Plate
Hail ! From Pūrṇakauśikā in the Śr̥ṅgavera territory vīthī, the officer Acyutadāsa
The incipit of this plate is almost identical to the one of [Jagadispur Charter of the Time of Kumāragupta I](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00034.xml). Nevertheless we can notice that here the officer is called Acyutadāsa and that here there is no mention to the fact that his authority depends on the emperor. As the localisation of these two plates is the same and as their dates are relatively close, one can ask if the two officers, called in one plate Acyutadāsa and in the other Acyuta, are the same person. If so, it is interesting to observe the loss of the name ending -dāsa.
and the council greet the village tenants beginning with the brahmins, residing next to Hasti hastiśīrṣe, i.e. in Vibhītakā,
As the previous translations of this inscription show it, there are several possibilities to interpret hastiśīrṣe. The translation of is somewhat unclear. Indeed, in his translation of the line 1, he reads hastiśīrṣavibhītakyāṁ and translates residing in Hastiśīrṣavibhītakī
. In line 20, his translation of hastiśīrṣa-vibhītakyāṁ by Hastiśīrṣavibhītakī
might be supported by the singular locative. But in lines 23-24, the text compells him to consider Hastiśīrṣa an independant place name. At the end of his translation, he adds a note and criticizes the understanding of the place names suggested by Sanyal : It will be seen from the note that Sanyal has failed to decipher many important passages of the record including several geographical names. His suggestion regarding the two villages Hastiśīrṣa and Vibhītakī is not supported by the passage hastiśīrṣa-vibhītakyāṁ of the text.
Indeed 58-9 doesn't follow 's understanding and he considers Hastiśīrṣa and Vibhītakī two different names of village.
To clarify the problem, I give below the three contexts where the word hastiśīrṣa appears in the text :
- in association with the place name Vibhītakī, but not in compound: hastiśīrṣe vibhītakyāṁ, line 1
- in association and in compound with the place name Vibhītakī: hastiśīrṣavibhītakyāṁ, line 20
- in compound and in association with another place name Tāpasapotaka : hastiśīrṣaprāveśyatāpasapottake, line 23
The first interpretation could be to understand a place name 'Hastiśīrṣa' as did. A second possibility is to see hastiśīrṣa as a compound indicating a large aera. This interpretation is based on my previous observation according to which the geographical indication is presented from the larger to the smaller entity. So it could be possible to consider śīrṣa- a word used in a geographical manner to indicate that some place is near another larger place and hasti- a name of place like Hastināpura? If so, the translation could be in the upper part of Hasti
, collateral of Hasti
, close or next to Hasti
. A third possibility could be to consider hastiśīrṣa a compound composed by the derivated word of the constellation name Hasta followed by śīrṣa, like in the compound mārgaśīrṣa the month under the constellation of Mr̥ga
i.e. november-september which is recorded in [Betul Charter of Samksobha, year 199](http://siddham.uk/inscription/in00090), line 3). But the irregular derivation in hastiśīrṣa and the context of its use do not allow a such interpretation.
in Gulmagandhikā, in Dhānyapāṭikā, as well as in their hamlets sagohāliṣu
On the meaning of gohālī, see 40-2
and inform them :
It will be known by you that
the chief of the guild kulika Bhīma,
Here I adopted the same translation of the word kulika than in [Jagadispur Charter of the Time of Kumāragupta I](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00034.xml) line 16. Indeed, these two plates seem to be close to each other only two years between their redaction, several identical place names, the same officer and it is likely the kulika called Bhīma here is identical to the one named Bhīma in [Jagadispur Charter of the Time of Kumāragupta I](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00034.xml).
