Documenta Nepalica

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

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A written agreement signed by Jogalāla Śreṣṭha accepting the post of biseṭ of Kathmandu’s Svetamatsyendranātha (VS 1965)

ID: K_0213_0061

Edited and translated by Manik Bajracharya and Rajendra Shakya
Created: 2022-02-10; Last modified: 2024-11-05
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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, 2023. 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 written agreement submitted by Jogalāla Śreṣṭha of Kelaṭola, Kathmandu, to the government of Nepal. In it, Jogalāla accepts the post of biseṭ to serve Svetamatsyendranātha, also known as Jana Bahādyaḥ. He signed it after a seven-day notice was issued by the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā for the purpose of filling the vacant post .

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्रीश्वेतमछीन्द्रनाथ
2१

1श्रीकम्यांडरइनचीफजनरल
2साहेव¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
3२

1श्री५सर्कार
2३

1स्हीजोगलाल्‌श्रेष्टकेलटोल्‌

1लिषितम्‌सहरकाठमाडौ∙केलटोलवस्न्याविनर्सिंकोनातिवषतमान्‌कोछोराजोगलाल्‌
2श्रेष्टआगे¯ ¯१¯कोकामगर्नेविसेटमध्ये१जनाविसेटषालीभै∙कामगर्नेमानिसनभयाकोहु
3नालेकामकाजअडकी∙रहेछभनीपुजाहारीमनिरत्नगुभाजुलेहाम्राहजूरमाविंतिचढा
4उदाजाहेरभयोतसर्थसोषालीभयाका∙विसेटषांगीमातेसअडावाटमानिसभर्नागरीहा
5म्राहजूरमादर्सनगराईसाविक्‌वमोजिम्‌नीजवाटजोगराउनुपर्नेगर्नलाउनेकामगरभंन्याश्रा
6व़ण८गते७मायेसअडाकानाउमा¯ ¯२¯वाट१छापेपुर्जिगरीवक्सेकोहुनालेसोविसेट
7कामगर्नामामनसुवाहुनेलेआजका७दीनभीत्रयेसअडामाभंनआउनेकामगरभंन्याये
8सअडावाट७दीनेम्यादतासीदीयाकोमा∙सोविसेटकामगर्नालाईमेरोमनसुवाभयाकोहुनाले∙
9कवुलगर्‍येतपसिलमालेषीयावमोजिम्‌कोर∙दानपत्रसिलापत्र∙तावापत्रपंजिकासनदला
10लमोहर∙वमोजिम्‌अघिदेषीचलाईआयाकोकट्टीनघटाईनीत्यनैमित्यअरू∙पर्वपर्वकापु
11जासदावर्त∙रथजात्राजोचलाउनुपर्नेगैह्रचलाईअरूजोजसलाईदीनुपर्नेस्मेत्‌दीकाजका
12मचलाउला∙सोगुठीकोजगाजमीनमाअसिनापर्‍योडध्योधानगहुंगैह्रपाकेनमोहीभाग्यो∙
13भन्या∙यस्तावेहोरालिदैविपरेकोभनी¯ ¯३¯मार∙अरुगैह्रकलम्‌मावडायमैलेमिन्हामाग्ने
14छैन¯ ¯३¯वाटनदीनु∙मेराघरघरानावाटगुठीसदावर्तरथजात्राकोकामगैह्रकट्टीनघटाई
15चलाईमोहीलाईमिन्हादीउलालेषीयावमोजिम्‌नगरीअघीदेषीदरीचलीआयावमो
16जिम्‌कोकामकाज∙नचलाई∙घटाईषायाकोठहर्‍योभन्यार¯ ¯१¯कागहनाहीनामिनापारे
17कोजाहेरगरेनौभन्या∙अ‍ैनवमोजिम्‌सजायेगरीवर्षासगरीदीनुभनीमेरामनोमान्‌षु
18सिराजीसंगविसेटषांगीकवुलगरीकवुलीयेत्‌लेषीगुठीवन्दोवस्तअडामार्फत्‌ ¯ ¯ ¯
19माचढाञ्यू ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
20तपसील्‌

[table]

१९६४सालचैत्र२२गते४माछेभडेललाईभयाकासनदवमोजिम्‌ ¯¯¯¯¯¯
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वेटषरीदगर्नालाई∙कौसितोसाषानावाटआउने ¯¯¯		४\|५०
ऐंकीनाकेपुजाहारीवाटदक्षीनामध्येदीन्यारु ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯		२\|७२
परेवापरेवादीनपुजाहारीहरूकोपालोफेर्दाठेकदारला ईदीन्याफलुवाचावलमुरी ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯		\|१\|७
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च्यूरामुरी¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯		३\|२
यकापेलचाहीन्याघासारु¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯		२\|५०
दस्तुरमोरु¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯		६\|५०
नुनषोरसानीकेरु¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯		\|५०

इतिसम्वत१९६५सालकार्तिक्‌४गते२शुभ्म्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯

Translation

[1r]

Glorious Svetamatsyendranātha – 1

Venerable Commander-in-Chief General sāheba – 2

Śrī 5 sarkāra - 3

Signed, Jogalāl Śreṣṭha [of] Kelaṭola

[This document was] written (likhitam) by Jogalāl Śreṣṭha, a resident of Kelaṭola in the city of Kathmandu [and who is] the grandson of Binarsiṃ [and] the son of Bakhatamān (text: Baṣatamān).

