Sirpur Plates of Sudevarāja, Year 7

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSDaksinaKosala00010.

Language: Sanskrit.

Repository: Dakṣiṇa Kosala (tfb-daksinakosala-epigraphy).

Version: (048a990), last modified (de7f295).

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

prasannatanayasyedaṁ vikkramākrāntavidviṣaḥ

ab

śrīmato jayarājasya śāsanaṁ ripuśāsanam

cd

Plates

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨1v1⟩ @ svasti śarabhapurād vikkramopanatasāmantama[kuṭacūḍāmaṇi]⟨1v2⟩prabhāprasekāmbudhautapādayugalo ripuvilāsi[nīsīmantoddharaṇa]⟨1v3⟩hetur vvasuvasudhāgopradaḫ paramabhāga[vato mātāpitṛpādā]⟨1v4⟩nuddhyātaś śrīmahādurgarājaḥ cu[9+]⟨1v5⟩vake prativāsikuṭumbinas samājñā[payati]

[viditam astu vo] ⟨1v6⟩ yathāsmābir ayaṁ grāmas ¡tṛ!⟨tri⟩daśapatisa[danasukhapratiṣṭhākaro] ⟨Page 2r⟩ ⟨2r1⟩ yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇapratihataghorāndhakāraṁ jagad avatiṣṭha⟨2r2⟩te tāvad upabhogyas sanidhis sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśyas sarvvaka⟨2r3⟩ravisarjjita⟨ḥ⟩ pūrvvaṁ nannapādais taittirīyapārāśarasagotrabrāhma⟨2r4⟩ṇakāraṇikakansippasvāmin¿o?⟨e⟩ datta Idānīm apy asmābhir api ⟨2r5⟩ mahādevīrājakulānāṁ vijñāpyās tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsanīkṛtaḥ

te yūyam e⟨2r6⟩vam upalabhyāsyājñāśravaṇavidheyā bhūtvā yathocitaṁ bhogabhāga⟨Page 2v⟩⟨2v1⟩m upanayantas sukhaṁ prativatsyatha bhaviṣyataś ca bhūmipān anu⟨2v2⟩darśayati<dashPlain>

I. Vasantatilakā

dānād viśiṣṭam anupālanajaṁ purāṇā

a

dharmmeṣu niścita⟨2v3⟩dhiyaḫ pravadanti dharmmaṁ<dashPlain>

b

tasmā⟨d⟩ dvijāya suviśuddhakulaśrutāya

c

dattāṁ ⟨2v4⟩ bhuvaṁ bhavatu vo matir eva goptu⟨ṁ⟩~

d

tad bhavadbhir apy eṣā dattir anu⟨2v5⟩pālay¿ī?⟨i⟩tavyā vyāsagītāṁś cātra ślokān udāharanti

II. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ pra⟨2v6⟩thamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ

a

bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś ca gāvaḥ

b

dattās trayas te⟨Page 3r⟩⟨3r1⟩na bhavanti lokā{ḥ}

c

yaẖ kāñcanaṁ gāṁ ca mahī⟨ṁ⟩ ca dadyāT

d
III. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭivarṣasa⟨3r2⟩hasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ

ab

Ācchettā cānumantā ca tāny e⟨3r3⟩va narake vaseT

cd
IV. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhis sagarādibhiḥ

ab

yasya ⟨3r4⟩ yasya yadā bhūmi¡ḥ!⟨s⟩ tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

cd
V. Anuṣṭubh

svadattāṁ paradattāṁ vā ⟨3r5⟩ yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira

ab

mahī¡t!⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāñ ¡cch!⟨ch⟩reṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nupāla⟨3r6⟩na¡m!⟨M⟩

cd

¡i!⟨I⟩ti

svamukhājñayā pravarddhamānav¿ī?⟨i⟩jaya¡savva!⟨saṁva⟩⟨t⟩ 7 dvibhādra di 10 ⟨Page 3v⟩ ⟨3v1⟩ U¡kt!⟨tk⟩īrṇṇaṁ droṇasiṅghe¡ṇ!⟨n⟩a~

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

⟨1v2⟩ °dhauta° ⬦ °dhauta° LPP; °dhota° SLK; °dhauta° AMS • The shape of the vowel marker for au is slightly irregular, but is the same as in other copperplate charters of the kings of Śarabhapura.

⟨1v4⟩ cu° ⬦ va° LPP; vu° SLK; cu° AMS.

⟨2v5⟩ pālay¿ī?⟨i⟩tavyā ⬦ pālayitavyā LPP; pālayitavyā SLK; pālay¿ī?⟨i⟩tavyā AMS.

