hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that nimna and sthala form a fixed pair. See Rāmāyaṇa 6.93.19 sthalanimnāni bhūmeś ca, but particularly these stanzas from the Nāradasmr̥ti (11.3–5):

“grāmasīmāsu ca bahir ye syus tatkṛṣijīvinaḥ | gopaśākunikavyādhā ye cānye vanagocarāḥ || samunnayeyus te sīmāṃ lakṣaṇair upalakṣitām | tuṣāṅgārakapālaiś ca kumbhair āyatanair drumaiḥ || abhijñātaiś ca valmīkasthalanimnonnatādibhiḥ | kedārārāmamārgaiś ca purāṇaiḥ setubhis tathā ||”

“In the case of the village boundaries, those who make their living by farming outside it, cowherds, bord catchers, hunters and others who inhabit the forest should delineate the boundary which is marked by such things as pots–of chaff, charcoal or crockery–shrines, trees, and by familiar markers such as ant hills, mounds, depressions, elevations, etc., and paddies, groves, roads, or old dikes.” (edition and translqtion Lariviere 1989)

In the context, the word ninna serves as an equivalent to (khila)kṣetra.

The Nāradasmr̥ti passage just cited also clarifies another word figuring immediately after this indication in the inscription, viz. tuṣāṅgāra. The somewhat cryptic statement of the Nāradasmr̥ti passage is in turn clarified by the following passage translated from fragments of the Br̥haspatismr̥ti (Jolly1889_01):

I

This rule regarding rescission of purchase and sale has been declared. Hear the laws concerning boundaries of villages, fields, houses, and so forth.

II

The determination of boundaries should be settled at the time of foundation, and it should be marked by visible and invisible signs, so as to dispel doubt.

III

Wells, tanks, pools, large trees, gardens, temples, mounds, channels, the course of a river, reeds, shrubs, or piles of stones:

IV

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

V

Dry cowdung, bones, chaff, charcoal, stones, potsherds, sand, bricks, cows’ tails, cotton seeds, and ashes:

VI

After having placed these substances in vessels, one should deposit them underground at the extremities of the boundary.¹⁸

Bibliography

First reported and edited in Basak 1931-1932. Recorded in Chandra 1957, p. 27, № 15, appendix A and Narasimhaswami and Gai 1966, p. 38, № 22, appendix 1. Re-edited by Arlo Griffiths, using photos furnished by Ryosuke Furui. The text has been encoded by Amandine Wattelier-Bricout using a digital edition created by Dániel Balogh for the Siddham project as starting point. Since some readings differ from this previous digital edition, they are reported in the apparatus. Some notes in the translation has been added by Amandine Wattelier-Bricout.

Primary

[RB] Basak, Radhagovinda. 1931-1932. “Baigram copper-plate inscription of the [Gupta-]year 128.” EI 21, pp. 78–83.

[S] Sircar, Dines Chandra. 1965. Select inscriptions bearing on Indian history and civilization. Volume I: from the sixth century B.C. to the sixth century A.D. 2nd edition revised and enlarged. Calcutta: University of Calcutta. Item III, entry no. 41, pages 355–9, figures pl. L–LI.

[A] Agrawala, Prithvi Kumar. 1983. Imperial Gupta epigraphs (Guptādhirājalekhamaṇḍala). Ancient Indian epigraphical sources (Pratnābhilekhasaṁhitā) / Shilpa 10, pt. 1 / 2. Varanasi: Books Asia: Distributed by Prithvi Prakashan. Entry 29.

[G] Goyal, Śrīrām. 1993. गुप्तकालीन अभिलेख/Guptakālīna Abhilekha (Inscriptions of the Gupta Age). Jodhpur: Kusumanjali Prakashan. Pages 183–8.

[DB] Balogh, Dániel, Csaba Kiss and Eszter Somogyi. 2019. “Siddham Epigraphic Archive - Texts in EpiDoc [Data set].” Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2574901. [URL]. Item IN00061.

Secondary

ARASI and J. F. Blakiston. 1937. Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India 1934-35. Delhi: Manager of Publications. Page 42.

Chandra, B.C. 1957. Annual report on Indian epigraphy for 1956-57. New Delhi: Manager of Publications (Department of Archaeology). Appendix A, item 15, page 27.

Narasimhaswami, H. K. and G. S. Gai. 1966. Annual report on Indian epigraphy for 1961-62. n.p.: Ootacamund. Appendix A, item 22, page 38.

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. [URL]. Page 296, item no. 2114.

Notes

1. See Sircar 1965, p. 356, n. 2 which identifies this with modern Panchbibi in Bogra District — a place I cannot identify. Perhaps it is the same as Panchanagar, substrict Kushmundi, dt. Dakshin Dinajpur, West Bengal, India, which seems a safe identification for Pañcanagarī.
2. The expression bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ can also be found in Raktamālā #1 line 1 : paramabhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ kumārāmātya-yūthapatir.
3. According to the table in Willis 2005, p. 135, Kumāragupta’s reign lasted till 477, after which date we enter Skandagupta’s reign.
4. Vāyigrāma is also mentioned in Damodarpur #3, line 9.
5. The expression brāhmaṇottarān occurs in several other plates: Raktamālā Grant no. 1, year 159, line 2; A grant of land in the Tāvīra district, line 6 ; Paharpur Charter of the Time of Budhagupta, line 3; Nandapur Plate of 169 GE, line 1 and A second grant concerning the Raktamālā line 2. The translation suggested here corresponds to the specific meaning of the compound brāhmaṇottara- reported by Apte 1890, p. 1174. If we only follow the meaning given by Apte 1890, № 8, p. 408 and Monier-Williams et al. 1899, p. 178 for the word -uttara in fine compositi, the translation would be “followed by Brahmins”.
6. Presumably in Vāyigrāma.
7. See Sircar 1965, p. 356, n. 9 for this interpretation of ādya-stamba.
8. āyīkr̥tya is derived from āya in the sense of “income”, so “having made income from …”. This expression can be found in Kalaikuri Copper-plate of Kumāragupta I (line 20), in Paharpur plate (line 18) and in Damodapur Plate #3 (line 8).
9. Article von Hinüber. Originally Buddhist terms used in Vaiṣṇava context! See also other trace of Prakrit as administrative language in ninna = diṇṇa l. 17. See also Sircar 1965, n. 2, p. 357.
10. Note on talavāṭaka: see Sircar 1966, pp. 334–335.
11. Indeed, the king usually takes a sixth of each transaction as it is mentionned in Manusmr̥ti 7.131-132. Here, as the land yields no tax, the benefit for the king is only meritorious and due to his act of protection. This understanding is also confirmed by the final stanzas which emphasises the act of protection and by the verse I.331 from Yājñavalkya’s Dharmaśāstra: “puṇyātṣaḍbhāgamādatte nyāyena paripālayan | sarvadānādhikaṁ yasmānnyāyena paripālanam ||” “He (the king) takes a sixth portion of the merits by providing protection justly, because providing protection justly greater than all gifts.” (Translation Olivelle 2019, p. 107).
12. The place name Śrī-Gohālī can also be found in a A fragment of a second plate from Baigram and in A grant of land to monasteries at Śiṣīpuñja, Madhyamasṛgālikā and Grāmakūṭagohālī.
13. A note is necessary on this translation. Predecessors have assumed Darvīkarma was a proper noun, and that it designated the person after whom the standard had taken its name.
14. This interpretation is based on the Smr̥ti passages cited in the commentary. Others sources give details about the manner to mark boundaries. For example, Manusmr̥ti 8.249-50 suggests demarcating boundaries by several objects (translation Olivelle 2005) : “upachannāni cānyāni sīmāliṅgāni kārayet | sīmājñāne nṛṇāṁ vīkṣya nityaṁ loke viparyayam ||” “aśmano ’sthīni govālāṁs tuṣān bhasma kapālikāḥ | karīṣam iṣṭakāṅgārāṁś śarkarā vālukās tathā ||” “Seeing that in the world controversies constantly arise due to people’s ignorance of boundaries, he should also have other concealed boundary markers ensconced stones, bones, cow’s hair, chaff, ashes, potsherds, dried cow dung, bricks, coal (aṅgāra), pebbles, and sand.”
Yājñavalkya’s Dharmaśāstra 2.154-5 gives also a list of materials used to mark boundaries (translation Olivelle 2019):
“sīmno vivāde kṣetrasya sāmantāḥ sthavirā gaṇāḥ | gopāḥ sīmnaḥ kṛśāno’nye sarve ca vanagocarāḥ ||” “nayeyur ete sīmāntaṃ sthalāṅgāratuṣadrumaiḥ | setuvalmīkanimnāsthicaityādyair upalakṣitam ||” “When there is a dispute regarding a boundary of a field, neighbours, elderly people, persons from an association, herdmen, others famers near the boundary, and all men roaming in the forest should ascertain the boundary revealed by mounds (sthala), charcoal (aṅgāra), chaff (tuṣa), and trees, and by dikes, anthills, trenches, bones, shrines, and the like. ”. See also Sircar 1965, n. 7, p. 358
15. This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 132 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar (see Sircar 1965, appendix II, pp. 170–200).
16. This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 123 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar (see Sircar 1965, appendix II, pp. 170–200).
17. This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 131 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar (see Sircar 1965, appendix II, pp. 170–200), but shows a different reading of its first pāda.
18. These translated stanzas seem to correspond to the following in the Br̥haspatismṛti as reconstructed by Rangaswami Aiyangar 1941, Vyavahārakāṇḍa, chapter 19, pp. 159–162:
krayavikrayānuśaye vidhir eṣa pradarśitaḥ | grāmakṣetragr̥hādīnāṃ sīmāvādaṁ nibodhata || 1 ||

