Documenta Nepalica

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

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A copy of a rukkā of King Rājendra directing the priest Visnupada Pādhyā to run a sadāvarta related to the Tripurasundarī temple of Tripurākoṭa (VS 1897)

ID: K_0093_0002F

Edited and translated by Ramhari Timalsina in collaboration with Rabi Acharya
Created: ; Last modified: 2021-07-09
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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

This is a copy of a rukkā from the king, who according to the date must have been Rājendra, directing the priest Visnupada Pādhyā to run a sadāvarta to support pilgrims to the Tripurasundarī temple in Tripurākoṭa (Tiprikoṭ).

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1स्वस्तिश्रीमन्महाराजाधिराजकस्यरुक्का¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
2आगेथानिविस्नुपदपाध्याप्रति¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ जादाआऊदा
3वडावडाहिमारीअगम्यपर्वत्‌हुदादेसदेसावरबाटआया
4काजोगिसंन्यासिफकिरफगेडा अतितअभ्यागतरम्‌ता
5गैह्रलाईवषुदोचासिधा⟪सा⟫मलनभयीजाननसकिफर्कि
6आऊदारह्याछंभंन्याविंतीपर्दासर्दारहस्तवीरसा
7हिमार्फत्‌हाम्राहजुरमाजाहेरभ़योअवउप्रांत९८
8सालदेषिपल्‌टन्‌मादरिय़ाकोरकमकलम्‌वा
9हेकछिनासिम्‌पल्‌टन्‌काकचहरीमाछिन्याका
10झगरारदरादरामापरीआ़याकापंचषतकाआम्दा
11नीमध्येसालवसालकाअमालिमार्फत्‌पैसारु
12पैञा७५लितिपृकोट्‌कारस्तामापौ़वावनाई
13सदावर्तराषित्योवाटोहिड्‌न्यारमताअभ्यागत
14गैह्रलाईवषुदोचासिधासामलदिहाम्रोज़येम
15नाईसेषवाकिरह्याकोपौ़वालीटहलु़वालेभो
16ग्येगर्नुतेससदावर्तलाईचाहिन्यावेसौतीतीपृ
17कोट्‌दराबाटदीनुछिनासिम्‌वस्नेअमालीसीत
18ली़याकारुपैञासालवसालकाअमालीलाईमो
19जरावक्सौलाभनिसदावर्तराषिमोहरगरीवक्स्यौं
20आफ्‌नाषातिरज्मासितसदावर्तजानिचलंगरइति
21सम्वत्‌१८९७सालमितीआषाढवदी९रोज२शुभम्‌

1सकलवमोजिंनकलदुरुस्तछभनीस्हीगर्ने¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
2पु.रुद्रानंदपाध्यापु.विस्नुदत्त

1स्हीवी
2स्नुपती

[Unknown seal]

Translation

[1r]

Hail! A rukkā of the venerable supreme king of great kings

Āge: To ThānīVisnupada Pādhyā

A petition was registered and came to our notice through sardāra Hastavīra Sāhi: "There are mountains and inaccessible high hills on the route to [the temple of] — (i.e. glorious Tripurasundarī 1 ), and consequently jogīs, saṃnyāsīs, phakirphageḍās, guests both invited and unexpected, ramatās etc. come from different countries without bakkhus 2 , docās 3 , sidhās, and sāmalas 4 , and, unable to reach their destination, turn back." Now from the year [VS 19]98 onwards, leaving untouched the customary taxes and levies (rakamakalama) registered in the name of the battalion (palṭana), take 75 rupees yearly through the amālī [from money] collected from lawsuits settled in the Chināsim battalion’s kacaharī and from pañcakhata revenue that has accrued to the various subdivisions (darādarā), and construct pauvās along the way to Tiprikoṭ, establish a sadābarta and provide vakhus, docās, sidhās and sāmalas to ramtās, unexpected guests etc. who travel the route. The remainder should be enjoyed by the caretaker of the pauvā while celebrating our victories. Food purchases needed for the sadāvarta should be supplied from the Tiprikoṭ darā [market]. We [hereby] issue a [lāla]mohara [to] establish a sadāvarta, while affirming that the yearly amālī shall receive compensation for money borrowed [to do so] from the amālī who resides in Chināsim. Operate it dutifully, knowing that it is your sadāvarta.

Monday, the 9th day of the dark fortnight of Āṣāḍha of [Vikrama] era year 1897 (1840 CE). Auspiciousness.

The priest 5 Rudrānaṃda Pādhyā, signing in attestation that the copy is true to the original

The priest 6 Visnudatta

Signature of Vīsnupatī

[Unknown seal]

Commentary

For more information about the Tripurasundarī temple, see the Commentary in K_0093_0002C.

