Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 37

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSDaksinaKosala00037.

Hand description:

Language: Sanskrit.

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

Version: (048a990), last modified (d59dd56).

Edition

Seal

I. Anuṣṭubh

rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śrīharṣaguptasya sūno⟨ḥ⟩ sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩

ab

śāsanaṁ śivaguptasya sthitam ā bhuvanasthite⟨ḥ⟩

cd

Plates

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨1v1⟩ @ svasty aśeṣakṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩avidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahan¿i?⟨ī⟩yavi⟨1v2⟩nayasampatsaṁpāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśraya⟨ḥ⟩ ⟨1v3⟩ prakṛṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvi{ḥ}ta{ḥ}mahābhyudaya⟨ḥ⟩ kārttikeya ⟨1v4⟩ Iva kṛt⟨t⟩ivāsaso rājñaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣadevasya sūnu⟨ḥ⟩ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasa⟨1v5⟩mbhava⟨ḥ⟩ paramamāheśvaro mātāpi⟨tṛpā⟩dānudhyāta⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśivaguptarājaḥ ⟨1v6⟩ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩|| svalpaśarkarāmārgg¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ya⟩hastipadrake brāhmaṇāṁ{ṅ} saṁpūjya sapra⟨1v7⟩dhānā¡t!⟨n⟩ prativāsino yathākālādhyāsina⟨ḥ⟩ samāhartṛsannidhā{r}tṛprabhṛt¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨Page 2r⟩⟨2r1⟩n anyā⟨ṁ⟩ś cāsmatpādopaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vina⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvarājapuruṣā⟨n⟩ saka⟨ra⟩ṇān adhikā⟨2r2⟩riṇaś ca samājñāpayati

viditam astu bhavatāṁ yathāsmābhir aya⟨ṁ⟩ grāma⟨ḥ⟩ ⟨2r3⟩ sanidhāna⟨ḥ⟩ sopanidhāna⟨ḥ⟩ sadaśāp⟦ā⟧⟨⟨a⟩⟩rādha⟨ḥ⟩ sarvvakarādānasameta⟨ḥ⟩ prati⟨2r4⟩ṣi⟨d⟩dhacāṭabhaṭapraveś¡ā!⟨aḥ A⟩dya vaiśākhaprathamapañcamyā⟨ṁ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩bāleśva⟨2r5⟩rapratiṣṭhākāl¿a?⟨e⟩ nandap¿ū?⟨u⟩r¿i?⟨ī⟩yabhagavatpādad¿i?⟨ī⟩rghācāryyaśiṣyavyāpaśivā⟨2r6⟩cāryyabhagavatpādānā¡n!⟨ṁ⟩ udakapūrvvaṁ mātāpittror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddha⟨2r7⟩ye tām{v}raśāsanenācandrārkasamakālopabhogārtha⟨ṁ⟩ pratipādita Ity

a⟨Page 2v⟩⟨2v1⟩vagatyāmiṣā samucitaṁ bhogabhāgādikam upanayadbhi{ḥ}r bhavadbhi⟨ḥ⟩ sukha(ṁ) pra⟨2v2⟩tivastavyam iti|| bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate

I. Vasantatilakā

bhūmi⟨2v3⟩pradā divi lala{ṁ}nti patanti hanta

a

hṛtvā mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo narake nṛśa⟨2v4⟩¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩sāT||

b

Etad ⟨d⟩vayaṁ parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yya calāñ ca lakṣmīm

c

āyus tathā kuruta ⟨2v5⟩ yad bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ

d

¿Ā?⟨A⟩pi ca

II. Anuṣṭubh

rakṣāpālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩

ab

ko ⟨2v6⟩ nāma svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya narakaṁ pratipadyate||

cd

vyāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩tāṁś cāt{t}ra ślokān u⟨2v7⟩dāharanti

III. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ

a

bhūr vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ sūryyasutā⟨Page 3r⟩⟨3r1⟩ś ca gāvaḥ

b

dattā⟨s⟩ t{t}rayas tena bhavanti lokā

c

ya⟨ḥ kā⟩ñcanaṁ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāT

d
IV. Anuṣṭubh

⟨3r2⟩ ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ

ab

Ācchet⟨t⟩ā cānuma{ṁ}ntā ca tā⟨3r3⟩ny eva narake vaseT

cd
V. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩

ab

yasya ⟨3r4⟩ yasya yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

cd
VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadattāṁ {m}paradat⟨t⟩ām vā ⟨3r5⟩ yatnād rakṣa{ḥ} yudhiṣṭhira

ab

mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩matā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha{ḥ} dānā⟨t⟩ śreyo ’nupālana⟨3r6⟩¡m!⟨M⟩

cd

¡i!⟨I⟩ti||

pravarddhamānavijayarājye samvatsare saptatri¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śe vaiśā⟨3r7⟩khaprathamapañcamy¡ā!⟨āṁ A⟩ṅkenāpi samvaT rla gra vaiśākha dina 5

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

⟨1v4⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ⬦ śrī° BJ.

⟨1v5⟩ mātāpi⟨tṛpā⟩dānudhyāta⟨ḥ⟩mātāpi⟨tṛ⟩pāpādānudhyāta BJ. — ⟨1v5⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ⬦ śrī° BJ.