niveśakāle kartavyaḥ sīmābandhaviniścayaḥ | prakāśopāṁśucihnaiś ca lakṣitaḥ saṁśayāpahaḥ || 7 ||

vāpīkūpataḍāgāni caityārāmasurālayāḥ || 8cd ||

sthalanimnanadīsrotaḥ śaragulmanagādayaḥ | prakāśacihnāny etāni sīmāyāṁ kārayet sadā || 9 ||

nihitāni tathānyāni yāni bhūmir na bhakṣayet | 17ab |

karīṣāsthituṣāṅgāraśarkarāśmakapālikāḥ || 20ab || sikateṣṭakagobālakārpāsāsthīni bhasma ca || 20cd ||

prakṣipya kumbheṣv etāni sīmānteṣu nidhāpayet | 21ab |

On these stanzas, see Renou 1963, pp. 99–100.

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<pb n="1r"/><lb n="1"/>svasti<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> pañcanagaryyā bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ <space/> kumārāmātya-kulavr̥ddhir etad-viṣayādhikaraṇañ ca <space/><!--

daba : Edition based on Basak (B), Sircar (SI) and Agrawala, revised on the basis of the photo at http://museumsofindia.gov.in/repository/record/nat_del-66-1-551, in which many details are much clearer than in the early rubbings.

--><!-- daba-siddham:

L1. Agrawala prints °dhyātaḥ, a typo; B correctly has °ddhyātaḥ.

--><!--

amwb : added a space according to my own reading

--><lb n="2"/>vāyigrāmika-trivr̥t<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>-śrīgohālyoḥ <space/> brāhmaṇottarān samvyavahāri-pramukhān grāma-kuṭumbinaḥ <space/> kuśalam anu<lb n="3" break="no"/>varṇya bodhayanti<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> <space/>

<choice><sic>vijñāpayator atraiva</sic><corr>vijñāpayato 'traiva</corr></choice>-vāstavya-kuṭumbi-bhoyila-bhāskarāv<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> āvayoḥ <space/> pitrā śivanandi<lb n="4" break="no"/>nā kāritak<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>o</corr></choice> <!--

daba siddham: kāritaka-bhagavato

amwb: changed according to Arlo's edition

-->bhagavato govindasvāminaḥ deva-kulas tad-asāv alpa-vr̥ttikaḥ<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> Iha viṣaye samudaya-<!--

daba-siddham: Not sure about kāritaka. B and Agrawala print the ta as unclear and the ka as clear (Agrawala then emends to kāritakaḥ). Both are quite indistinct in my facsimiles, but other solutions seem equally plausible: 1. read kāritaḥ, with a scratch on the plate between the dots of the visarga; 2. read kārito, followed by a malformed character; 3. combine these two and assume first-hand correction from kāritaḥ to kārito: the indistinctness of the o mātrā of the t would then be explained by its being a later addition, and the scratch across the visarga could be a deletion mark. Note though that -svāminaḥ devakulas is not corrected later on in the same line.

--><!--

daba : B and Agrawala both correct devakulas to devakulam and all adjectives and the pronoun to neuter. This seems like over-correction to me.

--><lb n="5"/>bāhyādy-astamva-khila-kṣ<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>e</corr></choice>ttr<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>ṇām akiñcit-pratikarāṇāṁ śaśvad-ācandrārkka-tāraka-bhojyānā<sic>ṁm</sic> akṣaya-nīvyā<!-- daba-siddham:

L5. SI says ādyastamba means "covered with original shrub, i.e. fallow". I don't find this very convincing and I'm inclined to think astamba means not planted with grain, or perhaps without grass (for grazing), but the whole expression seems rather uncertain; in my interpretation, the ādi is a bit unexpected.

--><!--

daba : L5. B and SI both read kṣettrāṇām, but I see no trace of e and ā mātrā in the very clear photograph.

--><!--

daba : L5. The anusvāra in bhojyānāṁm may have been deleted.

--><!--

amwb : I removed the space between śaśvad and ācandrārkka and replaced it by an hyphen

--><lb n="6"/>dvi-dīnārikkya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo 'nuvr̥ttas<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> tad arhathāvayos sakāśāt ṣ<choice><sic>ī</sic><corr>a</corr></choice>ḍ dīnārān aṣṭa ca rūpakān āyī<!--

daba : L6. B and SI read ṣaḍ; the plate clearly has ṣīḍ. Must be a sort of eyeskip with ḍdī.

--><lb n="7" break="no"/>kr̥tya bhagavato govindasvāmino deva-kule khaṇḍa-phuṭṭa-pratisaṁsk<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>ra-karaṇāya <space type="descender"/> gandha-dhūpa-dīpa- <space/><!--

daba : L7. The word phuṭṭa seems to be a Prakritism for sphuṭita (Basak). See also the same word in IN00056 and IN00062.

