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A bakapatra supplied by Udairāma Kavara re Mahanta Chetranātha's abbatial succession in Rānagāũ (VS 1964)

ID: K_0469_0039


Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2018-09-19; Last modified: 2018-12-04
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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 statement, made in front of Lieutenant Colonel Vīra Bahādūra Basnyāt Kṣetrī of the Salyan district office (gauḍā), Ghāṭu Buḍhā Udairāma Kavara answers questions regarding the abbotship of Mahanta Chetranātha in Rānagāũ, Salyan.



Diplomatic edition

[1r-part1]

1श्री­ले­कर्णेल­रणवीक्रम्‌­वहादुर­राणा­
2

140­⟫

[seal]

1दः­लेः­कः­
2वीरवहादूर­
3वस्न्यात्‌­क्षत्री­
¯

1जील्यै­सल्याना­मौजे­रानागाउका­महंत­
2छेत्रनाथ­प्रलोक­भयाको­हुनाले­सो­महं
3त्याईमा­मेरो­हक­हो­भंन्या­लोकनाथका­
3वीन्तीपत्रमा­लेषीयाका­•साछी­राना
4गाउ­वस्न्या­•घाटु­वुढा­उदैराम­कव़रको­सल्ल्यां­
5गौडाका­ले­कर्णैल­वीरवाहादुर­वस्न्यात­क्षे
6त्रीका­
सामंनेमा­भयाको­धर्म­समझी­
7वकेको­वक्‌पत्र­¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
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[table1-part1]

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 नागाउको­घाटु­वुढा­र­षेती­गर्छु­•घर­
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2सव़ाल­सो­मौजे­रानगा
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 ६४­साल्का­जेष्ट­मैन्हामा­प्रलो
 क­भया­दीन­वारको­सम्झना­छैन­
3सवाल­नीज­प्रलोक­हुने­
 महंन्त­छेत्रनाथको­चेला­
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4सवाल­नीज­लोकनाथ­
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[1r-part2]

[table1-part2]

1सव़ाल­•नीज­महंन्त­छे
 त्रनाथले­नीज­लोकना
 थलाई­कैलेदेषी­चेलो­वना
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जवाफ्‌­साल्को­दुरुस्त­•थाह­छैन­
 अदाजी­४।५­वर्ष­भय़ो­हो­नीज­
 महंत­छत्रनाथ­पीर­वस्दा­नीज­
 लोकनाथका­वावु­आमावाट­त्[...]
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2सव़ाल­•महंन्त­छेत्रनाथ­
 प्रलोक्‌­भय़ाको­हुनाले­•
 सो­महंत्याइको­हक­कस्को­हो­
जवाफ­महंन्त­छेत्रनाथ­पर्लोक­भ
 याको­हुनाले­सो­महंत्याइको­ह
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3सव़ाल­नीज­महंन्त­छेत्र
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4सव़ाल­•महंत्याइ­हुदा­
 सावीक­दरसावीकमा­केके­
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जवाफ्‌­महंन्तको­प्रलोक्‌­हुने­अव
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 ले­के­गर्न्या­हो­भनि­•सोद्धा­•पाषु
 रा­समाई­चेलाको­पीठ्‌मा­धाप्‌­
 मारीदी­महंत्याई­भै­वस्नु­भनी­भने
 पछी­र­सो­महंन्त­प्रलोक्‌­भयापछी­
 गरीआया­बमोजीम्‌­काजकृया­
 गरी­चेलाले­महंन्त­भै­गद्दीमा­•व
 स्ना­गरीआयाको­छ­¯¯ ¯¯¯¯
5सव़ाल­महंन्त­छेत्रना
 थलाई­कस्ले­चेला­व
 नाई­महंत्याई­दीय़ाको­
 हो­•¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯\
जवाफ्‌­नीज­महंत­छेत्रनाथको­
 गुरु­महंन्त­हीरानाथले­नीज­छेत्र
 नाथलाई­चेला­वनाई­•महंत्याई­पाउने­
 गरी­•राषेका­हुन्‌­¯¯¯¯¯¯

