Documenta Nepalica

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

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A copy of a purjī from C-in-C General Deva Śamśera to Biseṭ Ḍiṭṭhā Jotirāja Śreṣṭha re the Dasaĩ rituals at the Pāñcāyana temple (VS 1944)

ID: K_0476_0060

Edited and translated by Astrid Zotter in collaboration with Raju Rimal
Created: 2019-08-12; Last modified: 2020-12-01
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, 2020. 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

The purjī from C-in-C General Deva Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā of which this is a copy directs Biseṭ Ḍiṭṭhā Jotirāja Śreṣṭha to settle the accounts for expenses incurred in connection with worship during the autumnal Dasaĩ festival at the site of the Rāṇā family's chosen deity (iṣṭadevatā) at the Thāpāthalī Pāñcāyana temple in the year VS 1944 (1888 CE), and amounting to 21.2.0.2 mohararūpaiyā̃s in cash and 5 mānās of husked rice and 4 mānās of unhusked rice in kind, as detailed in the appended list.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1⟪87⟫

1⟪लं८५⟫

1सहीहस्तेभुवनराजजोसि

1स्वस्तिश्रीमद्राजकुमारकुमारात्मजश्रीकम्यांडरइनचीफजनरलदेवसम्सेरजंङ्गराणावाहा
2दुरकस्यविसेट्‌डिठाजोतिराजश्रेष्टकेपुर्जिउप्रांतथापाथलीपाचायणकाश्रीइष्टदेवता
3कास्थानमा१९४३सालकाघटस्थापनारदसैपुजागर्नालाईगुठिवंन्दोवस्तअडाकाज्मा
4दारहर्षनर्सिंसाछिवसिषर्चभयाकोनगदमोहर्रु३०।।•।।जिन्सीचाव़ल।•।५धान।•।४स्या
5हामाषर्चलेषनुभंन्यासाविक्‌वीसेट्‌डीठादसनाराकानाउमासनदभयाकोरहेछसोपां
6चायणमासावीक्‌वमोजीम्‌४४सालकाघटस्थापनारदसैपुजामागुठिवन्दोवस्तअ
7डाकाजाचकिडिठाचीगढिसाछिवसिषर्चगर्दालाग्याकोतपसिलवमोजिम्‌कानगद
8मोहर्रु२१।।•२जिन्सीचाव़ल।•।५धान्‌।•।४मेराजिम्माजिम्माव़ारिवक्स्याआम्दानी
9षर्चगर्दाहुंजोमर्जिभनिविसेट्‌डिठाजोतिराजलेयसअदामारपोट्‌दियाकोहुनाले
10सा[...][...]३वुझ्दासाविक्‌काडिठाडिठादसनारान्‌कानाउमा४३सालकादसैपुजाकोषर्च
11भयाका[?]हस्तेवारिकोसहिछापगराईस्याहामाषर्चलेषनुभं
12न्यापुर्जिभयाकोदेषिनालेसोसाविक्‌वमोजिम्‌४४सालकाघटस्थापनारदसैपु
13जामागुठिवन्दोवस्तअडाकाजाचकिडिठाचिगढिसाछिवसिषर्चभयाकोतपसिल
14वमोजिम्‌काकानगदमोहर्रु२१।।•२जिन्सिचाव़ल।•।५धान।•।४तिमीलाईभया
15काउर्दिसव़ालकोरितपुर्याईषर्चलेषनुसाछिकोरहस्तेवारिकोसहिछापभयाकास्या
16हाभर्पाइवमोजिम्‌तिम्रावहिवुझदामिन्हाहोलाभंन्यानिजविसेट्‌डिठाजोतिराजश्रे
17ष्टकानाउमाहजुरकोपुर्जिगरिवक्सनुपर्न्याठहराञ्यूंजोमर्जिभनीषरीदारमेहेरसिंले
18हाम्राहजुरमाविंतिपार्दाजाहेरभयोतसर्थसोठहरायावमोजीम्‌हामिवाटपनिमुना
19सिवठहराईसदरगरीवक्स्याकोछसोवमोजीम्‌गर्न्याकामगर¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
20तपसिल

[table1]

