Kauvatal Plates of Sudevarāja, Year 7

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSDaksinaKosala00012.

Language: Sanskrit.

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

Version: (048a990), last modified (f94ae3a).

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

kramādhigatarājyasya vikramotkhātavidviṣa⟨ḥ⟩

ab

śrīmatsudevarājasya sthiraṁ jagati śāsanaṁ

cd

Plates

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨1v1⟩ @ svasti śrīpurād vikramopanatasāma{ṁ}ntamakuṭacūḍāmaṇiprabhāprasek(ā)⟨1v2⟩mbudhautapādayugalo ripuvilāsinīsīma{ṁ}ntoddharaṇahetur vvasuvasudhā⟨1v3⟩gopradaḥ paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛpādānuddhyātaḥ śrīmahādurggarājaputra⟨1v4⟩śrīmahāsu(de)varājaḥ ⟨⟨hakirībhogīyasunikāyāṁ⟩⟩ prativāsi⟨1v5⟩nas samājñāpayati~

viditam astu vo yathāsmābhir ayaṁ grāmaḥ ¡tṛ!⟨tri⟩daśa⟨1v6⟩patisadana(su)khapratiṣṭhākaro yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇapratihata⟨Page 2r⟩⟨2r1⟩ghorāndhakāraṁ jagad avatiṣṭhate tāvad upabhogyaḥ sanidhi{ḥ}s sopanidhi⟨2r2⟩r acāṭabhaṭapraveśyaḥ sarvvakaravisarjj¿a?⟨i⟩taḥ mātāpitror ātmanaś ca ⟨2r3⟩ puṇyābhivṛddhaye ⟨⟨pārā¡s!⟨ś⟩ara⟩⟩gotrāya vājasaneyine bhaṭṭapura⟨2r4⟩⟨n⟩⟨⟨dara⟩⟩svāmine tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsanenātis¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩ṣṭaḥ

te yūyam evam upa⟨2r5⟩labhy¡ā Ā!⟨ā⟩⟨syā⟩jñāśravaṇavidheyā bhūtvā yathocitaṁ bhogabhāgam upanaya⟨2r6⟩ntaḥ sukha⟨ṁ⟩ prativatsyatha bhavi¡(ś)!⟨ṣ⟩yataś ca bhūmipālān anudarśayati

I. Vasantatilakā

⟨Page 2v⟩ ⟨2v1⟩ dānād viśiṣṭam anupālanajaṁ purāṇā

a

dharmmeṣu niścitadhiya⟨2v2⟩⟨ḫ⟩ pravadanti dharmma(ṁ)

b

tasmā⟨d⟩ dvijāya suvi¡(ṣ)!⟨ś⟩uddhakulaśrutāya

c

dattā(ṁ) ⟨2v3⟩ bhuvaṁ bhavatu vo matir e(va goptuṁ)

d

tad bhavadbhir apy e¡(ś)!⟨ṣ⟩ā dattir anupālayi⟨2v4⟩tavyā vyāsagītāṁś cā{s}tra ślokān udāharanti

II. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ ⟨2v5⟩ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ

a

bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś ca gāvaḥ

b

dattās trayas te⟨2v6⟩na bhava{ṁ}nti lokā

c

ya¡ṣ!⟨ẖ⟩ kāñcan¡(ā)!⟨aṁ⟩ gāñ ca mahīñ ca dadyāT

d
III. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣ¡(ṭhī)!⟨ṭi⟩varṣa⟨Page 3r⟩⟨3r1⟩sahasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ

ab

Ācchettā cānumantā ca tāny eva ⟨3r2⟩ narake vaseT

cd
IV. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhiḥ sagarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩

ab

yasya ya⟨3r3⟩sya yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

cd
V. Anuṣṭubh

svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradattā⟨ṁ⟩ vā yatnā⟨3r4⟩d rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira

ab

mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matāṁ śreṣṭha dānāc chreyo ’nupālana⟨3r5⟩¡m!⟨M⟩

cd

¡i!⟨I⟩ti~

sarvvādhikārādhikṛtaśrīmahāsāma{ṁ}nta-Indrabalarāja{~}⟨3r6⟩ś cātra dūtakaḥ pravarddhamānavijaya¡savvan!⟨saṁvat⟩sara 7 mārg(g)aśīrṣa di 10 ⟨Page 3v⟩ ⟨3v1⟩ U⟨t⟩kīrṇṇaṁ golasiṅghena

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

⟨2r4⟩ °ātis¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩ṣṭaḥ ⬦ °ātis¡ri!⟨ṛ⟩ṣṭaḥ ANL; °ātisṛṣṭaḥ AMS.

⟨2r6⟩ bhavi¡(ś)!⟨ṣ⟩yataś ⬦ bhavi(ṣ)yataś ANL; bhavi¡ś!⟨ṣ⟩yataś AMS.

⟨2v6⟩ ya¡ṣ!⟨ẖ⟩ ⬦ yaẖ ANL; ya¡ṣ!⟨ẖ⟩ AMS.

⟨3r6⟩ °¡savvan!⟨saṁvat⟩sara ⬦ ¡savvan!⟨saṁvat⟩sar¿a?⟨e⟩ ANL; ¡savva!⟨saṁva⟩tsara AMS. — ⟨3r6⟩ mārg(g)aśīrṣa ⬦ mārg(g)aśīrṣa ANL; mā¡g!⟨rg⟩aśīrṣa AMS.

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

The permanent charter belongs to the illustrious Sudevarāja, whose kingdom was acquired by hereditary descent and whose enemies were annihilated by his valour.

Plates

(1v1–1v5) Success! Hail! From Śrīpura, the illustrious great Sudevarāja, son of the illustrious great Durgarāja, 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 residents of [the village of] Sunikā situated in the Hakirī bhoga:

(1v5–2r4) Let it be known to you that by means of [this] copperplate charter, this village has been granted by us for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to the Vājasaneyin bhaṭṭa Pundarasvāmin, belonging to the Pārāśara gotra. [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.

(2r4–2r6) 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:

2v1–2v3
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.

(2v3–2v4) This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v4–2v6
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.
2v6–3r2
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!
3r2–3r3
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!
3r3–3r5
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

(3r5–3v1) The illustrious and great sāmanta Indrabalarāja holds the office of chief minister and [will act] here [as] the executor of the grant. [The copperplate charter] has been engraved by Golasiṅgha [on] the day 10 [of] the month of Mārgaśīrṣa [in] the increasingly victorious year 7 [of Sudevarāja’s reign].

Commentary

Bibliography

First published by Pandeya 1945 and first edited by Lahiri 1955–1956 from impressions of the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995, pp. 43–45; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs (edition of the seal based on Lahiri).

Primary

[ANL] Lahiri, A.N. 1955–1956. “Kauvatal plates of Sudeva, year 7.” EI 31, pp. 314–316.

[LPP] Pandeya, L.P. 1945. “A new charter of Mahāsudevarāja of Śarabhapura.” IHQ 21, pp. 274–275.

[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 43–45.

Secondary

Bosma, Natasja. 2018. Dakṣiṇa Kosala: A rich centre of early Śaivism. Groningen: Barkhuis. [URL]. Pages 20, 59, 236.

Sircar, Dines Chandra. 1946. “King Durgarāja of the Śarabhapurīya dynasty.” IHQ 22, pp. 62–63.