--><lb n="8"/>sumanasā<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied> pravarttanāya ca trivr̥tāyām bhogilasya khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ <space type="descender"/> śrīgohālyā<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied> Api<!--

daba : L8. The spelling of the name is bhogila here, but bhoyila in lines 3 and 14.

--><!--

daba : L8. B and SI read °gohālyāścāpi, emending to gohālyāñ cāpi. But the photo shows the character clearly: there is neither a subscript v, nor an ā mātrā here, only a śa, with the top stroke extended on the left toward the ā of lyā. This may have been meant as correction from śa to ma, transforming the top stroke into a headmark. The right descender does not seem to have been deleted or corrected.

--><!--

amwb : I replaced gohālyā<choice><sic><unclear>ś</unclear></sic><corr>m</corr></choice> api by gohālyā Api according to Arlo's reading

-->

<lb n="9"/>tala-vāṭakārtha<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied> sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpa<choice><sic>p</sic><corr>m</corr></choice><!--

amwb change daba's encoding :<unclear>m</unclear>

--> ekaṁ <space/> bhāskarasyāpi sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpañ ca dātu<!--

daba : L9. The t of rttha (read as rtha by B and SI) is malformed, missing the side stroke. Still, the long stem was definitely meant to be t, and th is subscript.

--><!--

daba : L9. me is also malformed, with a body shaped much like p, but a headmark on the right vertical.

--><lb n="10" break="no"/>m iti<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied><space/>

yato yuṣmān bodhayāma<supplied reason="omitted">ḥ</supplied><supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> <space/> pustapāla-durgg<unclear>ā</unclear><!--

amwb : added unclear

-->

dattārkkadāsayor avadhāraṇayā Avadhr̥ta <space/><lb n="11" break="no"/>m astīha-viṣaye <space/> samudaya-bāhyādy-astamba-khila-kṣettrāṇā<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied> śaśvad-ācandrārkka-tāraka-bhojyānāṁ dvi-dī<!--

amwb: replace a space between astīha and viṣaye by an hyphen and removed the <unclear>e</unclear> in viṣaye; added a space-tag after viṣaye

--><lb n="12" break="no"/>nārikya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo 'nuvr̥ttaḥ<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> Evaṁ-vidhāpratikara-khila-kṣettra-vikkraye ca na kaścid rājārttha-

<lb n="13"/>virodha Upacaya Eva <space/> bhaṭṭāraka-pādānāṁ dharmma-phala-ṣaḍ-bhāgāvāptiś ca <supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied><!--

amwb : added a <space/>

--><space/> tad dīyatām iti Etayoḥ <lb n="14"/>bhoyila-bhāskarayos sakā<supplied reason="omitted">śā</supplied>t ṣaḍ dīnārān aṣṭa ca rūpakān āyīkr̥tya bhagavato govindasvāmino

<lb n="15"/>deva-kulasyārtthe bhoyilasya trivr̥tāyāṁ <space/> khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ tala-v<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>ṭakādy-artthaM<!--

daba siddham: L15. The halanta M (obscured by a logo in the photo but clear in the rubbing) is a peculiar cursive form, looking like a la without a headmark. See also note to l17.

-->

<!--

amwb : I replaced tala-vāṭakādy-artthaM by tala-v<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>ṭakādy-artthaM according to Arlo's reading

--><supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied>

<pb n="1v"/><lb n="16"/>śrīgohālyā<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied> sthala-vāstuno droṇa-vāpaṁ <space/><!--

amwb: space added

--> bhāskarasyāpy atrai<!--

amwb : I removed : daba's <choice><sic>ī</sic><corr>ai</corr></choice>

-->va sthal<choice><sic>i</sic><corr>a</corr></choice>-v<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>stuno droṇa-vāpa <space/><!--

daba : L16. B, SI: atraiva; sthale

--><!--

daba : On the facsimile, the text °syāpyatraivasthaleva° seems to be a different hand: the lines are thinner, and the characters are more widely spaced. Note also that this bit contains two spelling mistakes. Is this ancient correction/forgery/filling up of a space left empty? It could be just a random difference in spacing and state of preservation.

--><lb n="17" break="no"/><choice><sic>p</sic><corr>m</corr></choice><supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied><!--

amwb: replace siddham's reading "-vāpam" by Arlo's reading "-vāpa<choice><sic>p</sic><corr>m</corr></choice>-->

eva<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied> kulya-vāpa-trayaṁ sthala-droṇa-vāpa-dvayañ ca <space/> Akṣaya-nīvyās<!--

daba : <choice><sic>nīvyās</sic><corr>nīvyā</corr></choice> amwb : not specified in Arlo's apparat

--> tāmra-paṭṭena dattaM<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> ninna<!--

daba : L17. The halanta M has the same strange form as in l15 above.

--><!--

daba : L17. B, SI note that that ninna is either a Prakritism (compare phuṭṭa in l7 above) or a spelling mistake for nimna, perhaps meaning low-lying land as opposed to sthala.

--><lb n="18"/>ku <num value="3">3</num> sthala-dro <num value="2">2</num><supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied>

te yūyaṁ sva-karṣaṇāvirodhi-sthāne darvvīkarmma-hastenāṣṭaka-navaka-naḷābhyā<!--

daba : Basak notes that instead of te yūyaṁ the Paharpur plate (%IN00065) has tad yūyaṁ, which he deems better.

--><lb n="19" break="no"/>m apaviñcchya <space type="descender"/> cira-kāla-sthāyi-tuṣāṅgārādinā cihnaiś cāturddiśo niyamya dāsyathākṣaya-<!--

daba : L19. Basak and Agrawala correct ādinā to ādīnāṁ, but a genitive would look strange to me; I'd expect ādibhiś and assume the single instrumental is a mistake for that. Cf. also l14 of the Nandapur plate (%IN00133), where °ādi is compounded to cihnaiś.

--><lb n="20"/>nīvī-dharmme<choice><sic>n</sic><corr>ṇ</corr></choice>a ca śaśvat-kālam anupālayiṣyatha <space/><!--

amwb : added space

--> varttamāna-bhaviṣyaiś ca saṁvyavahāryy-ādibhir eta<lb n="21" break="no"/>d dharmmāpekṣayānupālayitavyam iti<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> <space/><!--

amwb : I reinserted the space of daba removed first because it was not specified by Arlo, see photo tavyamiti SPACE Uktañ ca l21.png

--> Uktañ ca bhagava<supplied reason="omitted">tā</supplied> veda-vyāsa-mahātmanā<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied><space/><!--

daba : Basak corrects bhagava to bhagavad (in comp with vedavyāsa). I follow Agrawala (Sircar?) and emend to bhagavatā, which seems more in line with other versions of this phrase.

