Junvānī Plates of Śivagupta, Year 57

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

Edition

Seal

rājña⟨ḥ⟩ śrīharṣaguptasya sūno⟨ḥ⟩ sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩ śāsanaṁ śivaguptasya sthitam ā bhuvanasthite⟨ḥ⟩

Plates

⟨Page 1v⟩

⟨1v1⟩ @ svasty aśeṣakṣit¿i?śavidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsāditamahan¿i?ya{naya}vinayasaṁ-

⟨1v2⟩ patsampāditasakalavijigīṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśrayaḥ prakṛṣṭataraśau-

⟨1v3⟩ ryyaprajñāprabhāvasaṁbhāvitamahābhyudayaḥ kārttikeya Iva kṛttivāsas¿au?-

⟨1v4⟩ jñaḥ śrīharṣaguptasya sūnuḥ somava¡ṅ!śasaṁbhavaḥ {t}paramamāheśvaro mātā-

⟨1v5⟩ pitṛpādānu{nu}dhyātaḥ śrīmahāśivaguptarājadevaḥ kuśalī|| ¿u?ṇi-

⟨1v6⟩ bhogīyagrām¿a? pāśipadrake kurapadrakasahite| brāhmaṇāṁ sa{ṁ}mp¿u?jya ta-

⟨1v7⟩ tpratinivāsikuṭumbino yathākālādhyāsinaḥ samāhartṛsannidhātṛpra-

⟨1v8⟩ bhṛt¿i?n asmatpādopajīvinaḥ sar¡bv!arājapuruṣā¡ṁ! samājñāpayati viditam a-

⟨Page 2r⟩

⟨2r1⟩ stu bhavatāṁ yathāsmābhir ayaṁ grāmaḥ sakurapadrakaḥ vājasaneyaca-

⟨2r2⟩ raṇād abhyarthya bhāṇḍāgāratulapadrakam oṇ¿ī?bhogīyaṁ parivarttena dat⟨t⟩

⟨2r3⟩ sa¡t!prati sanidhānaḥ sopanidhānaḥ sar¡bb!akarādānasametaḥ sar¡bb!apīḍāvi-

⟨2r4⟩ va⟨r⟩jj¿a?tas sada¡s!āparādhaḥ prat¿a?ṣiddhacāṭabhaṭaprave¡g!aḥ asyā{ṁ}-

⟨2r5⟩ m ¡āpu!paurṇṇamā¡ś!yām atraivātmakāritaśrībāleśvarabhaṭṭārakatapo-

⟨2r6⟩ vanapratipālanārtham āropitebhyaḥ śivasya mūrtt¿i?nām aṣṭau vigraheśvarāṇāṁ ga-

⟨2r7⟩ haneśasya mūrttayo rudrāḥ ṣaṭ¡ś!aṣṭy anugrāhakā yuge yuge parivarttamā-

⟨2r8⟩ nā Adhunā kalikālam āsādya śrīmallakulīśanātho ’vatīryya soma¡s!a-

⟨Page 2v⟩

⟨2v1⟩ rmmākhyabrāhmaṇakule bhūtvā mahā¡b!ratena dīkṣito jagadindus tenāpi

⟨2v2⟩ mugalisas tataḥ somādipāraṁparyakrameṇa sthān¿e?guruśr¿i?rudra¡ś!omapra-

⟨2v3⟩ śiṣyaśr¿i?teja¡ś!omaśiṣ⟨y⟩ebhya⟨ḥ⟩ śr¿i?⟨ma⟩dbh¿i?masomapādebhya⟨ḥ⟩ śiṣyapraśiṣyāṇā⟨ṁ⟩

⟨2v4⟩ yāgad¿i?kṣā¡b!yākhyān¿ā?{n}vasat{r}¿a?pravarttanāya bhagnavid¿i?rṇṇadevakula-

⟨2v5⟩ saṁskṛtaye ca| mātāpitror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!ṛddhaye samakālopa-

⟨2v6⟩ bhogārtham ācandratārakārkkam udakapūr¡bb!akaṁ tām{b}raśāsanena pratipādi-

⟨2v7⟩ ta Ity avagatya samucita⟨ṁ⟩ bhogabhāgādikam upanayanto bhavantaḥ sukhaṁ prati-

