Dhanaidaha Plate, Year 113 GE

samvatsara-śate trayodaśottare

asyān divasa-pūrvvāyāṁ parama-daivata-parama-bhaṭṭāraka- kuṭumbi brāhmaṇa-śivaśarmma-nāgaśarmma-mahavakīrtti-kṣemadatta-goṣṭhaka-varggapāla-piṅgala-śuṅkuka-kāla-viṣṇu-devaśarmma-viṣṇubhadra-khāsaka-Umaka-gopāla-sasu śrībhadra-somapāla-rāmādyāḥ grāmāṣṭa-kulādhikaraṇañ ca viṣṇuṇā vijñāpitā.

Iha khādāṭapāra-viṣaye 'nuvr̥tta-maryyādā-sthiti-nīvī-dharmma-kṣayeṇa labhyate

tad arhatha mamādyānenaiva kkramenṇa dātuṁ sametyābhihitaiḥ sarvvam eva jñākara-prativeśi-kuṭumbibhir avasthāpya kari kana yad ito tad avadhr̥tam iti.

yatas tatheti pratipādya aṣṭaka-navaka-nalābhyām apaviñchya kṣetra-kulya-vāpam ekaṁ dattaṁ. tataḥ Āyuktaka- bhrātr̥-kaṭaka-vāstavya-chandoga-brāhmaṇa-varāhasvāmino dattaṁ tadbhavabhūmyā dānākṣepe ca guṇāguṇam anucintya śarīra-kāñcanakasya cira-cañcalatvaṁ ā

uktañ ca bhagavatā dvaipāyanena

svadattām para-dattām vā yo hareta vasundharām sa viṣṭhāyāṁ kr̥mir bhūtvā pitr̥bhiḥ saha pacyatie ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣa-sahasrānṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vaset pūrvva-dattāṁ dvijātibhyo yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira mahīṁ mahīmatāñ cchreṣṭha dānāc chreyo 'nupālanam