-->

<l n="a">sva-dattāṁ para-dattāṁ <lb n="22"/>v<surplus>v</surplus>ā</l>

<l n="b">yo hareta vasundharā<unclear>ṁ</unclear><!--

amwb: add unclear from Arlo's reading

--><unclear><g type="danda">.</g></unclear><!--

daba siddham : L22. The punctuation character (if it is one) is a curved line slanting from top left to bottom right and bulging to top right. Its top is at the bottom of the ā mātrā; its bottom is a bit above the bottom of the r's descender. There is no punctuation in the subsequent verses. Still, this doesn't seem to be a halanta M.

--><!--

amwb: Arlo, you don't note this punctuation mark, for the moment, I have kept Daniel's notation because of his detailed commentary

--></l>

<l n="c">sa viṣṭhāyāṁ k<sic>ri</sic>mir bhūtvā</l>

<l n="d">pitr̥bhis saha pacyate<space/></l>

</lg>

<l n="a">ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣa-saha<lb n="23" break="no"/>srāṇi</l>

<l n="b">svargge <choice><sic>p</sic><corr>m</corr></choice>odati bhūmidaḥ<space/></l>

<l n="c">Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca</l>

<l n="d">tāny eva narake vase<unclear>T</unclear><!--

daba siddham: L23. The halanta T is a cursive subscript character resembling a ga.

--><!--

amwb : add unclear from Arlo's reading

--></l>

</lg>

<l n="a">pūrvva<lb n="24" break="no"/>-dattāṁ dvijātibhyo<!--

daba siddham: <choice><sic>ā</sic><corr>o</corr></choice>

amwb: I removed the choice-sic-corr --></l>

<l n="b">yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira<space/></l>

<l n="c">mahī<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied> mah<choice><sic>i</sic><corr>ī</corr></choice>matāṁ śreṣṭha</l>

<l n="d">dānāc chreyo 'nupāla<!--

amwb : add '

--><lb n="25" break="no"/>nam</l>

</lg>

iti<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied><!--

amwb : add a space ? See phto namiti SPACE saṁ l25.png

--> <abbr>saṁ</abbr> <num value="128">100 20 8</num> māgha <abbr>di</abbr><!--

amwb : add abbr

--> <num value="19">10 9</num><supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied>

</div>

<lem>-pādānuddhyātaḥ <space/></lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-pādānuddhyātaḥ</rdg>

</app>

<lem>°karaṇañ ca <space/></lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">°karaṇañ ca</rdg>

</app>

<lem>-śrīgohālyoḥ <space/></lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-śrīgohālyoḥ</rdg><!--

amwb : the size of the space is identical to the one line 1 after °dānudhyātaḥ

-->

</app>

<lem>-kuṭumbinaḥ <space/></lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-kuṭumbinaḥ</rdg>

</app>

<lem>bodhayanti<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied> <space/></lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">bodhayanti<supplied reason="subaudible">.</supplied></rdg>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-bhoyila-</lem>

<note>This name is spelt thus also in lines 14 and 15, but -<foreign>bhogila</foreign>- in line 8.

</note>

</app>

<lem>āvayoḥ <space/></lem><!--

amwb : there is a space as after kuṭumbinaḥ the above line

-->

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">āvayoḥ</rdg>

</app>

<lem>kāritak<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>o</corr></choice></lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">kāritaka-</rdg>

<note>Note that <foreign>devakula</foreign> here rather clearly is taken to be masculine; tad seems to bear adverbial function.</note>

</app>

<lem>astamva-khila-kṣ<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>e</corr></choice>ttr<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>ṇām</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">astamba-khila-kṣ<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>e</corr></choice>ttr<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>ṇām</rdg>

<note>Correct -<foreign>stambakhilakṣettrāṇām</foreign>. <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> reads thus, but the plate clearly shows -<foreign>mva</foreign>- and -<foreign>ttra</foreign>-. </note>

</app>

<lem>śaśvad-ācandrārkka-</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">śaśvad ācandrārkka-</rdg>

</app>

<note><bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> reads <foreign>ṣaḍ</foreign> but this is clearly not what the plate shows; cf. line 14, where <foreign>ṣaḍ</foreign> is clear.

</note>

</app>

<note>On this shape of <foreign>kr̥</foreign>, recurring also below in line 14, cf. the <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00054.xml">Nandapur plate</ref>, line 15.

</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-phuṭṭa-</lem>

<note><bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> suggests to emend <foreign>sphuṭita</foreign>. But <foreign>phuṭṭa</foreign>, being ‘evidently a Prakrit form’ (<bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>), must be retained. See <bibl><ptr target="bib:Hinueber2013_01"/></bibl> on this case.

</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">°saṁsk<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>ra-</lem>

<note>Already corrected by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>.</note>

</app>

<note>This space left blank at the end of the line shows the scribe respects the segmentation of word in the compound.</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">sumanasā<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied></lem>

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01">sumanasā<supplied reason="lost">M</supplied></rdg>

</app>

<lem>śrīgohālyā<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied> Api</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01">śrīgohālyāś cāpi</rdg>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">śrīgohālyā<choice><sic><unclear>ś</unclear></sic><corr>m</corr></choice> api</rdg>

<note>Correct <foreign>śrīgohālyām api</foreign>. RB reads <foreign>śrīgohālyāścāpi</foreign> and corrects this to <foreign>śrīgohālyāñ cāpi</foreign>.</note>

</app>

<lem>-vāṭakārtha<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied></lem>

<!--

Arlo's reading :

<lem>-vāṭakārttha<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied></lem>

amwb : I'm not sure that it is ttha or tha, compare the photo rtthastha l9 or rthastha?.png with the three photos rttha l12.png , rtthe l15.png and rtthaM l15.png. In my opinion we have rtha in line 9

-->

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01">-vāṭakārtha<supplied reason="lost">M</supplied></rdg>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-vāṭakār<unclear>t</unclear>tha<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied></rdg>

</app>

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01">-vāpam</rdg>

<note>Correct -<foreign>vāpam</foreign>. <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> reads -<foreign>vāpam</foreign>, but the required m has not been written here. See shape of <foreign>pe</foreign> in line 21; same error <foreign>p</foreign> for <foreign>m</foreign> in lines 16–17 and 23.</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">bodhayāma<supplied reason="omitted">ḥ</supplied></lem>

<note>Already corrected by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>.</note>

</app>

<lem>-durgg<unclear>ā</unclear>da°</lem><!--

amwb : for me we have to choose between a double gga or a single one with a long, see photos durgā l10 ?.png durgga l10?.png

-->

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01 bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-durgāda°</rdg>

<note>Or is the reading -<foreign>durggada</foreign>-?</note>

</app>

<lem>°ṇayā Avadhr̥ta <space/></lem>

<!-- amwb: there is a space left blank at the end of the line, see photo vadhṛta space l10.png

<lem>°ṇayā Avadhr̥ta <space/><lem/>

-->

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">°ṇayā Avadhr̥ta°</rdg>

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01">-ṇayāvadhr̥ta-</rdg>

</app>

<lem>astīha-viṣaye <space/></lem><!--

amwb : add a space after viṣaye? see photo viṣaye space samu l11.png

-->

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">astīha viṣay<unclear>e</unclear></rdg>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-kṣettrāṇā<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied></lem>

<note>Already corrected by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>.</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-bhojyānāṁ</lem>

<note>-<foreign>bhojyānām</foreign> <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> (misprint).</note>

