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 Kharidāra Candra Bahādura Sāha re the Dasaĩ rituals at the Pāñcāyana temple (VS 1954)

ID: K_0640_0019

Edited by Astrid Zotter in collaboration with Pabitra Bajracharya
Created: 2020-09-14; Last modified: 2020-12-01
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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, 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 Samsera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura of which this is a copy endorses the regular budget for the rituals performed during the autumnal Dasaĩ festival in the year VS 1954 (1897 CE) at the Pāñcāyana temple, in line with outlays of the previous year. It directs the secretary (kharidāra) of the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā, Candra Bahādura Sāha, to release funds for the projected expenses of 26.2.0.1 rupees in cash and 1 pāthī, 1 mānā in kind, as itemized in the appended details (tapasila) of revenue from the Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Sadābarta Guṭhī.

Diplomatic edition

[37r]

1श्री\

168

1श्रीजगनन्दप्रकासेश्वर
2४

1स्वस्तिश्रीमद्राज∙कुमारकुमारात्मज∙श्रीकम्यांडर∙इनचीफ्‌∙जनरलदेवसम्सेरजङ्गराणावहादु∙रक∙
2स्य¯ ¯१¯तर्फगुठिषर्चअडाकाषरीदार∙चन्द्रवहादुरसाहके∙पुर्जिउप्रान्त¯ ¯२¯वाटस्थापना∙गरी∙वक्स्या
3कापांचायणमा¯ ¯३¯स्थान्‌मा∙वडादसैमामलिपुजागर्नालाई∙साविक्‌मा¯ ¯४¯कासदावर्त∙गुठिवा
4टषर्चगरीगुठिषर्चअडामासनदभैकामचला∙ईआयाकोहुनालेरगुठिगुठिकोदान्‌पत्रसिलापत्र∙
5तावापत्र∙मानभयाको∙साविक्‌मासनदपुर्जिभैआयाको∙काम्‌जोछ∙साविक्‌वमोजिम्‌कोवषत्‌व
6षत्‌मा∙सनदगरीदीनु∙भंन्यायसअडालाई∙गरीवक्स्याका१२लम्वरकासव़ालहुनालेसाविक्‌∙५३
7साल∙वमोजीम्‌षर्चभयाकोनगदी२६॥∙।जीन्सी∙पाठी।१।१कोतपसिल∙मादर्दाम्‌ताकियाको
8छतापनिज्मामानवढाईतिम्रानाउमाभयाकासव़ालसनदकोरित्‌पुर्‍याईसाछीराषीषरीदगरी
9निजगुठिकास्याहामाषर्चलेषीयेहि५४सालकावडादसैकामामलिपुजाचलाउनु∙वहीवुझडा
10साछीकोरलीन्यादिन्या∙कोस्हीछापपर्‍याकोस्याहावमोजिम्‌∙मोजराहोलाभंन्याषर्चअडाकाहाकि
11म्‌कानाउमासनदगरीवक्सनुपर्नेठहराञ्यूंभनी¯ ¯१¯तर्फगुठिवंडोवस्तअडाकाषरीदाररत्न[?]
12सिमुषीयाभक्तमान्‌जोसिलेहाम्राहजुर∙माविन्तीपार्दाजाहेरभयोतसर्थ∙सोठहरायाकोमा∙हा
13मीवाटपनिमुनासिवठ∙हाराईसदर∙गरीवक्स्याकोछ∙सोवमोजिम्‌∙गर्न्याकाम्‌गर————
14तपसिल

[table1]

1	नग्दी∙ज्मारु						२[?]∙।
2	पैसा१६गंडि∙रु११॥///॥।२केदर२५गंडी∙लेमोरु∙					७॥∙।
3	जौपाथि१रफलफुलस्मेत्‌के				॥।∙॥
4	गनेशकेनालवस्त्रके				/।
5	व्राह्मनकाधोतीउपर्नाकेनैनकालाटगल९के				२॥//॥।
6	सेतोवस्त्रगलगके				//
7	अैनावताधागोपोटेचुराके				///॥।
8	तोरनकेकपडापाउ॥के				//
9	घटस्थापनाके				॥∙
10	वीसरलनकापुजाके	।∙	नीसानपुजाके	।∙
11	———————————————---
12	घडाकेरदियोकलसके				२॥।//॥।२
13	नरिव़रपगरिजोर३के				॥।∙
14	सुपारिके				ऽ॥
15	रेषीपीठोचाव़लमाना२के				//॥∙
16	पंचरत्नके				ऽ।
17	वतीधुपके				/
18	गोकुलधुपके				//
19	वतिध्यूके				१///
20	वतिधागोके				।∙॥।
21	तेलकुर्व़ा१के				१
22	अछेताकेचाव़लपाथी१के				॥/
23	माताकागाग्री१के				/॥।
24	———————————————————---

15स्वतं१९५०सालमाघवडी१४रोज६शुभ्म्‌————

[37r]

1३७

166

[table2]

1	रागावोकाकमोहर्रु					१[...]
2	मौलामाहानाके				१२॥∙
3	रागा१के	१०	वोका१के	२॥∙
4	———————
5	पुजाकावोका२के				५
6	कुवीन्दो४के				॥
7	षरुव़ागल३के				१
8	—————————————————————

[table3]

1	जीन्सी				।१।१
2	धान	१।५	चाव़ल	।∙।४
3	———————————————————————

1इतीसम्वत्‌१८५४सालमितीआश्वीणवदी११रोज४शुभ्म्‌————

Synopsis

The purjī of which this is a copy was issued by C-in-C General Deva Samsera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura and addresses Candra Bahādura Sāha, the secretary (kharidāra) of the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā under [Śrī 3 Sarkāra].1