1	नगडीज्मामोहर्रु						२१॥ऽ२
2	पै१६गंडारू१०।।। ///। को२५गंडीकादर्लेमोहर्रु					७ऽ२
3	जौपाथी१के		।।।•।।	नरिव़लपगरीजोर३के	।।।•
4	गणेशकेलालवस्त्रके		/।	सुपारिके	ऽ॥
5	व्राह्मणकेधोतिउपर्नाकेनैन किलाट्‌गज९के		२।।//।।।	रेषिकेचाव़लपिठोमाना २के	//।।
6	सेतोवस्त्रगज।।के		//	पंचरत्नके	ऽ।
7				⟪सर्वऔषधिके⟫	⟪ऽ।⟫
8	ऐनावट्टाधागोपोटेचुरास्मेतके		///।।।	वाटेधुपके	/
9	तोरनकपडापाउ२के		//	गोकुलधुपके	//
10	सेतोपाउ१केरातोपाउ१के/			वतिकेघ्यूके	१///
11	¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯			पंचपल्लव	ऽ।
12	घटस्थापनागर्‍याकोटाउपुजाके		।।•	वतीधागोके	।•।।।
13	विसर्जन्‌पुजाके	।•		तेल्‌कुर्वा१के	१
14	निसान्‌पुजाके	।•		अक्षेताचाव़ल्‌।१के	।।/
15	घडाकेरदियोकेकलस्‌केमोहरू		१।।।//	माटाकागाग्रो१के	/।।।
16	¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯			¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
17	मोहर्रु					१४।।
18	मौलामाकाट्‌नाके		८	वोका२केदर२।।ले	५
19	रागा१केरू	५।।		कुभिडो४के	।।•
20	वोका१केरू	२।।		षरूव़ागज३के	१
21	¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

[table2]

1	जिन्सी				।१।१
2	धान्‌	।•।४	चावल्‌	।•।५
3	¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

21इतिसंवत्‌१९४४सालमितीमाघवदी३रोज२शुभ्म्¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Translation

[1r]

871

no. 852

Signature: In the hand of Bhuvanarāja Josi 3

Hail! A purjī of the venerable Commander-in-Chief General Deva Samsera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, a venerable prince born of a prince, to Biseṭ Ḍiṭṭhā 4 Jotirāja Śreṣṭha

Uprānta: "[Firstly,] Biseṭ Ḍiṭṭhā Jotirāja has given a report to our (lit. "this") office (i.e. the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā) stating: 'It appears that there is an order (sanada) in the name of the earlier Biseṭ Ḍiṭṭhā Dasanārā stating: "Appoint Harṣanarsiṃ, jamādāra 5 of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā, as witness and write the expenses incurred for performing the worship (pūjā) for ghaṭasthāpanā and [the other] Dasaĩ [rituals] of the year [VS] 1943 at the site of the śrī iṣṭadevatā in the Pāñcāyana (text: pācāyaṇa) temple [at] Thāpāthalī—[namely] 30.2.0.2 mohararūpaiyā̃s in cash and 5 [mānās] of husked rice and 4 [mānās] of unhusked rice in kind—as expenses into the account book." If I were assigned the responsibility [by the C-in-C general] I would do the accountancy (āmdānī kharca) according to [what has been done] before, having incurred the expenses in [connection with] ghaṭasthāpanā and Dasaĩ worship for the year [VS 19]44 at this Pāñcāyana—with Cigaḍhī, the inspecting ḍiṭṭhā of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā, as witness—according to the appended details (tapasila), [namely] 21.2.0.2 moharrus in cash and 5 [mānās] of husked rice and 4 [mānās] of unhusked rice in kind. Whatever [is your] wish [I shall obey].' [Secondly,] when the year [19]43 was cleared there was a purjī in the name of the previous ḍiṭṭhā, Ḍiṭṭhā6 Dasanārān stating: 'Write the expenses for the Dasaĩ worship of the year [19]43 into the account book, having [the receipts]7 sealed and signed by [the witness and] those involved in the transactions.' In view of [all] this we have determined that a purjī from Your Highness needs to be issued in the name of the said Biseṭ Ḍiṭṭhā Jotirāja Śreṣṭha, stating: 'In accordance with this earlier [practice], record the expenses incurred in [connection with] the ghaṭasthāpanā and Dasaĩ worship for the year [VS 19]44—with Cigaḍhī, the inspecting ḍiṭṭhā of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā, as witness—according to the details [below, namely] 21.2.0.2 moharrus in cash and 5 [mānās] of husked rice and 4 [mānās] of unhusked rice in kind [thereby] adhering to the customs stated in the orders and directives (savāla) that have been issued to you. A reimbursement will be made when your accounts are cleared according to the account book and receipts that bear the signatures and seals of the witness and those involved in the transactions.' Whatever [is your] wish [we shall obey]."