</app>

<lem>Upacaya Eva <space/></lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">Upacaya Eva</rdg>

</app>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">bhoyila-</lem>

<note>Understand <foreign>bhogila-</foreign>, as in line 8.</note>

</app>

<note>Emend <foreign>sakāśāt</foreign> (<bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>).</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">bhoyilasya</lem>

<note>Understand <foreign>bhogilasya</foreign>, as in line 8.</note>

</app>

<lem>tala-v<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>ṭakādy-artthaM</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">tala-vāṭakādy-artthaM</rdg>

<note>Correct <foreign>talavāṭakādyarttham</foreign>, as <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> reads.</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">śrīgohālyā<supplied reason="omitted">ṁ</supplied></lem>

<note>Already corrected by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>.</note>

</app>

<lem>droṇa-vāpaṁ <space/> bhāska°</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">droṇa-vāpaṁ bhāska°</rdg>

</app>

<lem>atraiva</lem>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">sthal<choice><sic>i</sic><corr>a</corr></choice>-v<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>stuno</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01">sthalevastuno</rdg>

<note>Correct <foreign>sthalavāstuno</foreign>. RB reads <foreign>sthalevastuno</foreign> and makes the same correction. The <foreign>akṣara</foreign> he reads <foreign>le</foreign> has a slightly different shape than the <foreign>le</foreign> in line 7.</note>

</app>

<lem>-vāpa <space/><lb n="17" break="no"/><choice><sic>p</sic><corr>m</corr></choice></lem><!--

amwb here there is a space left blank at the end of the line 16, see photo vāpa l16.png

-->

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01 bib:Basak1931-1932_01">-vāpam</rdg>

</app>

<note><bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> proposes in note to read <foreign>cākṣa</foreign>-, but the punctuation space between the two words means that non-application of sandhi is intentional.</note>

</app>

<lem>°kṣaya-nīvyās</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">°kṣaya-<choice><sic>nīvyās</sic><corr>nīvyā</corr></choice></rdg>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">dattaM</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01">dattan</rdg>

</app>

<note>In <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>, one reads this note: <q>The Paharpur plate gives <foreign>tad</foreign>- instead <foreign>te</foreign> (l. 19) which is a much better reading.—Ed.</q>. But the precise collocation <foreign>te yūyaṁ</foreign> is also found in the <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00039.xml">Mahatī-Raktamālā</ref> (line 20) and <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00054.xml">Nandapur</ref> (line 13) plates.

</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-sthāyi-tuṣāṅgār-ādinā</lem>

<note>Correct -<foreign>sthāyituṣāṅgārādināṁ</foreign> or -<foreign>sthāyituṣāṅgārādi</foreign>- (thus <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00054.xml">Nandapur</ref>, line 14)? The latter option is reflected in the translation. <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> reads -<foreign>sthāyi</foreign>-.</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">cāturddiśo</lem>

<note>Corr. <foreign>caturdiśo</foreign> or <foreign>cāturddiśe</foreign>? Cf. <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00054.xml">Nandapur</ref>, line 14–15 <foreign>caturddiṅniyamitasīmānaṁ kr̥tvā</foreign>.</note>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">dharmme<choice><sic>n</sic><corr>ṇ</corr></choice>a</lem>

<note>Already corrected by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>.</note>

</app>

<lem>anupālayiṣyatha <space/> vartta°</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">anupālayiṣyatha vartta°</rdg>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">bhagava<supplied reason="omitted">tā</supplied> veda-</lem>

<note><bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> emends bhagavadveda-.</note>

</app>

<lem>vasundharā<unclear>ṁ</unclear></lem>

<!-- amwb : maybe it is neccesary because with the usual line, it will form something ressembling pha ? Compare photos vasundharā(m*) l22.png ; ttaM l17.png and pha l13.png; see also the photos rtthaM l15.png and seT l23.png, we can deduce that the sign used to note a final M change according to the context

-->

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">vasundharāṁ</rdg>

<note>The sign for final <foreign>M</foreign> does not have its usual shape.</note>

</app>

<lem><choice><sic>p</sic><corr>m</corr></choice>odati</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Basak1931-1932_01 bib:Balogh+al2019_01">modati</rdg>

</app>

<lem>vase<unclear>T</unclear></lem><!--

amwb : it seems to me that the final T and the final M change according the context see vasundharā(m*) l22.png ; ttaM l17.png ; rtthaM l15.png and seT l23.png

-->

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">vaseT</rdg>

<note>The sign for final -<foreign>T</foreign> does not have its usual shape.</note>

</app>

<lem>dvijātibhyo</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">dvijātibhy<choice><sic>ā</sic><corr>o</corr></choice></rdg>

</app>

<lem source="bib:Balogh+al2019_01">-dattāṁ</lem>

<note>-<foreign>dattām</foreign> <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> (misprint)</note>

</app>

</listApp>

</div>

Hail! From Pañcanagarī,<note>

See <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1965_02"/><citedRange unit="page">356</citedRange><citedRange unit="note">2</citedRange></bibl> which identifies this with modern Panchbibi in Bogra District<!--

amwb : I added in Bogrā district, detail specified in Sircar's note

--> — a place I cannot identify. Perhaps it is the same as

Panchanagar, substrict Kushmundi, dt. Dakshin Dinajpur, West Bengal, India, which seems a safe identification for Pañcanagarī.

</note>

the princely advisor Kulavr̥ddhi,

favored by the feet<note>

The expression <foreign>bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ</foreign> can also be found in <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00039.xml">Raktamālā #1</ref> line 1 : <foreign>paramabhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ kumārāmātya-yūthapatir</foreign>.

</note> of His Majesty the <supplied reason="explanation">Gupta</supplied> Sovereign,<note>

According to the table in <bibl><ptr target="bib:Willis2005_01"/><citedRange unit="page">135</citedRange></bibl>, Kumāragupta’s reign lasted till 477, after which date we enter Skandagupta’s reign.

</note>

and the council of this district,

greet the village tenants of <supplied reason="subaudible">the hamlets</supplied> Trivr̥tā and Śrī-Gohālī of <supplied reason="subaudible">the village</supplied> Vāyigrāma<note>

Vāyigrāma is also mentioned in <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00032.xml">Damodarpur #3</ref>, line 9.

</note>

— consisting chiefly of Brahmins,<note>

The expression <foreign>brāhmaṇottarān</foreign> occurs in several other plates: <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00039.xml">Raktamālā Grant no. 1, year 159</ref>, line 2; <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00051.xml">A grant of land in the Tāvīra district</ref>, line 6 ; <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00052.xml">Paharpur Charter of the Time of Budhagupta</ref>, line 3; <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00054.xml">Nandapur Plate of 169 GE</ref>, line 1 and <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00057.xml">A second grant concerning the Raktamālā</ref> line 2. The translation suggested here corresponds to the specific meaning of the compound <foreign>brāhmaṇottara</foreign>- reported by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Apte1890_01"/><citedRange unit="page">1174</citedRange></bibl>. If we only follow the meaning given by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Apte1890_01"/><citedRange unit="item">8</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">408</citedRange></bibl> and <bibl><ptr target="bib:MonierWilliams1899_01"/><citedRange unit="page">178</citedRange></bibl> for the word -<foreign>uttara</foreign> <foreign>in fine compositi</foreign>, the translation would be <q>followed by Brahmins</q>.

