Documenta Nepalica

Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal

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A copy of a purjī from C-in-C General Deva Śamśera to Kharidāra Harilāla re the Baḍādasaĩ rituals at the Pāñcāyana temple (VS 1947)

ID: K_0636_0036

Edited and translated by Astrid Zotter in collaboration with Pabitra Bajracharya
Created: 2020-08-26; Last modified: 2020-11-23
For the metadata of the document, click here

Published by Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal, Heidelberg, Germany, 2020. 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 1947 (1890 CE) at the temple of the Rāṇās' lineage deity (kuladevatā) at Thāpāthalī, Kathmandu, in line with outlays of the previous year. It directs the secretary (kharidāra) of the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā, Harilāla, release funds for the projected expenses of 26.2.1 rupees in cash and 1 pāthī, 1 mānā in kind, as itemized in the appended details (tapasila) of revenue from the Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Guṭhī.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्री\

1सहीहस्तेनौइन्द्रवीर

1स्वस्तिश्रीमद्राजकुमारकुमारात्मजश्रीकम्यांडरइनचिफ्‌जनरलदेवसम्सेरजङ्गराणावहादूरकस्येगु
2ठिगुठिकाषर्चअडाकाषरीदारहरिलालकेपुर्जिउप्रांन्तथापाथलीस्वर्गेवासीश्री३महाराजवाटस्थाप
3नागरीवक्सेकापंचाये़णमाश्रीकुलदेवताकास्थानमावडादसैकोमामुलीपुजागर्नालाईसावीक्‌
4माश्रीजगनन्दप्रकासेश्वरकागुठिवाटषर्चगरीगुठिषर्चअडाकानाऊमासनदभैकाम्‌चलाईआय़ा
5कोहुनालेरगुठिगुठिकोदान्‌पत्रसीलापत्रतावापत्रमानभय़ाकोसावीक्‌मासनदपुर्जिभैआय़ाका
6काम्‌जोजोछसावीक्‌वमोजीम्‌कोवषत्‌वषत्‌मासनदगरीदीनुभंन्याये़स्‌अडालाईगरीवक्स्या
7का१२लम्वरकासव़ाल्‌हुनालेसावीक्‌४६सालवमोजीम्‌षर्चभय़ाकोनगदिज्मारु२६॥.ऽ।जी
8न्सीपाथी।१।१।कोतपसिलमादर्दाताकिय़ाकोछतापनीज्मामानवढाईतिम्रानाऊमाभय़ाकासव़ा
9लसनदकोरीतपुर्‍याईसाछिराषीषरीदगरीनीजगुठिकास्याहामाषर्चलेषिये़हि४७सालकोवडा
10दसैकोमामुलीन्‌पुजाचलाउनुवहिवुझदासाछिकोरलिन्यादिन्याकासहिछापपर्‍याकास्या
11हावमोजीम्‌मोजराहोलाभंनेषर्चअडाकाहाकिम्‌कानाऊमासनदगरीवक्सनुपर्न्याठहराञ्यू⟪जोमर्जि⟫भ
12नीथापाथलीगुठिवन्दोवस्तअडाकाषरीदारमेहेरमासींनाऐवमुषीय़ालालवहादूरक
13हाम्राहजुरमावीन्तीपार्दाजाहेरभय़ोतसर्थसोठहराय़ाकोमाहामीवाटपनीमुनासीवठहरा
14इसदरगरीवक्सेकोछसोवमोजीम्‌गर्न्याकाम्‌गर————
15तपसिल्‌

[table1]

1	नगदिज्मारु						२६॥.।.
2	पैसा१६गंडी११॥///॥।२केद्र२५गंडीलेमोरु					७॥।.
3	जौपाथी१रफलफुलस्मेत्‌के	॥।ऽ.॥.	नरीव़ल्‌परगरिजोर३के	॥।.
4	गणेशकालालवस्त्रके	/।.	सुपारीके	ऽ॥.
5	व्राह्मणकाधोतिउपर्नाकेनैनकीला त्‌गज९के	२॥//॥।.	रेषीपीठोचाव़ल्‌माना२के	//॥.
6			पंचरत्नके	ऽ।.
7	सेतोवस्त्रगज॥के	//	वाटेकाधुप्‌के	/
8	अैनावट्टाधागोपोटेचुराके	///॥।.	गोकुल्‌धुप्‌के	//
9	तोरन्‌काकपडापाऊदुयाधाके	//	वतीध्यूके	१///
10	घटस्थापनागर्नेथाउके	॥.	वतीधागोके	।.॥।.
11	वीसर्जन्‌पुजाके———१.		तेल्‌कुर्वा१	१
12	नीसान्‌पुजाके———।.		अक्षेताचाव़ल्‌पाथी।१के	॥/
13	————		माटाकागाग्रा१के	/॥।.
14	घडाकेरदीय़ोकलस्‌केमोरू१॥।//के	२॥।//॥।२
15	————————————————————		————
16	रागावोकाकेमोरू					१९
17	मौलामामाड्‌हांनाके				१२॥.
18	रागा१के	१०	वोका१के	२॥.
19	————		————
20	पुजाकोवोका२के				५
21	कुवींडो४के				॥.
22	षडुव़ागज३के				१
23	————————————				—	————

