Niêm Phò stela (C. 252), between 898 and 916 CE

Editors: Salomé Pichon, Arlo Griffiths.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSCIC00252.

Hand description:

Languages: Old Cham, Sanskrit.

Repository: Campa (tfc-campa-epigraphy).

Version: (34ab692), last modified (34ab692).

Edition

⟨Face A⟩ ⟨A1⟩ svasti [||]

I. Vaṁśastha

[na](mo) ⟨’⟩(s)tu [b]u[d]dh[āya] [v]i(ś)u(d)dha-bu(d)dhaye

a

(na)mo ⟨’⟩stu (dha)rmmāya sukhopa(k)āri¿(n)?⟨ṇ⟩e

b

namo ⟨’⟩(s)tu (sa)ṅghā⟨A2⟩(ya) (par?)i(ś)ra(mā?)yi(n)e

c

[.]i[.]ta [1×]tri[2×](k)u [1×]rtta(n)e |

d

[1×] [.]i[.]ū(ya) mr̥topamā(na-j)ī(van-)mr̥(ta-ko)ma⟨A3⟩la Ā(h/v)itā na(mo) [1×] (paṭal)i(s)ma(y?)ī (g)uṇaṁ samastān nr̥patiś śrī-jayasiṅhavarmmade(vaḥ)||

II. Upendravajrā

[1×]⟨A4⟩sse(v)a-(sap)tasya hitajña-(Ājñā)-

a

-sarvvādhikārākhya Udagra-buddhiḥ

b

sad-dharmma-siddhānta-tathaika⟨A5⟩tāno

c

vi(bhājat)e ⟨’⟩nūna-naye raye(na)||

d

[2×] (s)ukr̥ta-kr̥nate(ra)(p)ra[.]ete [1×] (s)ajjanasaṁ [.]astu(n/t)e nijaṁ ma⟨A6⟩dana(bh)ū(t)armā campāpure nr̥pa-sadmataḥ [1×] [.]i (yata)rayeya pratiṣṭhitam paramīśvaraṁ ku⟨A7⟩sahitakaraś śrī-ratne tv a(n)ādikam uttamam·||

III. Anuṣṭubh

[3×]tuṁ [.]u[.]e[1×](raugrāme)

a

⟨’⟩smin pra(d)ū(ṣaṇā)⟨A8⟩t pure

b

sva-pitr̥-(ja)nanī-bhūmau

c

kīrttaye (ca tadānata)

d
IV. Anuṣṭubh

ri(p/b)ū(ta)na(talava)ṁ yo

a

hr̥pay[ā]⟨A9⟩t pr̥thu-lakṣaṇair

b

u(pā)dita-śarīraṁ sad--

c

dharmma-kāraṇam udbhavam· ||

d
V. Anuṣṭubh

(Eṣa k)īrttimatas [ta]⟨A10⟩sya

a

vihāro (rakta)-dī(pava)

b

Abhāsīd bhuvi cātra śrī-

c

-ratnalokeśvarāhvayaḥ ||

d
VI. Anuṣṭubh

ni(y)[u]⟨A11⟩ktas tena tad-vam̃śe

a

dīna-hīnā(n)ukampayā

b

(E)kānnārttham āryyārakām

c

āgatānāñ ca ⟨A12⟩ dūrataḥ||

d
VII. Anuṣṭubh

vihāre khalu ta(s)yāsmi(n)

a

muktī rājñā pradīya(t)e

b

tad-vaśe nāri¿n?⟨ṇ⟩ā kadā

c

karādā⟨Face B⟩⟨B1⟩(n)āt tu sarvvataḥ ||

d
VIII. Anuṣṭubh

ye kalpitām imāṁ muktiṁ

a

laṅghayiṣyanti kr̥(taghnāḥ)

b

(punar ā)⟨B2⟩tmopabhukty-artthaṁ

c

narakādhaḥ patantu te||

d

ye ⟨’⟩pāsya yanti vicāraṇā sumatayaś śr(u)tvā ⟨B3⟩ kathām īdr̥śīṁ jñātvā ye ⟨’⟩pi ca yatra tatra likhitāṁ (d)r̥ṣṭvā śilāyāñ ca ye (sat-pu?)⟨B4⟩trābhyudayārttham eva satataṁ tat-puṇyam ūrvvyām idaṁ te sarvve pracarantu nirvvr̥tim api svargga⟨B5⟩n tathā svecchayā||||