⟨2v8⟩ vasantu|| bhāvinaś ca bh¿u?mipālān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidhīyate bhūmipradā divi

⟨Page 3r⟩

⟨3r1⟩ lalanti patanti hanta hṛtvā mahī⟨ṁ⟩ nṛpatayo narake nṛśa¡t!⟨T⟩ Etad ⟨d⟩vaya⟨ṁ⟩ pari-

⟨3r2⟩ kalayya calāñ ca lakṣmīm āyus tathā kuruta yad bhavatām abh¿i?ṣṭaṁ| Api ca ra-

⟨3r3⟩ kṣāpālanayos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggatī ko nāma svarggam utsṛjya narakaṁ pra-

⟨3r4⟩ tipadyate|| ¡b!yāsag¿i?tāṁś cāt{t}ra ślokān udāharanti Agner apatyaṁ pratha-

⟨3r5⟩ maṁ suvarṇṇaṁ bhūr ¡bb!aiṣṇavī sūryasutāś ca gāvaḥ dattās trayas tena bhavanti

⟨3r6⟩ lokā yaḥ kāñcanaṁ gāñ ca mahīñ ca dadyā⟨T⟩| ṣaṣṭi{ṁ}varṣasahasrāṇi svarge

⟨3r7⟩ modati bhūmidaḥ ¡Atsettā! cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vase⟨T⟩| bahubhi⟨r⟩ va-

⟨3r8⟩ sudhā dattā rājabhiḥ sagarādibhiḥ yasya yasya yadā bhūmi⟨s⟩ tasya tasya tadā pha-

⟨Page 3v⟩

⟨3v1⟩ la⟨ṁ⟩ svadattā⟨ṁ⟩ paradattām ¡b!ā yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira mah¿i?ṁ mahī¿ma?tāṁ śreṣṭha dānāt ¡s!re-

⟨3v2⟩ yo ’nupālanaṁ|| pūr¡bb!āyā¡n! diśi nady¿ā?rddheṇa uttaradakṣiṇāyatena ha-

⟨3v3⟩ stasahasrāṇi saptaśatatrayapañcāśābhyadhikañ ca| dakṣiṇāyā¡n! diśi

⟨3v4⟩ p¿u?r¡bb!apaścimāyatena ṣaṭsahasrāṇi śatam ekapañcāśad uttare

⟨3v5⟩ paścimāyā⟨ṁ⟩ diśi dakṣiṇottarāyatena sahasrāṇi sapta| uttarāyā¡n! diśi

⟨3v6⟩ paścimapūr¡bv!āyatena ṣaṭsahasrāṇi śatatrayapañcāśābhyadhikañ ca|

⟨3v7⟩ catur¡bbiṅ!śāṅgu¡le! hastair mmānam eta⟨d a⟩nusa⟨ṁ⟩khyayā| pravarddhamānavijayarājye

⟨3v8⟩ sam¡b!atsare saptapañcāśattame ph¿a?⟨l⟩gunakṛṣṇapakṣaprathamadvādaśyām ¿ā?ṅkena

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨1r1⟩ sam¡b!aT 50 7 ¡phagguṇa! dina ⟨10⟩ 2

Apparatus

Seal

⟨ab⟩ rājña⟨ḥ⟩rājña⟨ḥ⟩ RS; rājñaḥ AMS; rājña⟨ḥ⟩ BJ; rājñaḥ SBM. — ⟨ab⟩ sūno⟨ḥ⟩sūno⟨ḥ⟩ RS; sūnoḥ AMS; sūno⟨ḥ⟩ BJ; sūnoḥ SBM. — ⟨ab⟩ sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩ RS; sadguṇaśālinaḥ AMS; sadguṇaśālina⟨ḥ⟩ BJ; sadguṇaśālinaḥ SBM.

⟨cd⟩ °sthite⟨ḥ⟩°sthite⟨ḥ⟩ RS; °sthiteḥ AMS; °sthite⟨ḥ⟩ BJ; °sthiteḥ SBM.

