Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, Year 38

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSDaksinaKosala00038.

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⟩avidy¿a?⟨ā⟩bhy¿a?⟨ā⟩saviśeṣāsāditamahan¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨1v2⟩yavinayasampa¡st!⟨ts⟩ampāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇava⟨1v3⟩tsamāśraya⟨ḥ⟩ prakṛṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahā⟨1v4⟩bhyudaya⟨ḥ⟩¡takaya!⟨rttikeya⟩ Iva kṛt⟨t⟩ivāsa¡śa!⟨so⟩ rājñaḥ śrīharṣadevasya s¿u?⟨ū⟩nu⟨ḥ⟩ ⟨1v5⟩ somava¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambhava⟨ḥ⟩ paramamāheśvaro mātāpitṛpādānudhyātaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśi⟨1v6⟩vaguptarāja⟨ḥ⟩ kuś¿i?⟨a⟩|| Aryyaṅgābhogīyabhāṇḍāgārac¿u?⟨a⟩ttāke brāhma⟨1v7⟩ṇāṁ samp¿u?⟨ū⟩jya tatpratinivāsinaś ca sapradhānān anyā⟨ṁ⟩ś ca yathākāla⟨Page 2r⟩⟨2r1⟩bhāvinaḥ samāhartṛsannidhātṛprabhṛtīn asmatpādopajī⟨2r2⟩vinaḥ sarvvarājapuruṣān samājñāpayati

viditam astu bhava⟨2r3⟩¡ḥ!⟨ṁ⟩ yathāsm¿a?⟨ā⟩bhiḥ sa⟨ṁ⟩praty ayaṁ grāmaḥ san{n}idhānaḥ sopan{n}idhānaḥ sarvva⟨2r4⟩karādānasamet{t}aḥ sarvvapīḍāvivarjit{t}aḥ sadaśāparādhaḥ prati⟨2r5⟩ṣiddhacāṭabhaṭapraveśaḥ Ihaiva śrīpuratalasvakāritaśrībāleśvarabha⟨2r6⟩ṭṭārakamaṭhikāpratiṣṭhāyām asyā⟨ṁ⟩ nandapur¿i?⟨ī⟩yaśrīmadbhagavacchaivā⟨2r7⟩cāryyāghoraśivapraśiṣyebhyo dīrghācāryya śiṣyebhyo bhagavatpādaśrī⟨Page 2v⟩⟨2v1⟩ma⟨d⟩¡b!⟨v⟩yāpaśivācāryyebhyaḥ śiṣyapraśiṣyādisa¡n!⟨ṁ⟩tānasya satatayāgā⟨2v2⟩didīkṣā¡b!⟨v⟩yākhyābhaktasat⟨t⟩rapravarttanārtham udakapūrvvakaṁ m{m}ātāpitro⟨2v3⟩r āt¡n!⟨m⟩anaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye samakālopabhogārtham ¿a?⟨ā⟩candratārakārkka⟨ṁ⟩ ⟨2v4⟩ tām{v}raśāsanena pratipādita Ity

avagamyāmīṣāṁ samucita⟨ṁ⟩ bho⟨2v5⟩gabhāgādikam upanayanto bhavanta⟨ḥ⟩ sukhaṁ vasantu|| bhāvinaś ca bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mi⟨2v6⟩pālān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidhīyate

I. Vasantatilakā

bhūmipradā divi lalanti pata⟨2v7⟩nti hanta

a

hṛtvā mahī⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo narake nṛśaṁ{ṅ}sāT|

b

Etad ⟨d⟩vayaṁ pa⟨Page 3r⟩⟨3r1⟩rikal¿ai?⟨a⟩y⟨y⟩a calāñ ca lakṣmīm

c

āyus tathā kuruta{ḥ} yad bhavatām abhī⟨3r2⟩ṣṭaṁ

d

Api ca

II. Anuṣṭubh

rakṣāp¿a?⟨ā⟩lanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩

ab

ko n¿a?⟨ā⟩ma ⟨3r3⟩ svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya narakaṁ pratipadyate||

cd

¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ś cātra ślokān udā⟨3r4⟩haranti