[All this] came to our notice when Kharidāra Mehera Sīṃ [of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā]8 made the [above] petition to us. Therefore, in line with what has been determined [needs to be done,] we too have determined that it is proper, and [hereby] endorse it. Perform the task accordingly.

Details

[table1]

1	cash, in total moharru						21 [morus], 2 [sukās], 0 [ānā], 2 [paisās]
2	for the sum [according to] the sohraganḍī [system]: 10 ru[pees], 3 [sukās], 3 [ānās], 1 [paisā]9 [=] in terms of paccīsaganḍīmorus					7 [morus], 2 [paisās]
3	for 1 pāthī of barley		3 [sukās], 2 [paisās]	for 3 pairs of coconuts and turbans	3 [sukās]
4	for Gaṇeśa's red cloth		1 [ānā], 1 [paisā]	for areca nuts	2 [paisās]
5	for 9 gajas of muslin [for] robes of honour (kilāṭ for khillāta?) for Brahmins' lower (dhotī) and upper garments (uparnā)		2 [morus], 2 [sukās], 2 [ānās], 3 [paisās]	for 2 mānās of husked rice and wheat flour (pīṭho) for lines (rekhī)	2 [ānās], 2 [paisās]
6	for ½ gaja of white cloth		2 [ānās]	for the five jewels (pañcaratna)	1 [paisā]
7				for sarvauṣadhi 10	1 [paisā]
8	for the set of consisting of mirror, beauty box (baṭṭā), (red) ribbons (dhāgo)11 , necklace (pote) [and] bangles (curā)		3 [ānās], 3 [paisās]	for twisted incense sticks	1 [ānā]
9	for 2 pāus of cloth [for the] torana 12		2 [ānās]	for bdellium incense (gokuladhūpa)	2 [ānās]
10	for 1 pāu of white [cloth and] 1 pāu of red [cloth]			for ghee for lamps	1 [moru], 3 [ānās]
11	---			[for] pañcapallava 13	1 [paisā]
12	for worship [at] the site where the ghaṭasthāpanā is performed		2 [sukās]	for wicks for lamps	1 [sukā], 3 [paisās]
13	for the dismissal (visarjana) worship	1 [sukā]		for 1 kuruvā of oil	1 [moru]
14	for the banner (nisānā) worship	1 [sukā]		for 1 [mānā] of husked rice for akṣatā	2 [sukās], 1 [ānā]
15	for big water vessel(s) (ghaḍā) and for lamps and for small water vessels (kalaśa)		1 moharru, 3 [sukās], 2 [ānās]	for 1 earthen jar (gāgro)	1 [ānā], 3 [paisās]
16	---			---
17	[for blood sacrifice], moharru					14 [morus], 2 [sukās]
18	for slaying at the sacrificial post (maulo)		8 [morus]	for 2 goats at the rate of 2 [morus], 2 [sukās]	5 [morus]
19	for 1 buffalo,14 Rs.	5 [morus], 2 [sukās]		for 4 ash-gourds (kubhiṇḍo)	2 [sukās]
20	for 1 goat, Rs.	2 [morus], 2 [sukās]		for 3 gajas of red cotton cloth (kharuvā)	1 [moru]
21	---

[table]

1	[expenses] in kind (jinsī)				1 [pāthi], 1 [mānā]
2	unhusked rice	4 [mānās]	husked rice	5 [mānās]
3	---

Monday, the 3rd of the dark fortnight of Māgha in the [Vikrama] era year 1944 (2 January 1888). Auspiciousness.

