Sāraṅgarh Plates of Sudevarāja (incomplete)

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSDaksinaKosala00014.

Language: Sanskrit.

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

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

Edition

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨1v1⟩ @ svasti śarabhapurād vikkramopanatasāmantamakuṭacūḍāmaṇiprabhāpra⟨1v2⟩sekāmbudhautapādayugalo ripuvilāsinīsīmantoddharaṇahetur vvasu⟨1v3⟩vasudhāgopradaḫ paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛpādānuddhyātaś śrīmahāsude⟨1v4⟩varājaḥ tuṇḍarakabhuktīyacullaṇḍarake prativāsikuṭumbinas sa⟨1v5⟩mājñāpayati

viditam astu vo yathāyaṁ grāmaḥ ¡tṛi!⟨tri⟩daśapatisadanasukha⟨1v6⟩pratiṣṭhākaro yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇapratihataghorāndhakāraṁ ja⟨Page 2r⟩⟨2r1⟩gad avatiṣṭhate tāvad upabhogyas sanidhis sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśya⟨s⟩ ⟨2r2⟩ sarvvakaravisarjjitaḥ rājyamahādevīr¿o?⟨ā⟩jakulaiḥ mātāpitror ātmana{ṁ}ś ca pu⟨2r3⟩ṇyābhivṛddhaye Udakapūrvvaṁ k¿o?⟨au⟩śikasagotra¡tṛi!⟨tri⟩sahasravidyabhāskarasvāmi⟨2r4⟩prabhākarasvāmibarbbarisvāmiboṭasvāmidattasvāmiviṣṇusvāmi{~}⟨2r5⟩phalgusvāmisvāmikīrttisvāmiśa{ṁ}ṅkarasvāmimā⟨ṁ⟩ tā¡mbra!⟨mra⟩śāsanenātisṛ⟨2r6⟩ṣṭo bhūtvāsmābhir anumoditaḥ

te yūyam evam upala{ṁ}bhyaiṣām ājñāśrava⟨Page 2v⟩⟨2v1⟩ṇavidheyā bhūtvā yathocitaṁ bhogabhāgam upanayantas sukha⟨ṁ⟩ prativatsyatha ⟨2v2⟩ bhaviṣyataś ca bhūmipān anudarśayati~

I. Vasantatilakā

dānād viśiṣṭam anupālanaja⟨ṁ⟩ pu⟨2v3⟩rāṇā{ṁ}~

a

dharmmeṣu niścitadhiyaḫ pravadanti dharmmaṁ~

b

tasmā⟨d⟩ dvijāya suvi⟨2v4⟩śuddhakulaśrutāya

c

dattāṁ bhuvaṁ bhavatu vo matir eva goptuṁ~

d

tad bhavadbhi⟨2v5⟩r apy eṣā dattir anupālayitavyā vyāsagītāṁś cātra ślokān udāhara⟨2v6⟩nti~

II. Indravajrā

Agner apatya⟨ṁ⟩ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ~

a

bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutā

b

Apparatus

⟨1v2⟩ °dhauta° ⬦ °dhota° RBHL; °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.

⟨1v3⟩ °pitṛ° • Traces of the vowel marker for i are also present, in addition to the vowel marker for ṛ. It seems that tṛi was engraved first, by accident, and it was corrected in tṛ by partly chiselling out i.

⟨2r6⟩ upala{ṁ}bhyaiṣām ⬦ upalabhyaiṣām RBHL; upala{ṁ}bhyaiṣām AMS.

Translation by Natasja Bosma

(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] Cullaṇḍaraka situated in the Tuṇḍaraka bhukti:

(1v5–2r6) Let it be known to you that by means of [this] copperplate charter [and] preceded by a libation of water, this village has been granted on behalf of the chief queen and the royal family [and] confirmed by us, for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to trisahasravidya Bhāskarasvāmin, Prabhākarasvāmin, Barbbarisvāmin, Boṭasvāmin, Dattasvāmin, Svāmin, Viṣṇusvāmin, Phalgusvāmin, Kīrttisvāmin, and Śaṅkarasvāmin, [all] belonging to the Kauśika 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.

(2r6–2v2) Having taken note of that, you should be obedient to the command received from themn (i.e., the donees) 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.

(2v4–2v6) This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

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.]

Commentary

This copperplate charter is incomplete: the third (and last) plate as well as the seal are missing. Hence, the regnal year in which the command was issued is unknown.

Bibliography

First edited by Hira Lal 1907–1908 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 1995, pp. 50–52; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma based on the published photographs.

Primary

[RBHL] Hira Lal, Rai Bahadur. 1907–1908. “Sârangarh copper plates of Mahâ-Sudêva.” EI 9.39, pp. 281–285.

[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 50–52.

Secondary

Bosma, Natasja. 2018. Dakṣiṇa Kosala: A rich centre of early Śaivism. Groningen: Barkhuis. [URL]. Page 237.