Stela of Vat Phu (K. 367), 7th century CE

Editors: Kunthea Chhom, Auguste Barth, Dominic Goodall.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSCIK00367.

Language: Sanskrit.

Repository: Khmer (tfc-khmer-epigraphy).

Version: (ad5ad7e), last modified (d665ef6).

Edition

I. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

⟨1⟩ ⟨Column a⟩śakrādir vvijito mayā mama śarā moghaṁ gatā na kvaci⟨Column b⟩t

a

sovaddhyaś ca madhus sakhā mama sadā vaśyañ ca nr̥̄ṇāṁ manaḥ

b

⟨2⟩ ⟨Column a⟩Ity evaṁ vigaṇayya mānasabhuvo vyaddhuṁ gatas tat kṣaṇaṁ

c

⟨Column b⟩yadroṣekṣaṇa-jāta-bhasma-nicayo rudreṇa jejīyatām·

d
II. Sragdharā

⟨3⟩ ⟨Column a⟩yenākr̥ṣṭaṁ dvi-bhāraṁ saśara-vara-dhanur yyogyayāpāstram astraṁ

a

⟨Column b⟩mātaṅgāśvīya-martyaprajavavala-mano-yuddha-śikṣāvid-agryaḥ

b

⟨4⟩ ⟨Column a⟩sad-gītātodya-nr̥ttādyanupama-dhiṣaṇā (śās)tra-sūkṣmārtha-cintā-

c

⟨Column b⟩ratna-prajñā-titikṣā-vinaya-naya-mati-tyāga-ratnāmvudhir yyaḥ

d
III. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

⟨5⟩ ⟨Column a⟩nānā-śastra-kr̥tābhiyoga-janita-vyāyāma-kāṭhinyava-

a

⟨Column b⟩t-kamvu-grīva-mahorusaṁhata-vr̥hat-pīnāṅsa-vakṣa-stanuḥ

b

⟨6⟩ ⟨Column a⟩Ājānupravilamva-hema-parighaprasparddhi-vāhudva[yo]

c

⟨Column b⟩yas saṁpūrṇṇa-narendra-siṅha-valavad-rūpābhirūpo bhuvi

d
IV. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

⟨7⟩ ⟨Column a⟩tasya śrījayavarmma-bhū-pati-pater ājñānubhāvodayā⟨Column b⟩d

a

atra śrīmati liṅgaparvvata-vare ye sthāyinaḫ prāṇinaḥ

b

⟨8⟩ ⟨Column a⟩vaddhyantān na janena kenacid api prāptāparādhās ta(th)ā

c

⟨Column b⟩devāya pratipāditaṁ yad iha tad dhemādikaṁ siddhyatu

d
V. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

⟨9⟩ ⟨Column a⟩devasyāsya yathābhilāṣa-gamanā gacchantu naivāśra[me]

a

⟨Column b⟩yānārohadhr̥tāta-patra-racanābhyutkṣiptasaccāmaraiḥ

b

⟨10⟩ ⟨Column a⟩poṣyāḥ kukkura-kukkuṭā na ca janair ddevasya bhū-maṇ¡d!⟨ḍ⟩ale-

c

⟨Column b⟩ṣv ity ājñā-vanipasya tasya bhavatu kṣmāyām alaṅghyā nr̥ṇām·

d

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ nr̥̄ṇāṁ ⬦ nr̥ṇāṁ RS.

⟨2⟩ mānasabhuvo ⬦ mānasabhavo RS. — ⟨2⟩ tat kṣaṇaṁ ⬦ tatkṣaṇaṁ RS.

⟨3⟩ dvibhāraṁ ⬦ dvibharaṁ AB. — ⟨3⟩ astraṁ ⬦ astaṁ AB; astaṁ RS.

⟨4⟩ -dhiṣaṇā (śās)tra- ⬦ -dhiṣaṇā[śās]ta- AB; -dhiṣaṇā[śās]ta- RS.

⟨5⟩ nānā-śastra- ⬦ nānāśasta- AB; nānāśasta- RS.

⟨7⟩ -pater ⬦ -[pate]r AB.

⟨8⟩ prāptāparādhās ta(th)ā ⬦ prāptāparādhāẖ ka[d]ā AB; prāptāparādhāẖ kadā RS. — ⟨8⟩ pratipāditaṁ ⬦ pratipāditam AB.

⟨10⟩ -maṇ¡d!⟨ḍ⟩ale ⬦ -maṇḍale RS.