Commentary

The document concerns the rituals performed during the autumnal Dasaĩ festival at the Pāñcāyana temple in Thāpāthalī. It is the first in a series of similar documents (see K_0636_0036, K_0640_0019, K_0379_0073, K_0625_0006, K_0614_0029). The place where the worship is to be performed is referred to as "at the site of the śrī iṣṭadevatā of the Thāpāthalī Pāñcāyana" (thāpāthalī pācāyayaṇakā śrī iṣṭadevatākā sthānamā). Once, in K_0636_0036, kuladevatā occurs instead of iṣṭadevatā. The website of the temple informs us that it houses both the Kũvara Rāṇā family's lineage deity (kuladevatā), "Mahākālī residing in India's Vindhyācala range" (bhāratakā vindhyācala nivāsī mahākālī), and their iṣṭadevatā, Bālātripurasundarī, in the form of a yantra (http://www.panchayanranakunwar.org.np/pages/panchayan-parichaye). Apart from these there are other deities at the temple, five of whom are conceived as the pañcāyana group from which the name of the temple derives.15 The Rāṇās' Pāñcāyana temple seems to be in the tradition of the Parbatīya worship of kuladevatās, as a compulsory part of nityapūjā, and to be combined with worshipping the pañcāyana deities (Kropf 2005: 287 n. 12). The temple's homepage notes that the main worship at the temple falls on Caṇḍīpurṇimā, the full moon day of the month Vaiśākha, in every uneven year, when all members (kulabandhu) of the Kũvara Rāṇā family convene for devālīpūjā to worship the kuladevatā and offer blood sacrifices (http://www.panchayanranakunwar.org.np/yspujas/dewali-puja). According to the homepage, after the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley, the family, which traces its ancestry back to Ahirāma Kũvara, first performed this pūjā at the Guhyeśvarī temple at Deopatan, but moved to its present venue after Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā built the temple between VS 1900 and 1911 (1843–1854 CE).16 Nowadays worship at the temple is coordinated by the Śrī Jagananda Prakāśeśvara tathā Pāñcāyaṇa Saṃrakṣaṇa Samiti, founded in VS 2048 (1990 CE). From historical documents it is apparent that earlier, too, the temple was operated in concert with the Jaṅgānandaprakaśeśvara temple founded by Jaṅga Bahādura in VS 1903 (K_0054_0006). It fell under the Jaṅganandaprākāśeśvara Sadābarta Guṭhī, which administered different temples and institutions for ascetics and sadābarta 17 at the ghāṭs of the Bāgmatī between Thāpāthalī and Ṭeku as well as at Deopatan.

From the present document it is not clear which office its addressee, Jotirāja Śreṣṭha, belonged to. His title biseṭ ḍiṭṭhā hints at his having been in charge of the temple accounts. As the appointment letter of a person named Siddhimāna (K_0476_0027) and a corresponding dismissal letter to Jotirāja (K_0476_0028) show, Jotirāja had indeed been in charge of managing the Jaṅgānandaprākāśeśvara Guṭhī's expenses. His tenure had ended in the month of Kārttika in VS 1944. The present document shows that some months after his tenure had expired he was still being ordered to make an accounting of expenses incurred during his term of office under the eyes of an officer of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā, which is here cited as the office initiating and coordinating the process of issuing the present purjī.

This purjī—which qualifies as a sanada,18 having been issued by the C-in-C general, the second in the Rāṇā hierarchy and head of the civil administration (Kumar 1967: 97)—merely confirms the correctness and validity of what it reports in the form of nested quotations. The Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā in the person of its secretary (kharidāra), Mehera Sīṃ, had apparently written the text—quoted verbatim before the final endorsement phrases—to the C-in-C general and ended with a plea to issue this endorsement. For one thing, the present document quotes a report by the concerned biseṭ ḍiṭṭhā on what had been done the previous year, VS 1943, and on what had been expended in the current year, VS 1944. The Guṭhī Bandobasta for their part added a reference to a purjī that had been issued the previous year ordering the previous holder of the post to do the accounts. Citing all these earlier documents, the present order from the highest level of power to the addressee, authorizes the latter to account for the expenses in early January 1888, several months after the budgeted money had been spent during the Dasaĩ festival in autumn 1887 and after the termination of his tenure, possibly as part of his final settling of accounts.

Notes

1. This Arabic numeral by a second hand was probably added when documents were either sorted or microfilmed. The count starts with 1 in K_0475_0044 and continues up to 126 in K_0477_0032. The documents in this series were all issued in VS 1944, and most, if not all, concern proceedings of the Jaṅgānandaprākāśeśvara Guṭhī. [⇑]

2. This number in the Nagari script added by a second hand seems to represent an earlier count of documents (see previous note). [⇑]