Notes

1. Taken from the space of the previous document K_0093_0002E. [⇑]

2. A bakhu or kho is a traditional loose, cloak-style garment made of wool that is fastened at the neck on one side and held in place near the waist with a silk or cotton belt. Such wear is common among Sherpas and other ethnic groups in Nepal’s mountainous regions. [⇑]

3. Traditional knee-high padded boots worn by Sherpas and other ethnic groups in the mountainous region. [⇑]

4. Raw food carried by travellers on long journeys. [⇑]

5. pu., an abbreviation of pujārī. [⇑]

6. pu., an abbreviation of pujārī. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
āge	[fr. S. agre] adv. lit. "henceforeward" (Riccardi 1976: 150 n. 6), especially used in administrative and legal documents to mark the beginning of a text or paragraph. In its function it is similar to uprānta.
amāli / amālī	[fr. A.] var. amāli, ambāli, amvalī, aṃvalī; also amālidāra; n. a revenue official or functionary of a regional administrative unit (Pant and Pierce 1989: 93, M.R. Pant 2002: 131). According to Krauskopff and Meyer he had only "minor judicial powers" (Krauskopff and Meyer 2000: 183). Kumar further notes that he was a "subordinate civil functionary in the tehsil" (Kumar 1967: 164). His office was called amala (cf. Adhikari 1984: 344, M.C. Regmi 1978: 853).
kacaharī	[fr. Pr. kaccahariā] n. 1) an office that looks after legal issues. 2) court. 3) assembly, meeting
lālamohara	var. lālmohara, lālamohar, lālmohora; abbreviated mohara; n. royal document bearing the red seal.
palṭana	[fr. Eng. platoon] var. palṭan; n. regiment, battalion (Turner 1931: s.v. palṭan); army unit, according to Adhikari (1984: 158) smaller than a kampu. According to Hamal (1995: 32), in the early 19th century those companies stationed in the Kathmandu Valley and under the command of the general were called kampu, while those outside palṭana. Commonly, however, both were known as palṭanas.
pañcakhata	n. a generic term for heinous crimes (see e.g. M.R. Pant 2002: 134; Whelpton 1991: 285).
pauvā	n. inn; rest-house for pilgrims (M.L. Karmacharya 1996: 63) where water service is available.
phakira	[fr. A. faqīr] var. phakīra; phakīḍa; phakiraphageḍā; phakiraphakaḍa; n. lit. "beggar"; an ascetic, specifically a Muslim one. In the Mulukī Ain, however, the term is used (as bheṣadhārī) to refer to ascetics in general, also including Śaiva jogīs and sannyāsīs (Bouillier 1978 and 1985: 201; Clark 2006: 19 n. 85). See also phakira phakaḍā.
rakamakalama/kalamarakama	[fr. A.] n. 1) official matters. 2) an account containing different sections of revenue. 3) knowledge of official matters, officialdom (Turner 1931: s.v. rakam-kalam). 4) customary taxes and levies (Regmi 1976: 77).
ramatā	n. an individual itinerant ascetic.
rukkā	[fr. A. ruq'a] n. an executive order, short note, missive from the highest authority. The king, the crown prince, but also queens and the Rāṇā prime ministers issued rukkās.
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).
saṃnyāsī / sannyāsī	[fr. S. saṃnyāsin-] var. saṃnyāsi; n. renouncer, specif. a member of the Daśanāmī order.
sardāra	n. “a top-ranking official next in hierarchy to a kājī“ (M.R. Pant 2002: 135; cf. Pant and Pierce 1989: 94; M.C. Regmi 1978: 163 ; M.C. Regmi 1978: 229 ; M.C. Regmi 1978: 865; M.C. Regmi 1999: 137); "A military officer in the early Shah period; later, the designation of a civil officer also." (Kumar 1967: 167 ); "Kumar states they were of the nobility and "occupied civil and military offices of importance". Our sources place four of them in charge of the districts of Ilam, Salyan, Jumla, and Pokhara, and one at the fort at Chisapani. One was in China (perhaps as a member of the mission sent to the Emperor); one was a dittha of the courts; two were dadas (see below); and two or three were designated as "hajuria". Hajurias were "always present" with the King and served as personal attendants and body guards." (Edwards 1975: 105 ).
sidhā	n. 1) uncooked food. 2) a plate of uncooked rice, lentils, vegetables, salt, turmeric powder and ghee, etc. given to a Brahmin priest by his patron during a ritual or sacrifice. 3) food provision regularly given by the government or another institution to servants, poor people, ascetics, students, prisoners etc., consisting mainly of a “quantity of rice, lentils, vegetables, spices, salt, etc., given as a dole for a full meal.“ (M.C. Regmi 1978: 859)
thānī	n. 1) a local man of standing, village headman. 2) a deity specific to a locality.
yogī / jogī	[fr. S. yogin-] var. jogi; n. 1) ascetic, religious mendicant. 2) specif. a follower of the Nātha tradition; see also kanaphaṭṭā. 3) member of the Kusle community.