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A copy of a lālamohara from King Pṛthvī Vīra Vikrama authorizing Hīrānātha to serve as abbot of Rānāgāũ monastery (VS 1944)

ID: K_0469_0024


Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2018-05-18; Last modified: 2023-02-13
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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 the lālamohara of which this is a copy, King Pṛthvī confirms Mahanta Hīrānātha as successor of Mahanta Gosāī̃ Khīmānātha on the throne (gaddī) of Siddha Bhagavantanātha's monastery (maṭha) in Rānāgāũ, Salyan.



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

⟪125­⟫

1श्री­सीद्ध­भगवंतनाथ­
2१­

⟪1लालमोहर­•⟫

⟪1रुजु­दुरुस्त­छ­
2स्ही­डीट्टा­द्योतीप्रसाद­⟫

1श्रीमद्दतीप्रचण्डभुजदण्डेत्त्यादी­श्री ­
2श्री­श्री­माहाराज­वीर­सम्सेर­जङ्ग­रा
3णा­वाहादुर­•प्राईमीनीष्टर­•य़ाण्ड­क
4म्यांडर­इन­चीफ्‌­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

[seal of Lokanātha]

1सकल­वुझी­सकल­वमोजीम­नकल­दुरुस्त­छ­भनी­सहीछाप­ग
2र्ने­महंत­छेत्रनाथजीका­चेला­लोकनाथजी­¯¯

1स्वस्ति­श्रीगिरिराज•चक्रचूडामणी•नरनाराये़णेत्यादीवीवी
2धवीरूदावलीवीराज•मानमानोन्नत्‌श्रीमन्माहाराजाधिराजश्री
3श्रीश्री•महाराजपृथ्वीवीरवीक्रम्‌जङ्गवाहादुरसाह•वहादुरस
4म्सेरजङ्‌गदेवानां­सदा­समरवीजय़ीनाम­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
5आगे­महंत­हिरानाथके­¯ १ ¯को­मठगद्दी­•मेरा­गुरु­महंत­•गोसा
6ई­षिमानाथले­मलाई­अषतीय़ार­गरीदी­नीज­गुरु­षिमानाथ­प
7रलोक­•हुंदा­मैले­भोग­गरीआय़ाको­सो­मठगद्दी­•सर्कारवाट­[...]
8नी­मलाई­थामीवक्सी­सनद­भैसकीय़ाको­छ­मेरा­नाउंमा­महंत्[...]
9ईको­लालमोहोर­भय़ाको­छैन­लालमोहोर­गरीवक्स्या­हुदो­हो­
10भनी­तीमीले­¯ २ ¯र­श्रीमद्रा•जकुमार•कुमारात्मज­श्री­क[...]
11डर­ईन­चिफ­जनरल­देव­सम्सेर­जङ्ग­राणा­वहादुर­मार्फत­[...]
12हजुरमा­वींती­पार्दा­सो­¯१¯को­मठगद्दी­तीम्रा­गुरु­महंत­[...]
13साई­षिमानाथले­तीमीलाई­•अषतीय़ार­गरीदी­नीज­तीम्रा­
14गुरु­•महंत­षिमानाथ­परलोग­हुदा­तीमीले­•गरीआय़ा
15को­•सो­मठ­हाम्रा­वर्ष­१३का­ऊमेर­हुदा­हामीवाट­पनी­४४­[...]
16लदेषी­•तीमीलाई­अषतीय़ार­गरी­थामीवक्स्यौं­आफ्ना ­•षा[...]
17रज्मासीत­सो­मठगद्दीमा­अघिदेषि­दरि­चलीआय़ा­वमोजी[...]­
18कामकाज­गरी­आफुलाई­दरीय़ाका­जगाको­दामकाम­अ[...]­
19तहसील­•गरी­अघिदेषि­•चलीआया­वमोजीम्‌­•कती­घटी[...]­
20नपारी­¯ १ ¯का­नीत्ये­नैमीत्ये•क­पुजा ­भंडारा­चलाई­•हा[...]­
21जये­मनाई­भोगे­गर­•ईती­सम्वत्‌­१९४४­साल­मीती­माघ­[...]
22दी­८­रोज­७­शुभ्म्‌­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Translation