[1r-part3]

[table1-part3]

1सव़ाल­महंत­हुनेले­•सकार•
 मा­वक्साई­•गद्दीमा­वस्ने­
 गरीआयाको­छ­की­आफै­व
 सीआयाको­छ­¯¯¯
ज्वाफ­सो­महंत्याञी­•गद्दीमा­वस्ता­
 अघीदेषी­•सल्ल्यां­गौडाका­•भारा
 दारसंग­•वक्साई­•गद्दीमा­वस्न्या­
 गरीआयाका­छन्‌­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2सव़ाल­महंत­छेत्रनाथ­•
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 भनि­•नीज­छेत्रनाथले­म
 लाई­अषत्यारी­दीय़ाको­
 छ­भनि­देवीनाथजिले­उजुर­
 गरेको­छ­सो­कुरा­हो­की­ ¯\
जवाफ­•महंत­छेत्रनाथ­•प्रलो
 क्‌­हुन्या­वषतमा­नीज­देवीना
 थलाई­अषत्यारी­•दीयाको­•
 हो­होईन­मलाई­थहा­छैन­
3सव़ाल­सो­महंन्त­छेत्रनाथ
 लाई­•महंन्त्याई­दीयापछि­
 निज­छेत्रनाथ­गद्दीमा­
 वस्नालाई­सल्ल्यां­गौडा
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4सव़ाल­•सो­महंन्त­छेत्र
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[1r-part4]

[table1-part4]

1सव़ाल­•य़ो­माथी­लेषी
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 \ \ • \ \

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10ईति­संम्वत­१९६४­साल­श्रावण­१०­गते­रोज­५­शुभ्म्‌­¯¯

1 [fingerprint]

1दः­ले•­कः­
2सही­

Translation

[1r-part1]

Venerable L[ieutenant] Colonel Raṇavīkram Bahādura Rāṇā

401

[seal]

[signature of] Da.2 L[ieutenant] C[olonel] Vīra Bahādūra Basynāt Kṣatrī - - -

Testimony (bakapatra) given, keeping the dharma in mind, in front of L[ieutenant] Colonel Vīra Bahādura Basynāta Kṣetrī of the Salyan district office (gauḍā) by Ghāṭu Buḍhā Udairāma Kavara, a resident of Rānāgāũ [and] witness mentioned (lekhīyākā) in the petition (bintīpatra) from Lokanātha which states: "inasmuch as Chetranātha, the abbot (mahanta) of Rānāgāũ maujā , Salyan district (jillā), has passed away, the right to the abbotship is [now] mine."3

[table]

Question: general [introduction]Answer: My name [is] Udairāma; [my] father's name [is] Ratinātha. Profession: I [am known as] the ghāṭu buḍhā4 of Rānāgāũ maujā and I do fieldwork. [My] home is in the same, [namely] Rānāgāũ. [My] age is 67 years.
Question: You knew Mahanta Chetranātha of Rānāgāũ maujā, or not?Answer: The mahanta of Rānāgāũ maujā was Chetranātha. The said [Chetranātha] passed away in the month of Jyeṣṭha this year, [VS 19]64. The day [and] weekday I do not remember.5
Question: Was there also some disciple of the said late Mahanta Chetranātha, or not? Answer: There was a disciple of the said Mahanta Chetranātha: Lokanātha.
Question: How old is the said Lokanātha?Answer: The year [and] month of birth of the said [person] I do not remember. The age of the said Lokanātha is approximately 12 years.