Translation by Salomon 1998

I
May that Rudra be eternally victorious, by whose angry eye the Mind-Born One (kāma) was reduced in an instant to a heap of ashes when he (Kāma) approached to shoot him, disregarding him with the thoughts "I have conquered Śakra (Indra) and other [gods]; my arrows never miss their mark; my companion Madhu (Spring-time) is invincible; and the hearts of men are always subject to my power."
II
He who cast away the bow, along with its excellent arrows, which he had strung [despite its] double weight, as [useful only] for exercise; who is the foremost among those who have studied the techniques of battle by speed, by power, and by the mind [against] elephants, horses, and men [respectively?]; who was an ocean of the jewels of wisdom, patience, humility, tact, intelligence, and generosity, and who had won [?] the magic gem of understanding of subtle matters through his unequaled knowledge (dhīṣaṇa [?]) of fine song, music, dance, etc.;
III
Whose body has a strong, broad, and thick chest and shoulders, great thighs, and a conch shell-like neck, hardened by exercise carried out with practices performed according to various prescriptions; whose two arms, hanging down to his knees, rivaled bars of gold; who was a full moon upon the earth in the mighty form of a loin among kings;
IV
By force of the authority of the command of this Lord of Kings, the illustrious Jayavarman, the creatures which dwell on this beautiful and excellent Liṅgaparvata must never be slain by any person, even if they have committed an offensive. May gold and whatever is provided to the God here [thereby] achieve its purpose.
V
In the āśrama of this god [people] may go at will, [but] they must not go mounted on vehicles, holding opened umbrellas, or with fine chowries held up; and people must not feed dogs and cocks within the boundaries of the land of the God. May this command of the king be inviolable for [all] men on the earth!

Translation into French by Barth 1902

I
"Śakra et les autres [dieux] ont été vaincus par moi ; jamais mes flèches ne sont parties en vain ; invincible est madhu, mon compagnon, et l’âme des hommes m’est toujours soumise". Ayant ainsi compté, Celui qui existe dans les coeurs s’avança pour frapper. que celui qui, à l’instant, de son regard [enflammé] de courroux, le réduisit en un tas de cendres, que Rudra triomphe à jamais !
II
Ses flèches, son arc excellent qu’il bande malgré son double poids, après ses [longues] campagnes, il les a déposés comme inutiles ; lui, le premier de ceux qui savent la science de combattre l’impétuosité des éléphants, la force de la cavalerie, le vouloir intelligent des hommes ; lui, le maître incomparable dans tous les arts, à commencer par ceux du chant, de la musique instrumentale et de la danse ; lui un [vrai] cintāratna de tout ce qu’il y a de souhaitable et de subtil, un océan dont la science, la patience, la modération, l’habileté, le jugement, la libéralité seraient les joyaux.
III
Lui, qui s’est endurci par l’effort dans son application à tout ce qui est bien ; dont la nuque ressemble à une conque, qui a des cuisses puissantes, des épaules trapues, une large poitrine, un corps replet ; lui, dont les deux bras descendant jusqu’aux genoux rivalisent avec des poutres d’or, et qui, sous la figure d’un puissant lion des rois, est [comme] la pleine lune [descendue] sur terre.
IV
Ce maître des maîtres de la terre, Sa majesté Jayavarman, a daigné faire luire la grâce de son commandement [comme suit] : "En ce saint et excellent Liṅgaparvata, que les êtres vivants qui y demeurent ne soient mis à mal par personne, eussent-ils même commis des méfaits ; que ce qui a été offert ici au dieu, or et autres [objets de valeur], lui reste acquis ;
V
"Qu’on ne circule pas à sa fantaisie dans ce séjour du dieu, ni monté sur un char, ni porteur de parasol déployés, ni en agitant de riches chasse-mouches ; qu’on ne nourrisse ni chiens, ni coqs dans les enceintes du domaine du dieu. Tel est le commandement de ce maître du monde que nul ne doit transgresser sur terre".

Bibliography

First edited by Auguste Barth (1902, pp. 235–240) with a French translation; re-edited by Richard Salomon (1998, pp. 281–284) with an English translation; re-edited here by Dominic Goodall and Kunthea Chhom from the estampages EFEO n. 383.

Primary

[RS] Salomon, Richard. 1998. Indian epigraphy: A guide to the study of inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan languages. South Asia Research. New York: Oxford University Press. [URL]. Pages 281–284.

[AB] Barth, Auguste. 1902. “Stèle de Vat Phou près de Bassac (Laos).” BEFEO 2, pp. 235–240. DOI: 10.3406/befeo.1902.1138. [URL]. Pages 235–240.