[table2]

1	जीन्सी				।१।१
2	चाव़ल्‌माना	।.।४	धान्‌माना	।.।५
3	————		————		——

16इतिसम्वत्‌१९४७साल्‌आश्वीणवदि७रोज१शुभ्म्‌——

Translation

[1r]

Śrī

Signature: In the hand of Nau[sindā]Indravīra 2

Hail! A purjī of the venerable Commander-in-Chief General Deva Samsera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, a venerable prince born of a prince, to Harilāla, kharidāra of the office [responsible for] the expenses of different guṭhīs3

Uprānta: "Usually, in order to perform the customary worship of Baḍādasaĩ at the site of the śrīkuladevatā in the Pāñcāyana (text: paṃcāyeṇa) [temple] that was erected by the late (lit. 'dwelling in heaven') Śrī 3 Mahārāja 4 [at] Thāpāthalī, the rituals have been performed with expenses being met by the Śrī Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Guṭhī.5 A decree (sanada) addressed to the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā was issued [to that effect]; it is directive (savāla) no. 12 addressed to our (lit. 'this') office,6 stating: 'Have a sanada be issued from time to time as appropriate for the ritual works, whatever they are, for which traditionally sanadas and purjīs were issued, because no deed of gift (dānapatra), stone inscription (śilāpatra) [or] copperplate (tāmāpatra) existed.' Because of [all this], as usual the expenses to be incurred have been projected in accordance with [what has been spent in] the year [19]46—in cash 26 [mohara]ru[paiyā̃]s, 2 [sukā]s, 1 [ānā], in kind 1 pāthī, 1 mānā—[at] the rates and prices (dardā for daradāma?) in the details (tapasila) [below]. Even if the sum is higher, buy [the necessary items,] having appointed witnesses [to the purchases], write the expenses in the said guṭhī's account book and have the customary worship (pūjā) performed during the Baḍādasaĩ of this year, [19]47, [thereby] adhering to the customs stated in the savālas and sanadas issued in your name. A reimbursement will be made when accounts are cleared according to the account book that bears the signatures and seals of the witnesses and those involved in the transactions (lit. ‘of those taking and giving’)." [All this] came to our notice when Kharidāra Meheramā Sīṃ and Deputy (nāyaba) Mukhiyā Lāla Bahādura of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā of Thāpāthalī made the [above] petition to us, stating [in conclusion]: "We have determined that a sanada mentioning [these details] needs to be issued in the name of the chief of the [Guṭhī] Kharca Aḍḍā. Whatever [is your] wish [we shall obey]." Therefore, with regard to what has been determined [needs to be done,] we too have determined that it is proper, and [hereby] endorse it. Perform the task accordingly.

Details

[table1]

