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A copy of a purjī from C-in-C General Deva Śamśera to Kharidāra Narahari Pādhyā re the Baḍādasaĩ rituals at the Pāñcāyana temple (VS 1953)

ID: K_0625_0006

Edited by Astrid Zotter in collaboration with Pabitra Bajracharya
Created: 2020-10-01; Last modified: 2021-02-05
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Published by Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal, Heidelberg, Germany, 2021. Published by the courtesy of the National Archives, Kathmandu. The copyright of the facsimile remains with the Nepal Rashtriya Abhilekhalaya (National Archives, Government of Nepal). All use of the digital facsimiles requires prior written permission by the copyright holder. See Terms of Use.
The accompanying edition, translation/synopsis and/or commentary are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Abstract

Through the purjī, of which this is a copy, C-in-C General Deva Samsera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura endorses the regular budget for the rituals performed during the autumnal Dasaĩ festival in the year VS 1953 (1896 CE) at the Pāñcāyana temple, in line with outlays of the previous year. It directs the secretary (kharidāra) of the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā, Naraharī Pādhyā, to release funds for the projected expenses of 26.2.0.1 rupees in cash and 1 pāthī, 1 mānā in kind, as itemized in the appended details (tapasila) of revenue from the Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Sadābartā Guṭhī.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1⟪51⟫

1श्री\

1श्रीजगनंदप्रकासेश्वर
2४

1श्रीईष्टदेवता
2३

1श्री३माहाराजजङ्गवहादुर
2२

1श्री३सर्कार
2१

1स्वस्तिश्रीमद्राजकुमारकुमारात्मजश्रीकम्यांडरईनचीफ्‌जन∙रलदेवसम्सेरजङ्गराणा∙वहादुर∙कस्य
2¯ ¯१¯तर्फगुठीषर्च∙अडाकाषरीदारनरहरीपाध्याकेपुर्जिउप्रान्त¯ ¯२¯वाटस्थापनागरीवक्स्याकापांचायण
3मा¯ ¯३¯कास्थानमावडा∙दसैकामामलीपुजागर्नालाईसाविक्‌मा¯ ¯४¯कासदावर्तगुठिवाटषर्च[?]
4रिगुठिषर्चअडाकानाउमासनदभैकामचलाईआयाकोहुनालेगुठिगुठिकादानपत्रसीलापत्र
5तावापत्रमानभयाकोसाविक्‌मासनदपुर्जीभैआयाकोकाम्‌जोछसाविक्‌वमोजिम्‌कावषत्‌वष
6त्‌मा∙सनदगरीदीनुभंन्या∙यसअडालाईगरीवक्स्या१२लम्वरकासव़ालहुनालेसाविक्‌५२साल
7वमोजिम्‌षर्चभयाकोनगदीमोहरू∙२६॥∙।जिन्सीपाथि।१।१कोतपसीलमादरदाम्‌ताकीया[?]
8छतापनीज्मामानवढाई∙तिम्रानाउमाभयाकासव़ालसनदकोरीतपुर्‍याईसाछिराषीषरीदगरी
9निजगुठिकास्याहामाषर्चलेषी∙यहि५३साल∙कावडादसैकोमामलिपुजाचलाउनुवहिवुझडा∙सा
10छिकोरलिन्यादिन्या∙कोसहिछापपर्‍याकोस्याहावमोजिम्‌मोजराहोला∙भन्याषर्चअडाकाहाकी
11म्‌कोनाउमासनदगरीवक्सनुपर्ने∙ठहराञ्यूंभनी¯ ¯१¯तर्फगुठिवंदोवस्तअडाकाषरीदारमेहेर
12मासींसीमुषी∙याभक्तमान्‌∙जोसीले∙हाम्राहजुरमाविंतिपार्दाजाहेरभयोतसर्थ∙सोठहरायाको
13माहामिवाटपनी∙मुनासीवठहराईसदरगरीवक्स्याकोछ∙सोवमोजीम्‌गर्न्याकामगर∙¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
14तपसिल