[1r-part2]

[table]

Question: When did the said Mahanta Chetranātha make the said Lokanātha [his] disciple?Answer: The year I do not know exactly. It was approximately 4 or 5 years ago.6 When the said Mahanta Chetranātha was residing as head of the monastery (pīra) [and] the said Lokanātha had already left [his] father [and] mother, the said Chetranātha made the said Lokanātha [his] disciple in DangCaugherā.7
Question: Now that Mahanta Chetranātha has passed away, who has the right to the abbotship? Answer: Now that Mahanta Chetranātha has passed away, the right to the abbotship is the said Lokanātha's.
Question: There are other disciples of the said Mahanta Chetranātha, or not?Answer: There are no other disciples of Chetranātha, the mahanta.
Question: What all is traditionally done in the customary practice when one accedes to the abbotship (mahantyāñī hundā)?Answer: When the mahanta is about to die, the disciple asks: "Guru, what shall I do?" [The mahanta] seizes [the disciple's] upper arm, slaps the disciple's back [and] afterwards says: "Accede to the abbotship [and] occupy [the throne]." And after the mahanta passes away, the disciple performs the kājakṛyā8 according to what is traditionally practised, becomes mahanta [and] occupies the throne. [This is what] is traditionally done.
Question: Who made Mahanta Chetranātha [his] disciple [and] gave [him] the abbotship?Answer: The guru of the said Mahanta Chetranātha, Mahanta Hīrānātha, made the said Mahanta Chetranātha [his] disciple and appointed him [his successor] so that he would receive the abbotship.

[1r-part3]

[table]

Question: Is it the tradition that a mahanta-to-be occupies the throne [only] after being authorized by the government, or is it rather the tradition that he occupies [it] on his own?Answer: Once the [one who is selected for] the abbotship [is set to] occupy the throne, it is the tradition from earlier times to do so [only] after being authorized by the bhārādāra of the Salyan district office.
Question: Devīnāthajī has submitted a complaint, saying "When Mahanta Chetranātha was passing away, the said Chetranātha gave me the authority, saying, 'You do the work of [overseeing] the maṭha'." It is so, or not?Answer: I do not know whether or not authority was given to the said Devīnātha when Mahanta Chetranātha was passing away.
Question: After Chetranātha was given the abbotship (by his guru), was the said Chetranātha authorized to occupy the throne by the bhārādāra of the Salyan district office, or not?Answer: After Mahanta Hīrānātha passed away, in order for his (nījako) disciple Chetranātha to [be able to] occupy the throne, the then bhārādāra of the Salyan district office, [venerable L[ieutenant] Colonel Raṇavīkraṃ Bahādūra Rāṇā], 9 came (savārī bhai) [and] the said Chetranātha occupied the throne.
Question: How much was Mahanta Chetranātha's assessment of the maṭha's the revenue?Answer: I do not know.

[1r-part4]

[table]

Question: Is all that is written above the exact truth, or not?Answer: All that is written above is the exact truth.

[fingerprint]

Ghāṭu Buḍhā Udairāma Kavara - - -

signature Da.10 L[ieutenant] C[olonel]

Thursday, the 10th solar day (gate) of Śrāvaṇa in the [Vikrama] era year 1964 (1907 CE). Auspiciousness.


Commentary

For more information about the background to such witness statements and related documents, see the Commentaries to K_0469_0033 and K_0469_0038.


Notes

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

2. The meaning of this abbreviation remains unclear. Perhaps it stands for darabāriyā or darabārī, that is, a courtier. []

3. For this bintīpatra, see K_0469_0033. []

4. There is a Guruṅ folk dance known as ghāṭu, but in the present context the word probably means someone working at a cremation ground (cf. Parājulī et al. VS 2052: s.v. ghāṭe). The word buḍhā indicates that he is an elder person. []

5. According to other documents, Chetranātha died on the 17th solar day (gate) of the month mentioned in the text (see e.g. K_0469_0015, K_0469_0038, K_0469_0040). []

6. The bakapatras slightly differ in this detail (see note 6 in K_0469_0038). []

7. The place name is added above the line, and the addition attested by fingerprints. For more information about the pīra of Caugherā, see note 6 in K_0469_0038. []

8. Kājakṛyā (mod. Nep. kājakiriyā) denotes the ritual actions performed during the first thirteen days after a death. []

9. Inserted from the upper margin. []

10. Cf. note 2. []