Documenta Nepalica

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

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A ledger recording the revenue and expenditures of the guṭhī serving the Śrī Raṇasainī Bhagavatī temple located in Baitaḍī (VS 2007)

ID: K_0297_0047

Edited and translated by Ramhari Timalsina in collaboration with Yogesh Budathoki
Created: 2021-06-01; Last modified: 2023-01-23
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, 2022. 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 ledger recording the revenue and expenditures of the guṭhī of the Śrī Raṇasainī Bhagavatī temple located in Dasharathchand municipality in Baitadi District. It was prepared by the Guṭhī Lagata Jā̃ca Aḍḍā of Śrī 5 Sarkāra in VS 2007.

Diplomatic edition

[1v]

[Seal of the Guṭhī Lagata Jāca Aḍḍā with legend:] श्री ५ सर्कारतर्फ गुठी लगत जाच अडा २००१

[Seal of Dīrghamāna with legend:] श्री दीर्घमान ८४

[Seal of the Guṭhī Lagata Jāca Aḍḍā with legend:] श्री ५ सर्कारतर्फ गुठी लगत जाच अडा २००१

[Unknown seal]

[Seal of Dīrghamāna with legend:] श्री दीर्घमान ८४

1सम्वत२००७साल
2सर्कारश्रीश्रीश्रीज्यू
3श्री५सर्कारतर्फगुठीलगतजाच‌अडा
4वैतडीधामीगाऊकाश्रीरणसैनीभगव
5तीगुठीकोषर्चकोलगतकिताव

1उप्रान्त[?]श्रीरणसैनीभगवतिगुठीकोसनदलालमोहरदाषीलगर्ननसकेवाटरैकरभैसकेकोगुठीथामीपाऊभंनेऊजुर
2पुग्‍न•सकतैन•५गाऊका•गुठीयाररैतीलेघंघरानावाट[?]भनेकोभंनेऊजुरगरेकोनीत्येपुजाचलेकोछछैन•बुझीनभया
3पुजाहारीराखी•नीत्येपुजासम्मचलाउनालाई•मुनासीवमाफीककतीषर्चचाहींछवुझीठहराईजाहेर•गर्नुभंने•२००६/६/२७/५का•
4षड्ग•नीसानातोकसदरवमोजींवुझेमा•गुठीछ‌उंजेल•नीत्येपुजाचलेको•रैकरभयदेषीनचलेकोनीत्येपुजालाईवर्ष१कोपुजाष
5र्च•कंरु१६६।///पुजाहारीषांगी६०चाहींछभनि•पुजासाराजामकोफाटषुलाई•मुचुल्कागरीदियेकोगासीजाहेरगरेकोमातोकसदरवमोजींठह
6राईहरहीसावनमीलेकोमीलाईजाहेरगर्नुभंने•गुठीवंदोवस्तवाट•फैश्लाभयेवमोजींनीत्येपुजाषर्चवमोजींकंरु९६।।।पुजाहारीकेमैन्हा१को•
7कंरु४लेवर्ष१कोकंरु४८दिनुभंनेनीकासापाऊभंने•रीपोट•जीकीरभयेकोवेमुनासीवभंननभै•मुनाशीवैदेषीनालेनीकासाकोहक्मासोरणसै
8नीभगवतिगुठीमातपसीलवमोजींवर्ष१कोनीत्येपुजाषर्चकंरु९६।।।रपुजाहारिषांगीकंरु४८स्मेतज्माकंरु१४४ • ।।।येकसयेच
9वालीसवारआनाकोरीपोटतोकमालमादाषीलभयेकापछील्लामैन्हादेषीनीत्येपुजाचलाउनेगरी•मैन्हामैन्हाको•पटकगरी•दामा
10साहीषांगीपुजाषर्चपुजाहारीहस्तेषर्चलेषीदीनु•भंनेवैतडीमालकानाउमायोतोकसदरगरीवक्सेपछीसोवमोजींलगतकिता
11पषडागर्नभनीश्री५सर्कारगुठीलगतलाईअडैकोजनाऊपुर्जीदी•योरीपोट्‌तोकवैतडीमालमापठाउनवैतडीगौडामापठाईदीनेठहराईजा
12हेरगरेकाछौ•जोमर्जीहुकुमभनितपसीलवमोजींकोदरवंदीठेकीदीनेठहराईजाहेरगरेकोमा२००७सालश्रावण५गते५माषड्गनीसानावाट
13तोकसदरभैआयेकालेरीपोट्‌कोतपसीलकोतपसीलवमोजींकोश्रीरणसैनीभगवतिकोलगतकितावषडागर्नुपर्नेभयेकोलेसो

[2r]

