Bằng An stela (C. 141), 9th century Śaka

Editors: Salomé Pichon, Arlo Griffiths.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSCIC00141.

Hand description:

The lettering is characteristic of the tenth century CE.

Languages: Old Cham, Sanskrit.

Repository: Campa (tfc-campa-epigraphy).

Version: (40b55b0), last modified (c210d0c).

Edition

⟨Face A⟩ ⟨A01⟩ Om̐ namaś śivāya || ⟨A1⟩ svast[i] °

I. Indravajrā

yo bhasmarāśyāṁ vahu-sañcayāyāṁ °

a

divyaḥ sukhāsīna (U)ru-prabhāvaḥ °

b

dedīpyate sūryya ⟨A2⟩ Ivāṁ-śumālā °

c

pradyotitaḥ khe vigatāmvudeye ||

d
II. Indravajrā

vrahmendra-viṣṇvādaya Eva devā °

a

dr̥ṣṭvā tadā visma ⟨A3⟩ yam āgatāḥ syuḥ °

b

tat-prajvalantaṁ yam akhaṇḍitābhaṁ

c

nirdhūmakaṁ vahnim ivājyayuktam· ||

d
III. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

devendraḥ kila pū ⟨A4⟩ rvvato sthita tadā yāmyāṁ sarojodbhava °ś-

a

-candrārkkāv iha pr̥ṣṭhataś ca bhagavān nārāya¿n?⟨ṇ⟩o vāmato

b

maddhyastho ⟨A5⟩ jvalitābharaśmi-sahitaś coṅkāra-pūrvvaiḥ svadhā-

c

-svāhāntair nnijamantrakaiḥ stutanato yo sau tadādyaiḥ su ⟨A6⟩ raiḥ

d
IV. Anuṣṭubh

Atha tadbhasmarāśyā yaḥ °

a

samutthā-yāti-nirmmalaḥ °

b

tiṣṭhaty eva nabhomaddhye °

c

sūryya-koṭi-sama ⟨A7⟩ -prabhaḥ °||

d
V. Indravajrā

dikṣā-nimittaṁ kila sarvva-bhāvā °n

a

-āṁ svāvaśeṣaṁ vara-bhasma tatra °

b

yaḥ padma-yonau guṇa-ma ⟨A8⟩ ṅgalārthaṁ

c

dadau ca pīyūṣa-bhujāṁ sa-bhāyām· ||

d
VI. Indravajrā

saṁpady aśeṣāṁ pr̥thivīṁ niyogā °d-

a

yo bhasmade ⟨A9⟩ śām anuśāsti viṣṇum· °

b

yo ntarhito bhūt tata Eva devā

c

vrahmādayaḥ svālayam āśu jagmuḥ °

d

⟨A10⟩ | Eva devaḥ paramātmakaḥ śrī-śāneśvaro loka-gurur nr̥pāṇām·° pūjyaḥ praṇamyaḥ sa-⟨A11⟩bhr̥tya-varggaiś camparddhi-hetor jjayatīha nityam· || śrībhadravarmmā bhr̥gu-vaṁśa-nāka-can(dra)⟨A12⟩[-s] (tā)[ṁ] nagarīn narendraḥ guṇena vr̥ddhyā ca śatāna-vr̥ttim alaṅkaroty uttamadhīr iveyam· | ⟨A13⟩ [2+] nijitavataḥ° keyūrāṁśu-prabhā-sita-bhuja-valena ° yātājayad¿i?⟨u⟩ndubhitāṁ nu [2+] ⟨A14⟩ [2+] ghora-ghoṣa-saṁkulitāntāḥ|| deśāntarāgata-mahī-pati-dūta-saṁgha ° ja[2+] ⟨A15⟩ [2+] yugalasya nr̥pasya kīrttiḥ saṁpūrṇṇa-candra-dhavalā bhuvana-prakīrṇṇā ° pra(ja)[2+]

⟨Face B⟩ ⟨B1⟩ lena gamitāka[2+] (ma)nyata [1+] [1+][.]a(tirasya) vihitatapasaḥ° ⟨B2⟩ saj-janagīto bubodha bhuvi [5+] t[.]jñe śuci-mati-caturaḥ ° pū(j)yās tryagnīs surāś ca ⟨B3⟩ [2+] mati-caturaḥ ° ||

