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A copy of a rukkā from King Pṛthvī Vīra Vikrama authorizing Khīmānātha to serve as abbot of Rānāgāũ monastery (VS 1938)

ID: K_0469_0001

Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2018-05-09; Last modified: 2023-02-14
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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, 2019. 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 rukkā of which the present document is a copy, the king, who according to the date must have been Pṛthvī Vīra Vikrama, confirms Khīmānātha as successor of Jagadīśvaranātha on the gaddī of Siddha Bhagavantanātha's maṭha in Rānāgāũ, Salyan.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्रीसिद्धभगव़ंतनाथ•

⟪3⟫

1रुजुदुरुस्तले•
2भीमलाल

1स्वास्तश्रीमद्दतीप्रचण्ड
2भुजदण्डेत्यादीश्रीश्रीश्रीमहा
3राजरणउद्दीपसींहराणावहा
4दुरके•सीये़सआईयोङ्‌ली
5न्‌पीम्माकोकाङ्‌वाङ्‌स्या
6नप्राईममिनीष्टरय़ाण्ड
7कम्यांडरईन्‌चीफ्‌
8२

[seal]

1सक्कल्‌वमोजींनक्कल्‌दुरुस्तछभनीसहीछापगर्ने
2रानागाउमठ्‌कोडीट्ठातीलकवाहादुरचं¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

1स्वस्तिश्रीमन्महाराजाधिराज•कस्यरुक्का¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯ ¯ ¯¯
2आगेमहंतगोसाईषीमानाथके¯ ¯ \ ¯ ¯कामठगद्दीमावस्न्या
3गद्दीकामालीकलेजौनचेलालाईपीठीञामाधापदीगद्दी
4सोपीजांथ्यासोहीचेलाले•गद्दीमावस्नुभनीअघीकावंदे
5जर•अघीदेषी•चलीआय़ावमोजीम•मेरागुरुगोसाञीजग
6दीस्वरनाथवाटमेरापीठीञामाधापदी•⟪य़ो⟫⟪म⟫ठगद्दीतलाईसो
7पीदीञाभनी•सनदस्मेतलेषीगुरुकोपर्लोकभय़ापछी
8मैले•सोमठ्‌भोगगरिवस्याकोछुसोवमोजीमअघीमेरा•
9गुरु•जगदीस्वरनाथकानाऊमा१९०४सालचैत्रवदी११रोज
10५माभय़ाकालालमोहर•वमोजीम•मेरानाऊमा•सनदगरिदी
11नुभंन्या•हुकुंवक्स्याकोहो•सनदभय़ाकोछैनभनीतिमी
12ले¯ ¯ २¯ ¯रश्रीमद्राजकुमारकुमारात्मज•श्रीकम्यांडरईनछीफ्‌
13जनरल•धीरसम्सेरजंराणावहादुरमार्फतहाम्राहजुरमावीं
14तीपार्दा•सो¯ ¯ १¯ ¯कोमठगद्दीतीम्रागुरुजगदीस्वरनाथले
15तीमीलाईअषतीय़ारगरितीमीलाईदीय़ाकोतीम्रागुरुजग
16दीस्वर•नाथ•परलोक हुदातीमीलेभोगगरिआय़ाकोतीमीला
17ईअषतीय़ार•गरिथामी•वक्स्यौंआफ्ना षातीरजामासीतअ
18घीदेषी•चलीआय़ाकारीतवमोजीम•कामकाजगरिआफु
19लाईदरिय़ाकाजगाकोदामकाXमअसुलतहसीलगरि¯¯ १¯¯
20कामठ्‌गद्दीमा•अघीदेषी•दरि•चलीआय़ावमोजीमकत्तीघ
21टीवढीनपारिनीत्यनैमीत्यकपुजा भंडाराचलाईहाम्रो जय़म
22नाईभोग्‍येगर•भंयामहंत्याईकोलालमोहर•गरिवक्स्यौंइती
23सम्वत्‌१९३८सालमितीफागुणवदी२रोज१शुभ्म्‌¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯

Translation

[1r]

[above the main text:]1

Venerable (Śrī) Siddha Bhagavantanātha (text: Bhagavaṃtanātha)

Attested as correct [by] Le.3 Bhīmalāla

[in the left margin:]

Hail!4 The thrice venerable great king, who is illustrious, very mighty and has arms like a staff etc., Raṇa Uddīpa Siṃha Rāṇā Bahādura, KCSI, thoṅ-līṅ-pim-mā-ko-kāṅ-vāṅ-syān, prime minister and commander-in-chief 2

[seal]5

Attesting that the copy is true to the original, ḍiṭṭhā of Rānāgāũ monastery (maṭha) Tīlaka Bāhādura Cã

