Stela of Tuol Ang Chi Chmar (K. 1352), 590 Śaka

Editors: Kunthea Chhom, Arlo Griffiths, Dominic Goodall, Chhunteng Hun.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSCIK01352.

Summary: The inscription contains ten lines in Sanskrit forming five stanzas in anuṣṭubh metre. The poem opens with a praise of god Śiva. In the second verse, a devotee of god Śiva namely Nandīrāśi under the reign of king Jayavarman I established a hermitage (āśrama). The verse III mentions a donation of wealth of the protagonist to the hermitage. The last two stanzas consist of a malediction and a benediction for the protection of the foundation.

Language: Sanskrit.

Repository: Khmer (tfc-khmer-epigraphy).

Version: (c9beb85), last modified (d665ef6).

Edition

I. Anuṣṭubh

⟨1⟩ ⟨Column a⟩(ja)yaty a(m)a(ra)ṇā(rthe) ya⟨Column b⟩ś

a

śrīmāñ chakti-trayāt prabhuḥ

b

⟨2⟩ ⟨Column a⟩jagat-sakala-ka(r)tt(e)śa⟨Column b⟩s

c

sārddha-candra-jaṭā-dharaḥ

d
II. Anuṣṭubh

⟨3⟩ ⟨Column a⟩(ta)s(m)i(n) r(ājādhirājasya)

a

⟨Column b⟩(rājye śrījayava)rmmaṇaḥ

b

⟨4⟩ ⟨Column a⟩tad-āśramaṁ samaka(ro)⟨Column b⟩n

c

nandi(rā)śir vratī mahān·

d
III. Anuṣṭubh

⟨5⟩ ⟨Column a⟩nabhaś-chidra-śarair llakṣye

a

⟨Column b⟩śakā¡p!⟨b⟩de mādhavasya ca

b

⟨6⟩ ⟨Column a⟩gu(rvartha)ṁ paurṇnāmāsyāñ ca

c

⟨Column b⟩so ’vyadād idam āśrame

d
IV. Anuṣṭubh

⟨7⟩ ⟨Column a⟩yoginām āśrama-dravya⟨Column b⟩m

a

ito lobhāj jihīrṣati

b

⟨8⟩ ⟨Column a⟩sa pāpaśūro niraye

c

⟨Column b⟩nimajjed ā bhuvas sthite[ḥ]

d
V. Anuṣṭubh

⟨9⟩ ⟨Column a⟩sva-puṇyaṁ para-puṇyam vā

a

⟨Column b⟩cira-kālena hīnakam·

b

⟨10⟩ ⟨Column a⟩sva-dhanair yyo ’nuvarddheta @

c

⟨Column b⟩sa svarggāyopakalpyate

d

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ a(m)a(ra)ṇā(rthe)amaraṇātho CH • The term amaraṇārthe should perhaps more properly be transcribed amaraṇātho, since, if the final graph represents rthe, we would normally expect the final vowel-marker to be placed in front of the raised r (as in °kartteśas in the following line), rather than before the th underneath. But this requires assuming a (not impossible) grammatical anomaly. If we were to read amaraṇātho (instead of amaraṇārthe), we would have to assume mistaken retroflexion of the initial consonant of the word nātha, induced by the r in the preceding word in the compound. In that case, the verse would begin “He who (yaḥ) is victorious (jayati), the Lord of immortals (amaraṇāthaḥ), …”.

⟨4⟩ samaka(ro)_n ⬦ samakaro_t CH. — ⟨4⟩ nandi(rā)śir ⬦ tandirāśir CH.

⟨6⟩ ’vyadād ⬦ ’bhyadād CH.

⟨8⟩ sthite[ḥ] • For the suppletion of a final visarga, of which no trace is visible, see note to the translation below.

⟨10⟩ @ • At the end of the third quarter-quarter, there is a counter-clockwise spiral which long puzzled me because the meter forbids another syllable here. Hun Chhunteng has kindly supplied the solution: he has explained, in an unpublished paper, that this symbol is used simply to fill space so that the end of this third quarter is aligned with the previous third quarters of the inscription, and he has shown that the symbol is used elsewhere, for instance in another pre-Angkorian inscription that we read at the TIISRR, namely K. 1417. Since his pointing this out, I notice that it also occurs in K. 151 after the third quarter of stanza VIII, where it also evidently puzzled Cœdès. — ⟨10⟩ °kalpyate • As Kataoka Kei has pointed out, we expect rather °kalpate, which would give the intended sense. We have translated as though the text read °kalpate. — ⟨10⟩ svadhanair ⬦ svavanair CH.

Translation by Goodall 2020

I–II
He who (yaḥ) is victorious (jayati), for the sake of non-death (amaraṇārthe), who is glorious (śrīmān) [and] all-powerful (prabhuḥ) by means of His three powers (śaktitrayāt), the all-creator of the universe (jagatsakalakarttā), the Lord (īśaḥ), whose matted locks [are adorned] with the crescent moon (sārddhacandrajaṭādharaḥ), in this (tasmin) reign (rājye) of the overlord of kings (rājādhirājasya) Jayavarman [I], the great (mahān) follower of religious observances (vratī) Nandirāśi created/completed (samakarot) an āśrama of Him.
III–IV
In the śaka year (śakābde) known (lakṣye) by void (0 = nabhaḥ°), orifices (9 = °chidra°), arrows (5 = °śaraiḥ), on the full-moon day (paurṇamāsyāṁ) of [the second month of spring, namely] Mādhava, he gave, for the merit of his parents (gurvartham), this [collection of] monastery goods (āśramadravyam) to the Yogins in the āśrama. [If someone] out of greed (lobhāt) desires to steal (jihīrṣati) from this [monastery] (itaḥ), that ace among villains (pāpaśūraḥ) must sink (nimajjet) into hell (niraye) for as long as (ā) the earth (bhuvaḥ) perdures (sthiteḥ).
V
He who, with his own wealth, increases his own or another’s merit[orious foundation, on the grounds that such a foundation is] liable to diminish over time, is fit for heaven.

Bibliography

First edited by Chhunteng Hun (2018, pp. 44–47) with a Khmer translation; re-edited by Dominic Goodall (2020, pp. 325–343) with an English translation.

Primary

[DG] Goodall, Dominic. 2020. “Nandirāśi's Pāśupata Monastery: K. 1352 (590 śaka), a non-royal Sanskrit Inscription in Kampot from the reign of Jayavarman I.” In: LIBER AMICORUM Mélanges réunis en hommage à / in honor of Ang Chouléan. Edited by Grégory Mikaelian, Sophearith Siyonn and Ashley Thompson. Paris, Phnom Penh: Péninsule / Association des Amis de Yosothor, pp. 325–343. [URL]. Pages 325–343.

[CH] Hun, Chhunteng. 2018. “សិលាចារឹកទួលអង្គជីឆ្មារ K. 1352 [Inscription of Tuol Ang Chi Chhmar K. 1352].” Kambuja Suriyā (4), pp. 44–47. [URL]. Pages 44–47.