</note><!--

amwb I replaced "the most eminent among them being the Brahmins" by

amwb: here as in BC 39, BC57 and BC51, uttara ifc means "followed by" or "consisting of" MW p.178 col1 and Apte p.408 n°8...see "consisting chiefly of Brahmins" Apte p.1174) in this case, this means that landholders are brahmins?

-->

led by the administrator <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>saṁvyavahārin</foreign></supplied> —

and inform them:

The two tenants Bhoyila and Bhāskara

who reside in this very place<note>

Presumably in Vāyigrāma.

</note>

respectfully request:

This temple of Lord Govindasvāmin,

founded by our father Śivanandin,<!--

amwb : I am wondering if "father" is a honorific denomination or not. If not, it is interesting to note that the request is made by two brothers and raises the question of inheritance of a temple -->

has limited means. <!--

amwb : here it seems that the "tad" is not translated: "this temple" = devakulas + asāv. Considering Daniel's remark (daba : B and Agrawala both correct devakulas to devakulam and all adjectives and the pronoun to neuter. This seems like over-correction to me.), it would be necessary to add a note about this textual problem "devakulas tad asāv alpavr̥ttikaḥ" or understand "tad" as a logical connector and translate by two sentences "this temple has been founded by our father, thus (tad) it has limited means". In this way, I understand that the temple has limited means because his founder had a limited wealth or because this foundation results from an individual initiative ? The third possibility is to form a compound tad-asau this very temple?

-->

In this district,

the custom is sale for two <foreign>dīnāra</foreign>s of one <foreign>kulyavāpa</foreign>

of uncultivated land that is without revenue charges,

covered with original shrubs,<note>

See <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1965_02"/><citedRange unit="page">356</citedRange><citedRange unit="note">9</citedRange></bibl> for this interpretation of <foreign>ādya-stamba</foreign>.<!--

amwb : I am wondering if ādya-stamba is not used to explain why the land is waste or uncultivated. It could be translated by " uncultivated land, because originally covered by shrubs, that is without revenue charges". Maybe this particular state of the land explains why the expression <foreign>samudaya-bāhyādyastamba-khila-kṣettra</foreign> (l.4-5 and l.11) seems less common in the corpus of inscriptions than the expressions <foreign>samudaya-bāhyāpratikara-khila-kṣetra</foreign> (BC39l.5,17,20; BC57 l.18, 19) or <foreign>samudaya-bāhyāprada-khila-kṣetra</foreign> (BC32 l.5). Note we can also read the expression <foreign>samudaya-bāhyādyastamba-khila-kṣettra</foreign> in BC54 Nandapur l.5 and 8-9

-->

</note>

and yields no tax,

as permanent endowment to be enjoyed in perpetuity

as long as the moon, the sun and the stars <supplied reason="subaudible">will last</supplied>.

Thus <supplied reason="explanation">tad</supplied>,

be so kind as to take from us in cash <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>āyīkr̥tya</foreign></supplied><note>

<foreign>āyīkr̥tya</foreign> is derived from <foreign>āya</foreign> in the sense of <q>income</q>, so <q>having made income from …</q>. This expression can be found in <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00033.xml">Kalaikuri Copper-plate of Kumāragupta I</ref> (line 20), in <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00052.xml">Paharpur plate</ref> (line 18) and in <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00032.xml">Damodapur Plate #3</ref> (line 8).

</note>

six <foreign>dīnāra</foreign>s and eight <foreign>rūpaka</foreign>s

and — for the purpose of carrying out the repairs of breaches <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>khaṇḍa</foreign></supplied> and cracks <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>phuṭṭa</foreign></supplied><note>

Article <bibl><ptr/></bibl>von Hinüber<!--

amwb : To be completed with the good reference

-->. Originally Buddhist terms used in Vaiṣṇava context! See also other trace of Prakrit as administrative language in <foreign>ninna</foreign> = <foreign>diṇṇa</foreign> l. 17. See also <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1965_02"/><citedRange unit="note">2</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">357</citedRange></bibl>.

</note>

in the temple of Lord Govindasvāmin,

and for offerings of perfume, incense, lamps and flowers — give

<item>in <supplied reason="subaudible">the hamlet</supplied> Trivr̥tā, to Bhogila, three <foreign>kulyavāpa</foreign>s of uncultivated land;</item>

<item>and<!--

amwb: maybe "as well as" / "and also", it seems to me that "and" is too flat and that "api" expresses something more; indeed they ask more than kulyavāpa, they want kulyavāpa and two droṇavāpa introduced both by "api" and not "ca"

--> in <supplied reason="subaudible">the hamlet</supplied> Śrī-Gohālī, to serve as parcel adjacent<!--

amwb : I am wondering if vāṭaka could be translated by a "garden" or "park" because plant trees or give a garden or a park planted by trees is a meritorious deed and such parks seem to be create alongside temples cf. Dharmanibandha compilation about trees. For exemple :

- Brick 2009 The Dānakāṇḍa (“Book on Gifting”) of the Kṛtyakalpataru: 21.1 Deviipuraa.na " a man that is wise should establish a park in accordance with the rite seen in the prescribed rules" + 21.21 wells, parks, tanks, pools, ponds, refuges, etc. yield endless reward

- Brick 21.24 : Nandipuraa.na When a man builds a pleasure-park, a garden filled with flowers, that is equipped with a body of water, protected, and endowed with an abundance of fruits, he goes to the city of Śiva and dwells there for three Yugas.

- Brick from 21.33 Matsyapuraa.na : a long description of rules "for establishing grounds for gardens"-->

<supplied reason="subaudible">to the temple</supplied>, <note>

Note on <foreign>talavāṭaka</foreign>: see <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1966_01"/><citedRange unit="page">334-335</citedRange></bibl>.

</note>

one <foreign>droṇavāpa</foreign> of inhabitable terrain;<!--

amwb: here it could be necessary to mention the different possibilities of translation of the compound sthalavāstuno. Indeed, this compound is quite unique (I didn't find any other occurrence). On siddham, it has been translated by "homestead land".

sthala : Apte give more meanings than MW : Apte p.1718 1. firm or dry ground, dry land 2.ground, land soil (in general) 4. place, spot 5. field, tract, district 6. station 7. a piece of raised ground, mound

vaastu : Apte p.1421 : 1. the site of a house, building ground, site 2. a house an abode, an dwelling-place 3. a chamber

As vaastu seems to connect with architecture when it is included in a compound, I suggest "building land" "building plot" "buildable area" ? in french "terre constructible"?

-->

</item>

<item>and <supplied reason="subaudible">in the same hamlet</supplied> to Bhāskara,<!--

amwb : I replace ":" by "," --> one <foreign>droṇavāpa</foreign> of inhabitable terrain.<!--

amwb : idem as before--></item>

</list>

Wherefore we <supplied reason="explanation">Kulavr̥ddhi and the council</supplied> inform you:

<q>It has been ascertained

through the investigation of the record-keepers Durgādatta and Arkadāsa

that the custom in this district is sale for two <foreign>dīnāra</foreign>s

of one <foreign>kulyavāpa</foreign> of

uncultivated land that is without revenue charges,covered with original shrubs,<!--

amwb: here make changes if we have changed something in l.5 about ādya-stamba

-->

to be enjoyed in perpetuity as long as the moon, the sun and the stars <supplied reason="subaudible">will last</supplied>.