Plates

⟨1v6⟩ °bhogīya° ⬦ °bhogīya° RS; °bhog¿i?⟨ī⟩ya° AMS; °bhogiya° BJ; °bhogīya° SBM. — ⟨1v6⟩ brāhmaṇāṁ ⬦ brāhmaṇāṁ RS; brāhmaṇā⟨n⟩ AMS; brāhmaṇāṁ BJ; brāhmaṇā⟨n⟩ SBM.

⟨1v7⟩ °kālā° ⬦ °kālā° RS; °kālā° AMS; °kālā° BJ; °kalā° SBM.

⟨1v8⟩ sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣā¡ṁ!⟨n⟩sar¡vb!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣāṁ RS; sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣāṁ AMS; sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣā⟨n⟩ BJ; sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩arājapuruṣā⟨n⟩ SBM.

⟨2r2⟩ bhāṇḍāgāra° ⬦ bhāṇḍāgāra° RS; bhāṇḍāgāra° AMS; bhāṇḍāgāra° BJ; bhāṇḍagāra° SBM. — ⟨2r2⟩ °bhogīyaṁ ⬦ °bhogīyaṁ RS; °bhogīyaṁ AMS; °bhogīyaṁ BJ; °bhogiyaṁ SBM.

⟨2r3⟩ sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩akarā° ⬦ sar¡vb!⟨vv⟩akarā° RS; sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩akarā° AMS; sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩akarā° BJ; sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩akara° SBM. — ⟨2r3⟩ sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩apīḍā° ⬦ sar¡vb!⟨vv⟩apīḍa° RS; sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩apīḍā° AMS; sar¡bv!⟨vv⟩apīḍā° BJ; sar¡bb!⟨vv⟩apīḍā° SBM.

⟨2r4⟩ °prave¡g!⟨ś⟩aḥ ⬦ °prave¡g!⟨ś⟩aḥ RS; °praveśaḥ AMS; °prave¡g!⟨ś⟩aḥ BJ; °praveśaḥ SBM.

⟨2v2⟩ °pāraṁparya° ⬦ °pāraṁparya° RS; °pāraṁparya° AMS; °pāraṁparya° BJ; °pāramparya° SBM.

⟨2v4⟩ °¡b!⟨v⟩yākhyān¿ā?⟨a⟩{n}vasat{r}¿a?⟨i⟩° ⬦ °vyākhyānānvasatṛ° RS; °vyākhyān¿ā?⟨a⟩{n}vasat¡ṛ!⟨i⟩° AMS; °vyākhyānānvasatṛ° BJ; °vyākhyānānn{v}asattra° SBM.

⟨2v6⟩ pratipādi⟨2v7⟩ta ⬦ pratipādi⟨2v7⟩ta RS; pratipādi⟨2v7⟩ta AMS; pratipādi⟨2v7⟩ta BJ; pratipād¿ī?⟨i⟩⟨2v7⟩ta SBM.

⟨3r1⟩ nṛśa¡t!⟨ṁ⟩⟨T⟩nṛśastā RS; nṛśa⟨ṁ⟩{n}⟨ḥ⟩ AMS; nṛśastā BJ; nṛśa⟨ṁ⟩⟨ḥ⟩ SBM. — ⟨3r1⟩ pari⟨3r2⟩kalayya ⬦ pari⟨3r2⟩kalayya RS; pari⟨3r2⟩kalpayya AMS; pari⟨3r2⟩kalayya BJ; pari⟨3r2⟩kalayya SBM.

⟨3r2⟩ abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ ⬦ abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ RS; abhīṣṭaṁ AMS; abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ BJ; abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭaṁ SBM.

⟨3r4⟩ cāt{t}ra ⬦ cāt{t}ra RS; cāt{t}ra AMS; cāt{t}ra BJ; cātra SBM.

⟨3r5⟩ bhūr ¡bb!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇavī sūryasutāś ⬦ bhur baiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś RS; bhūr ¡bb!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś AMS; bhur baiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś BJ; bhūr ¡bb!⟨vv⟩aiṣṇavī sūryasutāś SBM.