III. Indravajrā

Agner apatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ

a

bhūr vv¿e?⟨ai⟩ṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ s¿u?⟨ū⟩ryyasutā⟨3r5⟩ś ca gāvaḥ

b

dattā⟨s⟩ trayas t{t}ena bhavanti lokā

c

yaḥ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyā⟨3r6⟩T|

d
IV. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣ¡ṭh!⟨ṭ⟩ivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmida⟨ḥ⟩

ab

Ācchet⟨t⟩ā cānuma⟨3r7⟩ntā ca tāny eva narake vaseT|

cd
V. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vasudhā datt¿a?⟨ā⟩ rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarā⟨Page 3v⟩⟨3v1⟩dibhi⟨ḥ⟩

ab

yasya yasya yadā bh¿u?⟨ū⟩mi⟨s⟩ tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

cd
VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadat⟨t⟩ā⟨ṁ⟩ paradat⟨t⟩¿a?⟨ā⟩⟨3v2⟩m vā yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira

ab

mahī⟨ṁ⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩mat{t}ā⟨ṁ⟩ śreṣṭha dānā⟨t⟩ śreyo ’nupālana⟨3v3⟩¡m!⟨M⟩

cd

¡a!⟨I⟩ti||

pravarddhamānavijayarājy¿a?⟨e⟩ samvatsa⟨re⟩ Aṣṭatri¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śe śrāvaṇapaurṇṇamā⟨3v4⟩{r}sy¿e?⟨ā⟩m aṅkenāpi samvaT| 3 8 śrāvaṇa di 3 0

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

⟨1v1⟩ °mahan¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨1v2⟩ya° ⬦ °mahanī⟨1v2⟩ya° BJ.

⟨1v2⟩ °sampa¡st!⟨ts⟩ampādita° ⬦ °sampastatampādita° BJ. — ⟨1v2⟩ °vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu° ⬦ °vijigīṣu° BJ.

⟨1v5⟩ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩° ⬦ śrī° BJ.

⟨1v6⟩ °c¿u?⟨a⟩ttāke ⬦ °cattāke BJ.

⟨1v7⟩ ca ⬦ va BJ.

⟨2r1⟩ °prabhṛtīn ⬦ °prabhṛt¡īṁ!⟨i⟩ BJ.

⟨2r7⟩ °ācāryya° ⬦ °ācā⟨r⟩yya° BJ. — ⟨2r7⟩ bhagavatpādaśrī° ⬦ bhagavatyātpāda||śrī° BJ.

⟨2v1⟩ °¡b!⟨v⟩yāpaśivā° ⬦ °¡vyāpa!⟨vyoma⟩śivā° BJ.

⟨2v2⟩ °¡b!⟨v⟩yākhyā° ⬦ °vyākhyā° BJ.

⟨2v3⟩ °ābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye ⬦ °ābhivṛddhaye BJ.

⟨2v6⟩ ud⟨d⟩iśyedam ⬦ udiṣyedam BJ.

⟨3r1⟩ abhī⟨3r2⟩ṣṭaṁ ⬦ abhī⟨3r2⟩ṣṭa BJ.

⟨3r3⟩ ¡b!⟨v⟩yāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ś ⬦ vyāsagītāś BJ.

⟨3r4⟩ vv¿e?⟨ai⟩ṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ve!⟨vvai⟩ṣṇavī BJ.

⟨3r5⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ⬦ mahīñ BJ. — ⟨3r5⟩ dadyā⟨3r6⟩T ⬦ dadyā⟨3r6⟩⟨T⟩ BJ.

⟨3r6⟩ ṣaṣ¡ṭh!⟨ṭ⟩i° ⬦ ṣaṣṭi° BJ.

⟨3r7⟩ vaseT ⬦ vase⟨T⟩ BJ.

⟨3v4⟩ samvaT|samva⟨T⟩|| 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 Bhāṇḍāgāra-Cuttāka situated in the Aryyaṅgā bhoga, [the king] issues [the following command] to all 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 other inhabitants of that [village] with their headman:

(2r2–2v4) 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 today for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to the venerable ācārya Vyāpaśiva, pupil of the ācārya Dīrgha and grand-pupil of the venerable śaivācārya Aghoraśiva of Nandapura. [The grant of the village took place] on the occasion of the establishment of the maṭhikā of the illustrious Bāleśvara-bhaṭṭāraka temple that was erected by ourselves (i.e., Śivagupta) here in the plains of Śrīpura, for the purpose of [financing] continuous charity and worship as well as teaching, initiations and offering ceremonies for the line of pupils and grand-pupils. [The grant]), which is meant to be enjoyed as long as the moon, the stars, and the sun will endure, comes along with [the right to] hidden treasures and deposits; [the right to collect] all taxes [payable to the king]; the exemption from all kinds of unpaid labour; [the right to] punish and realise fines for the ten offences; and the exemption from being entered by irregular or regular troops.

(2v4–2v6) 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:

2v6–3r2
[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:

3r2–3r3
Fortune and misfortune are truly the fruit of protecting and not protecting [the land]; who then discards heaven and resorts to hell?

(3r3–3r4) And in this respect they quote the [following] stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

3r4–3r6
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
3r6–3r7
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!
3r7–3v1
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!
3v1–3v3
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

(3v3–3v4) [The copperplate charter has been engraved] on the day of the full moon in the month of Śrāvaṇa, in the thirty-eighth year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta]. In numbers: Year 38, [Month] Śrāvaṇa, Day 30.

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]. Pages 77, 252.

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.