yaṁ suśrībhadrena Utkīrṇṇaṁ sthāṇnaṇeśvaradāsena

sa śrī-kumāragupta-rāja-sa oṁ| catur-udadhi-salilāsvāditayaśaso mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāraguptasya sa siddhaM| catur-udadhi-salilāsvāditayaśaso mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāraguptasya sa 36, note 2: Most probably here preceded the date in numerals saṁ 100 10 3. suggest the following reconstruction: siddhaM . catur-udadhi-salilāsvādita-yaśaso mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāraguptasya -śate -śate śata- śate °daśottare °daśuttara °daśotta daśottare suggests reading °daśottare in note 4. suggests reading °daśottare in note. saṁ 100 20 3 I suggest assuming an ordinal number of the day and the name of the month or a place name here, see my note in the translation. asyān divasa- ndivasa- asyāndivasa- The word asyāṁ is an emendation based on the occurrence of the expression asyāṁ divasa-pūrvāyāṁ in others plates: see the Govindnagar Buddha Image Inscription of the Time of Kumāragupta I see IN00027, the Karamdāṁdā Stone Liṅga Inscription of Kumāragupta I see IN00025 and the Mathura Jaina Image Inscription of the time of Kumāragupta I see IN00022. -pūrvvāyāṁ -purvvāyāṁ parama-daivata-para° parama-daivata-parama suggests reading parama-daivata-parabhaṭṭāraka. As the akṣara °ra° is on the border of the plate, the final one ma supplied by can be assumed but not at the end of this line. -parama-bhaṭṭāraka-kuṭumbi brāhmaṇa- -parama-bhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāragupte pr̥thivīpatau kuṭumbi brāhmaṇa- -parama kṣudraka nivāsinaḥ brāhmaṇa -para ā kuṭumbi brāhmaṇa- ma-bhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāraguptaḥ kuṭumbi -parama-bhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāragupte pr̥thivīpatau kuṭumbi brāhmaṇa- first suggests reading samavetānkuṭumbinaḥ grāmika-brāhmaṇa°. In my translation, I suggest another conjecture for the gap. -maha suggests : Read, perhaps, mahattara-. vakīrtti- devakīrtti- vakīrtti- vakīrtti- -kṣemadatta- -kṣamavanta- -śuṅkuka-kāla- -śuṅkuka-kāla- -śaṅkuka-kāla- 461 adds in note 2 : The word may also be read bru ṅkuka. viṣṇu- paviṣṇu- vīṣya- paviṣṇu- paviṣṇu- viṣṇu- viṣṇu- 460 suggests understanding the name Viśvadevaśarman. -viṣṇubhadra- -viṣyabhadra- 460 suggests understanding the name Viśvabhadra. -khāsaka- -khuṣaka- Umaka -rāmaka- Upaka- sasu sasu sasu śrībhadra- śībhadra° -somapāla- °stham-apaha° -rāmādyāḥ -rāmādyāḥ -rāmādyāḥ -rāmādyāka °raṇabhyā- °dhikaraṇañ ca °dhikaraṇañ ca °dhikaraṇ I suggest emending the expression kuśalam anuvarṇya bodhayanti. In support of this suggestion, one can compare it with these seven following examples, which are all contemporary with the present inscription : Kalaikuri-Sultanpur Plate, line 2 : kuśalam anuvarṇya bodhayanti, Jagadispur Charter, lines 2-3 : kuśalam āśāsya bodhayanti, Raktamālā #1, line 2 : bodhayanti, Baigram Charter, lines 2-3 : kuśalam anuvarṇya bodhayanti, Nandapur Plate, line 2 : kuśalam anuvarṇṇya bodhayanti, grant of land to monasteries at Śiṣīpuñja, Madhyamasṛgālikā and Grāmakūṭagohālī, line 3 : kuśalam uktvānubodhayanti , Raktamālā #2, line 2 : kuśalam uktvā bodhayanti. viṣṇuṇā viṣṇunā caraṇa- viṣṇunā viṣṇunā viṣṇunāṇā viṣṇunā vijñāpitā . Iha khādāṭa- vijñāpitā Iha khādāṭa- vijñāpitamahā khuṣā° vijñāpitā Iha khādāṭā- vijñāpitā Iha khādyāṭa- °pāra- °pāka- 'nuvr̥tta- nivatta 461 suggests reading nibaddha in note 4. -sthiti- -sthiti- nīvī- nīvī- nīvī- dharmma-kṣayeṇa dharmma-kṣayam ā° dharmmā-kṣayeṇa suggests for kṣa an alternative reading in brackets followed by a question mark : kkra. In note 3 p.281, he adds this suggestion : Or dharmātkrayeṇa ? labhyatetad arha° °labhyadarha° mamādyānenaiva °m-āśādya nanu va° 281 suggests understanding mahyaṁ for mama in note 4. kkramenṇa dātuṁ °kkra lena vā same° pale same° same° °tyābhihitaiḥ °ty-abhihita sarvvam eva sarvva laṁva jñākara- kara kara- 281 first suggested reading kāra or ājñākara in note 5. Then he suggested : Probably kṣetrakara in 288, note 8. -prativeśi-ku° °prati prati ku° ri kana parityaktena ri kana yad ito tad avadhr̥tam ya vicadahyakam avadhr̥tam iti. yatas avadhr̥tam iti yatas °tas tatheti °tas tyajati aṣṭaka-navaka-nalābhyām apa° vara nalāka sada vaka-nalābhyām apa° aṣṭaka-navaka-nalābhyām apa° 347 already suggests reading aṣṭaka navaka-nalābhyām in note 12. I follow his suggestion by comparing the different occurrences of this expression in several plates coming from the same period : see Raktamālā #1 line 21, Baigram Plate lines 18-19, Tāvīra Grant lines 16-17, Paharpur Plate lines 19-20, Nandapur Plate line 14, A grant of land to monasteries at Śiṣīpuñja, Madhyamasṛgālikā and Grāmakūṭagohālī lines 23-24 and Raktamālā #2 lines 20-21. °viñchya kṣetra- vichya -kulya-vāpam ekaṁ kṛtya vasa-laka -kulya-vāpam ekaṁaḥ ekaḥ dattaṁ. tataḥ dattaṁ tataḥ datta tataḥ dattaṁ. tataḥ dattaṁḥ. tataḥ Āyuktaka- suyuktaka- bhrātr̥-kaṭa° bhū kaṭa° bhrātr̥-kaṭa° bhrātr̥-kaṭa° -vāstavya- °vantebhya -chandoga- chāndaśa °svāmino °svāmine 281 suggests correcting svāmino by svāmine in note 7 (repeated in note 1 289). dattaṁ tadbhava dattaṁ taddhava dattaṁ tadva dattaṁ. tadbhava dattaṁm. tadbhava bhūmyā bhūmyā bhūmyā 1289 suggests restoring for the end of the line 12 and the beginning of the following by bhavadbhiḥ sarvair evānumodyānupālanīyaṃ. dānākṣepe °dānkṣepa guṇāguṇam śunu guṇam kāñcanakasya kalyānakasya kaāñcanakasya cira-cañcalatvaṁ ā cośa ciā cira-cañcalatvaṁ . para-dattām vā para-dattām bā 281 suggests para-dattāmṁ vā (repeated in note 2 289). yo hareta vasundharām sa viṣṭhāyāṁ kr̥mir bhūtvā pitr̥bhiḥ tr̥bhiḥ bhiḥ yo hareta vasundharām sa viṣṭhāyāṁ kr̥mir bhūtvā pitr̥bhiḥ pacyatie pacyate pacyati ṣaṣṭiṁ ṣaṣṭiṁ -sahasrānṇi -sahasrāṇi bhūmidaḥ bhūmidaḥ Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vasetpūrvva-dattāṁ pūrvva-dattāṁ pūrvva-dattāṁ Ākṣeptā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vaset pūrvva-dattāṁ dvijātibhyo dvijātibhyaḥ mahīṁ mahīmatāñ cchreṣṭha mahī dānāc chreyo 'nupālanamyaṁ suśrībhadrena oyam śrī bhadrena yaṁ suśrībhadrenṇa dānāc chreyo 'nupālanamyaṁśrībhadrena dānāc chreyo 'nupālanamyaṁ bhadrenṇa 282 also suggests supplying likhitā paṭṭikeyaṁ amātyabhadreṇa in note 1 (repeated in note 3 289. Utkīrṇṇaṁ Utkīrṇṇā sthāṇnaṇeśvara° sthambheśvara° sthahneśvara° sthastambheśvara° sthāṇveśvara° °dāsena °dāsena , and end the inscription without mention lost characters. and both note a possible lost of characters without defining its extent. In my opinion, one could emend the word tāpitam or likhitam, as in the end of the Jagadishpur Plate, the Raktamālā #1, the Tāvīra Plate or the Raktamālā #2.