the scribes kāyastha Prabhucandra, Rudradāsa, Devadatta, Lakṣmaṇa, Kāntideva, Śambhudatta, Kr̥ṣṇadāsa, the keeper-records pustapāla Siṁhanandin and Yaśodāman, all belonging to this territory vīthī,
preceded by the territory-chiefs vīthīmahattara Kumāradeva, Gaṇḍaprajāpati, Umayaśas, Rāmaśarman, Jyeṣṭhadāman, Svāmicandra and Harisiṁha, preceded by the householders kuṭumbi Yaśoviṣṇu, Kumāraviṣṇu, Kumārabhava, Kumārabhūti, Kumāra, Yaśagupta, Vailinaka, Śivakuṇḍa, Vasuśiva, Aparaśiva, Dāmarudra, Prabhamitra, Kr̥ṣṇamitra, Maghaśarman, Iśvaracandra, Rudrabhava, Svāmideva, Śrīnātha, Hariśarman, Guptaśarman, Suśarman, Hari, Alātasvāmin, Brahmasvāmin, Mahāsenabhaṭṭa, Ṣaṣṭhirāta, Gu _ _ _, _ _ śarman, Uṇṭaśarman, Kr̥ṣṇadatta, Nandadāman, Bhavadatta, Ahiśarman, Somaviṣṇu, Lakṣmaṇaśarman, Kāntidhovvoka, Kṣemaśarman, Śukraśarman, Sarppapālita, Kaṅkuṭi, Viśvaśaṅkara, Jayasvāmin, Kaivarttaśarman, Himaśarman, Purandara, Jayaviṣṇu, Uma. . . , Siṁhatta, Bonda, Nārāyanadāsa, Vīranāga, Rājyanāga, Guhamahi, Bhavanātha, Guhaviṣṇu, Śarva, Yaśoviṣṇu, Ṭakkakuladāma . . . . va,
Śrīguhaviṣṇu, Rāmasvāmin, Kāmanakuṇḍa, Ratibhadra, Acyutabhadra, Loḍhaka, Prabhakīrti, Jayadatta, Kāluka, Acyuta, Naradeva, Bhava, Bhavarakṣita, Piccakuṇḍa, Pravarakuṇḍa, Śarvadāsa and Gopāla, as well as ourselves inform :
In accordance of the rule allowable in this territory vīthī that the sale of one kulyavāpa of waste land in exchange of two dīnāras is used for a permanent endowment of a waste land without revenue charges to be enjoyed in perpetuity, we really wish,
The redundant use of the optative mode with the verb iṣ- is rendered in the translation by the addition of an intensity adverb.
in order to increase the merit of both mothers and fathers of each of us,
I attribute to the repetition of prati a distributive function and translate it by 'each of us'.
after purchasing nine kulyavāpas of waste land, give this land for the purpose of the performance of the five great sacrifices to the brahmins named Devabhaṭṭa, Amaradatta and Mahāsenadatta residing in Puṇdravardhana and belonging to the Vājasaneya school.
Precisely in the above-mentionned villages, there are lands recognised as waste by those who are following ebhis, i.e. the record-keepers?.
I am not sure to understand if ebhis qualifies persons or information. Maybe it refers to the record-keepers mentioned in line 17.
Thus tad, after receiving an amount of eighteen dīnāras from us, be so kind as to endorse the sale of these nine kulyavāpas.
Wherefore, after having heard the request of those beginning with the chief of the guild Bhīma, through the investigation of the record-keepers Siṁhanandi and Yaśodāman, what is followed has been established :
In this territory the sale of one kulyavāpa in exchange of two dīnāras to be used for a permanent endowment of a waste land without revenue charges to be enjoyed in perpetuity is customary. So tad, let the gift be made! There is no conflict whatsoever with your own cultivation.
As there is no mention of the king's authority in this plate and given that the expression rājārtthavirodha found in lines 12-13 of the [Baigram Charter of the Time of Kumāragupta I](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00049.xml) seems relatively rare by comparing the use of the expression svakarṣaṇāvirodhisthāna found in [Baigram Plate](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00049.xml) line 18, in [Paharpur Plate](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00052.xml) line 19, [Nandapur Plate](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00054.xml) line 13 and in [A grant of land to monasteries at Śiṣīpuñja, Madhyamasr̥gālikā and Grāmakūṭagohālī](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00055.xml) line 23, I suggest supplying with your own cultivation
instead of with the king's interest
. translates this sentence by There is no inconstency of the petitioners' prayer with the interest of the state whatsoever
.