3. This marginal note probably represents the signature of the scribe who wrote or copied the document. [⇑]

4. It is unclear whether biseṭ ḍiṭṭhā is a single or a double title. Is it a type of ḍiṭṭhā who was assigned the task of a biseṭ, or is it someone who is doing two different tasks? Both biseṭ and ḍiṭṭhā were titles held by persons involved in temple management. Whereas the title biseṭ, which goes back to the Malla period and is a Newari word, seems to be limited to administrating religious institutions, ḍiṭṭhās served in different functions and institutions. Addressing someone by two different titles and not putting and between them would be strange, though. Moreover, different kinds of ḍiṭṭhās are known and distinguished in the Mulukī Ain (§31.11). Thus it is conceivable that biseṭ ḍiṭṭhā is a post specifically related to temple management and accountancy. Jotirāja Śreṣṭha was not the only person who held this title. Both his predecessor mentioned in the present document and his successor Siddhimāna (e.g. in K_0037_0011) were addressed as biseṭ ḍiṭṭhās, too. In other guṭhīs, however, such as the ones serving Matsyendranātha, biseṭs and ḍiṭṭhās were different posts (see note 1 in E_2253_0015B). [⇑]

5. Due to unclear writing and photo quality the first akṣara of the word is not clearly recognizable, jmā being the most likely reading. [⇑]

6. The doubling of ḍiṭṭhā is likely to be the result of a copying mistake. One would rather expect the reading biseṭ ḍiṭṭhā in its place. The same person is mentioned above as biseṭ ḍiṭṭhā, as also is his successor, the addressee of the present document. [⇑]

7. Due to breakage some words are missing between bhayāko and ra hastevari. They must have ended in sāchiko, but what exactly was before that is hard to guess. Here additions to the translation have been made on the basis of the parallel sentence below. [⇑]

8. That Mehera Sīṃ was the secretary (kharidāra) of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā is apparent from other documents, including K_0636_0036 (issued three years after the present one). [⇑]

9. This number gives the total sum spent on the items listed in the two columns below, where their prices are given in the sohraganḍī coinage system. Only the overall sum has been converted to the paccīsaganḍī system. Thus the final tally of 7.0.0.1 rupees for the worship material added to the 14.2 rupees for the sacrificial animals, yielding the total sum of 21.2.0.1 rupees, seems to be a figure in the paccīsaganḍī system. For the two systems, see Walsh 1908: 693–694. [⇑]

10. This item has been slotted in in between two items in the right-hand column of list of pūjā material, apparently by the same scribe. It would add one paisā to the general sum given above of 10.3.3.1 morus and is also absent from later versions of the list (see K_0636_0036 etc.). [⇑]

11. In the context of these items, which go to make up the saubhāgyasāmāna, the threads or ribbons would usually be red (Zotter 2018: 127). [⇑]

12. Later versions of the list calculate two and a half pāus in this place, but do not provide a further breakdown. [⇑]

13. This item is absent from later versions of the list (see K_0636_0036 etc.). [⇑]

14. The words rāgā and bokā denote the uncastrated male representatives of their species in the plural. For the sake of brevity, here and in the following, these terms are translated as "buffaloes" and "goats" respectively. [⇑]

15. The homepage mentions that images of Gaṇeśa, Bhīmasena, Bhagavatī, Bhairava, Sūrya, Rādhākṛṣṇa, Śiva, Hanumān and Narasiṃha are worshipped at the temple, and that the pañcāyana group comprises Gaṇeśa, Devī, Sūrya, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Probably Narasiṃha is meant to represent Viṣṇu in this group. Further, the temple houses mūrtis of Kāmadeva and Sarasvatī, while the kuladevī is surrounded by the Mothers of the eight directions (aṣṭadiṅmātṛkā). A document dated VS 1905 mentions that images of the deities Gaṇeśa, Kuladevatā, Iṣṭadevatā, Bhagavatī, Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara and Jaṅganandabhogeśvara, Jaṅgānandabhakteśvara, Rādhākṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Narasiṃha, Sūrya, Hanumān, Bhairava and Bhīmasena were erected after a ghāṭ was built at the Mṛtyuvañcanatīrtha on the banks of the Bāgmatī (K_0031_0030A). A record of the Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Guṭhī's activities from the year VS 1925 mentions Gaṇeśa, Rādhākṛṣṇa, Sūrya, Narasiṃha, Bhagavatī, Hanumān, Kālikā and Bhairava as being a group (K_0040_0008C). [⇑]

16. The temple compound must have been built, or at least the concerned images of deities erected by VS 1905, as a document from that year shows (see previous note and K_0031_0030A). [⇑]

