Documenta Nepalica

Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal
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A copy of a rukkā from King Raṇabahādura reconfirming Gosāī̃ Bhagavantanātha as central overseer of jogīs (VS 1839)

ID: K_0469_0008


Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2016-04-19; Last modified: 2018-06-18
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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, 2017. 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 rukkā King Raṇabahādura Śāha reconfirms the appointment of Gosāī̃ Bhagavantanātha as central overseer (maṇḍalāi) of jogīs and informs officials throughout the country that every household among specified groups shall pay one ānā as dastura. Furthermore, certain fines, fees and escheated property from the jogīs are assigned to the maṇḍalāi.



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

⟪9⟫

श्री­ज्यूज्यूवावा­श्री­वुवाज्यू­श्री­भगव़न्तनाथ­

1⟪रुजु­दुरुस्त­ले­⟫

1⟪सक्कल­वमोजीं­नक्कल­दुरुस्त­छ­भनी­सहीछाप­गर्ने­
2रानागाऊ­मठ्‌का­डीट्ठा­तीलक­वाहादुर­चं­⟫

1स्वस्ति­श्रीमन्महाराजाधीराजकस्य­रुक्का­¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯
2आगे­हाम्रा­मुलुकभरका­उमरा­द्वार्या­अमालीदार्­सभ­प्रति­आगे­हाम्रा­
3मुलुकभरका­उमरा­द्वार्या­अमालीदार्­सभ­प्रति­•हाम्रा­मुलुकभरिमा
4हा­जोगीको­मंडलाई­⟪¯ ¯ ¯ ¯⟫जीकनजीकन­¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ले­चर्‍‍हाय़ाको­रहेछ­
5सोही­वमोजीम­हामीले­पनी­चह्राईउ­•तसर्थ­माझी­•कुम्हाल­•दरवै़­
6दनुव़ार­•नेव़ार्याकुह्माल­•कुसल्या­•थारु­•जोलाहा­•पहरि­कुसह
7रि­•थामि­•हायु़­•सुनुव़ार­•चेवाङ्‌­•एती­जातका­घरही­ऐक­एक्‌­आना­
8दस्तुर­•दीनु­•साँज­व़ीहान­•षान­दीनु­•जोगीका­षतछीत­दंडकुंड­मोरो
9अपुताली­•महा•षतछीतको­•जोगिको­•टीको­अंवलीको­एस­हीसा
10वसग­•अंवलीले­तीराइदीनु­•वीतलपमाहा­पनी­•वीतलप्याले­तिरा
11इदिनु­•जो­छेकथुन्‌­गर्ला­सो­अप्सरीय़ा­होला­ईती­सम्वत­१८३९­साल­
12ज्येष्ठ­वदी­३०­रोज­१­मुकाम­कांतीपुर­शुभ्म्­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Translation

[1r]

91

Venerable Grandfather [and] Venerable Father

Venerable Bhagavantanātha

Attested as correct2

Assenting that the copy is in accordance with the original, the ḍiṭṭhā of Rānāgāũ Maṭha Tīlaka Bāhādura Cã3

Hail. [This is] an executive order of the supreme king of great kings.

[Regarding] the following: To all umarāus, dvāres, [and] amālīdāras throughout our realm (muluka)

The office of central overseer (maṇḍalāi) of jogīs was offered4 to --- 5 -jī by [our] --- 6 . Accordingly, we, too, have offered [him the office]. Therefore, every house of the [following] groups (jāta): mājhīs, kumāles,7 darāis (text: daravai), danuvāras, nevārakumāles, kusles, thārūs, julāhās, paharīs, kusaharis, thāmīs, hāyūs, sunuvāras [and] cepāṅs (text: cevāṅ)8 shall give one ānā [to you for Bhagavantanātha and his order] as a customary fee (dastura) [and] offer food [to the jogīs] morning and evening. The amālis shall arrange [the money] to be paid [relating to] jogīs' illicit sexual relations (khatachita), 9 [other] fines, escheated property (i.e. the property of jogīs who die childless), the mahākhatachita10 [and] the jogīs' ṭiko11 according to the amāli (text: aṃvalī) rates 12 for these. 13 In the bitalapa, too, [the tenants]14 should be made to pay by the bitalapa holder (bitalapyā). He who obstructs [this arrangement] will be [considered] a rebel (apsariyā).

Sunday, the 30th of dark fortnight of Jyeṣṭha of the [Vikrama] era year 1839 (1782 CE), residence Kathmandu. Auspiciousness.


Commentary

For other documents relating to the maṇḍalāi of Bhagavantanātha, see DNA_0014_0050, K_0469_0009 and K_0469_0010.

Notes

1. This number added at the upper left margin is an archival note, probably the (running) card number in bundle (pokā) 15 of the Gu[ṭhī] Baṃ[dobasta] records kept in the Guṭhī Saṃsthāna. [⇑]

2. Unlike several other documents from the same bundle (see note 1), this document does not mention the name Bhīmlāla here. [⇑]

3. Some of the letters of the two lines at the left margin and the seal (?) preceding them cannot be deciphered in the available photos. The text is reconstructed on the basis of a similiar note found in other documents from the same bundle, see e.g. K_0469_0010. [⇑]

4. The sentence ends with rahecha, a second perfect tense of the verb rahanu ("to remain"), which implies a sense of realisation that has no exact equivalent in English. To record this peculiarity of the Nepali language one could begin the translation of the sentence with: "We have come to learn that ..." (cf. Pant 2002: 77 n. 4). [⇑]

5. The name "Venerable Bhagavantanātha", written at the right side of the blank space above the main text, is to be added here. [⇑]

6. Here "Venerable grandfather [and] Venerable father", written at the left side of the blank space, is to be added. [⇑]

7. See note 3 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

8. For these groups and their social status, see note 4 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

9. For this term, see note 5 in DNA_0014_0050 (with further references). [⇑]

10. As in K_0469_0010 the genitive marker -ko is used here. For a discussion of this doubtful term, see note 6 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

11. Cf. note 7 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

12. As in the follow-up document (K_0469_0010) the postposition -saga (mod. Nep. -sãga) is used after hisāba instead of -le of the older documents (see DNA_0014_0050, K_0469_0009). [⇑]

13. The translation of this sentence is tentative. See note 8 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

14. See note 9 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]