14वक्सभैआयाकाषड्गनीसानातोकसदरवमोजींतेसअडालाईजनाउदीयाकोछतसर्थसोगुठीकोलगतकीतावषडागर्दातपसीलमालेषी
15यावमोजींकोदरवंदीतेसअडाको•लगतकितापखडागर्नेकांहोसभंनेश्री५कोगुठीवंदोवस्तवाट•२००७सालभाद्र६गते३कापुर्जीवमो
16जींभैआयेकालेसोवमोजींलगतकितापषडागरीश्री५सर्कारगुठीवंदोवस्तअडामावुझाउनेषरीदारदीर्घमानजोसीयेटषाजमु.
17मंगलवहादुरश्रेष्ठकाकीलागलवमोजींतपसील¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯

[table1]

	तपसील
1	नित्येपुजाषर्चकंरु¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	९६॥।
2	अछेताकेचावलरोज१को। . । . । १लेवर्ष१को३६०दिंकेचावल।४।४केदरमाना२केकंरु१लेकंरु¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	१८
3	सींदुरदीं१कोकंरु/।लेवर्ष१को३६०दिंकोकंरु¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	५॥//
4	केसरीऐ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	५॥//
5	गोकुलधुपऐ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	५॥//
6	कपुरऐ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	५॥//
7	श्रीषंडरफुलकेऐ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	५॥//
8	नैवेदनेकेदिन१केकंरु/॥लेऐ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	११।
9	वतिवालनाकेघ्युधागोकेऐ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	११।
10	पंचामृतकेरोज१कोकंरु/।लेऐ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	२८//
11	सोनित्येपुजागर्नेपुजाहारीकेषंगीमैन्हा१केकंरु४लेवर्ष१कोकंरु¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯	४८

30ईतीसम्वत२००७सालआस्वींगतेरोजशुभं¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯

[Seal of Dīrghamāna with legend:] श्री दीर्घमान ८४

[Signature of Maṅgala Bahādura with legend:] स्ही मु मंगलः

Translation

[1r]

Seal of the Guṭhī Lagata Jāca Aḍḍā

Seal of Dīrghamāna

Seal of the Guṭhī Lagata Jāca Aḍḍā

Unknown seal

Seal of Dīrghamāna

[Vikrama] era year 2007

Honorable three-times venerable ruler

A ledger book recording the expenditures of the śrī Raṇasainī Bhagavatī guṭhī located at Dhāmī village of Baitaḍī, [prepared by] the Guṭhī Lagata Jāca Aḍḍā of Śrī 5 Sarkāra

Hereafter (uprānta): The complaint that requested that guṭhī [land] which had been transformed into state-owned taxable land (raikara) be kept [in its previous status] could not be honoured, because the [responsible persons] were unable to submit the sanada and lālamohara relating to the śrī Raṇasainī Bhagavatī guṭhī serving the goddess Sainī Bhagavatī. When a written approval of the decision (toka sadara) bearing a khaḍganisānā was issued on Thursday, the 27th of Asoja in the [Vikrama era year] 2006 asking: “The guṭhī holders from the 5 villages have registered a complaint ... 1 from their households. Inquire whether [the subject of the complaint], the regular worship [of the deity], is being performed or not? If not, appoint a priest to perform the regular worship and inquire how high the expenses are needed to perform it in an appropriate way. Confirm this and submit [a report to us].” Upon investigation, it appears that the regular worship was being performed for as long as there was a guṭhī, but when [the guṭhī land] turned into a raikara, it stopped. To this information was attached a witnessed written statement (muculkā) that included details of worship paraphernalia requiring 166 kaṃ rus , 1 sukā, 3 ānās in worship expenses for 1 year and 60 [kaṃ rus] for the emolument of the priest. The decision made by the Guṭhī Bandovasta [Aḍḍā] was, according to the toka sadara, to determine the facts, reconcile variant accounts and send notification. Accordingly, the decision suggesting releasing 96 kaṃ rus, 3 sukās for regular worship expenses and every month 4 [kaṃ ru]s—[in total] [kaṃ rus] 48 per year—for the priest, appears, as mentioned in the report, not to be an inappropriate but indeed an appropriate [amount]. Therefore, regarding the release of 96 kaṃ rus, 3 sukās to the śrī Raṇasainī Bhagavatī guṭhī in line with the details [below] for the regular worship expenses and 48 kaṃ rus for the emolument of the priest, in total 144 kaṃ rus, 12 ānās—[in words], one hundred forty-four [rupees] twelve ānās—from last month, when a toka together with a report was registered in the māla: When this toka sadara was registered in the Baitaḍī Māla, [directing it]—in order that regular worship can be conducted from the month following registration onward—to prepare an expenses report once a month through the priest, [elaborating] the shares [to be taken by the employees] and expenses for the worship, a notification letter was written to the Guṭhī Lagata of Śrī 5 Sarkāra telling it to prepare a ledger recording the expenditures. We decided that it was [appropriate] to send this report [and] toka to the Baitaḍī Gauḍā [for them] to send to the Baitaḍī Māla. We have accordingly submitted it, stating: “We give notice of having decided it right to assign a post on commission (ṭhekī) [to supply the needed items at the stipulated rates] in accordance with the details [below]. Your wish is our command." On Thursday, the 5th day of Srāvaṇa, in [VS] 2007, the report was approved with a toka bearing a khaḍganisānā, so that a ledger recording the expenditures has had to be prepared in conformity with the details of the report. We therefore informed that office (i.e. the Guthi Lagata) in accordance with the khaḍganisānā toka that registered approval.