17. See this guṭhī's catalogue prepared in VS 1925 (see K_0491_0008, K_0040_0008A to K_0040_0008E). One of these institutions was the Pūrṇeśvarapākaśālā (see K_0614_0041, K_0608_0055, K_0488_0009, K_0488_0012, K_0382_0029, K_0395_0041). [⇑]

18. Such documents usually call themselves purjīs. Only occasionally are they referred to as sanadapurjīs (e.g. in K_0640_0019). [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
akṣatā / achetā / acheto	[fr. S. akṣata] var. akṣetā; n. unbroken rice grains used in rituals, prepared from husked rice (cāmala).
ānā	[fr. S. āṇvaka- ?] n. 1) monetary unit worth one sixteenth of a rupee with four ānā*s constituting one sukā, equivalent to one ganḍā; in documents usually represented by one to three diagonal dashes, sometimes as a loop with two or three jags. 2) sixteenth part of land, property etc. (cf. Parājulī et al 1995: s.v. ānā).
baṭṭā	n. 1) small wooden or metal box. 2) box for keeping make-up, beauty box, vanity case, part of the saubhāgyasāmāna.
biseṭa	var. biseṭ, viseṭ, viseṭa, besata; n. 1) a temple steward (cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 855) or a person responsible for administering a religious institution. 2) an official responsible for accountancy of temple trusts, as e.g. of the Paśupatinātha Bhaṇḍāra (Michaels 1994: 158-161). Michaels renders the term as "viśeṣ" and relates the different spellings attested to Skt. viśeṣa (ibd.: 160 n. 138). As the earliest reference quoted goes back to the Malla period (NS 794) and renders the term as beseta (G. Vajrācārya 1966: 23) it seems more likely that the term comes from Newari and is a variant of New. besata/byaṣṭa, "messenger" (cp. Malla et al. 2000: s.v.).
curā / curo	n. bracelet, bangle, made of metal or glass.
dasaĩ / daśaĩ	[fr. S. daśāha] var. dasai; n. festival to worship the goddess Durgā as slayer of the buffalo demon, held over the bright half of the autumn month of Āśvina (baḍā dasaĩ) and, on a smaller scale, over the bright half of the spring month of Caitra (caite dasaĩ).
devālīpūjā	[fr. S.] n. collective worship of the kuladevatā with blood sacrifice, performed regularly on a specific lunar day, for which all members of a lineage (kulabandhu) convene.
dhotī	[fr. S.] n. 1) rectangular piece of unstitched cloth wordn around the lower body, usually one end of which passes between the legs and is tucked in behind. 2) a cotton sari.
ḍiṭṭhā	var. ḍīṭṭhā, ḍiṭhā; a civil servant ranking above a mukhiyā and lower than a subbā (cf. Stiller 1981: 379). According to Edwards 1975: 107, ḍiṭṭhās originally had been the judges who presided over the courts in Kathmandu but later could serve in a number of other offices (such as the kausī, the hāttīsāra or the sadara daphtarakhānā; see also Kumar 1967: 165; M.C. Regmi 1978: 226). The Mulukī Ain distinguishes three categories of the ḍiṭṭhās; the jaṅgī kote ḍiṭṭhā (probably, combatant personnel), the lājimā ḍiṭṭhā and the ḍiṭṭhā in charge of Elephant or horse stable or cowshed (MA-54.31.11).
gāgro	[fr. S. gargarī] n. large earthenware water vessel, jar.
gaja	[P. gaz] n. measure of length equalling two hātas or 0.91m; Mughal yard, typically used for measuring textiles.
ghaḍā	[S.] var. gharā; n. water vessel, jar, usually bigger than a kalaśa.
ghaṭasthāpana	[S.] n. lit. "setting up the jar", a ritual that marks the beginning of the Navarātra festival.
gokuladhūpa	[fr. S. gugguladhūpa] var. gokuladhupa, guguladhupa; n. bdellium incense, resin from the Indian bdellium-tree (Commiphora wightii [Arn.] Bhandari).
Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā	var. Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍā; n. "Guthi Administration Office", office responsible for the management of guṭhīs; established under Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā in 1852-1853 as replacement of the former Guṭhī Kacaharī. Its foundation marks the change from the guṭhīyāri system of the guṭhī management to the contractor based system; remained the central office to coordinate all offices subsequently established for handling different aspects of guṭhī management, including the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā and others. Separate Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍās managed the śrī 5 sarkāra guṭhīs and the śrī 3 sarkāra guṭhīs (cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 713-715).
