A lālamohara from King Rājendra appointing Jagannātha Paṇḍā, his brother and his son as priests to serve Nepalese pilgrims on pilgrimage to the Jagannātha temple (VS 1891)
ID: DNA_0012_0064
Edited and
translated by Ramhari Timilsina
in collaboration with
Yogesh Budathoki
Created: 2021-10-21;
Last modified: 2023-12-10
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Abstract
This lālamohara of King Rājendra entitles Jagannātha Paṇḍā, his brother Gangā Prasāda Paṇḍā, and his son Gajādhara Paṇḍa as the purohitas of Nepalese pilgrims who are on the pilgrimage to Jagannātha temple. This lālamohara of King Rājendra entitles Jagannātha Paṇḍā, his brother Gangā Prasāda Paṇḍā and his son Gajādhara Paṇḍa to serve as the purohitas of Nepalese pilgrims on pilgrimage to Jagannātha and allows them to maintain the purohityāi under the provisions prescribed.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1श्रीः\ 1श्रीजगन्नाथजी2१ [seal with the legend: श्रीदुर्गाभवानि] 1स्वस्तिश्रीगिरिराजचक्रचूडामणिनरनारायणोत्यादिविविधविरु•
2दावली•विराजमानमानोन्नतश्रीमन्महाराजधिराजश्रीश्रीश्रीम
3हाराजराजेन्द्रविक्रमसाहवहादूरसम्सेरजङ्गदेवानां•सदासमर•
4विजयीनाम्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
5आगे•अठारभैयाजगन्नाथपंडा•तन्काभाइ•गंगाप्रसादपंडा•तन
6काछोरागजाधरपंडा•केअघीहाम्रामुलुककामानीस¯ ¯१¯को
7तीर्थजात्रागर्नजान्याहरुले•जसजसलाइपायोउसैलाइपुरो
8हीततुल्याउदारह्याछन्•योसाल•मातवरसिंहथापालेहाम्राहजु
9रमाविन्तिगर्दा•तिमिहरुलाइ•हाम्रोर•हाम्राभरमुलूक•नेपालप
10हाडकामानिसहरु¯ ¯१¯कोदर्शन्गर्नजान्याको•पुरोहित्याइ
11वक्स्याकोमोहोर•तावापत्रगरिवक्स्यौं•हाम्रामुलूककाजात्रुलेपुरो
12हितइनैलाइमान्नु•जात्रुलाइ¯ ¯१¯कोदर्शनर•डेराडंडाषान
13पीनाकोसवैलाइसंभारगर्नु•जात्रुले•राजीषुसीसंगदियाकोद
14क्षिणाली¯ ¯१¯काचरणमारोजवरोजहाम्रोजयमनाईआ
15[...]षातीरजामासीत•पुरोहित्याइजानिभोग्यगर•इतिसम्वत्•
16१८९१सालमितिचैत्रवदि४रोज४शुभम्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
Translation
[1r]
Śrī Jagannātha Jī 1
Hail! [A decree] of him who is shining with manifold rows of eulogy [such as] 'the venerable crest-jewel of the multitude of mountain kings' and Naranārāyaṇa (an epithet of Kṛṣṇa) etc., high in honour, the venerable supreme king of great kings, the thrice venerable great king, Surendra Vikrama Śāha Bahādura Samsera Jaṅga, the brave swordsman, the divine king always triumphant in war.
Āge. To [the members of] the Eighteen Brothers' [clan], Jagannātha Paṃḍā, his brother Gaṃgāprasāda Paṃḍā and his son Gajādhara Paṃḍā. We came to know that formerly people from our country going on pilgrimage to the [temple of] -1- (i.e. Jagannātha Jī) have been assigning random persons as their purohitas. This year Mātabarasiṃha Thāpā made petition to us, and so we have issued a mohoratāvāpatra 1 granting [to you] the purohityāī̃ for us and for people of our realm, [especially] from the Kathmandu Valley and the hills, who visit the temple of -1- (i.e. Jagannātha Jī). The people from our country should accept only these persons as their purohitas, [and the purohitas in turn] should look after all the pilgrims with regard to their darśana [of the god], lodging and food. Accept willingly and gladly the dakṣiṇā given by pilgrims, daily celebrate our victories at the feet of -1- (i.e. Jagannātha Jī) and enjoy the purohityāī̃ mindful of your duties.
Wednesday, the 4th day of the dark fortnight of Caitra in the [Vikrama] era year 1891 (1835 CE). Auspiciousness.
Commentary
The Jagannātha temple referred to in this document is located in Odisha, India. It is also called Puri and is counted among the Cāra Dhāmas, four famous Hindu pilgrimage sites in India (Jagannātha in Odisha, Rāmeśvaram in Tamil Nadu, Dvārakā in Gujarat and Badrinātha in Uttarakhanda). In the Jagannātha temple, Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Jagannatha, his reincarnation for the current epoch, Kali Yuga. There is a common belief among Hindus that they should visit the Cāra Dhāmas at least once in their lifetime, and if not possible to visit all the sites, at least one of them. In earlier times the belief was quite strong, prompting many Nepalese to go on pilgrimage.