Draft of translation

For the incipit of the plate, several emendations are possible : suggests oṁ, while prefers siddham like in the incipit of the Mathura Jaina Image Inscription of the time of Kumāragupta I see IN00022. If we consider the incipit of the plates produced under the authority of Kumāragupta I, we can also suggest svasti as in the Kalaikuri-Sultanpur Plate, the Jagadispur Charter and the Baigram Charter. in the year one hundred exceeded by thirteen , followed by , suggests emending catur-udadhi-salilāsvādita-yaśaso mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāraguptasya. Whereas neither of them gives an explanation, one can assume they borrow this expression from its occurences in the Karamdāṁdā Stone Liṅga Inscription of Kumāragupta I line 2, see and IN00025 and in the Gaya Grant of Samudragupta line 2, see 60254-257 and IN00004. The same expression is supplied in Bihar Sharif Pillar Inscription 2 see line 1, IN00048 and can be translated by of the great king and emperor Śrī Kumāragupta whose splendour is enjoyed flowing beyond the four oceans. from the Xth day of the month Xloss of about 23 akṣaras at the beginning of the line 2, suspects the numeral numbers of the year for the missing akṣaras at the beginning of the line 2. Several inscriptions written during the reign of Kumārugupta I contain the expression asyāṁ divasa-pūrvāyāṁ:

the incipit of the Govindnagar Buddha Image Inscription of the Time of Kumāragupta I: saṁ 100 10 5 śrāvaṇa di 10 3. Asyāṁ divasa-pūrvvāyāM line 1 see IN00073 the one of Mathura Buddha Image Inscription of the Time of Kumāragupta I: śrī-kumāraguptasya vijayarājyasaṁvvat 100 20 5 āśvayuja-māse di 9| Asyāṁ divasa-pūrvvāyāṁ see IN00027 the one of the Karamdāṁdā Stone Liṅga Inscription of Kumāragupta I: vijaya-rājya-saṁvatsara-śate saptadaśottare kārttika-māsa-daśama-divase syān divasa-pūrvvāyāṁ see IN00025 the one of the Mathura Jaina Image Inscription of the time of Kumāragupta I: 100 7 adhika-śrāvaṇa-māsa-divasa 20 asyāṁ pūrvvāyāṁ see IN00022