1	cash, in total Rs.						26[morus], 2 [sukās], 1 [ānā]
2	for the sum [according to] the sohraganḍī [system]: 11 rupees, 2 [sukās], 3 [ānās], 3 [paisās], 2 [dāmas]7 [=] in terms of paccīsaganḍīmorus					7 [morus], 2 [sukās], 1 [ānā]
3	for 1 pāthī of barley together with fruits and flowers	3 [sukās], 2 [paisās]	for 3 pairs of coconuts and turbans	3 [sukās]
4	for Gaṇeśa's red cloth	1 [ānā], 1 [paisā]	for areca nuts	2 [paisās]
5	for 9 gajas of muslin [for] robes of honour (kīlāta for khillāta?) for Brahmins' lower (dhotī) and upper garments (uparnā)	2 [morus], 2 [sukās], 2 [ānās], 3 [paisās]	for 2 mānās of flour (pīṭho) and husked rice for lines (rekhī)	2 [ānās], 2 [paisās]
6			for the five jewels (pañcaratna)	1 [paisā]
7	for ½ gaja of white cloth	2 [ānās]	for twisted incense sticks	1 [ānā]
8	for mirror, beauty box (baṭṭā), (red) ribbons (dhāgo)8 , necklace (pote) [and] bangles (curā)	3 [ānās], 3 [paisās]	for bdellium incense (gokuladhūpa)	2 [ānās]
9	for two and a half pāus of cloth for the torana	2 [ānās]	for ghee for lamps	1 [moru], 3 [ānās]
10	for [expenses at] the site where ghaṭasthāpanā is performed	2 [sukās]	for wicks for lamps	1 [sukā], 3 [paisās]
11	for the dismissal (visarjana) worship: 1 [rupee]9		1 kuruvā of oil	1 [moru]
12	for the banner (nisānā) worship: 1 [sukā]		for 1/8 pāthī of husked rice for akṣatā	2 [sukās], 1 [ānā]
13	---		for 1 earthen jar (gāgro)	1 [ānā], 3 [paisās]
14	for big water vessel(s) (ghaḍā) and for the lamps and small water vessels (kalaśa), [equivalent to] 1 morū, 3 [sukās], 2 [ānās]	2 [morus, 3 [sukās], 2 [ānās], 3 [paisās], 2 [dāmas]
15	---		---
16	for buffaloes and goats10					19 morūs
17	for slaying at the sacrificial post (maulo)				12 [morus], 2 [sukās]
18	for 1 buffalo	10 [morus]	for 1 goat	2 [morus], 2 [sukās]
19	---		---
20	for 2 goats [needed during] the pujā				5 [moru]s
21	for 4 ash-gourds (kubhiṇḍo)				2 [sukā]s
22	for 3 gajas of red cotton cloth (kharuvā)				1 [moru]
23	---				---	---

[table2]

1	[expenses] in kind (jinsī)				1 [pāthi], 1 [mānā]
2	husked rice, mānās	4	unhusked rice, mānās	5
3	---		---		---

Sunday, the 7th of the dark fortnight of Āśvina in the [Vikrama] era year 1947 (1890 CE). Auspiciousness.

Commentary

The document concerns the rituals performed during the autumnal Dasaĩ festival at the Pāñcāyana temple, the site of the Rāṇā family's kuladevatā in Thāpāthalī maintained under the oversight of the Jaṅgānandaprākāśeśvara Guṭhī. For more on the temple, see the earlier document on the Dasaĩ of VS 1944 (1887 CE) (K_0476_0060).

The present document contrasts with the earlier one (which lays out the costs for the same items) in that its baseline is the budget for worship approved in the year VS 1946 (1889 CE). In that year a thorough auditing of the activities of the Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Guṭhī seems to have taken place. This cannot only be inferred from the present document but also learned more directly from the "ledger of expenses of the Śrī Jaṅgānandaprakāseśvara Guṭhī" (śrī jaṅganandaprakāseśvarakā guṭhakā kharcako kītāp, K_0490_0035) kept by Mehera Siṃ, kharidāra of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā, and handed over to Harilāla, kharidāra of the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā—the same officers who figure in the present document. The ledger states that it started being kept after a sanada sent by the C-in-C general on the first of the dark fortnight of the month of Śrāvaṇa in VS 1946 ordered theguṭhiyāras of different trusts to submit the details of income and expenditure to the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā within seven days. The entries are based on figures submitted by Biseṭ Ḍiṭṭḥā Siddhimāna, guṭhiyāra of the Sadābarta Guṭhī of Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara (K_0037_0011). Though these entries mention worship to be performed in the Pāñcāyana temple of Thāpāthalī,11 they touch on neither the worship during Dasaĩ in general nor that of the kuladevatā in particular. Probably, then, the results of the VS 1946 auditing of these practices were recorded in separate documents, which so far have not been traced.