It quotes a petition made by Kharidāra Ratna[māna] Si and Mukhiyā Bhaktamāna Josi from the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā under Śrī 3 Sarkara to issue a purjī in the name of the chief officer of the [Guṭhī] Kharca Aḍḍā. This petition refers 1) to the fact that in order to perform the customary worship of Baḍādasaĩ at the site of the [family deity]2 in the Pāñcāyana temple that was erected by [Śrī 3 Mahārāja],3 the rituals were traditionally being performed with expenses met by the Śrī Jaṅgānandaprakāśeśvara Sadābarta Guṭhī and 2) to the existence of directive (savāla) no. 12 to their office (i.e. the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā) obliging them to have sanadas issued whenever tasks came up for which sanadapurjīs were called for as authorization because no deeds of gift (dānapatra), stone deeds (śilapatra) or copperplate deeds (tāmāpatra) existed. The petition further determined that the purjī should order the chief of the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā to release the necessary funds on the basis of the costs incurred in the year 1953 and as projected in the details (tapasila) appended, namely 26.2.0.1 mohararūpaiyā̃s in cash and 1 pāthī, 1 mānā in kind. In case the costs exceed the previous outlay, a reimbursement is promised on the basis of the receipts signed by a witness and by the traders involved in the transactions.

In its concluding lines, the sanadapurjī endorses this petition and orders the addressee to act accordingly.

Details:

The overall cash sum (nagada) of 26.2.0.1 morus is broken down into 7.2.0.1 morus for pūjā material and 19 morus for sacrificial animals, both being itemized more specifically.4 The two items in the provisions in kind (jinsī) are husked and unhusked rice.

The document is dated Wednesday, the 11th of the dark fortnight of Āśvina of VS 1954 (1897 CE).

Commentary

The document, relating to provisions for rituals performed during the autumnal Dasaĩ festival at the Pāñcāyana temple at Thāpāthalī, is part of a series of similar documents (see K_0476_0060, K_0636_0036, K_0379_0073, K_0625_0006, K_0614_0029). It follows the earlier document issued in VS 1951 (K_0379_0073) more or less verbatim. For more on the temple, its rituals and their administration, see the Commentaries to K_0476_0060 and K_0636_0036.

Notes

1. Of all honorific references that must have been written in the space above the main text in the original, only the one numbered 4 was copied. Given the parallel documents, the space numbered 1 must have read "Śrī 3 Sarkāra". [⇑]

2. On account of the parallels in earlier documents either "śrīkuladevatā" or "śrīiṣṭadevatā" must have been written in the space numbered 2 in the original (see previous note). [⇑]

3. Given parallel documents, the space numbered 3 above was likely filled in with "Śrī 3 Mahārāja" in the original. [⇑]

4. The lists are congruent with the earlier lists extant in a document from VS 1951 (K_0379_0073). There are, however, some obvious scribal mistakes that have here been corrected on the basis of this earlier account. Moreover, a line reporting a date from VS 1950 has been slotted in—probably accidentally—between the lists of pūjā items and that of sacrificial animals. That this date does not represent the date of issue of the original the present document was copied from is clear not only from the proper date with which the document copy ends, but also from the main text copied above, which refers to VS 1954 as being the current year and to VS 1953 as being the previous one. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
baḍā dasaĩ	var. baḍā dasai; also mahā dasaĩ; n. festival to worship the goddess Durgā as slayer of the buffalo demon, held over the bright half of the autumn month of Āśvina. Cf. dasaĩ / daśaĩ.
dānapatra	[S.] n. deed of gift.
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).
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).
Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā	n. office responsible for managing the expenses of the guṭhīs working under the head of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā; two separate Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍās managed the śrī 5 sarkāra guṭhīs and the śrī 3 sarkāra guṭhīs.
iṣṭadevatā	[S.] n. chosen deity, patron deity of a person or group.
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).
kharadāra / kharidāra	[fr. P.] var. kharīdāra, ṣaridāra; n. secretary, official scribe, office superintendent (cf. Kumar 1967: 166).
kuladevatā	[S.] n. family deity, patron deity of a lineage.
mānā	n. a volumetric unit equivalent to 0.568 litres, or 1/8 of a pāthi.
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.
mukhiyā	var. mukhīyā, muṣiyā, muṣīyā; n. a designation for an administrative post used at the local, district and central level. At the local level mukhiyās functioned as village headmen and revenue functionaries (Pant and Pierce 1989: 93; M.R. Pant 2002: 134; cf. M.C. Regmi 1988: 269). District headmen were also called mukhiyās. In the central administration, mukhiyās were writers who kept accounts or supervised officials of lower ranks (Edwards 1975: 107 ; cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 228 ; M.C. Regmi 1978: 862 ; Kumar 1967: 16).
nagada	var. nagat, nakhat; n. an amount to be paid in cash or ready money, applied especially to land revenue in contradistinction to that which is paid in kind (jinsī) (Wilson 1855: 363 s.v. Naḳdī).
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.
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.
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.
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).
śilāpatra	var. silāpatra, sīlāpatra; n. stone deed, stone inscription.
śrī 3 mahārājā	var. māhārāja, mahārāja. lit. "thrice venerable great king"; title referring to the Rāṇā prime minister. On August 6 1856, King Surendra, through a lālamohara, conferred upon Jaṅga Bahādura the title of mahārāja of Kaski and Lamjung (cf. Agrawal 1976: 10). The title was subsequently passed on to all Rāṇā prime ministers.
śrī 3 sarkāra	lit. "three-times venerable ruler"; title used by the Rāṇā prime ministers (cp. Whelpton 2005: 266).
tāmāpatra / tāmrapatra	var. tā̃bāpatra, tāvāpatra; n. copperplate deed, copperplate inscription; see also moharatāmrapatra.
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.