[main text:]

Hail. [This is] an executive order of the supreme king of great kings. 6

Āge: to Mahanta Gosāī̃Khīmānātha 7

You have submitted a petition to us through [Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Raṇa Uddīpa Siṃha Rāṇā Bahādura (...)]8 and the venerable prince born of a prince, Commander-in-Chief General Dhīra Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, stating: "According to the rule (bandeja) of earlier times that states: 'The disciple who has been slapped on the back and to whom the throne has been entrusted by the master (mālika) (he who sits on the throne of the monastery of [the Venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha]9 ) shall occupy the throne', and in accordance with what has been practised since early times, my guru, Gosāī̃ Jagadīśvaranātha 10 slapped [me] on the back [and] wrote an order (sanada) that states: 'This throne of the monastery is entrusted to you', [and] ever since my guru passed away,I have been exercising authority over that monastery. Following that [customary practice,] a lālamohara in the name of my guru Jagadīśvaranātha was issued in VS 1904, Caitra vadi 11, Thursday,11 [and] according to it the order (hukuma) has been given that a sanada in my name should be issued, [but such a] sanada has not been [issued yet.]" We have therefore confirmed your authority, [which] you have been exercising [ever since] your guru Jagadīśvaranātha passed away, [that same] guru of yours, Jagadīśvaranātha, having given you authority [over] the throne of the monastery of [the venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha]12 . We have issued a lālamohora conferring abbotship (mahantyāĩ) that states: Enjoy [what is yours], doing [your] work dutifully according to the customs that have been practised before, collecting the income due on the land registered in your name, as practised before, without any decrease or increase, conducting the daily and occasional pūjās and observing feasts from the throne of the monastery of [the venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha]13 , and celebrating our triumphs.

Sunday, the 2nd of the dark fortnight of Phālguna of the [Vikrama] era year 1938 (1882 CE).14 Auspiciousness.

Commentary

The present copy was probably prepared in VS 1964 alongside a bintīpatra of Chatranātha's disciple Lokanātha (see K_0469_0033).

For further explanations and comments, see K_0097_0039.

Notes

1. According to another copy of the document (K_0097_0039) the rukkā starts with the invocation śrī durgājyū. [⇑]

2. This archival notation indicates the document number (of bundle 15 of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā records). [⇑]

3. This is apparently an abbreviation of lephaṭenaṭa (i.e. lieutenant). [⇑]

4. The word svasti (text: svāsta) is missing in the other copy of the document (K_0097_0039) [⇑]

5. The legend reads: śrī tilakavīra 63. [⇑]

6. According to the date, the king who issued this rukkā must have been Pṛthvī Vīra Vikrama Śāha. [⇑]

7. In another copy of this rukkā (K_0097_0039) the name is spelled Khimānātha. [⇑]

8. The name inserted here is given next to the praśasti (see above) in the left margin. [⇑]

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

10. The standard spelling is used in the translation. The present copy gives the name as Jagadīsvaranātha. [⇑]

11. For a copy of this document, see K_0468_0062. [⇑]

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

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

14. The date corresponds to 5 February 1882. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
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.
bandeja	[from H. bhandheja] var. bandheja, bāndeja; n. order, arrangement, rule, regulation.
bintīpatra	[fr. S.] var. bintipatra, biṃtipatra, bīntīpatram; n. formal letter written to an authority; more specifically, a petition or request letter. Cf. bintī.
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).
gosāī̃	[fr. S. gosvāmin-] var. gosāñī, gosāñi, gosāī, gosāi; n. title used by ascetics of different orders (cf. Clark 2006: 14).
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).
hukuma	[P.] n. a royal order, either from the king or the Rāṇā prime minister bearing the title of king (śrī 3 mahārāja).
KCSI	title of member of the second class (Honorary Knight Commander) of the "Most Exalted Order of the Star of India", an order founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. Other classes are: GCSI and CSI.
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.
maṭha	[fr. S.] n. abode of ascetics, monastery.
praśasti	[S.] n. poetic eulogy, often functions as intitulatio in documents.
pūjā	[S.] var. pujā; n. 1) worship, honour. 2) formal worship ritual of a revered being with offerings.
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.
thoṅ-līṅ-pim-mā-ko-kāṅ-vāṅ-syān	title conferred by the Chinese emperors upon the Rāṇās, Jaṅga Bahādura being the first such honoree. According to Landon, the title means: t'ung ling ("commander-in-chief") ping ma (lit. "foot and horse", i.e. "of the whole army") kuo ("truly") kan ("valient") wang ("prince") hsien ["title of"], which he translates as "Truly valient prince, Commander-in-chief of the army" (Landon 1928: 247).