⟨3r6⟩ ṣaṣṭi{ṁ}° ⬦ ṣaṣṭiṁ° RS; ṣaṣṭi⟨ṁ⟩° AMS; ṣaṣṭi° BJ; ṣaṣṭiṁ° SBM.

⟨3r7⟩ ¡Atsettā!⟨Ākṣeptā⟩Astettā RS; ¡Atsetettā!⟨Ākṣeptā⟩ AMS; Astettā BJ; ¡Atsetettā!⟨Akṣeptā⟩ SBM.

⟨3v1⟩ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ṁ mahī¿ma?tāṁ ⬦ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ mahi¡v!⟨m⟩atāṁ RS; mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ṁ mah¿i?⟨ī⟩¡v!⟨m⟩atāṁ AMS; mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ mahi¡v!⟨m⟩atāṁ BJ; mah¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ mahi¡y!⟨m⟩atāṁ SBM. — ⟨3v1⟩ dānāt ¡s!⟨ś⟩re⟨3v2⟩yo ⬦ dānās te⟨3v2⟩yo RS; dānāt se⟨3v2⟩yo AMS; dānās te⟨3v2⟩yo BJ; dānās te⟨3v2⟩yo SBM.

⟨3v3⟩ °pañcāśābhyadhikañ ⬦ °pañcāśābhyadhikañ RS; °pañcāśābhyadhikañ AMS; °pañcāśābhyadhikañ BJ; °pañcāsābhyadhikañ SBM. — ⟨3v3⟩ dakṣiṇāyā¡n!⟨ṁ⟩dakṣiṇayān RS; dakṣiṇāyā¡n!⟨ṁ⟩ AMS; dakṣiṇayān BJ; dakṣiṇāya¡n!⟨ṁ⟩ SBM.

⟨3v4⟩ p¿u?⟨ū⟩r¡bb!⟨vv⟩a° ⬦ pūr¡vb!⟨vv⟩ RS; pūr¡bb!⟨vv⟩ AMS; pūr¡bb!⟨vv⟩ BJ; pūr¡bb!⟨vv⟩ SBM.

⟨3v6⟩ °pūr¡bv!⟨vv⟩ā° ⬦ °pūr¡vb!⟨vv⟩ā° RS; °pūr¡bb!⟨vv⟩ā° AMS; °pūr¡bb!⟨vv⟩ā° BJ; °pūr¡bb!⟨vv⟩ā° SBM. — ⟨3v6⟩ °pañcāśābhyadhikañ ⬦ °pañcāśābhyadhikañ RS; °pañcāśābhyadhikañ AMS; °pañcāśābhyadhikañ BJ; °pañcāśebhya dhikañ SBM.

⟨3v8⟩ sam¡b!⟨v⟩atsare ⬦ sambatsare RS; sa¡m!⟨ṁ⟩vatsare AMS; sambatsare BJ; sa¡m!⟨ṁ⟩vatsare SBM.

⟨1r1⟩ ¡phagguṇa!⟨phālguna⟩¡phagguṇa!⟨phālguna⟩ RS; ¡phāgguṇa!⟨phālguna⟩ AMS; ¡phagguṇa!⟨phālguna⟩ BJ; ¡phāgguṇa!⟨phālguna⟩ SBM. — ⟨1r1⟩ ⟨10⟩ 210 2 RS; 10 2 AMS; 1 2 BJ; 10 2 SBM.

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

⟨1v1–1v8⟩ Success! Hail! The illustrious and great rājadeva Śivagupta who has been born in the Lunar Dynasty as the son of a king, the illustrious Harṣagupta, 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 Pāśipadraka together with [the village of] Kurapadraka situated in the Oṇi 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 householders being inhabitants of that [village]:

