Column of Romduol (K. 652), 609 Śaka

Editors: Kunthea Chhom, Arlo Griffiths.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSCIK00652.

Language: Sanskrit.

Repository: Khmer (tfc-khmer-epigraphy).

Version: (e502a7a), last modified (25c6f3e).

Edition

I. Indravajrā

⟨1⟩ (la)gne jhaṣendre nava-ṣa(c-cha)¡(p)!⟨b⟩de

a

t¿ī?⟨i⟩ṣye s¿ī?⟨i⟩tāṣāḍha-niśā-tr̥tīye

b

(dha)rmme¡n!⟨ṇ⟩a vidyāvaravindu-nāmnā

c

saṁsthāpitan ta¿t?⟨n⟩ muninā s(u?)liṅga(m·)

d
II. Anuṣṭubh

⟨2⟩ śrīprabhāsomeśvaraḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mān·

a

liṅgarū¿pam i?⟨pa I⟩ha saṁjñayā

b

maṅgalaṁ sthāpito bhūmau

c

s¡o!⟨au⟩khyaṁ te vidadhātu saḥ

d

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ muninā s(u?)liṅga(m·)munināsa liṅgaṁ GC.

Translation by Arlo Griffiths and Kunthea Chhom

I
In the [Śaka] year six hundred and nine, when Pisces (or Capricorn?) was in the ascendant, under (lunar mansion) Tiṣya, during the third night of the waxing [fortnight] of Āṣāḍha, this beautiful liṅga has been duly erected by the sage called Vidyāvaravindu.
II
May he, the illustrious Śrī Prabhāsomeśvara by name, standing here on earth in the form of a liṅga, award you happiness [and] bliss!

Translation into French by Cœdès 1937–1966

I
Les Poissons étant à l’horizon, en l’année 609, (maison lunaire) Tiṣya, la troisième nuit de la lune croissante d’Āṣāḍha, ce liṅga a été érigé suivant les rites par le muni nommé Vidyāvaravindu.
II
Puisse ce bienheureux Śrīprabhāsomeśvara, image du liṅga, placé ici sur la terre avec discernement, te donner bonheur et félicité.

Commentary

I
Cœdès’ assumption of a verb form āsa of munināsa liṅgaṁ seems unsatisfactory. In the context, suliṅgam would be suitable, as shown by parallels in contemporary inscriptions (K. 77, st. III and K. 582, st. I), and we adopt this reading even though it is rather uncertain that a vowel marker u was actually ever engraved below the s.
II
Unusual metrical irregularities affect the first hemistich and go along with the irregular placement of visarga inside the curl of śri while the expected sandhi would be śśri. Regarding śrī-prabhāsomeśvaraḥ, we tentatively assume that the hypermetrical śrī- was not intended to be part of the verse. Another way to resolve the metrical irregularity would be to correct some to se. The name prabhāseśvara is found in some contemporary Campā inscriptions (C. 81, face C, l. 2; C. 87, st. II; and three times in C. 96). Regarding liṅgarūpam ipa iha, we assume that the author meant liṅgarūpa iha saṁjñayā and that proper meter can be obtained by applying secondary sandhi (liṅgarūpeha saṁjñayā) instead of the hiatus bridging m that we actually find. Regarding the pāda c, can we read maṅgala without anusvāra and understand maṅgala sthāpito as maṅgalaḥ sthāpito?

Bibliography

First edited by George Cœdès (1937–1966, vol. 5, p. 55) with a French translation; re-edited and translated here by Kunthea Chhom & Arlo Griffiths from estampage EFEO n. 719.

Primary

[GC] Cœdès, George. 1937–1966. Inscriptions du Cambodge I-VIII. Collection de textes et documents sur l'Indochine 3. Hanoi; Paris: Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient. Volume 5, page 55.

Secondary

Billard, Roger and J. C. Eade. 2006. “Dates des inscriptions du pays khmer.” BEFEO 93, pp. 395–428. DOI: 10.3406/befeo.2006.6044. [URL]. Page 402.