VII. Anuṣṭubh

saṁpātu viduṣo (ka)rmma °

a

saṁp(ā)[t]u [vi]duṣo vacaḥ

b

saṁ śivā(d/n)ara-kailāsaś-

c

śi(va) [.]t[.] vado ⟨B4⟩ [–⏑⏓] ||

d

sa Eva tapasvī tapasyām anuca[ra]ś carācara-guru(va)[2+] sa(n)ni[.]i[4+] rīritadūrita-durita-karmmā-(p)u-⟨B5⟩[3+] [a]s[u]rapiśāca-varjjito jitendriyo pi pu¿n?⟨ṇ⟩yasa(m/dh)[.] [2+] ro(pasa)h[i]to hitopadeśam anāma-⟨B6⟩[3+] yāgavid-viduṣaṁ mānyo mānita-sakala-jano janita-kuśalo lokayātra-paṭuḥ paṭūnāṁ dhīrabu-⟨B7⟩[2+] (r) [i]ti || Atha kadācid-velāyāṁ dhyāne samadhi-gata-manā(bha)s(m)āṅga-rāgaṁ dhavalī-kr̥taṁ sva-śarīram avalo-⟨B8⟩[1+] (dha)yatī-dr̥śam idaṁ bhasma hi kṣīrārṇṇava-taraṅga-phe(nadha)-valaṁ kuṇḍendudyuti ca kasya dhanaṁ śīla[.]e[.]i[1+][.]i[1+] ⟨B9⟩ [2+] (ma)homahāṁ [tasya pa]śupateḥ (s)[akalatr]i[bh]uvana-vandita(ca)raṇayugalasyedaṁ[5+]⟨B10⟩(v/bh)yam eva parameśvara-sthāpanā karttavyā mayā sarvva-muktaye iti || [8+] [ma]-⟨B11⟩ṅgala-niyamita-śaka-pati-samaye prathama-bhava-bhānu-bhānu-sutake tu dharaṇi [8+] ⟨B12⟩ yamithuna-lagna-sura-guru-rajani-kara-makara-rāhu-jalacara-diti-ja-guru sama [5+] [ṣa]-⟨B13⟩ṣṭāha-ravivāra-punar-vvasu-bhāyāṁ tadā paramaḥ [para]meśvaraḥ (parama)-śivāntareśvara [5+] ⟨B14⟩ (d)u [1+]tt[.] [2+] svinā śivānta[.]ai [6+] (mahāmuni)nā-mahā-muni-mata [4+] [pra]-⟨B15⟩tiṣṭhāpita Iti ||

VIII. Anuṣṭubh

śrī bhadravarmmaṇā dattā °

a

tasmai muktir iyaṁ pa[rā]

b

[yāvat sū]⟨B16⟩ryyaś ca candraś ca

c

tāvad asti mahītale || °

d

siy· mapa [4+] ⟨B17⟩ niy· Asuv· ñū ndoy· Inā ñū ||

Apparatus

⟨A1⟩ vahu- ⬦ bahu- H. — ⟨A1⟩ (U)ru- • Huber’s reading implies an akṣara u before ru, but, despite the fact that the stone is a bit worn here, we can be certain that this is not what was written. The required initial u is apparently spelled, not with the akṣara u, but with u-vocalization below akṣara a. Such spellings are known in other parts of Southeast Asia, but this seems to be a unique case in Campā epigraphy.

⟨A2⟩ vrahmendraviṣṇvādaya ⬦ brahmendraviṣṇavādaya H.

⟨A3⟩ -dhūmakaṁ ⬦ -dhūmakam H.

⟨A4⟩ sthita • Huber has not recognized (p. 8) that this is asthita (impf. med. 3s).

⟨A5⟩ svadhā- • The sign presumed to denote -dh is not identical in shape to the -dh of l. A12, but it is hard to imagine another reading. — ⟨A5⟩ -mantrakaiḥ ⬦ -mantrakair H.