And in the sale of such uncultivated land that yields no tax

there is no conflict with the interest of the king;

there is only benefit,

and obtainment by His Majesty the Sovereign of a sixth part of the merit <supplied reason="explanation">accruing from the donation</supplied>;<note>

Indeed, the king usually takes a sixth of each transaction as it is mentionned in <title>Manusmr̥ti</title> 7.131-132. Here, as the land yields no tax, the benefit for the king is only meritorious and due to his act of protection. This understanding is also confirmed by the final stanzas which emphasises the act of protection and by the verse I.331 from Yājñavalkya's <title>Dharmaśāstra</title>:

<q><foreign>puṇyātṣaḍbhāgamādatte nyāyena paripālayan</foreign> <g type="danda">.</g> <foreign>sarvadānādhikaṁ yasmānnyāyena paripālanam</foreign> <g type="ddanda">.</g></q>

<q>He <supplied reason="explanation">the king</supplied> takes a sixth portion of the merits by providing protection justly, because providing protection justly greater than all gifts.</q> <supplied reason="explanation">Translation <bibl><ptr target="bib:Olivelle2019_01"/><citedRange unit="page">107</citedRange></bibl></supplied>.

</note><!--

amwb : Manusmrti 7.131-132 : olivelle's translation "He (ie. the King) shak also take a sixth share of trees, meat, honey, ghee, perfumes, herbs, condiments, flowers, roots, fruits, leaves, vegetables, grass, skins, cane, earthen vessels, and everything made of stone."

-->

so that it ought to be given</q>

After six <foreign>dīnāra</foreign>s and eight <foreign>rūpaka</foreign>s<!--

amwb : it could be interesting to note that this sum of money allows to deduce the following price : one kulyavāpa costs 2 dīnāra, one droṇavāpa costs four rūpakas. From this kind of informations, it could be possible to reconstruct the exchange rate and the evolution of the price per square metre...

If one kulyavāpa is equal to 8 droṇavāpa as stated in Dikshit 1929-1930 p.61 (cf Paharpur PlateBC52 quoted in one of my comment in BC34), 32 rūpakas are equal to 2 dīnāra, and so, 1 dīnāra is equal to 16 rūpakas

-->

had been taken in cash

from these two, Bhoyila and Bhāskara,

for the purpose of the temple of Lord Govindasvāmin,

<list>

<item>to Bhoyila, in <supplied reason="subaudible">the hamlet</supplied> Trivr̥tā, three <foreign>kulyavāpa</foreign>s of uncultivated land to serve as parcel adjacent <supplied reason="subaudible">to the temple</supplied> etc.<!--

amwb : change parcel here if we change it by garden before

amwb : for the compound talavaṭakādyarttham and the meaning of ādi, here it seems to me that translate ādi by etc. does not fit very well because the text never mentions another use of this land; maybe translate °ādi by mostly/mainly : " to serve chiefly/mostly/mainly as garden adjacent (to the temple)" -->;

</item>

<item>in <supplied reason="subaudible">the hamlet</supplied> Śrī-Gohālī,<note>

The place name Śrī-Gohālī can also be found in a <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00050.xml">A fragment of a second plate from Baigram</ref> and in <ref target="DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00055.xml">A grant of land to monasteries at Śiṣīpuñja, Madhyamasṛgālikā and Grāmakūṭagohālī</ref>.

</note>

one <foreign>droṇavāpa</foreign> of inhabitable terrain;

</item>

<item>and in this very place to Bhāskara, one <foreign>droṇavāpa</foreign> of inhabitable terrain;

</item>

</list>

in this way three <foreign>kulyavāpa</foreign>s and two <foreign>droṇavāpa</foreign>s have been given with a copper plate for a permanent endowment. Low <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>ninna</foreign></supplied>: 3 <foreign>ku<supplied reason="subaudible">lyavāpa</supplied></foreign>; inhabitable: 2 <foreign>dro<supplied reason="subaudible">ṇavāpa</supplied></foreign>.

You there <supplied reason="explanation">mentioned at the start of the grant</supplied>

shall separate them off using two reeds,

eight by ninefold with the ladle-work <supplied reason="explanation">darvīkarma</supplied> cubit,<note>

A note is necessary on this translation. Predecessors have assumed Darvīkarma was a proper noun, and that it designated the person after whom the standard had taken its name.

</note>

in a place that does not conflict with your own cultivation;

shall limit them in the four directions

with long-lasting markers such as <supplied reason="explanation">pots filled with</supplied><note>

This interpretation is based on the Smr̥ti passages cited in the commentary. Others sources give details about the manner to mark boundaries. For example, <title>Manusmr̥ti</title> 8.249-50 suggests demarcating boundaries by several objects (translation <bibl><ptr target="bib:Olivelle2005_01"/></bibl>) :

<q><foreign>upachannāni cānyāni sīmāliṅgāni kārayet</foreign> <g type="danda">.</g>

<foreign>sīmājñāne nṛṇāṁ vīkṣya nityaṁ loke viparyayam</foreign> <g type="ddanda">.</g></q>

<q><foreign>aśmano 'sthīni govālāṁs tuṣān bhasma kapālikāḥ</foreign> <g type="danda">.</g>

<foreign>karīṣam iṣṭakāṅgārāṁś śarkarā vālukās tathā</foreign> <g type="ddanda">.</g></q>

<q>Seeing that in the world controversies constantly arise due to people's ignorance of boundaries, he should also have other concealed boundary markers ensconced stones, bones, cow's hair, chaff, ashes, potsherds, dried cow dung, bricks, coal <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aṅgāra</foreign></supplied>, pebbles, and sand.</q>

Yājñavalkya's <title>Dharmaśāstra</title> 2.154-5 gives also a list of materials used to mark boundaries (translation <bibl><ptr target="bib:Olivelle2019_01"/></bibl>):

<q><foreign>sīmno vivāde kṣetrasya sāmantāḥ sthavirā gaṇāḥ</foreign> <g type="danda">.</g> <foreign>gopāḥ sīmnaḥ kṛśāno'nye sarve ca vanagocarāḥ</foreign> <g type="ddanda">.</g></q>

<q><foreign>nayeyur ete sīmāntaṃ sthalāṅgāratuṣadrumaiḥ</foreign> <g type="danda">.</g> <foreign>setuvalmīkanimnāsthicaityādyair upalakṣitam</foreign> <g type="ddanda">.</g></q>

<q>When there is a dispute regarding a boundary of a field, neighbours, elderly people, persons from an association, herdmen, others famers near the boundary, and all men roaming in the forest should ascertain the boundary revealed by mounds <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>sthala</foreign></supplied>, charcoal <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aṅgāra</foreign></supplied>, chaff <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tuṣa</foreign></supplied>, and trees, and by dikes, anthills, trenches, bones, shrines, and the like. </q>.