iṣṭadevatā	[S.] n. chosen deity, patron deity of a person or group.
jamadāra / jamādāra	var. jmādāra, jaṃdāra; n. a low ranking commissioned officer in the army (cf. Adhikari 1984: 350; Kumar 1967: 166; M.C. Regmi 1978: 227; Stiller 1981: 380) who could be also assigned to civil offices (Edwards 1975: 108), below the subedāra and above havaladāra (Whelpton 1991: 283). According to Edwards 1975: 108: “In the Kausi two jamadars supervised the work of harkaras, or menials, who carried in supplies and were sent on errands as messengers.“
jinsī	var. jinīsī, jinīs, jīṃsī; a thing, article, commodity or goods for purchase and sale (Wilson 1855: 240 s.v. Jins). Payment of revenue in kind in contradistinction to that which is paid in cash (nagada).
kalaśa	[S.] var. kalasa; n. water vessel, jar, usually smaller than a ghaḍā.
kharadāra / kharidāra	[fr. P.] var. kharīdāra, ṣaridāra; n. secretary, official scribe, office superintendent (cf. Kumar 1967: 166).
kharuvā	var. khaḍuvā, kharūvā; n. coarse red cotton cloth.
khillata	[fr. A] n., var., khlilla, khillat: robes or decoration of honor conferred on a dependent. “Robes. Apparel of honour.“ (Adhikari 1984: 351 ); "robes of honor conferred on a dependent" (Michael 2012: 132); a ceremonial silk or cotton robe, which is richly adorned and given as a sign of highly respected hounour guests or other persons. They are also considered as gifts awarded in return for service from tributary states.
kubhiṇḍo	var. kubīṃḍo, kubhīḍo; n. ash gourd (Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.), eatable and typically used in the context of blood sacrifice.
kuladevatā	[S.] n. family deity, patron deity of a lineage.
kuruvā	var. kurvā; 1) n. volumetric unit equivalent to two mānās, or 20 muṭhīs. 2) a brazen vessel for measuring two mānās.
mānā	n. a volumetric unit equivalent to 0.568 litres, or 1/8 of a pāthi.
maulo	[fr. S.] n. 1) post to which sacrificial animals are tied for decapitation (cf. Karmacharya 2001: 325); 2) post to which elephants are tied.
mohararupaiyā̃	var. mohararupaiyām, mohararūpaiyā, moharaṭaṃkā (New.); often abbreviated as moru, morū, moharu, moharū, moharru, mohorru; n. monetary unit based on and equivalent to two eight-anna silver coins (moharas); in calculations usually broken down into four sukās, 16 ānās or 64 paisās (cf. Pant and Pierce 1989: 93) or 256 dāmas; the exchange ratio with paisās was calculated differently at different times and in different parts of the kingdom, depending on the relative values of silver and copper, ranging between 52 and 80 paisās (Regmi 1982: 73). In documents sums are represented in four numerical fractions, with the rupaiyā represented by numbers; the sukās by one to three daṇḍas or the avagraha sign representing zero; the ānās by one to three diagonal dashes, sometimes as a loop with two or three jags; the paisās again by daṇḍas or numbers; the dāmas by numbers or horizontal dashes.
niśāna / niśānā / nisāna / nisānā	[fr. P.] var. nisān, nīsān; n. 1) mark, sign, landmark. 2) standard, banner, military colours (Chaulagain 2013: 248; Stiller 1981: 381; Whelpton 1991: 285). 3) banner carried in front of an army unit, worshipped daily by the officer who carries it and especially during the Dasaĩ festival (Chaulagain 2013: 180-183).
nityapūjā	[S.] n. regular worship performed on a daily basis, reckoned as compulsory part of a worship program.
paccīsaganḍī	n. coinage system according to which 25 ganḍās are equal to one rupee, in contrast to the sohragaṇḍī system (Walsh 1908: 693–694).
paisā	n. 1) money. 2) in the early Śāha period: monetary unit, one-fourth of an ānā, consisting of four dāmas with 64 paisās in 1 rūpaiyā̃. 3) in the Rāṇā period: monetary unit with 100 paisās in 1 rūpaiyā̃.
pañcapallava	[S.] n. "five leaves", set of leaves of five trees (often aśvattha, vaṭa, āmra, udumbara and pākharī, but lists may diverge sometimes including campaka), used as standard ingredient in rituals (Zotter 2018: 472).