⟨A7⟩ dikṣā- ⬦ dikṣa- H. — ⟨A7⟩ āṁ svāva- ⬦ āsvāva- H • There is definitely an anusvāra on the stone. Majumdar has proposed to emend ājyāva-.

⟨A8⟩ saṁpady aśeṣāṁ ⬦ saṁpadya śeṣāṁ H.

⟨A9⟩ vrahmādayaḥ ⬦ brahmādayaḥ H.

⟨A10⟩ nr̥pāṇām ⬦ nr̥pānām H.

⟨A11⟩ nityam • Note the form of the virāma descending alongside the consonant.

⟨A13⟩ nijitavataḥ° ⬦ nijitavataḥ| H. — ⟨A13⟩ -d¿i?⟨u⟩ndubhitāṁ ⬦ dindubhitām H.

⟨A14⟩ -kulitāntāḥ|| deśāntarā- ⬦ -kulitāntāḥ| deśāntarā- H • The e of de has apparently been added after the initial engraving of the text. — ⟨A14⟩ -saṁgha° ⬦ -saṁgha| H.

⟨A15⟩ yugalasya • is the yu also marked with a vocalization r̥? — ⟨A15⟩ -kīrṇṇā° ⬦ -kīrṇṇā| H.

⟨B1⟩ lena gamitāka[2+] (ma)nyata [1+] [1+][.]a(tirasya) ⬦ […] H • Only the akṣaras vihitatapasaḥ were read by Huber.

⟨B2⟩ sajjanagīto ⬦ […] sajjanagīto H. — ⟨B2⟩ bubodha ⬦ […] H. — ⟨B2⟩ t[.]jñe ⬦ […]jñe H. — ⟨B2⟩ ° pū(j)yās tryagnīs ⬦ | […] agnīs H.

⟨B3⟩ -caturaḥ ° || ⬦ -caturaḥ | H. — ⟨B3⟩ (ka)rmma ° ⬦ karmma H. — ⟨B3⟩ saṁ śivā(d/n)arakailāsaś ⬦ […] kailāsaś H • One could read śivādarakailāsaś or śivānarakailāsaś. — ⟨B3⟩ śi(va) [.]t[.] vado ⟨B4⟩ [–⏑⏓] ⬦ […]śi[…] H.

⟨B4⟩ anuca[ra]ś carācara-guru(va)[2+] sa(n)ni[.]i[4+] ⬦ anu[…] H. — ⟨B4⟩ (p)u- ⬦ […] H.

⟨B5⟩ pu¿n?⟨ṇ⟩yasa(m/dh)[.] [2+] ro(pasa)h[i]to ⬦ punya[…] H. — ⟨B5⟩ anāma- ⬦ […] H.

⟨B6⟩ yāgavid-viduṣaṁ mānyo mānita- ⬦ […]dhanyo mānita- H • mānyo mānita-: the first word is unclear and the second looks more like mācita-. — ⟨B6⟩ -paṭuḥ paṭūnāṁ ⬦ […] H. — ⟨B6⟩ dhīra-bu- ⬦ dhīraṁ H • dhīrabu-: what seems to be an anusvāra on top of ra on the estampage reveals itself as an accidental scratch on the stone.

⟨B7⟩ (r) [i]ti || Atha kadācid- ⬦ […] H. — ⟨B7⟩ -manā(bha)s(m)āṅga-rāgaṁ ⬦ […] H. — ⟨B7⟩ avalo- ⬦ […] H.

⟨B8⟩ (dha)yatī- ⬦ […]yatī H. — ⟨B8⟩ ca kasya dhanaṁ śīla[.]e[.]i[1+][.]i[1+] ⬦ […] H.

⟨B9⟩ (ma)homahāṁ [tasya pa]śupateḥ (s)[akalatr]i[bh]uvana- ⬦ […]paśupateḥ H • [tasya]: the restoration is strictly conjectural, and perhaps impossible, for it is uncertain whether the descender of y would have fit entirely into the surface of the stone that is lost here.

⟨B10⟩ (v/bh)yam ⬦ […] H.

⟨B11⟩ tu dharaṇi ⬦ budhapati H.

