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A letter from Aravindanātha Gajuryāla to General Bhīmasena Thāpā requesting a study allowance (VS 1878)

ID: DNA_0001_0001


Edited and translated by Rajan Khatiwoda in collaboration with Axel Michaels
Created: 2015-01-16; Last modified: 2018-11-23
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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, 2018. 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 CCby-SA.

Abstract

In this letter to General Bhīmasena Thāpā, Aravindanātha Gajuryāla requests an allowance to allow him to continue his study at Varanasi.



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्रीः\­

1नं­
2१­⟫

1श्री­संकटा­३­

1श्री­सर्कार­१­

1श्री­५­महाराजा­२­

1स्वस्ति­श्रीमन्मेधावद्‍गुरूपशिक्षितनिर्मलसुमंत्रणकर्मचातुरीप्रवर्द्धितनिजक्षोणीनायकक्षो
2णीमण्डलसमृद्धिसंभावितराजात्मानुकूलप्रजानुरंजनादिसत्कर्मकुसुमावलीसुरभिसुवा
3सितसत्कीर्त्तिवनितेषु­श्रीश्रीश्रीजनरलसाहेवभीमसेनथापाकैषु­ज्योतिर्विद्­अरविन्दना
4थ­गजुर्यालको­
शुभाशीर्वचनपूर्वकम्­पत्रमिदम्‌­ञाहा­कुशल­तपाञिका­चरणको­क्षेम­कौश
5ल्य­प्रतिदिन­स्मरण­गर्छौं­उप्रान्त­¯१¯ ¯का­निमित्त­¯३¯ ¯को­जप­पूजा­गर्नु­अध्ययन­पनी­
6गर्नु­भनि­¯१¯ ¯वाट­काम­वक्सनुभया­माफिक्‌­ञाहा­आई­निरंतर­‌अनुष्ठान­पनी­अध्ययन­
7पनि­गर्दै­थिञा­अनुष्ठान­¯१¯ ¯वाट­अन्यत्र­वक्सनु­भयेछ­तपनि­आफ्नु­कृत्य­छोड्‌‌न्या­होइ
8न­जय­मनाउनु­हाम्रो­कामै­हो­भनि­छोड्याको­छैन­‌अध्ययनका­अर्थकन­सिद्धान्तकौमुदी­
9सूर्यसिद्धान्त­लीलावती­वीजगणित­मुहूर्त्तचिन्तामणि­•कर्णकुतूहल­•मकरंद­•ग्रहलाघ
10व­रत्नमाला­वृहज्जातक­केशवीपद्धति­श्रीपतिपद्धति­विट्ठलपद्धति­ताँहि­भयाका­थिया­
11ञाहा­आयापछि­सिद्धान्ततत्वविवेक­शव्देन्दुशेषर­मनोरमा­•सम्राट्‌सिद्धान्त­वशिष्ठसि
12द्धान्त­व्रह्मसिद्धान्त­•सोमसिद्धान्त­•मुक्तावली­भैसकिया­वाकि­¯१¯ ¯वाट­जो­वर्षाशन­
13वक्सनुभयाको­थियो­•सो­वीचमा­यद्यपि­विछिन्न­भयो­तपनि­¯१¯ ¯देखी­अन्यत्र­हामि
14ले­याचन्‌­गर्न्या­होइन­भनि­ऋण­गरी­पनि­आजसम्म­यथाकथंचित्‌­वर्त्तमान­गर्दा­ऋ
15ण­पनि­भैरहेछ­¯२¯ ¯­अर्द्धांग­हुनुहुंछ­तपाञिका­चरणको­कीर्त्ति­जस्तै­दिगंतमा­
16फैल्याको­छ­तस्तै­हाम्रो­पनि­मनोरथ­तपाञिका­चरणवाट­हुन्यैछ­हामि­जस्ता­अनन्य­ग
17तिका­शरण्य­हुनुहुंछ­‌आजतक्‌­तपाञिका­चरणवाट­पालना­भैआयाको­छ­•ज्यादा­२।४­अ
18पूर्व­ग्रंथको­संग्रह­गर्नु­छ­द्रव्य­विना­संग्रह­भैसकिदैन­•जो­आज्ञा­लेखनाको­न्यूनाधिक्य­क्ष
19मा­भयाजाला­किं­वहु­इति­संवत्­१८७८­आश्विन­वदि­६­रोज­२­मोकाम­वाराणसी­पुरी­शुभम्‌­
20भवतामहमिव­वहवो­मम­तु­भवानिव­भवानेकः­॥कुमुदिन्यः­कति­न­विधोर्वि
21धुरिव­विधुरेकः­कुमुदिनीनाम्­॥

Translation

[1r]

Śrī

No. 11

Glorious Saṃkaṭā – 3

Venerable Sarkāra – 1

The fivefold venerable great king – 2

Hail! This letter of Aravindanātha Gajuryāla together with words of auspicious blessing to thrice venerable General Bhīmasena Thāpā, who has been taught by brilliant teachers, who is esteemed for the riches of his own and his leader’s earthly territory, who has been promoted because of the astuteness of his pure counsel and deeds, and who is honoured by reason of his sweet, aromatic enduring fame, [which is like] a garland of blossoms consisting of such virtues as loyalty to the King and making subjects joyful.