pañcaratna	[S.] n. "five jewels", set of five precious stones / gems (pearls, diamonds, garnet, sapphire and corals) used as standard ingredient in rituals, typically in the form of ground powder.
pañcāyana	[S.] var. paṃcāyaṇa, paṃcāyeṇa; n. group of five deities, typically Gaṇeśa, Devī, Sūrya, Viṣṇu and Śiva.
pāthī	var. pāthi; n. 1) a volumetric unit equivalent to 4.546 litres comprising of 8 mānās with 20 pāthīs in one muri. 2) a container for grains having a volume of one pāthī.
pāu	var. pāva; n. 1) measurement of weight, equal to 20 (in some lists between 17 and 19) tolās, 1/4th of a sera, 1/12th of a dhārnī. 2) measurement of length (25cm).
pote	var. poṭe; n. woman's necklace, typically made of glass beads, part of the saubhāgyasāmāna.
pūjā	[S.] var. pujā; n. 1) worship, honour. 2) formal worship ritual of a revered being with offerings.
purjī	[fr. P. purja] var. purji, pūrjī; n. 1) slip of paper, note. 2) formal letter written by a government institution or an official to another institution or to a person.
rekhī	n. pattern of lines drawn with powdered substances on the ground as support of ritual implements and around the sacrificial fire.
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).
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).
sanadapurjī	var. sanadapurji; n. a purjī issued to government offices by the prime minister (prāimaminisṭara yaṇḍa kamyāṇḍara ina cipha) or the commander-in-chief general (kamyāṇḍara ina cipha janarala) in the Rāṇā period.
sarvauṣadhi	[S.] var. sarva auṣadhi; n. lit. "all herbs", a group of usually ten herbs used in rituals, the exact lists of which may differ.
saubhāgyasāmāna	n. lit. "material of maritial felicity"; set of items used in worship and associated with the married non-widowed woman, including items such as a mirror (ainā), comb (kā̃giyā), a beauty box (baṭṭā), gājala, sindūra, necklace (pote), bangles (curā) and red ribbons (dhāgo or dori); also saubhāgyadravya.
savāla	n. 1) an enquiry. 2) a set of directives issued especially for the administrative purposes. Contrary to a sanada which is applicable to general public, a savāla refers to rules within a particular organization or an administrative unit (see Siṃha 1981 sv svāla. 3) rules and regulations enacted based on an existing law; administrative regulations (Adhikari 1984: 356; Karmacharya 2001: 328).
sohraganḍī	var. sorhagaṃḍī n. coinage system according to which 16 ganḍās are equal to one rupee, in contrast to the paccīsagaṇḍī system (Walsh 1908: 693–694).
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.
sukā	n. monetary unit worth one fourth of a rupee, i.e. half of a silver mohara, and comprising four ānās; in documents the second of the four usual monetary fractions of the system based on the rupee, usually represented by either the avagraha-shaped sign for zero or one to three daṇḍas.
tapasila	[fr. A.] var. tapasīl, tapasīlā, tapsīl; n. particulars, details; can be a self-sustained document, but is more often appended as a list after the narratio of documents.
toraṇa / torana	var. toraṇ, toran; n. 1) (ornamented) arched gateway. 2) festoon of flowers, leaves and colored cloth hung over gates and on walls on festive occasions.
uparnā	n. particular scarf worn as an upper garment, typically by Brahmins during rituals.
uprānta	var. uprāṃta, ūprāṃnta, ūprā̃nta, prāṃta; also yathocita uprānta; conj. after that, besides, in addition to, hereafter. In earlier prose and official documents, this word marked the beginning of a text or paragraph. It has no equivalent in English (Clark 1989: 231). In some (mostly Rāṇā period?) documents, it takes the form of yathocita uprānta.

Bibliography

Kropf, Marianna. 2005. Rituelle Traditionen der Planetengottheiten (Navagraha) im Kathmandutal : Strukturen – Praktiken – Weltbilder. Heidelberg: Universität Heidelberg. http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/5897/.
Kumar, Satish. 1967. Rana Polity in Nepal: Origin and Growth. London: Asia Publishing House.
Walsh, Ernest H . 1908. "The Coinage of Nepal." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: 670 - 758.
Zotter, Christof. 2018. Asketen auf Zeit: das brahmanische Initiationsritual der Bāhun und Chetrī im Kathmandu-Tal. Heidelberg: CrossAsia-eBooks. https://doi.org/10.11588/xabooks.316.440.