Once all this iti has been established, eighteen dīnāras collected upasaṁhr̥taka are taken in cash from those beginning with the chief of the guild Bhīma. The eight kulyavāpas
One could be surprised that the scribe mentions here eight kulyavāpas instead of the nine given at the end. Actually the description given below of these eight kulyavāpas includes the localisation of two smaller aeras measuring respectively two droṇavāpas line 23 and six droṇavāpas line 23. Precisely, 1361102939288 mentions in the context of the [Paharpur Plate](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00052.xml), the [Damodarpur Copper-plate Inscription of the time of Kumāragupta I](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00048.xml), the [Dhanaidaha Copper-plate Inscription](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00031.xml) that one kulyavāpa equals eight droṇavāpas. Consequently the description made here does include the total of the nine kulyavāpas given.
are located in the south in Vibhītakī next to Hasti,
Here there are three possibilities to understand, analyse or correct hastiśīrṣavibhītakyāṁ :
- consider śīrṣa- as an geographical indication and translate
in Vibhītakī next to Hasti
- analyse the singular as a scribal error and correct it by a duel form : hastiśīrṣavibhītakyor
in both Hastiśīrṣa and Vibhītakī
- as Arlo suggests, read vibhītakī in order to have a long compound hastiśīrṣa-vibhītakī-dhānyapāṭalikā-gulmagandhikā-grameṣu
in the villages Hastiśīrṣa, Vibhītakī, Dhānyapāṭalikā and Gulmagandhikā
in the villages Dhānyapāṭalikā and Gulmagandhikā,
Here one would have prefered a dual instead of a plural.
in Khanīdī:
- one kulyavāpa is located in the north-west of the village Dhānyapāṭalikā surrounded by a recently excavated ditch, with Vāṭā river in the north and bordered by the village Gulmagandhikā the in the west;
- two droṇavāpas are located in the west in Gulmagandhikā with the first road at the east;
- and also caiva seven kulyavāpas and six droṇavāpas are located in Citravātaṅgara falling under prāveśya Vibhītakī,
I consider vibhītaka a scribal error as the place name Vibhītakī is well spelled in lines 1 and 20.
in the hamlets Dayitā and Tāpasa / in Dayitāpotaka and Tāpasapotaka,
It seems to me that the term potaka could refer to a subtype of geographical toponym like in french words "lieu-dit, maison, domaine, propriété, bourgade, hameau, patelin".
the latter one falling under the region close to Hasti Hastiśīrṣa.
In the regions of the above-mentionned villages,
One can note the parallelism between the expression eṣu yathopari-nirddiṣṭaka-grāma-pradeśeṣv and the one used in line 15-16 : ebhir evopari-nirddiṣṭaka-grāmeṣu.
in order to increase the merits of each mother and father of them, those beginning with the chief of the guild kulika Bhīma, the scribes kāyastha Prabhucandra, Rudradāsa etc. give nine kulyavāpa are given to these three recipients for the performance of the five great sacrifices as follows:
- five kulyavāpas, ku 5, to the Brahmin Devabhaṭṭa,
- two kulyavāpas to the Brahmin Amaradatta,
- two kulyavāpas, ku 2, to the Brahmin Mahāsenadatta.
Thus tad, it is known nivedyate? through our request? and it is written.
Those who live in the present time samupasthita-kālaṁ, i.e., the district officers viṣayapati, the officers, the peasant householders, the council members, as well as the others who in the near future will be administrating this land,
The lines 28-29 are really close to the lines 22-24 of [the Jagadispur Charter of the Time of Kumāragupta I](DHARMA_INSBengalCharters00034.xml).
after considering avekṣya the benefits of land donation, they will have to protect this land as a permanent endowment.
And the venerable Vyāsa said in the
Mahābhārata:
The one who would steal land given by himself or another becomes a worm in excrement and is cooked with his ancestors.
This verse corresponds to 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.
This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 123 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar see II170-200, except for the verb used in the pāda b.
A man who gives land to a miserable, to someone become poor, to someone emaciated by his way of life, to someone who is dying, by this conduct, he becomes happy and obtains all his desires.
This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 78 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar see II170-200.
Numerous holds land and it will be the case again and again. Whoever holds land at a given moment, to him does the fruit belong.
This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 23 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.
This verse corresponds to the verse numbered 131 among the Stanzas on Bhūmidāna listed by Sircar see II170-200.
Year 121, month of Vaiśakha, day 1.