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

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A copy of a patra from Lieutenant General Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā authorizing Khimānātha to serve as abbot of Rānāgāũ monastery (VS 1935)

ID: K_0097_0040

Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2019-05-20; Last modified: 2024-01-30
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, 2023. 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

In the patra of which the present document is a copy Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā confirms Khimānātha as successor of Jagadīśvaranātha on the gaddī of Siddha Bhagavantanātha's maṭha in Rānāgāũ, Salyan.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

[...]
2२

1श्रीसिद्धभगवंतनाथ
2१

1श्रीवुवाज्यू•कम्यांडरइनचीफज
2नरल•कृस्नवाहादुरणाणा
3३

[seal of Hīrānātha]

1[?]क्कल्‌वमोजीम्‌नक्कल्‌दुरुस्तछभनीसहीछाप्‌गर्न्याहीरानाथजी¯¯¯¯¯¯

1स्वस्तिश्री•मद्राजकुमार•कुमारात्मज•श्रीलेफटेंटजनरल•
2वीरसम्सेर•जंगराणाकस्यपत्रम्‌¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
3आगे¯ ¯ १ ¯ ¯कागद्दीमा•वसेका•महंतगोसाञीजगदीश्व
4रनाथ•काचेला•षिमानाथकेहाम्रा¯ ¯ १ ¯ ¯कामठगद्दी
5मा•वस्न्यागद्दीकामालीक्‌ले•जौन्‌चेलालाईपीठीय़ामा
6धापदी•गद्दीसोपिजांथ्या•सोहीचेलाले•पाल्पाअडामा
7जाहेरगरिवक्साईय़स्‌गद्दीमावस्नुभंन्या•अघीदेषिच
8लीआय़ाकोहुनाले•मेरागुरुमहंतगोसाँईजगदीस्वर
9नाथवाट•मेरापिठीञामाधापदी•य़ोमठ्‌कागद्दीतला
10ईदीञाभंनेसनद•लेषीदीय़ापछि•नीजमेरागुरुपरलो
11क्‌हुनु•भय़ोसावीक्‌•चलीआय़ामुतावीक्‌सोमठ्‌ग
12द्दीमा•मलाईवाहाल्‌गरिवक्स्यामठ्‌गद्दीमा•वसिकाम्‌
13काजगर्दाहुँभनि•तीम्रागुरुमहंतगोसाञी•जगदीश्व
14रनाथले•१९३४सालमा•तीमिलाईलेषीदीय़ाकोसनदर
15१८४२सालमाभय़ाकोस्याहामोहर१साल१८७९साल१८
16८९साल१९०४माभय़ाकालालमोहर३साल•१९०४मा
17¯ ¯ ३¯ ¯वाटगरिवक्स्याका•दस्षत१स्मेत्‌ल्याईहाम्राहजुरमा
18नजरगराऊदा•जाहेरभय़ोतसर्थ•¯ ¯ २¯ ¯कासिंदुरपैर्‍ह्याकाप
19गरिवाहेक•चारवर्णछत्तिस्‌जातलेगादीमाभेठ्‌गर्नजादा•
20हातहतीय़ारनलैजानु•गादीकाहुकुम्‌वमोजीम्‌•चलनु•
21हातहतीय़ारलीगादीमा•जसलेदंगागर्लामापस्‌ला•त
22स्‌लाईसजागर्नूतीमिलेआटीनसक्‌न्याकामकुरा•हामी
23संगसाधी•कामगर्नू•भंन्यावेहोराको¯ ¯ २¯ ¯वाट१९०४साल
24मागरिवक्स्याका•सनदमुतावीक्‌हामिवाटपनिथामी
25¯ ¯ १¯ ¯कामठ्‌गद्दीकोवाहाल्‌गरिदीञ्यूंआफ्नाषातीरज्मा
26सँग•नीजमठ्‌गद्दीमावसि•सावीक्‌देषिदरिचलीआय़ामु
27तावीक्‌•ऐनकानुन्‌•थिती•वमोजीम•कामकाज•गरि
28¯ ¯ २¯ ¯काजय़मनाऊन्या•काम्गरईतीसम्वत्‌१९३५साल
29मीती•श्रावणवदी१४रोज१शुभ्म्‌