Notes

1. This Arabic numeral by a second hand was probably added when documents were either sorted or microfilmed. The count starts with 1 in K_0636_0030 and continues up to 98 in K_0637_0051. The documents in this series were all issued in VS 1947, and many of them are from C-in-C General Deva Samsera to Kharidāra Harilāla. [⇑]

2. This marginal note probably represents the signature of the scribe who wrote or copied the document. [⇑]

3. This seems to be an alternative way to denote the office otherwise referred to as the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā. [⇑]

4. By 1890 CE two Rāṇā prime ministers had already passed away. Jaṅga Bahādura died in 1877, and his immediate successor and younger brother, Raṇa Uddīpa Siṃha, in 1885, the latter assassinated by his nephews, the brothers of the issuer of the present document. According to the temple’s website (http://www.panchayanranakunwar.org.np/pages/panchayan-parichaye) it was erected by Jaṅga Bahādura between VS 1900 and 1911 (1843–1854 CE); see Commentary to K_0476_0060 for further discussion. [⇑]

5. The Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Guṭhī was founded by Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā in VS 1903 (1846 CE) and oversaw several temples (see Commentary to K_0476_0060 for more details). [⇑]

6. I.e. the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā, this passage quoting what two officers of this government body reported to the C-in-C general. The following command, as quoted from savāla no. 12, probably meant that the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā had to initiate the administrative process for issuing a sanada (i.e. orders coming from the highest levels) by bringing the matter at hand to the notice of the office of the C-in-C general. There is a set of savālas extent that concern the operation of the Jaṅgānandaprākāśeśvara Guṭhi (K_0037_0011, K_0490_0035). These were issued in VS 1946, apparently when the activities of the guṭhī were undergoing an audit (see Commentary). This set comprises, however, only eleven numbered savālas. Moreover, the record book in which the audit appears does not mention the Dasaĩ worship of the kuladevatā, even if it does touch upon regular worship at the pañcāyana temple as being part of the Jaṅgānandaprākāśeśvara Guṭhī's duties. Was this special worship recorded in separate documents accompanied by the twelfth savāla, or else in another set of 12 savālas? [⇑]

7. This number gives the total sum spent on the items listed in the two columns below, where their prices are given in the sohraganḍī coinage system. Only the overall sum has been converted to the paccīsaganḍī system. Thus the final tally of 7.2.1 rupees for the worship material added to the 19 rupees for the sacrificial animals, yielding the total sum of 26.2.1 rupees, seems to be a figure in the paccīsaganḍī system. For the two systems, see Walsh 1908: 693–694. [⇑]

8. In the context of these items, which go to make up the saubhāgyasāmāna, the threads or ribbons would usually be red (Zotter 2018: 127). [⇑]

9. It is apparent from the above calculation and from the layout of the document, where this and the following item with their sums appear below the preceding line, with the sums indented, that these are meant to form a breakdown of the 2 sukās given for the site where the ghaṭasthāpanā is performed. Thus the present sum should be 1 sukā instead of one rupee. This is also the amount given for this item in the earlier document (K_0476_0060). [⇑]

10. The words rāgā and bokā denote the uncastrated male representatives of their species in the plural. For the sake of brevity, here and in the following, these terms are translated as "buffaloes" and "goats" respectively. [⇑]

