Nandapur Charter of GE 169

Editor: Dániel Balogh.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00054_old.

Language: Sanskrit.

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

Version: (3b1ee6e), last modified (5cbbbf2).

Edition

⟨Page 1r⟩ ⟨1⟩ svasty amvila-grāmāgrahārāt sa-viśvāsam adhikaraṇaM jaṅgoyikā-grāme brāhmaṇottarān saṁvyavahā⟨2⟩ry-ādi-kuṭumvinaḥ kuśalam anuvarṇṇya ¿bodhayanti?⟨bodhayati⟩ ¿likhanti?⟨likhati⟩ ca

vijnāpayati naḥ viṣaya-pati-chattramahaḥ ⟨3⟩ I(cch)āmy ahaṁ sva-puṇyābhivr̥ddhaye nanda-vaitheya-khaṭāpuraṇāgrahārika-cchāndoga-kāśyapa-sagottra-brāhmaṇa⟨4⟩-[2×]-svāmine pañca-mahā-yajña-pravarttanāya khila-kṣettra-kulya-vā(pa)-⟦tu⟧⟨⟨ca⟩⟩tuṣṭayaṁ ¡kk!⟨k⟩rītvātisraṣṭuM ⟨5⟩ yuṣmad-viṣaye ca samudaya-vāhyādya-stamva-khila-kṣettrāṇāṁ śaśvad-ācandrārka-tāraka-bhojyā⟨nā⟩⟨6⟩m akṣaya-nīvyā{ḥ} dvi-dīnārikya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo ’nuvr̥ttas tad arhatha matto ’ṣṭau dīnārān upa⟨7⟩saṁgr̥hya jaṅgoyikā-grāme khila-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-catuṣṭayam akṣaya-nīvyās tāmra-paṭṭena dātum iti

⟨8⟩ yataḥ pustapāla-pradyotasiṅha-vandhudāsayor a⟨⟨va⟩⟩dhāraṇayāvadhr̥tam astīha viṣaye samudaya⟨9⟩-vāhyādya-stamva-khila-kṣettrāṇām akiñcit-pratikarāṇāṁ dvi-dīnārikya-kulya-vāpa-vikkrayo ’nuvr̥ttaḥ ⟨10⟩ Evam-vi(dhā){t}pratikara-khila-kṣettra-vikraye ca na kaś cid rājārttha-virodhaḥ dīyamāne tu parama-bhaṭṭāraka⟨11⟩-pādānāṁ dharmma-ṣaḍ-bhāgāvāptis tad dīyatām ity etasmād viṣaya-pati-chattramahād aṣṭau dīnārān upa⟨12⟩saṁgr̥hya jaṅgoyikā-grāme gorakṣita-tāmra-paṭṭa-dakṣiṇena gopāli-bhogāyā paścimena khila⟨13⟩-kṣettra-kulya-vāpa-catuṣṭayaṁ dattaM ku 4

te yūyam evaṁ viditvā kuṭumvināṁ karṣaṇāvirodhi-sthāne ⟨14⟩ darvvī-karmma-hastenāṣṭaka-navaka-nalābhyām apaviñchya cira-kāla-sthāyi-tuṣāṅgārādi-cihnaiś catur-ddi⟨15⟩ṅ-niyamita-s(ī)mānaṁ kr̥tvā dāsyatha datvā cākṣaya-nīvī-dharmmeṇa śaśvat-kālam anupālayiṣyatha⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨16⟩ varttamāna-bhaviṣyaiś ca saṁvyavahāribhir etad dharmmāpekṣayānupālayitavyam iti Uktañ ca bhaga⟨17⟩(vatā vyā)se[na]

I. Anuṣṭubh

[sva-da]ttāṁ para-dattāṁ vā

a

yo hareta vasundharāṁ

b

sa viṣṭhāyāṁ kr̥mir bhūtvā

c

pitr̥bhiḥ saha ⟨18⟩ pacyate

d
II. Anuṣṭubh

[ṣa]ṣṭ(i) varṣa-sahasrāṇi

a

svarge modati bhūmidaḥ

b

Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca

c

tāny eva na⟨19⟩rake vaseT

d

saṁ 100 60 9 vai śu di 7

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ adhikaraṇaM ⬦ adhikaraṇ¿ā?⟨a⟩M M S • Reading ṇā here would imply that the akṣara has a different shape from all other cases of ṇā in this inscription, which show a clockwise stroke at the bottom to make the ā (e.g. in line 9 pratikarāṇāṁ). By contrast, we can avoid the need to make any emendation by simply reading the expected ṇa, which does not seem problematic if we compare the forms of ṇa and M observed, e.g., in line 8 avadhāraṇayā, line 4 atisraṣṭuM, line 13 dattaM.

⟨3⟩ -brāhmaṇa- ⬦ -brāhmaṇā- M S • The akṣara that was read ṇā by Majumdar and Sircar but is read ṇa here has the same as the one read thus in adhikaraṇaM in line 1. See the apparatus entry thereon.

⟨4⟩ ¡kk!⟨k⟩rītvāti° ⬦ krītvāti° M S.

⟨6⟩ -nīvyā{ḥ} ⬦ -nīvyāḥ M; -nīvyā S • Sircar’s reading is a silent emendation. Removing the visarga is justified by the fact that we find akṣaya-nīvyā in parallel passages in the Baigram plate, l. 5, and the Paharpur plate, l. 9.