Translation

[1r]

[above the main text:]

Śrī 5 Sarkāra 1 2

Venerable (Śrī) Siddha Bhagavantanātha (text: Bhagavaṃtanātha) 1

Venerable Father, Commander-in-Chief General Kṛṣṇa Bahādura Rāṇā (text: Kṛsna Bāhādura Ṇāṇā)2 3

[in the left margin:]

[seal of Hīranātha]3

Attesting that the copy is true to the original, Hīrānātha-jī

[main text:]

Hail. [This is] a letter (patra) of a venerable prince born of a prince, Venerable Lieutenant General Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā.

Āge: to Khimānātha, the disciple of Mahanta Gosāī̃Jagadīśvaranātha, [who] occupied the throne (gaddī) of [the Venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha] 4

When you visited us you informed us: "Since early times the practice has been that the disciple who is slapped on the back and to whom the throne is entrusted by the [current] occupant (lit. master, mālika) of the throne (he who sits on the throne of the monastery of our [Venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha]5 )—[that] same disciple shall assume the throne after informing the Palpa office (aḍḍā). [This] having been been practised since early times, my guru Mahanta Gosāī̃ Jagadīśvaranātha (text: Jagadīsvaranātha) slapped [me] on the back [and] wrote an order (sanada) that states: 'I hand over this throne of the monastery to you'. Later my—the said—guru passed away, [and] the appointment to the monastic throne was granted to me in accordance with what has been customarily practised. I assumed the the monastic throne [and since then] have been engaged in the [corresponding] tasks." [In attestation], you brought the sanada written to you by your guru Mahanta Gosāī̃ Jagadīśvaranātha in the year [VS] 1934 and 1 syāhāmohara issued in the year [VS] 18426 , 3 lālamoharas issued in the year [VS] 1879.7 in the year [VS] 1889 [and] in the year [VS] 19048 together with a missive (daskhata) issued by [the Venerable Father, Commander-in-Chief General Kṛṣṇa Bahādura Rāṇā]9 in the year [VS] 1904. Therefore, in accordance with the sanada issued by [Śrī 5 Sarkāra]10 in the year [VS] 190411 stating the [following] details: "Except for turban wearers decorated with the vermilion of [Śrī 5 Sarkāra]12 (i.e. high government officials), [all members of] the four vaṛnas and the thirty-six jātas shall carry no weapons when visiting the throne. [They] shall follow the rules of the throne. Whoever brings weapons to the throne [and] starts quarrelling will be punished. Accomplish tasks you intend [but] cannot complete [yourself] after consulting us," we, too, confirm [this and] appoint [you] to the monastic throne of [the Venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha]13 . Occupy the said monastic throne [and] act dutifully, conducting business in accordance with the law and custom as written [and] practised before [and] celebrating the victories of [Śrī 5 Sarkāra]14 . Sunday, the 14th of dark fortnight of Śrāvaṇa of the [Vikrama] era year 1935 (1878 CE).15 Auspiciousness.16

Commentary

The present document attests that at least during the time of Mahanta Khimānātha and his guru and predecessor, Mahanta Jagadīśvaranātha, the district office (aḍḍā or gauḍā) in Palpa was involved in the affairs of Bhagavantanātha's maṭhas in Dang and Salyan. The document mentions the custom that "since early times" any new mahanta is to inform the office in Palpa of his accession. When in VS 1904 Kṛṣṇa Bahādura Rāṇā issued the daskhata for Jagadīśvaranātha mentioned in the text, he did not yet hold the title commander-in-chief general (that is, the second-highest-ranking position of the Rāṇā administration) but was rather the newly appointed governor in Palpa, his brother Jaṅga Bahādura Kũvara Rāṇā having come into power in 1846 (Kumar 1967: 68 n. 15).17 Similarily, Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā (who later succeeded the murdered Raṇa Uddīpa Siṃha Kũvara Rāṇā as prime minister) was serving as governor in Palpa when he issued the present document for Khimānātha in VS 1935 (cf. Adhikari 1984: 228 table v). However, the bureaucratic procedure for the reconfirmation of abbotship changed during Khimānātha's time. As he wrote in a letter to his successor Hīrānātha in 1886 (VS 1943), the new mahanta was to inform the office (aḍḍā) in Salyan (see K_0097_0041).