[1r]

251

Venerable SiddhaBhagavantanātha -1-2

Lālamohara

[The copy] is attested as correct; signature: ḍiṭṭhā (?) Dyotīprasāda3

[in the left margin:]

The thrice venerable great king, who is illustrious, very mighty and has arms like a staff etc., prime minister and commander-in-chief, Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bāhādura

Having received the original [and] attesting that the copy is true to the original, Lokanāthajī, the disciple of MahantaChetranāthajī4

[main text:]

Hail! [A decree] of him who is shining with manifold rows of eulogy [such as] "The venerable crest-jewel of the multitude of mountain kings" and Naranārāyaṇa (an epithet of Kṛṣṇa) etc., high in honour, the venerable supreme king of great kings, the thrice venerable great king, Pṛthvī Vīra Vikrama Jaṅga Bahādura Śāha, the brave swordsman, the divine king always triumphant in war

Āge: to MahantaHīrānātha5

As you have submitted a petition to us through [Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bāhādura (...)]6 and the venerable prince born of a prince, Commander-in-Chief General Deva Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, saying: "My guru Mahanta Gosāī̃Khīmānātha7 gave me authority [over] the throne of the monastery of [Venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha],8 the same guru Khimānātha (later) passed away,9 [and] I have (ever since) been exercising [that authority]. A sanada granting me the throne of this monastery has already been issued by the government (sarkāra).10 A lālamohara [in bestowal] of the abbotship (mahantyāīko) has not been [issued yet] in my name. If you granted a lālamohara [that] would be [good for me]." We, for our part, being in our 13th year,11 confirm from the year [VS 19]44 onward your authority [over] this monastery, [which] you have been exercising (ever since) your guru, Mahanta Khīmānātha, passed away,12 the same guru of yours, Mahanta Gosāī̃ Khīmānātha, having given you authority [over] the throne of the monastery of [Venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha].

Enjoy [what is given to you], doing work duteously according to the customs that have been practised before, collecting the income due (dāmakāma) on the land registered in your name, as practised before, without any decrease or increase, conducting the daily and occasional pūjās and feasts of the throne of the monastery of [Venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha], and celebrating our victories.13

Saturday, the 8th of the dark fortnight of Māgha of the [Vikrama] era year 1944 (1888 CE).14 Auspiciousness.


Commentary

The copy edited here does not record the signatures on the backside of the original document.15 According to the edition of the document produced by Yogī Naraharinātha the lālamohara was channelled through (mārphata) an unusal large number of high-ranking officials,16 namely GururājaDharmādhikāraDujarāja Paṃḍītajyū, venerable Commanding-General of the Northern Front Lalīta Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, venerable GurupurohitaAmvararāja Paṃḍītajyu, venerable Gurupurohita KhajāncīVāmadeva Paṃḍīta, KājīLakṣmībhakta Upādhyā, CautarīyāRaṇasera Sāha, Commander Colonel Kula Vīkrama Dhoja Rāṇā, venerable Commanding-General of the Eastern Front Bhīma Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, thrice venerable Mahārāja Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief, venerable [Commander-in-Chief General]17 Deva Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, venerable [Senior Commanding-General of the Western Front]18 Candra Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura (Naraharinātha VS 2022: 465f.).

Hīrānātha was seemingly the last mahanta of the maṭha in Rānāgāũ who received such a mahantyāīko lālamohara from Kathmandu as confirmation of his abbotship. After he passed away (probably in VS 1963),19 his successor Chatranātha, the son of Hīrānātha's guru Khīmānātha, petitioned to get a lālamohara in his name, but died without having succeeded in VS 1964 (see K_0468_0061), while Hīrānātha's son Lokanātha, who was selected by Chatranātha as his successor, had to face a struggle with Chatranātha's elder brother Devinātha, who claimed the gaddī for himself (ibid.). According to the Yogīvaṃśāvalī, Lokanātha left Nepal frustrated, never to return (Naraharinātha n.d.: 89; see also Bouillier 1991: 168 and the Commentaries to K_0469_0033 and K_0469_0015).