[table1]

1	नगदिज्मामोहरु∙						२६॥∙।
2	पै१६गंडीरू११॥///२∙केद्र२५गंडिलेमोहरु∙					७॥∙।∙
3	जौपाथि।१र∙फ्‌ल्‌फुलस्मेत्‌∙		॥।∙॥	गणेसकेलालवस्त्र∙वावट्‌	/।.
4	व्राह्मणकाढोतिउपर्नाकेनैनकीलाट्‌गज९के		२॥//॥।∙	सेतोवस्त्रगज॥के	//∙
5	अैनावट्टाढागो∙पोटेचुराके∙		///॥।	तोरणकाकपडापाउ॥के	//
6	घटस्‌थापना∙गर्न्याथाउके∙		॥∙	घडाकेरदियोकलस्‌के	२॥।//॥।२
7	विसरजन्‌∙पुजाके∙	।∙		नरीव़लपगरीजोरर२के⟪र⟫⟪३के⟫	॥।∙
8	निसान्‌पुजाके∙	।∙		सुपारीके	ऽ॥∙
9	————
10	रेषीपीथोचावलमाना२के∙		//॥∙	पंचरत्नके	ऽ।∙
11	वतिधुपके∙		/	गोकुलधुपके	//
12	वतिध्यूके∙		१///	वतिधागोके	।∙॥।∙
13	तेलकुर्वा१के∙		१	अक्षताफ्‌चाव़लपाथि१के	॥/
14	मातागाग्रोके∙		/॥।	x x
15	——————————————————————————
16	रागावोकाके∙मोहरु∙					१९
17	मौलामाहान्नाके∙		१२॥∙	पुजाकावोका२के	५
18	रागा१के¯¯१०	वोका१के¯¯२॥∙
19	————	————		कुवींन्दो४के	॥∙
20	षरुव़ागज३के∙		१	x
21	——————————			———————————

[table2]

1	जिन्सी				।१।१
2	फ्‌चाव़ल	।∙।४	धान्‌	।∙।५
3	————		————		—

15इतीसम्वत्‌१९५३सालमितीआश्वीनवदि८रोज३शुभ्म——————

Synopsis

The purjī of which this is a copy was issued by C-in-C General Deva Samsera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura and addresses Naraharī Pādhyā, the secretary (kharidāra) of the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā under Śrī 3 Sarkāra.

It quotes a petition made by Kharidāra Meheramā Sīṃ and Mukhiyā Bhaktamān Josī from the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā under Śrī 3 Sarkāra to issue a purjī in the name of the chief officer of the [Guṭhī] Kharca Aḍḍā. This petition refers 1) to the fact that in order to perform the customary worship of Baḍādasaĩ at the site of the iṣṭadevatā in the Pāñcāyana temple that was erected by Śrī 3 Mahārāja Jaṅga Bahādura the rituals were traditionally being performed with expenses met by the Śrī Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Sadābarta Guṭhī and 2) to the existence of directive (savāla) no. 12 to their office (i.e. the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā) obliging them to have sanadas issued whenever tasks came up for which sanadapurjīs were called for as authorization because no deeds of gift (dānapatra), stone deeds (śilapatra) or copperplate deeds (tāmāpatra) existed. The petition further determined that the purjī should order the chief of the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā to release the necessary funds on the basis of the costs incurred in the year 1952 and as projected in the details (tapasila) appended, namely 26.2.0.1 mohararūpaiyā̃s in cash and 1 pāthī, 1 mānā in kind. In case the costs exceed the previous outlay, a reimbursement is promised on the basis of the receipts signed by a witness and by the traders involved in the transactions.

In its concluding lines, the sanadapurjī endorses this petition and orders the addressee to act accordingly.

