Rock inscription from Kbal Spean waterfall (K.1012-1)

Editor: Chloé Chollet.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSCIK01012-1.

Hand description:

Cursive angkorian writing (11th century CE?), consisting of large characters (from 3 to 7 cm high).

Language: Sanskrit.

Repository: Khmer (tfc-khmer-epigraphy).

Version: (686f981), last modified (25c6f3e).

Edition

I. Anuṣṭubh

⟨1⟩ rudradhārābhidhānā sā

a

gaṅgā ghoṣa-vatī babhau

b

⟨2⟩ loka-kilbiṣa-saṁhartrī

c

pratyakṣan dyu-nadīva yā ||

d

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ ābhidhānā sā ⬦ śivārnāsā CJ.

Translation by Chloé Chollet

I
This Gaṅgā, bearing the name of Rudradhārā, that destroys the evils of the world (loka-kilbiṣa-saṁhartrī), has appeared (babhau) clearly (pratyakṣan) [and] noisily (ghoṣavatī), like the heavenly river (dyu-nadī iva) !

Translation into French by Chloé Chollet

I
Cette Gaṅgā, portant le nom de Rudradhārā, qui détruit les maux du monde (loka-kilbiṣa-saṁhartrī), e (babhau) clairement (pratyakṣan) [et] bruyamment (ghoṣavatī), comme la rivière céleste (dyunadī iva) !

Commentary

The modification brought to Claude Jacques’ edition now allows us to identify the Angkorian name of the river of Kbal Spean, namely Rudradhārā “lit. "The stream of Rudra"”. This toponym is also found in K. 1012-2 which had not been interpreted as such by Claude Jacques.

Bibliography

First edited by Claude Jacques (1999, p. 361) with a French translation. Re-edited here by Chloé Chollet using photographs taken by herself in May 2022.

Primary

[CJ] Jacques, Claude. 1999. “Les inscriptions du Phnom Kbal Spãn (K 1011, 1012, 1015 et 1016).” BEFEO 86, pp. 357–374. DOI: 10.3406/befeo.1999.3417. [URL]. Page 361.