⟨B12⟩ yamithuna ⬦ […]mithuna H. — ⟨B12⟩ -rajani-kara- ⬦ […] H. — ⟨B12⟩ -jalacara- ⬦ -jaladhara- H. — ⟨B12⟩ -diti-ja- ⬦ -dīti-ja- H. — ⟨B12⟩ sama ⬦ […] H.

⟨B13⟩ -bhāyāṁ tadā ⬦ […] H. — ⟨B13⟩ (parama)-śivāntareśvara ⬦ […]vāntareśvara H.

⟨B14⟩ (d)u [1+]tt[.] [2+] svinā śivānta[.]ai [6+] (mahāmuni)nā- ⬦ […]nātha- H.

⟨B15⟩ pa[rā] ⬦ […] H.

⟨B16⟩ Asuv· ñū ⬦ Apuv· […] H. — ⟨B16⟩ Inā ñū ⬦ Inā […] H.

Translation into French by Huber 1911

I
Sur un grand amas de cendres il est assis tranquillement, lui le divin, le très puissant ; il resplendit, tel le soleil qui reluit avec sa guirlande rayons dans un firmament sans nuages.
II
Le voyant ainsi briller d’une splendeur pure, tel un feu sans fumée nourri de beurre clarifié, Brahma, Indra, Viṣṇu et les autres dieux sont remplis d’étonnement.
III
Indra se tient en face de lui, Brahma à sa droite, le Soleil et la Lune derrière lui et le Bienheureux Viṣṇu à sa gauche : lui, entouré d’un halo de rayons fulgurants, se dresse au milieu d’eux, tandis que ces dieux et d’autres encore lui font hommage et chantent ses louanges en lui adressant ses propres mantras, ceux qui débutent par Oṁ ! et finissent par svādhā et svāhā.
IV
De cet amas de cendres il se lève, incomparablement pur, et se tient au milieu du firmament, rayonnant comme des millions de soleils.
V–VI
...

(A10–A11) Que ce dieu-là, Śrīśāneśvara, soit toujours victorieux ici, lui qui est l’âme du monde, le guru universel des rois et l’objet du culte et de l’adoration de celui qui est la cause de la fortune du Campā (du roi) et de ses sujets.

(A11) Śrī Bhadravarman, une lune au firmament de la race de Bhṛgu, etc.

Commentary

Huber didn’t recognized stanzas 7 and 8 and interpreted them as prose.

Huber didn’t fully translate the inscription.

Bibliography

First edited in French by Edouard Huber (1911). Re-edited here using photos and 3D model that were made in 2024 by Adeline Levivier and EFEO estampage n. 154 A and n. 154 B.

Primary

[H] Huber, Edouard. 1911. “Études indochinoises VI-VII.” BEFEO 11 (1-2), pp. 1–24. [URL]. Pages 5–10.

Secondary

Huber, Edouard. 1911. “Études indochinoises VIII-XII.” BEFEO 11 (3-4), pp. 259–311. Page 269.

Finot, Louis. 1915. “Notes d’épigraphie, XIV : Les inscriptions du musée de Hanoi.” BEFEO 15 (2), pp. 1–38. DOI: 10.3406/befeo.1915.5229. [URL]. Page 15.

Cœdès, George. 1923. “Liste générale des inscriptions du Champa et du Cambodge.” In: Listes générales des inscriptions et des monuments du Champa et du Cambodge. By George Cœdès and Henri Parmentier. Hanoi: Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient, pp. 1–180. Pages 32–33, item 141.

Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra. 1927. Ancient Indian colonies in the Far East, Vol. I: Champa. Punjab Oriental (Sanskrit) Series 16. Lahore: The Punjab Sanskrit Book Depot. [URL]. Part 3, pages 125–129, item 31.

Golzio, Karl-Heinz. 2004. Inscriptions of Campā: Based on the editions and translations of Abel Bergaigne, Étienne Aymonier, Louis Finot, Édouard Huber and other French scholars and of the work of R. C. Majumdar; newly presented, with minor corrections of texts and translations, together with calculations of given dates. Aachen: Shaker Verlag. Pages 94–97.