It took a few more years and the involvement of further high-ranking Rāṇā officials until Khimānātha finally received confirmation of his abbotship from the royal court in Kathmandu. In 1882 (VS 1938) the corresponding lālamohara was issued in his name by the newly crowned, just six-year-old King Pṛthvī Vīra Vikrama. It mentions that Khimānātha had made petition through Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Raṇa Uddīpa Siṃha and Commander-in-Chief General Dhīra Śamśera (see K_0097_0039).

A comparison of this royal confirmation (and other so-called mahantyāiko lālamoharas) with the patra edited here reveals another peculiarity of the present document. While the order to follow the custom dutifully and praise the king's victories is a standard phrase, the passsage regarding the carrying of weapons etc., although marked as a quotation by Vīra Śamśera, could not be found in other appointment certificates of Bhagavantanātha's successors. Is Vīra Śamśera quoting from another source (e.g. the above-mentioned, nowadays unfortunately missing daskhata of Kṛṣṇa Bahādura?). And why was it included in the first place? Was there an incident that prompted the ban of weapons in the maṭha?

Notes

1. This line is not available in the present photo but can be found in the lower part of the facsimile of K_0097_0039. [⇑]

2. Kṛṣṇa Bahādura Rāṇā is not the father of Vīra Śamśera, the sender of the document, but rather a paternal uncle (an elder brother of Vīra Śamśera's father Dhīra Śamśera). [⇑]

3. The legend reads: śrī hirānātha. [⇑]

4. Inserted from the space above the main text. [⇑]

5. Inserted from the space above the main text. [⇑]

6. This must refer to a document issued by Śrīkṛṣṇa Śāha, the king of Salyan, for Bhuvaneśvaranātha, Bhagavantanātha's first successor, ordering that all disciples are to serve the one occuoant of the monastic throne. For a copy, see K_0469_0034. [⇑]

7. In VS 1879, King Rājendra confirmed Bhagavantanātha's second successor, Rūpanātha, as mahanta. For a copy of this rukkā, see K_0469_0035. [⇑]

8. For copies of King Surendra's rukkā confirming Lokanātha's successor, Jagadīśvaranātha, as mahanta in VS 1904, see K_0468_0062 and K_0350_0050. [⇑]

9. Inserted from the space above the main text. The above-mentioned daskhata unfortunately so far remains untraced. See also Commentary below. [⇑]

10. Inserted from the space above the main text. [⇑]

11. The mentioning of "Śrī 5 Sarkāra" indicates that Vīra Śamśera is referring to the rukkā of King Surendra (see n. 8) and not the daskhata of Kṛṣṇa Bahādura issued in the same year. However, the details quoted in the following are not found there. See also Commentary below. [⇑]

12. Inserted from the space above the main text. [⇑]

13. Inserted from the space above the main text. [⇑]

14. Inserted from the space above the main text. [⇑]

15. The date corresponds to 28 July 1878. [⇑]

16. The facsimile contains in the lower margin parts of another document (K_0097_0041), which are not included in the edition and translation here. [⇑]