⟨1v8–2v7⟩ Let it be known to you that by means of [this] copperplate charter and preceded by a libation of water, this village together with [the village of] Kurapadraka has been granted by us today for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to the illustrious and venerable Bhīmasoma, the pupil of the illustrious Tejasoma and grand-pupil of the illustrious sthānaguru Rudrasoma. The villages were retrieved from [brahmins of] the Vājasaneya caraṇa, who were given the village of Bhāṇḍāgāratulapadraka situated in the Oṇi bhoga in return. There are eight embodiments of Śiva, the Vigraheśvaras; the embodiments of Gahaneśa are the sixty-six Rudras who bestow grace (i.e., initiation) and who roam about in each yuga. Now the Kali age has come and the illustrious Lakulīśanātha has descended: He was born in the family of a Brahmin named Somaśarman. By him (i.e., Lakulīśanātha) he (i.e., Somaśarman) was initiated in the Great Vow and [came to be] a "Moon on Earth". By him again (i.e., Somaśarman), Mugalisa [was initiated]. Then, in due succession of the lineage that started with the Moon, [the aforementioned Bhīmasoma] was raised [to a position] in charge of the tapovana of the Bāleśvara-bhaṭṭāraka temple that was erected by ourselves (i.e., Śivagupta) here (i.e., in the plains of Śrīpura). [The grant of the village took place] on this day of the full moon in the month of Phālguna, for the purpose of meeting the expenses of offering ceremonies, initiations, teaching and housing for the pupils and grand-pupils; as well as [to finance] the repairs of the temple’s broken parts. [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.

⟨2v7–2v8⟩ Having taken note of that, you should render the proper [shares of] periodical offerings, produce, and the like, while living happily [in this village]. And this is said for the instruction of the future kings:

2v8–3r2.

[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!

⟨3r2⟩ And also:

3r2–3r4.

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

⟨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!

3v1–3v2.

O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

⟨3v2–3v7⟩ [The extent of the granted land] is 7350 hastas in the east, [measured] from the middle of the river and stretching from north to south; it is 6151 hastas in the south, stretching from east to west; it is 7000 hastas in the west, stretching from south to north; and it is 6350 hastas in the north, stretching from west to east. The measure of one hasta is equivalent to twenty-four aṅgulas.

⟨3v7–1r1⟩ [The copperplate charter has been engraved] on the twelfth [day] of the first, dark, fortnight of the month of Phālguna, in the fifty-seventh year of the increasingly victorious reign [of Śivagupta]. In numbers: Year 57, [Month] Phālguna, Day 12.

Commentary

It was clearly the intention to leave the recto side of the first copperplate blank, but in the end the scribe was forced to use this empty space to finish the last sentence of the inscription.

Bibliography

First edited by Raikwar and Singh 1994 from the original plates; published again by Shastri 2001, Jain et al. 2005, pp. 188–192, and Majumdar 2007; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma from the original plates.

Primary

[BJ] Jain, Balchandra, Girdhari L. Raikwar and Rahul Kumar Singh. 2005. Utkīrṇa lekha. Second edition. Chhattīsgarh (India): Culture & Archaeology Department. Pages 188–192.

[SBM] Basu Majumdar, Susmita. 2007. “Re-editing the Junwani copper plate inscription of Mahāsivagupta Bālārjuna, regnal year 57.” In: Kalhār (white water-lily): Studies in art, iconography, architecture and archaeology of India and Bangladesh—Professor Enamul Haque felicitation volume (the volume is presented on the 70th birthday of Prof. Enamul Haque). New Delhi: Kaveri Books, pp. 286–295.

[RS] Raikwar, Girdhari L and Rahul Kumar Singh. 1994. “Mahāśivagupta Bālārjuna kā 57 veṃ rājya varṣa kā junavānī (malhār) tāmralekha.” Purātan 9, pp. 146–147.

[AMS] Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 2001. “Malhar plates of Mahāsivagupta, year 57.” JESI 27, pp. 25–48.

Secondary

[HTB] Bakker, Hans T. 2000. “Somaśarman, Somavaṃśa and Somasiddhānta: A Pāśupata tradition in seventh-century Dakṣiṇa Kosala—Studies in de Skandapurāṇa III.” In: Harānandalaharī: Volume in honour of professor Minoru Hara on his seventieth birthday. Reinbek: Verlag für Orientalische Fachpublikationen, pp. 1–19.

Bosma, Natasja. 2018. Dakṣiṇa Kosala: A rich centre of early Śaivism. Groningen: Barkhuis. [URL]. Pages 83, 257.

[AMS] Shastri, Ajay Mitra. 2001. “Malhar plates of Mahāsivagupta, year 57.” JESI 27, pp. 25–48.