See also <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1965_02"/><citedRange unit="note">7</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">358</citedRange></bibl>

</note>

chaff or charcoal; shall make the donation and shall protect it in perpetuity according to the rule of a permanent endowment. And out of deference to this rule it is to be protected by present and future administrators, etc.

And it has been said by the magnanimous Lord Vedavyāsa:

The one who would steal land given by himself or another becomes a worm in excrement and is cooked with his ancestors.<note>

This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 132 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar <supplied reason="explanation">see <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1965_03"/><citedRange unit="appendix">II</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">170-200</citedRange></bibl></supplied>.

</note>

The giver of land resides sixty thousand years in heaven; the one who challenges <supplied reason="explanation">a donation</supplied> as well as the one who approves <supplied reason="explanation">of the challenge</supplied> will reside as many <supplied reason="subaudible">years</supplied> in hell.<note>

This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 123 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar <supplied reason="explanation">see <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1965_03"/><citedRange unit="appendix">II</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">170-200</citedRange></bibl></supplied>.

</note>

You, excellent Yudhiṣṭhira, must strenuously protect land previously given to brahmins by kings. Safeguarding is even better than giving.<note>

This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 131 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar <supplied reason="explanation">see <bibl><ptr target="bib:Sircar1965_03"/><citedRange unit="appendix">II</citedRange><citedRange unit="page">170-200</citedRange></bibl></supplied>, but shows a different reading of its first <foreign>pāda</foreign>.

</note>

Year 128, <supplied reason="explanation">month of</supplied> Māgha, day 19.

</div>

Regarding the indication <foreign>ninna ku 3 sthala dro 2 </foreign>(line 17), in <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl> one reads the following note: <quote>This word (<foreign>ninna</foreign>) put before the abbreviated totalisation of the amount of land purchased does not appear to me explicable. [<foreign>Phuṭṭa</foreign> (= Skt. <foreign>sphuṭṭa</foreign>) in line 7 would suggest that it might stand for Skt. <foreign>nimna</foreign> meaning low land.—Ed.]</quote>. The editor’s hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that <foreign>nimna</foreign> and <foreign>sthala</foreign> form a fixed pair. See <title>Rāmāyaṇa</title> 6.93.19 <foreign>sthalanimnāni bhūmeś ca</foreign>, but particularly these stanzas from the <title>Nāradasmr̥ti</title> (11.3–5):

<q><foreign>grāmasīmāsu ca bahir ye syus tatkṛṣijīvinaḥ |

gopaśākunikavyādhā ye cānye vanagocarāḥ ||

samunnayeyus te sīmāṃ lakṣaṇair upalakṣitām |

<hi rend="bold">tuṣāṅgāra</hi>kapālaiś ca kumbhair āyatanair drumaiḥ ||

abhijñātaiś ca valmīka<hi rend="bold">sthalanimno</hi>nnatādibhiḥ |

kedārārāmamārgaiś ca purāṇaiḥ setubhis tathā ||</foreign></q>

<q>In the case of the village boundaries, those who make their living by farming outside it, cowherds, bord catchers, hunters and others who inhabit the forest should delineate the boundary which is marked by such things as pots–of chaff, charcoal or crockery–shrines, trees, and by familiar markers such as ant hills, <hi rend="bold">mounds, depressions</hi>, elevations, etc., and paddies, groves, roads, or old dikes.</q> (edition and translqtion <bibl><ptr target="bib:Lariviere1989_01"/></bibl>)

In the context, the word <foreign>ninna</foreign> serves as an equivalent to <foreign><supplied reason="explanation">khila</supplied>kṣetra</foreign>.

The <title>Nāradasmr̥ti</title> passage just cited also clarifies another word figuring immediately after this indication in the inscription, viz. <foreign>tuṣāṅgāra</foreign>. The somewhat cryptic statement of the <title>Nāradasmr̥ti</title> passage is in turn clarified by the following passage translated from fragments of the <title>Br̥haspatismr̥ti</title> (<bibl><ptr target="bib:Jolly1889_01"/><citedRange unit="page">351</citedRange></bibl>):

This rule regarding rescission of purchase and sale has been declared. Hear the laws concerning boundaries of villages, fields, houses, and so forth.

The determination of boundaries should be settled at the time of foundation, and it should be marked by visible and invisible signs, so as to dispel doubt.

Wells, tanks, pools, large trees, gardens, temples, mounds, channels, the course of a river, reeds, shrubs, or piles of stones:

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other <supplied reason="explanation">marks</supplied> deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

Dry cowdung, bones, chaff, charcoal, stones, potsherds, sand, bricks, cows’ tails, cotton seeds, and ashes:

After having placed these substances in vessels, one should deposit them underground at the extremities of the boundary.<note>

These translated stanzas seem to correspond to the following in the <title>Br̥haspatismṛti</title> as reconstructed by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Aiyangar1941_01"/></bibl>, <title>Vyavahārakāṇḍa</title>, chapter 19, pp. 159–162:

<foreign>krayavikrayānuśaye vidhir eṣa pradarśitaḥ</foreign> |

<foreign>grāmakṣetragr̥hādīnāṃ sīmāvādaṁ nibodhata</foreign> || 1 ||

<foreign>niveśakāle kartavyaḥ sīmābandhaviniścayaḥ</foreign> |

<foreign>prakāśopāṁśucihnaiś ca lakṣitaḥ saṁśayāpahaḥ</foreign> || 7 ||

<foreign>vāpīkūpataḍāgāni caityārāmasurālayāḥ</foreign> || 8cd ||

<foreign>sthalanimnanadīsrotaḥ śaragulmanagādayaḥ</foreign> |

<foreign>prakāśacihnāny etāni sīmāyāṁ kārayet sadā</foreign> || 9 ||

<foreign>nihitāni tathānyāni yāni bhūmir na bhakṣayet</foreign> | 17ab |

<foreign>karīṣāsthituṣāṅgāraśarkarāśmakapālikāḥ</foreign> || 20ab ||

<foreign>sikateṣṭakagobālakārpāsāsthīni bhasma ca </foreign>|| 20cd ||

<foreign>prakṣipya kumbheṣv etāni sīmānteṣu nidhāpayet</foreign> | 21ab |

On these stanzas, see <bibl><ptr target="bib:Renou1963_01"/><citedRange unit="page">99-100</citedRange></bibl>.

</note>

</div>

First reported and edited in <bibl><ptr target="bib:Basak1931-1932_01"/></bibl>. Recorded in <bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE1956-1957"/><citedRange unit="page">27</citedRange><citedRange unit="item">15</citedRange><citedRange unit="appendix">A</citedRange></bibl> and <bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE1961-1962"/><citedRange unit="page">38</citedRange><citedRange unit="item">22</citedRange><citedRange unit="appendix">1</citedRange></bibl>. Re-edited by Arlo Griffiths, using photos furnished by Ryosuke Furui. The text has been encoded by Amandine Wattelier-Bricout using a digital edition created by Dániel Balogh for the Siddham project as starting point. Since some readings differ from this previous digital edition, they are reported in the apparatus. Some notes in the translation has been added by Amandine Wattelier-Bricout.

</listBibl>

</listBibl>

</div>

</body>

</text>

</TEI>