[2r]

In accordance, then, with a letter from the Guṭhī Bandobasta of Śrī 5 dated Tuesday, the 6th day of Bhādra in [VS] 2007 directing that a ledger be prepared recording the guṭhī’s expenditures in line with whatever is written in the details of the [previously] prepared ledger recording the guṭhī’s expenditures, we khardāra Dīrghamāna Josī of Yeṭkhā and Jamu. Maṅgala Bahādura Śreṣṭha of Kīlāgāla have prepared [such] a ledger recording the expenditures and have submitted it to Śrī 5 Sarkāra’s Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā.

[table1]

	Details
1	expenditures for the regular worship, kaṃ rus	96 ।।।
2	for husked rice for 1 muṭhī of akṣatā per day, 4 pāthīs, 4 mānās for the 360 days of one year, at 1 kaṃ ru for every 2 mānās, [in total] kaṃ rus	18
3	for red powder (sindūra) at 1 kaṃ ru, 1 paisā per day, 360 days in one year, [in total] kaṃ rus	5॥//
4	for yellow saffron powder (kesarī), ditto	5॥//
5	for bdellium incense (gokuladhūpa), ditto	5॥//
6	for camphor (kapura), ditto	5॥//
7	for sandalwood (śrīkhaṇḍa) and flowers, ditto	5॥//
8	for offerings to the god (naivedya) at 2 paisās per day, ditto	11।
9	for ghee and thread to light lamps, ditto	11।
10	for the five nectars of immortality (pañcāmṛta) at 1 ānā per day [per nectar], ditto	28//
11	emolument for the priest who performs the regular worship, in the rate of 4 kaṃ ru for 1 month, [total] kaṃ ru for 1 year emolument for the priest who performs the regular worship, at 4 kaṃ rus for 1 month, [in total] kaṃ rus for 1 year	48

...2 day of Āśvina, in the [Vikrama] era year 2007 (1950 CE). Auspiciousness.

Commentary

The temple of the goddess Raṇasainī Bhagavatī (also known as Tripurasundarī) referred to in this document is located on a hill in Dasharathchand municipality in Baitadi District. This temple is identified as BTD0060 in DANAM (see https://danam.cats.uni-heidelberg.de/report/dbacea6d-e4a2-4ac1-93ff-0a0c3323fa97). The temple was built by Udyot Chand, a king of Kumaun, in around 1688 CE, in celebration of his double victory over Garhwal and Doti (Pandey 1997: 176-177).

Notes

1. Some of the characters, ones falling in the folded part of the document, could not be deciphered. [⇑]

2. The space for the day of the week and month has been left blank in the original. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
akṣatā / achetā / acheto	[fr. S. akṣata] var. akṣetā; n. unbroken rice grains used in rituals, prepared from husked rice (cāmala).
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.).
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, Guṭhi 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).
Guṭhī Lagata Jā̃ca Aḍḍā	n. office responsible for managing the records of the guṭhīs working under the head of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā; created before August 1908 under PM Candra Śamśera Rāṇā as part of his administrative reforms (Regmi 1984: 12).
kampanī rupaiyā	[kampanī + rupaiyā] var. kaṃpanī rupaiyā; abbr. as kampanī ru, kamru, kaṃru etc.; n. a currency introduced by the East India Company in India.
khaḍga nisānā	n. seal of Rāṇā prime minister bearing an image of sword.
kharadāra / kharidāra	[fr. P.] var. kharīdāra, ṣaridāra; n. secretary, official scribe, office superintendent (cf. Kumar 1967: 166).
lālamohara	var. lālmohara, lālamohar, lālmohora; abbreviated mohara; n. royal document bearing the red seal.
mānā	n. a volumetric unit equivalent to 0.568 litres, or 1/8 of a pāthi.
muculkā / mucalakā	var. mucalakā; n. a witnessed written statement.
muṭhī	n. a volumetric unit equivalent to 1/10 of a mānā
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.
pañcāmṛta	[S.] n. the "five nectars of immortality"; a mixture of milk, yoghurt, ghee, honey and sugar.
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.
raikara	n. state-owned, taxable land.
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).
sindūra	[S.] var. sindura, sīṃdura, sīṃdhura; n. red powder used in rituals and applied to the parting of a married woman.
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).
sukā	var. sukī; 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.
toka	var. tok; n. decision, sanction.
toka sadara	var. toka sadar, tok sadar: a written ratification of a decision, order, sanction or directive; see also toka.
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

Pandey, Ram Niwas. 1997. Making of Modern Nepal: A Study of History, Art and Culture of the Principalities of Western Nepal. New Delhi: Nirala Publications.