Nahna Plates of Sudevarāja, Year 2 EpiDoc Encoding Natasja Bosma intellectual authorship of edition Natasja Bosma DHARMA Berlin DHARMA_INSDaksinaKosala00008

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Seal prasannārṇavasambhūtamānamātrendujanmana śrīmatsudevarājasya sthiraṁ jagati śāsanaṁ
Plates

svasti śarabhapurād vikkramopanatasāmantamakuṭacūḍāmaṇiprabhāprasekāmbudhautapādayugalo ripuvilāsinīsīmantoddharaṇahetur vvasuvasudhāgopradaḫ paramabhāgavato mātāpitṛipādānuddhyātaś śrīmahāsudevarājaḥ kṣitimaṇḍāhārīyanavannaka-Etatprāveśyaśāmbilakayoḫ prativāsikuṭumbinas samājñāpayati

viditam astu vo yathāsmābir etad grāmadvayaṁ tṛtridaśapatisadanasukhapratiṣṭhākaro yāvad raviśaśitārākiraṇapratihataghorāndhakāraṁ jagad avatiṣṭhate tāvad upabhogyas sanidhis sopanidhir acāṭabhaṭaprāveśyas sarvvakaravisarjjito mātāpitror ātmanaś ca puṇyābhivṛddhaye vājiasaneyakauśikasagotraviṣṇusvāminas tāmbramraśāsanenātisṛṣṭaḥ

te yūyam evam upalabhyāsyājñāśravaṇavidheyā bhūtvā yathocitaṁ bhogabhāgam upanayantas sukhaṁ prativatsyatha bhaviṣyataś ca bhūmipān anudarśayati

dānād viśiṣṭam anupālanajaṁ purāṇā dharmmeṣu niścitadhiyaḫ pravadanti dharmma tasmād dvijāya suviśuddhakulaśrutāya dattāṁ bhuvaṁ bhavatu vo matir eva goptu

tad bhavadbhir apy eṣā dattir anupālayitavyā vyāsagītāṁś cātra ślokān udāharanti

Agner apatya prathamaṁ suvarṇṇaṁ bhūr vvaiṣṇavī sūryyasutāś ca gāvaḥ dattās trayas tena bhavanti lokā yaẖ kāñcanaṁ gāṁ ca mahī ca dadyāT ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargge modati bhūmidaḥ Ācchettā cānumantā ca tāny eva narake vaseT bahubhir vvasudhā dattā rājabhis sagarādibhiḥ yasya yasya yadā bhūmiḥ tasya tasya tadā phalaṁ svadattāṁ paradattāṁ vā yatnād rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira mahīm mahīmatāñ cchchreṣṭha dānāc chreyo 'nupālanamM iIti

svamukhājñayā savvasaṁvatsara 2 śrāvaṇa di 20 9 Utkīrṇṇaṁ tāmbramraśāsanaṁ droṇasiṅghena

Seal
Plates °dhauta° °dhota° °dhauta° The shape of the vowel marker for au is slightly irregular, but is the same as in other copperplate charters of the kings of Śarabhapura. °kauśika° °kośika° °kauśika° The shape of the vowel marker for au is slightly irregular, but is the same as in other copperplate charters of the kings of Śarabhapura.
Seal

The permanent charter belongs to the illustrious Sudevarāja, who was born from the moon that was Mānamātra, who was born from the sea that was Prasanna.

Plates

Hail! From Śarabhapura, the illustrious great Sudevarāja whose feet are washed by the sprinkling water that is the brilliance of the crest-jewels on the crests of his feudatories who have been brought into submission by his prowess, who made the women of his enemies tear out their parted hair, who is a giver of riches, land, and cattle, who is entirely devoted to Viṣṇu, and favoured by his father and mother, issues the following command to the landholders settled in the village of Śāmbilaka along with the village of Navannaka situated in the Kṣitimaṇḍa āhāra:

Let it be known to you that by means of this copperplate charter, these two villages have been granted by us for the increase of religious merit of father, mother, and ourselves, to Viṣṇusvāmin, belonging to the Kauśika gotra and to the Vājasaneya school. The grant of the village, which leads to happiness and fame in the abode of the lord of the gods i.e., Indra’s heaven, is to be enjoyed as long as the world will endure, the world of which the darkness of the night is removed by the rays of the sun, moon and stars; comes along with the right to hidden treasures and deposits; is not to be entered by irregular or regular troops; and is exempt from all taxes.

Having taken note of that, you should be obedient to the command received from him i.e., the donee and render the proper shares of periodical offerings and produce, while living happily in this village. And the king instructs the future rulers:

The ancients, reflecting on virtue, proclaim that the religious merit arising from the protection of a grant is more excellent than that which arises from the giving itself; therefore, your intent should indeed be to protect the earth that has been granted to a Brahmin of perfectly pure family and religious learning.

This gift is to be protected by you as well! And in this respect they quote the following stanzas sung by Vyāsa:

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.

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!

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!

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

By the order from the king’s own mouth, the copperplate charter has been engraved by Droṇasiṅgha on the day 29 of the month of Śrāvaṇa in the year 2 of Sudevarāja's reign.

First edited by Konow from the original plates; published again by Shastri 28-31; re-edited here by Natasja Bosma from the original plates (edition of the seal based on Konow).

28-31 16, 234