From these testimonies, it is possible to assume the gap contains an ordinal number of the day and the name of the month see also the line 1 of Mastakaśvabhra Grant: svasti mahārājādhirāja-śrī-pradyumnavandhor vvijayādhirājya-samvatsare pañcama Āśvayuja-māsasya dvāviṁśatime divase; the line 1 of the Damodarpur Charter 2 (GE 128) of Kumāragupta I shows also the numeral numbers followed by the name of the month and the number of the day : saṃ 100 20 8 vaiśākha di 10 3, see IN00028; the line 1 of Damodarpur Charter 1 (GE 124) of Kumāragupta I: samva 100 20 4 phālguṇa di 7, see IN00026. the officerāyukta probably : named XXX, graced by the feet of pādānuddhyāta the Supreme Majesty and Supreme parama-daivata-parama-bhaṭṭāraka- Lord In the line 3, suggests filling in the gap by mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāragupte pr̥thivīpatau. This expression can be found in the Damodarpur Charter 2 (GE 128) of Kumaragupta I see IN00028, lines 1-2 and in the Damodarpur Charter 1 (GE 124) of Kumaragupta I see IN00026, line 1. In my opinion the two hypothetical reconstructions in line 1 and line 3 suggested by following in part are too redundant to be acceptable simultaneously. The second in line 3 could be translated by : while the Supreme Majesty and Supreme Lord, the great king and emperor Kumāragupta was the Lord of the earth ma-bhaṭṭāraka-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-kumāragupte pr̥thivīpatau. But with this assumption,we have a problem to construct the sentence. We need a subject coordinated with grāmāṣṭakulādhiraṇañ ca in line 6. Following the four examples of Raktamālā #1 line 1 paramabhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ kumārāmātya-yūthapatir, Jagadishpur Charter line 1 bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ Āyuktakācyuto, Baigram Charter line 1 bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ kumārāmātya-kulavr̥ddhir and Raktamālā #2 line 1 bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ kumāramātya-gopālo, I suggest that paramadaivatapara- could be the beginning of a compound designated an officer appointed by the king and that the gap could be filled in by something like ma-bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyātaḥ kumārāmātya- or ma-bhaṭṭāraka-pādānuddhyāta āyukta followed by the name of the officer. Given the word āyukta appears in line 11, I choose this word in my proposition of translation. and the council composed of the nobles of the eight villages grāmāṣṭakulādhiraṇañ ca Śrībhadra, Somapāla, Rāma and others śrībhadra-somapāla-rāmādyāḥ greet and inform kuśalam anuvarṇya bodhayanti For the 15 missing akṣaras at the beginning of the line 7, I suggest assuming the expression kuśalam anuvarṇya bodhayanti. In support of this assumption, one can compare it with these seven following examples, which are all contemporary with the present inscription :

Kalaikuri-Sultanpur Plate, line 2 : kuśalam anuvarṇya bodhayanti Jagadispur Charter, lines 2-3 : kuśalam āśāsya bodhayanti Raktamālā #1, line 2 : bodhayanti Baigram Charter, lines 2-3 : kuśalam anuvarṇya bodhayanti Nandapur Plate, line 2 : kuśalam anuvarṇṇya bodhayanti grant of land to monasteries at Śiṣīpuñja, Madhyamasṛgālikā and Grāmakūṭagohālī, line 3 : kuśalam uktvānubodhayanti Raktamālā #2, line 2 : kuśalam uktvā bodhayanti

the householder line 3 named X One may suppose that the 3 missing akṣaras in line 3 following kuṭumbi contain the name of the househoulder. The reading found in the editio princeps is quite difficult to interpret. Indeed, according to his introduction, had taken photos of plate before it lost some of its fragments, which occurred during its display at the Calcutta Industrial Exhibition in 1906-7. From his reading kṣudra ka nivāsinaḥ brāhmaṇa, it is not clear if kṣudra corresponds to what others read as kuṭu. From the photo I have at my disposal, I read drakaṭumbbrāhmaṇa. Therefore we have to be cautious because a compound having both kṣudra and kuṭumbi inside is very likely when comparing the present line with lines 2 of Raktamālā #1, 6 of Tāvīra and 2 of Raktamālā #2. and the brahmins Śivaśarman, Nāgaśarman, Maha beginning of the line 4, vakīrtti, Kṣemadatta, reads Kṣamavanta. Goṣṭhaka, Vargapāla, Piṅgala, Śuṅkuka, Kāla, beginning of the line 5viṣṇu, The , the first editor of the plate, reads viṣya at the beginning of the line 5 and he is not able to see an akṣara before this word. suggests reading paviṣṇu-, but for me the akṣara pa is totally illegible and I follow the opinion of the editio princeps. Devaśarman, Viṣṇubhadra, Khāsaka, Umaka, My reading of the plate differs from those of , , , , and who respectively read Upaka and Rāmaka. Gopāla, line 6 residing insasu Maybe we have to emend sāsu for a feminine plural locative ? It would be logical to have the names of the eight villages mentionned by the expression grāmāṣṭakulādhiraṇañ ca at the beginning of the line 6.