⟨1v6⟩ °mārgg¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ya⟩° ⬦ °mārggī° BJ. — ⟨1v6⟩ brāhmaṇāṁ{ṅ} saṁpūjya ⬦ brāhmaṇāṅ sapūjya BJ.

⟨2r1⟩ °opaj¿i?⟨ī⟩vina⟨ḥ⟩°opajīvina BJ.

⟨2r4⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ⬦ śrī° BJ.

⟨2r6⟩ °pādānā¡n!⟨ṁ⟩°pādānāṁm BJ. — ⟨2r6⟩ udaka° ⬦ udraka° BJ.

⟨2v3⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩mahī BJ.

⟨2v5⟩ ¿Ā?⟨A⟩pi ⬦ Api BJ.

⟨2v6⟩ °g¿i?⟨ī⟩tāṁś ⬦ °gītāṁś BJ.

⟨2v7⟩ vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩vvaiṣṇavī BJ.

⟨3r1⟩ ya⟨ḥ kā⟩ñcanaṁ ⬦ ya ⟨kā⟩ñcunaṁ BJ. — ⟨3r1⟩ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca ⬦ cu mahīñ cu BJ.

⟨3r2⟩ cānuma{ṁ}ntā ⬦ cānumantā BJ.

⟨3r7⟩ samvaT rla grasamva 30 7 rla gra BJ.

Translation by Natasja Bosma

Seal

The charter of Śivagupta, son of the illustrious king Harṣagupta, who is possessed of good qualities, endures as long as the existence of the world

Plates

(1v1–2r2) Success! Hail! The illustrious and great king Śivagupta who has been born in the Lunar Dynasty as the son of a king, the illustrious Harṣadeva, like Kārttikeya is of Kṛttivāsas (i.e., Śiva); who is entirely devoted to Maheśvara; who is favoured by his father and mother; and who is in good health: He has acquired all the qualities of a conqueror through the perfection of praiseworthy discipline, effected in particular by implementing all the "political sciences"; he is a refuge for the virtuous; and his great prosperity has been brought about by his superior valour, intelligence, and strength! After having saluted the Brahmins in the village of Hastipadraka situated in the Svalpa-Śarkkarā mārga, [the king] issues [the following command] to the governor and local council, to all other royal officers who are dedicated to our service, beginning with the collector and the receiver; to those who are temporarily posted [in the village]; and to the residents [of the village] with their headman:

(2r2–2r7) 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 by us for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to the venerable ācārya Vyāpaśiva, pupil of the venerable ācārya Dīrgha of Nandapura. [The grant of the village took place] today, on the fifth [day] of the first [fortnight] of the month of Vaiśākha, on the occasion of the establishment of the illustrious Bāleśvara temple. [The grant]), which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon and the sun will endure, comes along with [the right to] hidden treasures and deposits; [the right to] punish and realise fines for the ten offences; [the right to collect] all taxes [payable to the king]; the exemption from all kinds of unpaid labour; and the exemption from being entered by irregular or regular troops.

(2r7–2v2) Having taken note of that, you should render the proper [shares of] periodical offerings, produce, and the like to those [donees], while living happily [in this village]. And this is said for the instruction of the future kings:

2v2–2v5
[Kings] who donate land sport in heaven, [but] look, kings who have taken land fall into hell for their wickedness. After having taken to heart these two rules and taken hold of Lakṣmī, you should live you life as you wish!

And also:

2v5–2v6
Fortune and misfortune are truly the fruit of protecting and not protecting [the land]; who then discards heaven and resorts to hell?

(2v6–2v7) And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

2v7–3r1
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
3r2–3r3
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!

(3r6–3r7) [The copperplate charter has been engraved] on the fifth [day] of the first [fortnight] of the month of Vaiśākha, in the thirty-seventh year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta]. In numbers: Year 37, [Month] Vaiśākha, Day 5.

Commentary

Bibliography

First edited by Jain et al. 2005, pp. 196–217 from the original plates; published again by Bosma 2013; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma from the original plates (edition of the seal based on Jain).

Primary

[NB] Bosma, Natasja. 2013. “The Bāleśvara temple complex of Śivagupta: epigraphical evidence for the Śaiva Siddhānta and Soma Siddhānta traditions in Dakṣiṇa Kosala.” IIJ 56 (3-4), pp. 245–261. DOI: 10.1163/15728536-13560309. [URL].

[BJ] Jain, Balchandra, Girdhari L. Raikwar and Rahul Kumar Singh. 2005. Utkīrṇa lekha. Second edition. Chhattīsgarh (India): Culture & Archaeology Department. Pages 196–217.

Secondary

Bosma, Natasja. 2018. Dakṣiṇa Kosala: A rich centre of early Śaivism. Groningen: Barkhuis. [URL]. Page 251.

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1992. “Balesvara-Bhattaraka, a hitherto unknown Saiva establishment at Sripura.” JESI 18, pp. 15–23.

Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 1995. Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins and Somavaṁśins, Part II: Inscriptions. New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Motilal Bandarsidass. Pages 196–217.