11. These include the regular and occasional worship of Gaṇeśa, Rādhākṛṣṇa, Narasiṃha, Bhagavatī, Hanumān, Bhairava and Nandamukteśvara (pāṃcāyenabhītra sthāpanā bhayakā śrī gaṇeśa 1 śrī rādhākṛṣṇa 1 śrī nṛsīha 1 śrī bhagavatī 1 śrī hanumān 1 śrī bhairava 1 śrī nandamukteśvara 1 kā nītyanaimītya pujāke). The annual rituals accounted for include worship and a procession during Kṛṣṇajanmāṣtamī on the eighth of the dark fortnight of Bhādra and the worship for varṣabandhana on the fifth of the bright fortnight of Māgha (i.e. Vasantapañcamī) [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
akṣatā / achetā / acheto	[fr. S. akṣata] var. akṣetā; n. unbroken rice grains used in rituals, prepared from husked rice (cāmala).
ānā	[fr. S. āṇvaka- ?] n. 1) monetary unit worth one sixteenth of a rupee with four ānā*s constituting one sukā, equivalent to one ganḍā; in documents usually represented by one to three diagonal dashes, sometimes as a loop with two or three jags. 2) sixteenth part of land, property etc. (cf. Parājulī et al 1995: s.v. ānā).
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.
baṭṭā	n. 1) small wooden or metal box. 2) box for keeping make-up, beauty box, vanity case, part of the saubhāgyasāmāna.
biseṭa	var. biseṭ, viseṭ, viseṭa, besata; n. 1) a temple steward (cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 855) or a person responsible for administering a religious institution. 2) an official responsible for accountancy of temple trusts, as e.g. of the Paśupatinātha Bhaṇḍāra (Michaels 1994: 158-161). Michaels renders the term as "viśeṣ" and relates the different spellings attested to Skt. viśeṣa (ibd.: 160 n. 138). As the earliest reference quoted goes back to the Malla period (NS 794) and renders the term as beseta (G. Vajrācārya 1966: 23) it seems more likely that the term comes from Newari and is a variant of New. besata/byaṣṭa, "messenger" (cp. Malla et al. 2000: s.v.).
curā / curo	n. bracelet, bangle, made of metal or glass.
dāma	var. dām; n. the smallest monetary unit, one-fourth of one paisā (in case of measurements of land etc.) and one-256th of one mohararupaiyā̃.
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).
dhotī	[fr. S.] n. 1) rectangular piece of unstitched cloth wordn around the lower body, usually one end of which passes between the legs and is tucked in behind. 2) a cotton sari.
ḍiṭṭhā	var. ḍīṭṭhā, ḍiṭhā; a civil servant ranking above a mukhiyā and lower than a subbā (cf. Stiller 1981: 379). According to Edwards 1975: 107, ḍiṭṭhās originally had been the judges who presided over the courts in Kathmandu but later could serve in a number of other offices (such as the kausī, the hāttīsāra or the sadara daphtarakhānā; see also Kumar 1967: 165; M.C. Regmi 1978: 226). The Mulukī Ain distinguishes three categories of the ḍiṭṭhās; the jaṅgī kote ḍiṭṭhā (probably, combatant personnel), the lājimā ḍiṭṭhā and the ḍiṭṭhā in charge of Elephant or horse stable or cowshed (MA-54.31.11).
gāgro	[fr. S. gargarī] n. large earthenware water vessel, jar.
gaja	[P. gaz] n. measure of length equalling two hātas or 0.91m; Mughal yard, typically used for measuring textiles.
ghaḍā	[S.] var. gharā; n. water vessel, jar, usually bigger than a kalaśa.
ghaṭasthāpana	[S.] n. lit. "setting up the jar", a ritual that marks the beginning of the Navarātra festival.
gokuladhūpa	[fr. S. gugguladhūpa] var. gokuladhupa, guguladhupa; n. bdellium incense, resin from the Indian bdellium-tree (Commiphora wightii [Arn.] Bhandari).
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; 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.
guṭhiyāra	var. guṭhīyāra, guṭhiāra, guṭhīāra; n. member of a guṭhī, trustee, functionary responsible for the administration and management of guṭhīs (M.C. Regmi 1978: 708–711).
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).
kalaśa	[S.] var. kalasa; n. water vessel, jar, usually smaller than a ghaḍā.
kharadāra / kharidāra	[fr. P.] var. kharīdāra, ṣaridāra; n. secretary, official scribe, office superintendent (cf. Kumar 1967: 166).
kharuvā	var. khaḍuvā, kharūvā; n. coarse red cotton cloth.
khillata	[fr. A] n., var., khlilla, khillat: robes or decoration of honor conferred on a dependent. “Robes. Apparel of honour.“ (Adhikari 1984: 351 ); "robes of honor conferred on a dependent" (Michael 2012: 132); a ceremonial silk or cotton robe, which is richly adorned and given as a sign of highly respected hounour guests or other persons. They are also considered as gifts awarded in return for service from tributary states.
kṛṣṇajanmāṣtamī	[S.] n. festival celebrating the birth of Kṛṣṇa on the eighth of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhādra.
kubhiṇḍo	var. kubīṃḍo, kubhīḍo; n. ash gourd (Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.), eatable and typically used in the context of blood sacrifice.
kuladevatā	[S.] n. family deity, patron deity of a lineage.