Here [everything] is fine. We daily carry the welfare of your feet in our thoughts.

Uprānta: Since coming here (to Vārāṇasī) we have been continuously studying and carrying out the anuṣṭhāna2 as instructed by -1-3 (i.e. Queen Grandmother Lalitatripurasundarī),4 who said that [we] should study so as to [be able] to mutter the names and perform the worship of -3- (i.e. Venerable Saṅkaṭā) for -1-. The anuṣṭhāna has (now) been given to another party by -1-. Nevertheless, one should not give up one's tasks; [therefore we] have not given up [ours], thinking that it is our work to celebrate [her] victories. Regarding [our] studies, [the texts we studied] there (i.e. in Kathmandu) are: the Siddhāntakaumudī, Sūryasiddhānta, Līlāvatī, Bījagaṇita, Muhūrttacintāmaṇi, Karṇakutūhala, Makaranda, Grahalāghava, Ratnamālā, Bṛhajjātaka, Keśavīpaddhati, Śrīpatipaddhati [and] Viṭṭhalapaddhati. [We] have been studying [the following texts] since coming here: the Siddhāntatattvaviveka, Śabdenduśekhara, Manoramā, Samrāṭsiddhānta, Vaśiṣṭhasiddhānta, Brahmasiddhānta, Somasiddhānta and Muktāvalī. [Regarding] the rest, the annual sum granted by-1-, has meanwhile ended. Nevertheless, thinking that we should not ask [for support] from anybody else than -1-, and having taken a loan to sustain [ourselves] somehow until today, [we] find [ourselves] in debt. -2-5 (i.e. The fivefold venerable great king)6 is the other half of [our] body. As the glory of your feet has spread out endlessly, in the same way our heart's wish will be fulfilled by your feet. You are the salvation for those like us who have no other refuge. Until today your feet have provided protection. Moreover, [we] need to acquire 2-4 recent books. Without the means [we] cannot do so. [We shall do] as you order. Forgiveness will doubtlessly be granted for any excesses and omissions in what we have written. What more [to say to the knowledgeable]?

Monday, the 6th of the dark fortnight of Āśvina, in the [Vikrama] era year 1878 (1821 CE). Residence: Vārāṇasī city. Auspiciousness.

For you there are many like me; [but] for me there is only one like you, [namely] you [yourself]. Are there not numerous water-lilies for the moon? But for water-lilies there is only one like the moon, [namely] the moon [itself].


Commentary

This document is part of an extant set of three letters sent by Aravindanātha Gajuryāla from Varanasi (see DNA_0002_0069, also addressed to Bhīmasena Thāpā; DNA_0004_0038, scribed on the same day as the present letter but addressed to the queen grandmother Lalitatripurasundarī). The names of the texts mentioned indicate that Aravindanātha was sent to India’s reknowned seat of learning by Lalitatripurasundarī to study Sanskrit grammar and astrology. These fields were highly prestigious ones at royal courts of the time. The Śāha court seems to have had an especially keen interest in astrology, and indeed astrologists were important court counsellors. The two astrologists of Pṛthvīnārāyaṇa Śāha, Kulānanda and Bhānu Jaisī predicted, for example, that he would conquer the Kathmandu Valley (see D.R. Panta VS 2073: 11-12).

DNA_0004_0038 was written in almost the same wording to the queen grandmother Lalitatripurasundarī, one of the wives of King Raṇa Bahādura and regent of his son Gīrvāṇayuddha, and grandson Rājendra (see, Regmi et al 1981: 145-146). One question, then, is whether Aravindanātha Gajuryāla’s studies were being sponsored by different persons simultaneously. In his letter to the queen grandmother, he writes of being told by Pandit Raghunātha that he was to discontinue his studies. One can for the time being only speculate whether this was the unnamed paṇḍita alluded to in the present document as having stepped into Aravindanātha’s shoes.


Notes

1. This number, added by a second hand, is the manuscript number given by the National Archives, Kathmandu. []

2. This denotes any form of religious practice. []

3. The honorific reference, written in the top margin of the manuscript, is to be inserted here and in the following occurrences. []

4. According to Regmi et al (1981: 89-90), Lalitatripurasundarī was regent from 1812 to 1832. []

5. The honorific reference, written in the top margin of the manuscript, is to be inserted here. []

6. From the date of the document, the ruling king would have been Rājendra. []