niy· ru(maṅ·?) (humā) [13×] ⟨B6⟩ (k)a[4×] ṅauk· (gālaṁ) [4×] krauṅ· [8×] ⟨B7⟩ [.]i [4×] (Oḥ) jeṅ· (c)va[1×] [.]u[.]ū[.]ū (jāk· yā) [2×] la(c)·[6×]⟨B8⟩(varm)ma(deva) kā vriy· vihāra ratnalo(k)(vara niy·)[11×]⟨B9⟩rtu[3×] tri Ājñā pov· ku sarvvādhikāra yaṅ· [14×] ⟨B10⟩ [1×]nna [1×]na ciy· mamrait· humā (riha)[.]ī (°) [14×] ⟨B11⟩ [24×] ⟨B12⟩ [3×]nna na[19×]⟨B13⟩ṅ· nan· dauk· (d)i na[9×][...............] ⟨B14⟩ ya Oḥ jeṅ· taup· Oḥ jem̃ si Urāṅ· kluñ· ka(In)· (tat?)ra [7×] ⟨Face c⟩ ⟨c1⟩ (ni)y(·) rumaṁ tanatap· ka(ṁn·) humā ⟨c2⟩ phun· Āga marai tatap· humā niy· ⟨c3⟩ yāṅ· pu pov· ku śri ¡parmma!⟨parama⟩viṣnu⟨c4⟩loka pandar· pov· Añcov· Idair· ⟨c5⟩ yaṁṅ· Adiy· yāṅ· pu pov· ku para⟨c6⟩meśvaraloka ya(ṁ)ṅ· marai tatap· ⟨c7⟩ humā niy· kā taṁl· humā ni⟨c8⟩y· pov· Añcov· Idair· pandar· CuX ⟨c9⟩ yaṁṅ· tuhā (ta)tap· supara ta (nau) ⟨c10⟩ madā humā vihāra humā yāṅ· vukaṁn· ⟨c11⟩ di ⟨da⟩laṁ vvāṅ· niy· trā hai (gaḥ) A⟨c12⟩vista roṅ· nan· da[2×] pat· ⟨c13⟩ humā vukan· trā nan· bharuv· po⟨c14⟩v· Añcov· Idair· Atat· hu⟨c15⟩mā niy· vriy· kan· vihāra ni⟨c16⟩y· niy· (ro)ṅ· makrauy· ma⟨c17⟩[g](r)āc· trā pov· kluñ· limān· ⟨c18⟩ [pu] pov· ku (s)imhādhikāra yam̃ ma(rā) ⟨c19⟩ [1+]tal· magrāc· pūra (ro)ṅ· tu(hā) ⟨c20⟩ [1×]ñā mulaṅ· hai madā humā (v)i(hā)⟨c21⟩[ra] humā yāṁ vukan· di dalaṁ vvāṅ· ni(ṁ) trā (hai) ⟨c22⟩ [ga](ḥ) Avi

⟨Face d⟩ ⟨d1⟩ Oḥ jeṅ· si (lum)vaḥ di pu pov· tana rayā ⟨d2⟩ di (Urā)ṅ· yaṁṅ· kluñ· na(gar)· hulun· vi⟨d3⟩hāra niy· bhikṣu yaṁṅ· rak(ṣā) (da)nan· vati⟨d4⟩y· vihāra niy· ° Oḥ jeṅ· si Urāṅ· (p)uḥ ⟨d5⟩ pandar· di vnaut· rājakāryya siy· yaṅ· ⟨d6⟩ mavac· tanatap· yāṅ· pu pov· ku śrī ja⟨d7⟩ya siṅhavarmmadeva Urāṅ· nan· lac· di Avī⟨d8⟩cī Annan· naraka ṅan· Inā Amā gaṁp· g(o)⟨d9⟩(tra) (Urā)ṅ· nan· yāṅ· pu pov· ku śrī bhadrava⟨d10⟩rmmadeva vuḥ bhr̥ṅgāra pirak· vuḥ tra(lā)y· pira⟨d11⟩(k)· v(u)[3×] v(ihā)ra ratnalokeśvara niy· pra⟨d12⟩(t)i(ṣṭhā) [2×] di vihāra ni(y)· [1×]ma[2×] ⟨d13⟩ [2×][4×](po)v· ku śrī jayasiṅhavarma

Apparatus

⟨A1⟩ [na](mo) ⟨’⟩(s)tu [b]u[d]dh[āya] [v]i(ś)u(d)dha-bu(d)dhaye • Our restitutions are partly inspired by scriptural parallels such as Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra 21.1 namo ’stu buddhāya suviśuddhabodhaye viśuddhadharmā pratibhāmubuddhaye | saddharmapuṇyopagatānubuddhaye bhavāgraśūnyāya viśuddhabuddhaye.

⟨c15⟩ niy· niy· • Is the second niy superfluous?

⟨c17⟩ kluñ· • Or read kūñ·?

⟨c20⟩ (v)i(hā)⟨c21⟩[ra] • The gap has been supplied from the parallel in line c10.

⟨c22⟩ [ga](ḥ) Avi • The gap has been supplied from the parallel in line c11. The syllables Avi are the beginning fo Avista. It is unclear where the last syllable of this word would have stood.

Translation by Salomé Pichon and Arlo Griffiths

(B5–B12) Voici, depuis la rizière […] au-dessus de Gālam […] rivière. Il ne faut pas […]varmadeva a donné ce monastère de Ratna-Lokeśvara […]. ājñā pov ku Sarvādhikāra […] prince Mamrait, la rizière […].

(B13–B14) […] Ce […] réside à Na […] […]. Il ne faut pas dérober, il faut que personne ne détruise les étoffes […].

(c1–c4) Voici : depuis la règle pour les rizières est installé cette rizière du Y.P.P.K. Śrī Paramaviṣṇuloka.

Commentary

The spelling of the inscription is very hazarduous. Cf. line c1 dā(laṁ) vāṅ·, line c11 di laṁ vvāṅ· and line c21 di dalaṁ vvāṅ·. Also cf. line c4 sañ·cov·, line c14 sañcov·.

Bibliography

Unpublished inscription. First edited by Arlo Griffiths and Salomé Pichon based on the EFEO estampages n. 2373, 2374, 2375, 2376 made by Nguyen Van Quang, and on a direct reading on stone led by Salomé Pichon in July 2022.