line 7viṣṇu 4 last missing akṣaras at the beginning of the line 7 petition as follows :

Here, in the district of Khāḍāṭapāra, the established custom is line 8 there is destruction of the law of permanent endowment The word nīvī is almost always associated with the word akṣaya and both, they constitue the compound akṣayanīvī; which seems to be a epigraphical term in Gupta inscriptions. On this compound, see 860, note 2023. However it would be necessary to make more research on the possibility of the destruction of a permanent endowment. Thus tad, be so kind as to give me today acccording to this procedure line 9 once the money is collected, when the neighbouring householders executing the orders ājñakara who are addressed have precisely established all of this, line 10 ri line 10 kana thus yad, from now on, it has been ascertained what it follows :

After this request has been accepted by the words be it so tatheti, after separating the land by two reeds measuring eight by ninefold line 11 The expression -nalābhyām apaviñchya is found in several inscriptions belonging to the Gupta age :

Raktamālā #1 line 21 : naitika-kuddālakhātika-ratny-āaṣṭa-navaka-nalābhyām apaviñchya Baigram Plate lines 18-19 : darvvīkarmma-hastenāṣṭaka-navaka-naḷābhyām apaviñcchya preceded by sva-karṣaṇāvirodhi-sthāne Tāvīra Grant lines 16-17 : Aṣṭaka-navaka-nalābhyām apaviñcchya preceded by viṣaya-maryyādayā Paharpur Plate lines 19-20 : ṣaṭka-naḍair-apaviñcchya preceded by sva-karṣaṇāvirodhi-sthāne Nandapur Plate line 14 : darvvī-karmma-hastenāṣṭaka-navaka-nalābhyām apaviñchya preceded by karṣaṇāvirodhi-sthāne A grant of land to monasteries at Śiṣīpuñja, Madhyamasṛgālikā and Grāmakūṭagohālī lines 23-24 : ṣaṭ-kanalair apaviñcchya preceded by sva-karṣaṇāvirodhisthāne Raktamālā #2 lines 20-21 : Aṣṭakanava-kana-lābhyām apaviñchya

Given the conventional feature of this kind of inscriptions, one could suggest that the expressions sva-karṣaṇāvirodhisthāne in a place that does not conflict with your own cultivation or viṣaya-maryyādayā according to the rule of this district began the line 11. one kulya-vāpa of land is given.

Then, by ? the officer āyuktaka line 12 the acquiring of this land tadbhava- Here I have choosen the reading of , and and emend tadbhavaṁ. is given to the brahmin Varāhasvāmin belonging to the Chandoga tradition According to the note 7 of 348, chandoga means one studying the Sāmaveda. residing in Bhātṛkaṭaka line 12.

and after considering the merit and the demerit in the case of confiscation akṣepa of a gift of a land and the unconstancy during the time cira-cañcalatva of body and gold śārira-kāñcanakasya The reading of śārira-kalyānakasya could be emended by śārira-kalyāṇakasya and translated by body and auspiciousness or the beauty of the body. line 14ā.

It has been said by the lord Dvaipāyana:

The one who would steal land given by himself or another becomes a worm in excrement and is cooked with his ancestors. This verse is emended on the base of its obvious link with the verse numbered 132 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar see II170-200.

The giver of land resides sixty thousand years in heaven; the one who challenges a donation as well as the one who approves of the challenge will reside as many years in hell. The pāda cd are emended on the base of the obvious link of this verse with the one numbered 123 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar see II170-200.

You, Yudhiṣṭhira, most excellent of kings, must strenuously protect land previously given to brahmins. Safeguarding is even better than giving. Here I reproduced the translation of the same three verses from Raktamālā #1 made by Arlo Griffiths see also . This verse is emended on the base of its obvious link with the one numbered 131 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar see II170-200.

line 17 yaṁ engraved by the excellent Śrībhadra suśrībhadrena written by or heated by Following the final formulation of Jagadishpur Plate, Raktamālā #1, Tāvīra Plate and Raktamālā #2, it is possible to assume tāpitam or likhitam. Sthāṇeśvaradāsa.

First noticed and edited in . Re-edited in , revised in , and in . Discussed in 475-496. The text is reedited here by Amandine Wattelier-Bricout based on the photos of the plate and RTI furnished by Arlo Griffiths and using a digital edition created by Dániel Balogh for the Siddham project as starting point. Since some readings differ from the previous editions, they are reported in the apparatus.

345-8 280-2 287-9 36-8 IN00023 1721267 151-2