Details:

The overall cash sum (nagada) of 26.2.0.1 morus is broken down into 7.2.0.1 morus for pūjā material and 19 morus for sacrificial animals, both being itemized more specifically.1 The two items in the provisions in kind (jinsī) are husked and unhusked rice.

The document is dated Tuesday, the 8th of the dark fortnight of Āśvina of VS 1953 (1896 CE).

Commentary

The document, relating to provisions for rituals performed during the autumnal Dasaĩ festival at the Pāñcāyana temple at Thāpāthalī, is part of a series of similar documents (see K_0476_0060, K_0636_0036, K_0379_0073, K_0640_0019, K_0614_0029). It follows the earlier document issued in VS 1951 (K_0379_0073) more or less verbatim. For more on the temple, its rituals and their administration, see the Commentaries to K_0476_0060 and K_0636_0036.

Notes

1. The lists are congruent with the earlier lists extant in a document from VS 1951 (K_0379_0073). Obvious scribal mistakes have here been corrected on the basis of this earlier account. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
baḍā dasaĩ	var. baḍā dasai; also mahā dasaĩ; n. festival to worship the goddess Durgā as slayer of the buffalo demon, held over the bright half of the autumn month of Āśvina. Cf. dasaĩ / daśaĩ.
dānapatra	[S.] n. deed of gift.
dasaĩ / daśaĩ	[fr. S. daśāha] var. dasai; n. festival to worship the goddess Durgā as slayer of the buffalo demon, held over the bright half of the autumn month of Āśvina (baḍā dasaĩ) and, on a smaller scale, over the bright half of the spring month of Caitra (caite dasaĩ).
guṭha / guṭhi / guṭhī	[fr. S. goṣṭhī] var. guṭh, guthi; n. 1) a socio-religious organization that manages and finances religious and charitable functions, a trust. 2) “endowed lands or other sources of revenue for financing religious and charitable functions“ (M.R. Pant 2002: 132; cf. M.C. Regmi 1988: 267).
Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā	var. Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍā, Guṭhi Bandobasta Aḍā; n. "Guthi Administration Office", office responsible for the management of guṭhīs; established under Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā in 1852-1853 as replacement of the former Guṭhī Kacaharī. Its foundation marks the change from the guṭhīyāri system of the guṭhī management to the contractor based system; remained the central office to coordinate all offices subsequently established for handling different aspects of guṭhī management, including the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā and others. Separate Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍās managed the śrī 5 sarkāra guṭhīs and the śrī 3 sarkāra guṭhīs (cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 713-715).
Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā	n. office responsible for managing the expenses of the guṭhīs working under the head of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā; two separate Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍās managed the śrī 5 sarkāra guṭhīs and the śrī 3 sarkāra guṭhīs.
iṣṭadevatā	[S.] n. chosen deity, patron deity of a person or group.
jinsī	var. jinīsī, jinīs, jīṃsī; a thing, article, commodity or goods for purchase and sale (Wilson 1855: 240 s.v. Jins). Payment of revenue in kind in contradistinction to that which is paid in cash (nagada).
kharadāra / kharidāra	[fr. P.] var. kharīdāra, ṣaridāra; n. secretary, official scribe, office superintendent (cf. Kumar 1967: 166).
mānā	n. a volumetric unit equivalent to 0.568 litres, or 1/8 of a pāthi.