17. Just two years later, he was further promoted to become the chief governor of the Tarai (Adhikari 1984: 221 n. 7), while Khaḍga Bahādura Kũvara Rāṇā became the new governor of Palpa. The latter was also involved in the affairs of the maṭha. In VS 1907 he, following an order of Prime Minister Jaṅga Bahādura (cf. K_0151_0048), informed different officials in Dang, Deukhuri and Sunar that no one was to obstruct the collection of the maṇḍalāi revenue for Bhagavantanātha's maṭha (see K_0469_0005; Naraharinātha VS 2022: 463). [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
aḍḍā	var. aḍā; n. an office, post or station where state functionaries carry out their duties.
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.
daskata / daskhata	[fr. P. dastkhata]; n. 1) signature, especially that of the prime minister (Adhikari 1984: 347); 2) a missive signed by the prime minister (see also lālamohara daskhata and rukkā daskhata or another high official.
gaddī	[H.] var. gādī; n. a throne, a royal seat; transf. sectarian leadership, office (of a mahanta).
gaũḍā / gauḍā	var. gaurā; n. 1) a fortification, fortress (see Parājulī et al. 2052: s.v. gaũḍā and gauḍā); 2) certain districts were known as gauḍā, according to Adhikari (describing the situation after 1850): Doti, Salyan, and Palpa in the West and Dhankuta in the east (Adhikari 1979: 16); 3) a district office for maintaining law and order (cf. Karmacharya 2001: 91) established in the districts known as gauḍā. According to Adhikari this judicial offices were placed under responsible military officials—at first under kājīs or sardāras, and later on, under generals (janarala) and colonels (karṇela). In the Ain the chief officer of a gauḍā is referred to as hākima or mālika. Gauḍās decided original cases and served as appellate courts. They had jurisdiction regarding pañcakhata cases but could order a death sentence only after receiving a lālamohara from the kausala (Adhikari 1979: 16). The other levels of courts in the disctricts besides gauḍās or gaũḍā adālatas (cf. Adhikari 1984: 310) were: adālata (sometimes also called aḍḍās) and amāla (Adhikari 1979: 14). According to Kumar there were three "first courts of appeal" known as gauḍās covering twelve lower courts after the reorganisiation of the country's judiciary by Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā in 1887: I. Palpa gauḍā (covering 1. Salyan, 2. Piuthan, 3. Pokhara, 4. Doti, 6. Bhagwanpur, 6. Taulihawa), II. Doti gauḍā (covering 7. Jumla, 8. Dailekh, 9. Banke, 10. Kanchanpur), III. Dhankuta gauḍā (covering 11. Morang, 12. Saptari) (Kumar 1967: 129f.).
gosāī̃	[fr. S. gosvāmin-] var. gosāñī, gosāñi, gosāī, gosāi; n. title used by ascetics of different orders (cf. Clark 2006: 14).
jāta	[S.] n. lit. "species"; a caste or ethnic group, see also jāti.
lālamohara	var. lālmohara, lālamohar, lālmohora; abbreviated mohara; n. royal document bearing the red seal.
mahanta	[S.] var. mahaṃta; n. the temporal and spiritual head of a centre (āśrama, maṭha, sthāna, akhāḍā) or wandering group (khālsā) of an ascetic order (cf. Burghart 1976: 100); an abbot.
mālika	[lw. H. fr. A. mālik] var. mālik, mālīka; n. master, owner.
maṇḍalāi	var. maṇḍalāī; n. 1) central overseer of yogīs; 2) office of the central overseer (cf. Parājulī et al. 1995: s.v. maṇḍala; Bouillier 1991: 18 n. 13). See also mahantamaṇḍalāi.
maṭha	[fr. S.] n. abode of ascetics, monastery.
patra	[S.] n. letter; document, deed; accounts.
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.
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).
siddha	[S.] lit. "accomplished, perfected"; n. an ascetic of great powers and saintliness said to possess supernatural facilities (siddhi).
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 5 sarkāra	lit. "five-times venerable ruler"; commonly used to refer to the Śāha king (cp. Whelpton 2005: 266) and often indistinctively to his government (Lecomte-Tilouine 2015).
syāhāmohara	n. 1) seal of government offices. 2) royal document from the Sen kings (and other local kings) bearing a black seal (Krauskopff and Meyer 2000: 185; Michael 2012: 134).
varṇa	var. varna; n. the four principal caste-classes, namely Brahmins, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya and Śūdra.

Bibliography

Adhikari, Krishna Kant. 1984. Nepal under Jang Bahadur 1846-1877, Volume I. Kathmandu: Buku.
Kumar, Satish. 1967. Rana Polity in Nepal: Origin and Growth. London: Asia Publishing House.
Naraharinātha, Yogī. VS 2022 [1966]. Itihāsaprakāśamā Sandhipatrasaṃgraha. Dang: Ādhyātmika Sammelana.