Dhamatari Plates of Sudevarāja, Year 3

Version: (048a990), last modified (de7f295).

Edition

Seal

kramādhigatarājyasya vikramotkhātavidviṣaḥ śrīmat(sudeva)rājasya (sthiraṁ jagati śāsanaṁ)

Plates

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩

⟨1v1⟩ svasti śrīpurād vikramopanatasāmantamakuṭac¿u?ḍāmaṇipra-

⟨1v2⟩ bhāprasek¿a?¡mva!dhautapādayugalo ripuvilāsinīsīmantoddhara-

⟨1v3⟩ ṇahetur vvasuvasudhāgoprada paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛpādā-

⟨1v4⟩ nuddhyātaḥ śrīmahādurgarāja{}putraśr¿imā?hāsudevarāja

⟨1v5⟩ ḍakarībhog¿i?ya khalapadrake prativāsinas samājñāpa-

⟨1v6⟩ yati viditam astu vo yathāsmābir ayaṁ grāma tr¿a?da¡s!apati-

⟨1v7⟩ sadanasukhapratiṣ¡!ākaro yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇa-

⟨Page 2r⟩

⟨2r1⟩ pratihataghorāndhakāraṁ jagad avatiṣ¡!ate tāvad upabhogyaḥ

⟨2r2⟩ sanidhis sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśyas sarvvakaravisarjji-

⟨2r3⟩ ta mātāpitror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhivṛddhaye kā¡s!yapasagotra-

⟨2r4⟩ vājasaneyimādhavacaturvvedasvāmine tā¡mbra!śāsane-

⟨2r5⟩ nātis¡ri!¡ṭh!aḥ te y¿u?yam evam upalabhy¡a A!syājñāśravaṇavidhey¿a?

⟨2r6⟩ bhūtvā yathoc¿a?taṁ bhogabhāgam upanaya{}ntas sukhaṁ prativatsyatha

⟨2r7⟩ bhavi¡ś!yataś ca bhūmipālān anudarśayati dānād viśiṣṭam anupā-

⟨Page 2v⟩

⟨2v1⟩ lanaja pur¿a?ṇā dharmme¡s!u niścitadhiya pravadanti dharmmaṁ tasmād dvijā-

⟨2v2⟩ ya suvi¡s!uddhakulaśrutāya dat bhuva bhavatu vo matir eva go-

⟨2v3⟩ ¡s!tu tad bhavadbhir apy e¡ś!ā dattir anupālayitavyā{} vyāsagīt¿a?-

⟨2v4⟩ ś cātra ślon udāharanti Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ su-

⟨2v5⟩ varṇṇa bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś ca gāva dattās trayas tena

⟨2v6⟩ bhavanti lok¿a? yaẖ kāñcana gāñ ca mahīñ ca dadyāT

⟨Page 3r⟩

⟨3r1⟩ ṣaṣṭ¿ī?varṣasahasr¿a?ṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ Ācche-

⟨3r2⟩ ttā {c}cānumantā {c}ca t¿a?ny eva narake vaseT bahubhir vvasu-

⟨3r3⟩ dhā dattā rājabhis sagarādibhiḥ yasya yasya yadā bhūmis ta-

⟨3r4⟩ sya tasya tadā phalaṁ svadattāṁ paradattā¡m! vā yatnād rakṣa yu-

⟨3r5⟩ dhiṣṭhira mahī mah¿i?matāṁ śreṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nup¿a?lana¡m! ¡i!ti

⟨3r6⟩ sarvv¿a?dhikārādhikṛtaśrīmahās¿a?manta-Indrabalarāja

⟨Page 3v⟩

⟨3v1⟩ pravarddhamānavijayarājye ¡samva!tsar¿u? 3 kārttika dina 9

⟨3v2⟩ śā¡ś!anam utkīrṇṇaṁ ak¡k!aśālikagolasiṅghena

Apparatus

Plates

⟨3r1⟩ ṣaṣṭ¿ī?i°ṣaṣṭiṁ° BJ; ṣaṣṭiṁ° AMS.

⟨3r6⟩ IndrabalarājaIndrarāja BJ; Indrabalarāja AMS.

Translation

Seal

The permanent charter belongs to the illustrious Sudevarāja, whose kingdom was acquired by hereditary descent and whose enemies were annihilated by his valour.

Plates

⟨1v1–1v6⟩ Success! Hail! From Śrīpura, the illustrious great Sudevarāja, son of the illustrious great Durgarāja, whose feet are washed by the sprinkling water that is the brilliance of the crest-jewels on the crests of his feudatories who have been brought into submission by his prowess, who made the women of his enemies tear out their parted hair, who is a giver of riches, land, and cattle, who is entirely devoted to Viṣṇu, and favoured by his father and mother, issues the following command to the residents of the village of Khalapadraka situated in the Ḍakarī bhoga:

⟨1v6–2r5⟩ Let it be known to you that by means of this copperplate charter, this village has been granted by us for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to the Vājasaneyin Mādhava Caturvedasvāmin, belonging to the Kāśyapa gotra. The grant of the village, which leads to happiness and fame in the abode of the lord of the gods (i.e., Indra’s heaven), is to be enjoyed as long as the world will endure, the world of which the darkness of the night is removed by the rays of the sun, moon and stars; comes along with the right to hidden treasures and deposits; is not to be entered by irregular or regular troops; and is exempt from all taxes.

⟨2r5–2r7⟩ Having taken note of that, you should be obedient to the command received from him (i.e., the donee) and render the proper shares of periodical offerings and produce, while living happily in this village. And the king instructs the future rulers:

2r7–2v3.

The ancients, reflecting on virtue, proclaim that the religious merit arising from the protection of a grant is more excellent than that which arises from the giving itself; therefore, your intent should indeed be to protect the earth that has been granted to a Brahmin of perfectly pure family and religious learning.

⟨2v3–2v4⟩ This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the following stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v4–2v6.

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.

3r1–3r2.

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!

3r2–3r4.

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!

3r4–3r5.

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

⟨3r6–3v2⟩ The illustrious and great sāmanta Indrabalarāja holds the office of chief minister. The charter has been engraved by the goldsmith Golasiṅgha on the day 9 of the month of Kārttika in the year 3 of the increasingly victorious reign of Sudevarāja.

Bibliography

First edited by Jain 1978 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995, pp. 32–34; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Jain).

Primary

[BJ] Jain, Balchandra. 1978. “Mahasamund plates of Sudevaraja: year 3.” JESI 5, pp. 93–97.

[AMS] Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass. Pages 28–31.

Secondary

Bosma, Natasja. 2018. Dakṣiṇa Kosala: A rich centre of early Śaivism. Groningen: Barkhuis. [URL]. Pages 234–235.