kuruvā	var. kurvā; 1) n. volumetric unit equivalent to two mānās, or 20 muṭhīs. 2) a brazen vessel for measuring two mānās.
mānā	n. a volumetric unit equivalent to 0.568 litres, or 1/8 of a pāthi.
maulo	[fr. S.] n. 1) post to which sacrificial animals are tied for decapitation (cf. Karmacharya 2001: 325); 2) post to which elephants are tied.
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).
nausindā	n. a scribe or a clerk of lower rank responsible of translating, registry and accounts; “They were the lowest rank of scribes. There were more personnel in this rank than in any other within the "civilian" hierarchy (and excluding the sipahis). A considerable number of them worked in the offices of registry and accounts. Nausindas registered the papers which came in and left the offices and copied letters and documents.“ (Edwards 1975: 109 ; cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 228 ; Adhikari 1984: 354 ; Kumar 1967: 167 )
nāyaba	[fr. A.] var. nāeva, nāaiva; adj. deputy, assistant.
niśāna / niśānā / nisāna / nisānā	[fr. P.] var. nisān, nīsān; n. 1) mark, sign, landmark. 2) standard, banner, military colours (Chaulagain 2013: 248; Stiller 1981: 381; Whelpton 1991: 285). 3) banner carried in front of an army unit, worshipped daily by the officer who carries it and especially during the Dasaĩ festival (Chaulagain 2013: 180-183).
paccīsaganḍī	n. coinage system according to which 25 ganḍās are equal to one rupee, in contrast to the sohragaṇḍī system (Walsh 1908: 693–694).
paisā	n. 1) money. 2) in the early Śāha period: monetary unit, one-fourth of an ānā, consisting of four dāmas with 64 paisās in 1 rūpaiyā̃. 3) in the Rāṇā period: monetary unit with 100 paisās in 1 rūpaiyā̃.
pañcaratna	[S.] n. "five jewels", set of five precious stones / gems (pearls, diamonds, garnet, sapphire and corals) used as standard ingredient in rituals, typically in the form of ground powder.
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.
pāu	var. pāva; n. 1) measurement of weight, equal to 20 (in some lists between 17 and 19) tolās, 1/4th of a sera, 1/12th of a dhārnī. 2) measurement of length (25cm).
pote	var. poṭe; n. woman's necklace, typically made of glass beads, part of the saubhāgyasāmāna.
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.
rekhī	n. pattern of lines drawn with powdered substances on the ground as support of ritual implements and around the sacrificial fire.
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).
saubhāgyasāmāna	n. lit. "material of maritial felicity"; set of items used in worship and associated with the married non-widowed woman, including items such as a mirror (ainā), comb (kā̃giyā), a beauty box (baṭṭā), gājala, sindūra, necklace (pote), bangles (curā) and red ribbons (dhāgo or dori); also saubhāgyadravya.
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.
sohraganḍī	var. sorhagaṃḍī n. coinage system according to which 16 ganḍās are equal to one rupee, in contrast to the paccīsagaṇḍī system (Walsh 1908: 693–694).
śrī	[S.] n. word of blessing, can be used as apprecatio, in which case it means 'good fortune' (Pant and Pierce 1989: 12), can be used as a prefix to names of persons and gods, in which case it means 'venerable' or 'glorious' respectively. The number of śrīs used varies, depending on context.
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.
sukā	n. monetary unit worth one fourth of a rupee, i.e. half of a silver mohara, and comprising four ānās; in documents the second of the four usual monetary fractions of the system based on the rupee, usually represented by either the avagraha-shaped sign for zero or one to three daṇḍas.
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.
toraṇa / torana	var. toraṇ, toran; n. 1) (ornamented) arched gateway. 2) festoon of flowers, leaves and colored cloth hung over gates and on walls on festive occasions.
uparnā	n. particular scarf worn as an upper garment, typically by Brahmins during rituals.
uprānta	var. uprāṃta, ūprāṃnta, ūprā̃nta, prāṃta; also yathocita uprānta; conj. after that, besides, in addition to, hereafter. In earlier prose and official documents, this word marked the beginning of a text or paragraph. It has no equivalent in English (Clark 1989: 231). In some (mostly Rāṇā period?) documents, it takes the form of yathocita uprānta.
varṣabandhana	[S.] n. annual worship ritual commemorating the day of a deity's consecration; also New. busādhã.
vasantapañcamī	[S.] var. vasaṃtapaṃcamī; also śrīpañcamī, mañjupañcamī or gurupañcamī; n. 1) 5th lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month Māgha, marking the beginning of spring. 2) festival held on that day.

Bibliography

Walsh, Ernest H . 1908. "The Coinage of Nepal." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: 670 - 758.
Zotter, Christof. 2018. Asketen auf Zeit: das brahmanische Initiationsritual der Bāhun und Chetrī im Kathmandu-Tal. Heidelberg: CrossAsia-eBooks. https://doi.org/10.11588/xabooks.316.440.