⟨3r6⟩ °v¿ī?⟨i⟩jaya° ⬦ °vijaya° LPP; °v¿ī?⟨i⟩jaya° SLK; °v¿ī?⟨i⟩jaya° AMS.

⟨3v1⟩ droṇasiṅghe¡ṇ!⟨n⟩a ⬦ droṇasiṅgheṇa LPP; droṇasiṅghe¡ṇ!⟨n⟩a SLK; droṇasiṅghena AMS.

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

The enemy-chastising charter belongs to the illustrious Jayarāja, who was the son of Prasanna and whose enemies were overcome by his valour.

Plates

(1v1–1v5) Success! Hail! From Śarabhapura, the illustrious great Sudevarāja whose feet are washed by the sprinkling water that is the brilliance of the crest-jewels on the crests of his feudatories who have been brought into submission by his prowess, who made the women of his enemies tear out their parted hair, who is a giver of riches, land, and cattle, who is entirely devoted to Viṣṇu, and favoured by his father and mother, issues [the following command] to the landholders settled in [the village of] [12+]:

(1v5–2r5) Let it be known to you that [the grant of] this village, which was granted previously by the respected Nanna to the Brahmin and kāraṇika Kansippasvāmin, belonging to the Pārāśara gotra and to the Taittirīya [school], is now confirmed by us as well by means of [this] copperplate charter at the request of the chief queen and the royal family. [The grant of the village], which leads to happiness and fame in the abode of the lord of the gods (i.e., Indra’s heaven), is to be enjoyed as long as the world will endure, [the world] of which the darkness of the night is removed by the rays of the sun, moon and stars; [comes along with the right to] hidden treasures and deposits; is not to be entered by irregular or regular troops; and is exempt from all taxes.

(2r5–2v2) Having taken note of that, you should be obedient to the command received from him (i.e., the donee) and render the [proper shares of] periodical offerings and produce, while living happily [in this village]. And [the king] instructs the future rulers:

2v2–2v4
The ancients, reflecting on virtue, proclaim that the religious merit arising from the protection [of a grant] is more excellent than [that which arises] from the giving [itself]; therefore, your intent should indeed be to protect the earth that has been granted to a Brahmin of perfectly pure family and religious learning.

(2v4–2v5) This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v5–3r1
Gold is the first child of Agni, land is born of Viṣṇu, and cows are the offspring of Sūrya: [Therefore], whoever would give gold, a cow, and land would give the three worlds.
3r1–3r3
A giver of land rejoices in heaven for sixty thousand years; he who confiscates it or allows [another to confiscate it] will dwell for the same period in hell!
3r3–3r4
The earth has been granted by many kings, beginning with Sagara; whoever possesses the land at any time, to him belong the fruits at that time!
3r4–3r6
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

(3r6–3v1) By the order from the king’s own mouth, [the copperplate charter] has been engraved by Droṇasiṅgha [on] the day 10 [of] the month of the second Bhādra [in] the increasingly victorious year 7 [of Sudevarāja’s reign].

Commentary

The copperplates of this charter of Sudevarāja were attached to the seal of his predecessor Jayarāja, either by accident or for some unknown reason.

Part of the first plate in this set is broken off and, due to which a number of characters are missing at the end of each line. Most of the missing text can be reconstructed based on parallel passages from other copperplate charters of the same king, except for the name and district of the granted village. The phrase referring to these names starts with cu and ends with vake, with nine characters missing in between. Shastri 1976suggests reconstructing the phrase as cullādasīmabhogīyakeśavake: the village of Keśavaka situated in the Cullādasīma bhoga. The same village and district are mentioned in a copperplate charter of Sudevarāja’s predecessor Narendra (Dk00002). In that record it is stated that Keśavaka was originally granted by the Paramabhaṭṭāraka, whereas the present charter mentions a certain Nanna as the original donor.

Bibliography

First edited by Pandeya 1934 from the original plates; published again by Katare 1955–1956 and Shastri 1995, pp. 35–38; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Pandeya).

Primary

[SLK] Katare, S.L. 1955–1956. “Sirpur plates of Mahasudevaraja, year 7.” EI 31, pp. 103–108.

[LPP] Pandeya, L.P. 1934. “Damaged Śrīpur plates.” IHQ 10, pp. 100–103.

[AMS] Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass. Pages 35–38.

Secondary

Bosma, Natasja. 2018. Dakṣiṇa Kosala: A rich centre of early Śaivism. Groningen: Barkhuis. [URL]. Page 235.

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1976. “Some observations on the Sirpūr plates of Sudevarāja, regnal year 7.” JESI 2, pp. 50–54.