⟨10⟩ -vi(dhā){t}pratikara- ⬦ -vidhotpratikara- M S • The reading dhā is preferred here instead of dho to facilitate the emendation -vidhāpratikara- after the parallel passage in the Baigram plate, l. 12. With reference to a term udbalika (Sircar 1966, p. 348), Sircar argues (1965, p. 383, n. 3) that -vidha-utpratikara- is acceptable because the otherwise unattested word utpratikara could mean the same same as apratikara and akiñcitpratikara.

⟨15⟩ -s(ī)mānaṁ ⬦ -saṁmānaṁ M; -paṁmānaṁ S • Sircar’s reading must be a printing error.

⟨19⟩ 7 M ⬦ 8 S • Majumdar’s edition as printed contains the reading 7, which is corrected to 8 in the Additions and Corrections on p. vii of EI vol. 23. Obviously Sircar failed to take notice of that correction when he copied Majumdar’s text for his own edition.

Translation into English by Arlo Griffiths

(1–2) Hail! From the agrahāra of the village Amvila, the [members of the] council which enjoys [the king’s] confidence, having offered greetings to the administrator(s) and other tenants at the village Jaṅgoyikā, brahmins being foremost among them, inform and write:

(2–7) The district chief Chattramaha respectfully requests from us: “In order to increase my own merit, I wish to buy four kulyavāpas of uncultivated land and give [them] to the Chandoga (i.e., Sāmavedic) Brahmin …svāmin of the Kāśyapa gotra and (resident) of the Khaṭāpūraṇa agrahāra in the Nanda territory (vīthi), for the purpose of the regular performance of the five great sacrifices. And in your district, it is customary to sell for two dīnāras a kulyavāpa of uncultivated land that is without revenue charges and covered with original shrubs, as permanent endowment to be enjoyed in perpetuity as long as the moon, the sun and the stars [will last]. Therefore, be so kind as to accept from me eight dīnāras and to give four kulyavāpas of uncultivated land in the village Jaṅgoyikā with a copper-plate of permanent endowment.”

(8–11) Wherefore it has been ascertained through the investigation of the record-keepers Pradyotasiṁha and Bandhudāsa that it is customary in this district to sell for two dīnāras a kulyavāpa of uncultivated land that is without revenue charges and covered with original shrubs, yielding no tax at all; and that there is no conflict whatsoever with the interest of the king in selling such uncultivated land that yields no tax; but that, when it is given, his majesty obtains a sixth of the merit; so that it ought to be given.

(11–13) After eight dīnāras had been accepted from this district chief Chattramaha, four kulyavāpas of uncultivated land have been given in the village Jaṅgoyikā, to the south of Gorakṣita’s gift land (tāmrapaṭṭa), to the west of Gopālibhogā (Gopālī’s property). 4 ku[lyavāpa].

(13–16) You there (mentioned at the start of the grant), having understood [this], shall separate them off using two reeds, eight by ninefold with the ladle-work (darvīkarma) cubit in a place that does not conflict with the cultivation of the landholders; shall make a boundary delimited in the four directions with long-lasting markers such as [pots filled with] 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.

(16–19) And it has been said by the Lord Vyāsa:

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

(19) Year 169, (month of) Vaiśākha, waxing day 7.

Commentary

Line 1: the expression saviśvāsam adhikaraṇam may be compared with Raktamālā charter, no. 1, l. 21; Raktamālā charter, no. 2, l. 20; and with Damodarpur plate of the time of Budhagupta (163 GE), ll. 2–3.

Line 9: the qualification ādya-stamba is found also in the Baigram plate, ll. 4–5, the only other inscription in the grouo of Gupta-period land-sale grants with the precise string of characteristics found here; the interpretation “covered with original shrubs” is that of D.C. Sircar 1965, p. 382, n. 4, accepted by R. Furui [2019] 2020, pp. 42–43.

Line 14: on darvīkarma, see Griffiths 2018, pp. 43, 53, n. 32.

Lines 14–15: the phrase cira-kāla-sthāyi-tuṣāṅgārādi-cihnaiś catur-ddiṅ-niyamita-sīmānaṁ kr̥tvā recalls expressions in the Baigram plate and the Tāvīra grant. See Griffiths 2018, pp. 42–43.

Bibliography

First edited, with English translation and photos of estampages of the plate, by N. G. Majumdar ([1940] 1935–1936); basically the same text was published again, with addition of some explanatory footnotes, by D. C. Sircar (1965, № 48A, pp. 382–384). The text is re-edited here by Arlo Griffiths based on RTIs of the plate.

Primary

[M] Majumdar, Nani Gopal. [1940] 1935–1936. “Nandapur copper-plate of the Gupta year 169.” EI 23, pp. 52–56.

[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 48A, pages 382–384.

Secondary

Furui, Ryosuke. [2019] 2020. Land and society in early South Asia: Eastern India 400-1250. Abingdon; New York: Routledge.

Griffiths, Arlo. 2018. “Four more Gupta-period copperplate grants from Bengal.” Pratna Samiksha: A Journal of Archaeology New Series 9, pp. 15–57. [URL].