mohararupaiyā̃	var. mohararupaiyām, mohararūpaiyā, moharaṭaṃkā (New.); often abbreviated as moru, morū, moharu, moharū, moharru, mohorru; n. monetary unit based on and equivalent to two eight-anna silver coins (moharas); in calculations usually broken down into four sukās, 16 ānās or 64 paisās (cf. Pant and Pierce 1989: 93) or 256 dāmas; the exchange ratio with paisās was calculated differently at different times and in different parts of the kingdom, depending on the relative values of silver and copper, ranging between 52 and 80 paisās (Regmi 1982: 73). In documents sums are represented in four numerical fractions, with the rupaiyā represented by numbers; the sukās by one to three daṇḍas or the avagraha sign representing zero; the ānās by one to three diagonal dashes, sometimes as a loop with two or three jags; the paisās again by daṇḍas or numbers; the dāmas by numbers or horizontal dashes.
mukhiyā	var. mukhīyā, muṣiyā, muṣīyā; n. a designation for an administrative post used at the local, district and central level. At the local level mukhiyās functioned as village headmen and revenue functionaries (Pant and Pierce 1989: 93; M.R. Pant 2002: 134; cf. M.C. Regmi 1988: 269). District headmen were also called mukhiyās. In the central administration, mukhiyās were writers who kept accounts or supervised officials of lower ranks (Edwards 1975: 107 ; cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 228 ; M.C. Regmi 1978: 862 ; Kumar 1967: 16).
nagada	var. nagat, nakhat; n. an amount to be paid in cash or ready money, applied especially to land revenue in contradistinction to that which is paid in kind (jinsī) (Wilson 1855: 363 s.v. Naḳdī).
pāthī	var. pāthi; n. 1) a volumetric unit equivalent to 4.546 litres comprising of 8 mānās with 20 pāthīs in one muri. 2) a container for grains having a volume of one pāthī.
pūjā	[S.] var. pujā; n. 1) worship, honour. 2) formal worship ritual of a revered being with offerings.
purjī	[fr. P. purja] var. purji, pūrjī; n. 1) slip of paper, note. 2) formal letter written by a government institution or an official to another institution or to a person.
sadābarta	[S. sadāvrata] var. sadāvartta, sadāvarta, sadābartta; n. 1) regular distribution of alms or food to mendicants, guests, pilgrims or the poor (cp. Adhikari 1984: 356). 2) a kitchen where raw or cooked food is supplied to these groups (cp. M.C. Regmi 1978b: 864). 3) a charitable foundation for the provision of food to poor, mendicants and pilgrims (cp. M.C. Regmi 2002: 302).
sanada	var. sanad; n. a regulation, order, decree or certificate of appointment, esp. from the prime minister (prāimaminisṭara yaṇḍa kamyāṇḍara ina cipha) or the commander-in-chief general (kamyāṇḍara ina cipha janarala); "government orders" (Karmacharya 2001: 327).
sanadapurjī	var. sanadapurji; n. a purjī issued to government offices by the prime minister (prāimaminisṭara yaṇḍa kamyāṇḍara ina cipha) or the commander-in-chief general (kamyāṇḍara ina cipha janarala) in the Rāṇā period.
savāla	n. 1) an enquiry. 2) a set of directives issued especially for the administrative purposes. Contrary to a sanada which is applicable to general public, a savāla refers to rules within a particular organization or an administrative unit (see Siṃha 1981 sv svāla. 3) rules and regulations enacted based on an existing law; administrative regulations (Adhikari 1984: 356; Karmacharya 2001: 328).
śilāpatra	var. silāpatra, sīlāpatra; n. stone deed, stone inscription.
śrī 3 mahārājā	var. māhārāja, mahārāja. lit. "thrice venerable great king"; title referring to the Rāṇā prime minister. On August 6 1856, King Surendra, through a lālamohara, conferred upon Jaṅga Bahādura the title of mahārāja of Kaski and Lamjung (cf. Agrawal 1976: 10). The title was subsequently passed on to all Rāṇā prime ministers.
śrī 3 sarkāra	lit. "three-times venerable ruler"; title used by the Rāṇā prime ministers (cp. Whelpton 2005: 266).
tāmāpatra / tāmrapatra	var. tā̃bāpatra, tāvāpatra; n. copperplate deed, copperplate inscription; see also moharatāmrapatra.
tapasila	[fr. A.] var. tapasīl, tapasīlā, tapsīl; n. particulars, details; can be a self-sustained document, but is more often appended as a list after the narratio of documents.