Notes

1. This archival notation indicates the card number (of bundle 15 of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā records). [⇑]

2. The copy edited here does not record all parts of the original lālamohara. According to the edition of the document by Yogī Naraharinātha (VS 2022: 465f.) it begins with two invocations, namely śrī durgā bhavāni and śrī durgājyū (ibid.: 465). [⇑]

3. The first part of the name cannot be read with certainty. [⇑]

4. On Lokanātha and his guru Chetranātha (also known as Chatranātha), see Commentary. [⇑]

5. The scribe of the copy edited here writes Hirānātha. In the translation the name is given in the seemingly more common form used in other copies of the document (see K_0469_0002, K_0469_0037), the edition by Naraharinātha (VS 2022: 466) and elsewhere. [⇑]

6. The name to be added here is given next to the praśasti (see above) in the left margin. [⇑]

7. Again (cf. n. 5), the scribe uses short i and writes Khimānātha, whereas other copies of the document (see K_0469_0002, K_0469_0037) and the edition by Naraharinātha (VS 2022: 466) have the form given in the translation. [⇑]

8. The name is written in the blank space above the main text. [⇑]

9. Lit. "while [...] being in the other world". [⇑]

10. Probably the administration in Salyan. [⇑]

11. Other copies of this document kept in the records of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā also have “hāmrā varṣa 13kā umera hudā" (see K_0469_0002 and K_0469_0037); only Naraharinātha's edition gives the number as "12" (VS 2022: 466). King Pṛthvī, who was born 18 August 1875, issued this document in January 1888 (see n. 14) and had at that time not yet completed his 13th year of life, so that he was 12 years old. The mention of the age is probably made to indicate that the young king has reached adulthood. However, from his enthronement in May 1881 onwards he issued documents, among them the rukkā authorizing the above-mentioned Khīmanātha as successor of Mahanta Jagadīśvara in 1882 (see K_0469_0001). [⇑]

12. While Naraharinātha's edition has again the standard spelling paraloka (VS 2022: 466), all available copies spell the word paraloga (see also K_0469_0002, K_0469_0037). [⇑]

13. This sentence is more or less quoted verbatim from the mahantyāīko lālamohara of former mahantas (see e.g. K_0468_0062 and K_0469_0001). [⇑]

14. The date corresponds to 7 January 1888. [⇑]

15. It seems that the names were written on the back side of another microfilmed copy (K_0469_0002), but unfortunately only the front side is captured on film. [⇑]

16. The names are given as they appear in Naraharinātha's edition (VS 2022: 466) with the exception that Samsera and Vāhādura are standardized to Śamśera and Bahādura respectively. Also, the titles, if not translated, are given in a standardized form (e.g. venerable gurupurohita instead of śrīguru prohīta). [⇑]

17. In Naraharinātha's edition the title is abbreviated as "ka. ja." (VS 2022: 466). It was after the expulsion of Khaḍga Śamśera and the death of Raṇa Śamśera in 1887 that Deva Śamśera was promoted to the second highest position in the Rāṇā's role of succession (Kumar 1967: 76, 163; cf. Rana 1999: 112). [⇑]

18. Naraharinātha's edition has "pa ka ja" (VS 2022: 466) for paścima tarphakā kamyāṃḍīṅga janarala, a title Candra Śamśera received in 1887 (cf. previous note). As the most senior of the four commanding-generals Candra Śamśera was the jaṅgī lāṭha, the chief of the army (Rana 1999: 122). [⇑]

19. The last known document addressing him is an order from the Dang revenue office (māla) dated VS 1957 ... 11, Sunday (K_0469_0031). A document sent by Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura and Deva Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura to Hīrānātha in VS 1955, Pauṣa vadī 7, Tuesday, is published in Naraharinātha VS 2022: 466. [⇑]