Sirpur Plates of Śivagupta, undated

Editor: Natasja Bosma.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSDaksinaKosala00051.

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⟩avidyābhyāsaviśeṣāsādita{ḥ}mahan¿i?⟨ī⟩yavi⟨1v2⟩nayasampatsa⟨ṁ⟩pāditasakalavijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣuguṇo guṇavatsamāśra⟨1v3⟩ya⟨ḥ⟩ prakṛṣṭataraśauryyaprajñāprabhāvasambhāvitamahābhyudayaḥ kā⟨1v4⟩⟨rt⟩tikeya Iva kṛttivāsaso rājñaḥ śṛ¿i?⟨ī⟩harṣadevasya sūnu⟨ḥ⟩ somava⟨1v5⟩¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩śasambhavaḥ paramamāheśvaro mātāpitṛpādānudhyātaḥ śr¿i?⟨ī⟩mahāśi⟨1v6⟩vaguptarājaḥ kuśal¿i?⟨ī⟩|| rohās¿i?⟨ī⟩mābhog¿i?⟨ī⟩yacorapadrake brāhma⟨1v7⟩ṇāṁ sa{ṁ}mpūjya sapradhānā¡t!⟨n⟩ prativāsinonyā¡ṅ!⟨ṁ⟩ś ca yathākālādhyāsina⟨Page 2r⟩⟨2r1⟩s samāhartṛsannidhātṛprabhṛt¿i?⟨ī⟩¡t!⟨n⟩ sarvvarājapuruṣā⟨n⟩ samājñā⟨2r2⟩payati

viditam astu bhavatā⟨ṁ⟩ yathāsmābhir aya⟨ṁ⟩ grāmas sanidhi⟨2r3⟩s sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭapraveśas sarvvakarādānasametas sarvva⟨2r4⟩p¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍā⟨vi⟩varjjitas sadaśāparādha⟨ḥ⟩ kanyakubjavinirggatāya k¿o?⟨au⟩śi⟨2r5⟩kasagottrāya {c}chāndogak¿o?⟨au⟩thu¡n!⟨m⟩abhaṭṭajejjaṭāyodakapūrvva⟨ṁ⟩⟨2r6⟩tāpittror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhi¡b!⟨v⟩ṛddhaye tām{v}raśāsanenācandrārkkasa⟨2r7⟩makālopabhogārtha⟨ṁ⟩ pratipādita Ity

avagamyāsya vidheyair bhūtvā⟨Page 2v⟩ ⟨2v1⟩ samucita⟨ṁ⟩ bhogabhāgādikam upanayadbhi⟨ḥ⟩ bhavadbhi⟨ḥ⟩ sukha⟨ṁ⟩ prativasta⟨2v2⟩vyam iti|| bhāvinaś ca bhūmipālān ud⟨d⟩iśyedam abhidh¿i?⟨ī⟩yate

I. Vasantatilakā

bhūmi⟨2v3⟩pradā divi lalanti patanti hanta

a

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

b

Etad ⟨d⟩vaya⟨ṁ⟩ parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yya calāñ ca lakṣmī⟨2v5⟩m

c

āyus tathā kuruta yad bhavatām abh¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣṭa⟨ṁ⟩

d

¿Ā?⟨A⟩pi ca

II. Anuṣṭubh

rakṣāpālana⟨2v6⟩yos tāvat phalaṁ sugatidurggat¿i?⟨ī⟩

ab

ko nāma svarggam u¡cchri!⟨tsṛ⟩jya narakaṁ ⟨2v7⟩ pratipadyate||

cd

vyāsag¿i?⟨ī⟩⟨ṁ⟩ś cāt{t}ra ślokān udāharanti

III. Indravajrā

¿Ā?⟨A⟩gner apatyaṁ ⟨Page 3r⟩ ⟨3r1⟩ prathama⟨ṁ⟩ suvarṇṇaṁ

a

bhūr vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩ s¿u?⟨ū⟩ryyasutāś ca gāva⟨ḥ⟩

b

dattā⟨s⟩ trayas tena ⟨3r2⟩ bhavanti lokā

c

ya⟨ḥ⟩ kāñcana⟨ṁ⟩ gāñ ca mah¿i?⟨ī⟩ñ ca dadyāT|

d
IV. Anuṣṭubh

ṣaṣṭivarṣasa⟨3r3⟩hasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmida⟨ḥ⟩

ab

Ācchet⟨t⟩ā cānumantā ca tāny eva na⟨3r4⟩rake vase⟨T⟩

cd
V. Anuṣṭubh

bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhi⟨ḥ⟩ sagarādibhi⟨ḥ⟩

ab

yasya yasya ⟨3r5⟩ yadā bhūmis tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ

cd
VI. Anuṣṭubh

svadat⟨t⟩āṁ paradattām vā yatnā⟨3r6⟩d rakṣa{ḥ} yudhi⟨ṣṭhi⟩ra

ab

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

cd

¡i!⟨I⟩ti||

Apparatus

Seal

Plates

⟨1v1⟩ °kṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩¡ṣ!⟨ś⟩a° ⬦ °kṣit¿i?⟨ī⟩śa° BJ.

⟨1v2⟩ °vijig¿i?⟨ī⟩ṣu° ⬦ °vijigīṣu° BJ.

⟨1v4⟩ śṛ¿i?⟨ī⟩° ⬦ śṛī° BJ.

⟨1v5⟩ śṛ¿i?⟨ī⟩° ⬦ śṛī° BJ.

⟨1v6⟩ °s¿i?⟨ī⟩mā° ⬦ °sīmā° BJ.

⟨2r4⟩ °p¿i?⟨ī⟩ḍā° ⬦ °pīḍā° BJ.

⟨2r5⟩ °gottrāya ⬦ °gotrāya BJ.

⟨2v2⟩ ud⟨d⟩iśyedam ⬦ udiṣyedam BJ.

⟨2v4⟩ parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yya ⬦ parikal¿ai?⟨a⟩yya BJ.

⟨3r1⟩ prathama⟨ṁ⟩prathamam BJ. — ⟨3r1⟩ vvaiṣṇav¿i?⟨ī⟩vaiṣṇavī BJ.

⟨3r2⟩ dadyāT ⬦ dadyā⟨T⟩ BJ.

⟨3r5⟩ phalaṁ ⬦ phala BJ. — ⟨3r5⟩ svadat⟨t⟩āṁ ⬦ svadat⟨t⟩ā 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 Corapadraka situated in the Rohāsīmā bhoga, [the king] issues [the following command] to all royal officers, 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:

(2r2–2r7) 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 bhaṭṭa Jejjaṭa belonging to the Kauthuma [branch] and the Chāndoga (Sāmaveda) of the lineage of Kauśika and coming originally from Kanyakubja. [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 exemption from being entered by irregular or regular troops; [the right to collect] all taxes [payable to the king]; the exemption from all kinds of unpaid labour; and [the right to] punish and realise fines for the ten offences.

(2r7–2v2) Knowing this, [you] should be obedient [to the received orders] and render the proper [shares of] periodical offerings and produce to the donee, 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:

2v5–2v7
Fortune and misfortune are truly the fruit of protecting and not protecting [the land]; who then discards heaven and resorts to hell?

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

2v7–3r2
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
3r2–3r4
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!
3r4–3r5
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!
3r5–3r6
O Yudhiṣṭhira, zealously protect the land which was given by yourself or by others! O best of kings, protection is superior to giving!

Commentary

Despite being a complete set of three copperplates, the content of this charter is unfinished: The text ends abruptly after the exhortatory verses, which means that there is no concluding section with a date in regnal years.

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 82, 259.

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.