Āge: In response to a 7-day notice issued by this office (i.e., the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā), announcing: "Since a single-stamped (eka-chāpe) order (purjī) was issued by -2- (i.e., venerable Commander-in-Chief General)1 in the name of this office on Saturday, the 8th solar day of Śrāvaṇa, stating: 'It became known to us when the priest Maniratna Gubhāju reported that 1 biseṭ post among the biseṭs who are in the service of -1- (i.e., glorious Svetamatsyendranātha)2 was vacant, and that activities were stalled due to this absence,' anyone interested in working as the said biseṭ should come to this office within 7 days and express [his intention]," I intend to serve as the said biseṭ, and I [hereby] accept [the said post].

I will carry out the tasks as mentioned in the list (tapasila) [below], will manage all activities—including the rituals performed daily, occasionally and during various festivals; the regular distribution of alms and food (sadāvarta); and overseeing of the chariot procession—in accordance with [earlier] donation deeds, stone inscriptions, copperplate inscriptions, record books (paṃjikā), sanadas and lālamoharas, and without making any reduction to what has been practiced since the past. I will also make payments to whomever they are due. I shall not request any remission from -3- [Śrī 5 Sarakāra]3 on the basis of such furnished details as plots of the said guṭhī having suffered hailstorm [or] fire, [or] the paddy and wheat having not ripened, [or] a tenant having made off [without paying the rent], stating [thereby] that some act of the glorious divinities befell [me], when [at the same time] I have increased other miscellaneous revenue. May -3- [Śrī 5 Sarakāra]4 not provide any [remission to me]. I shall manage the work relating to the guṭhī, [the distribution of] sadābarta, the chariot festival and the like without any reduction [to previous outlays, and] shall give remission to the tenants—[all] from my household [budget].

In case things are not done in the manner written [in the present document] and I am proven to have enjoyed [the revenue] by making reductions [in outlays] and not carrying out the activities that were in practice customarily from olden times, and [if] I do not report the misappropriation of jewellery of -1- [the venerable Svetamatsyendranātha]5 , then punish [me] in accordance with the Ain and dismiss [me]. I have therefore written this kabuliyata of my own will and volition, [thereby] accepting the khānagī of biseṭ, and handed it over to - - - [the venerable commander-in-chief sāheba]6 through the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā.

Tapasila

[table]

In accordance with the sanada issued in the name of the Chebhaḍela [office] on Wednesday, the 22nd of Caitra in the [Vikrama Era] year 1964 (1907 CE):
Income:
[Income] from the usual 4 ropanīs 2 javās of rice land:
Unhusked rice [in] murīs – 4 murīs 10 pāthīs	[of] four dāmas [of land] – 5 pāthīs
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Rent from 7 shops		75 mohararupaiyā̃s 80 paisās
[Amount] received from the Kausī Tosākhānā for the purchase of rattan		4 mohararupaiyā̃s 40 paisās
[Amount] given by the priest from the dakṣiṇā [he receives] for the purchase of the same item as above		2 mohararupaiyā̃s 72 paisās
Husked rice in murīs to be given to the ṭhekadāra at the time priests are rotated on every 1st lunar day		1 pāthī 7 kuruvās
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Expenses:
For the purchase of rattan for the procession		70 mohararupaiyā̃s
Beaten rice [in] murīs		3 murīs 2 pāthīs
Required yakāpela7 food items		2 mohararupaiyā̃s 50 paisās
Customary fees (Dastura)		6 mohararupaiyā̃s 50 paisās
For salt and chilly		50 paisās

Monday, the 4th of Kārtika in the [Vikrama Era] year 1965 (1908 CE). Auspiciousness.

Commentary

While Jogalāla Śreṣṭha accepts the khānagī of biseṭ by signing this contract, we know from another document, K_0213_0060, that he first had to produce another person as surety to get this contract sanctioned. Herāmāna Karmācārya, a fellow resident of Kelaṭola, puts himself forward as surety by signing a corresponding deed with the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā the day before this contract was signed. In the deed, Herāmāna agrees to carry out all the duties and responsibilities that Jogalāla was supposed to fulfil in his capacity as biseṭ in case the latter failed to do so for any reason.

Notes

1. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

2. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

3. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

4. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

5. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

6. This is a blank reference, one that does not specify the referent. From the context, it appears that the commander-in-chief is meant. [⇑]

7. The meaning is not clear. [⇑]

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.
ain	var. āin, aina; n. 1) laws, statutes, rules, regulations enacted by authority 2) law-code of Nepal, first promulgated in 1854 during the rule of Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā and amended several times before it was completely revised in VS 2022. The revised law-code was renamed as Mulukī Ain.
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.).
Chebhaḍela	n. government institution responsible for building and renovating state houses and properties (M.C. Regmi 1978: 856; M.C. Regmi 1978: 226); “The Chhebhadel according to Brian Hodgson, was a tribunal for the settlement of all disputes relating to houses which did not possess criminal jurisdiction. The chief of this office Chhibha collected taxes and payments as well from the inhabitants of Kathmandu, as well as from traders visiting the town from outside. He was in charge of the supply of fuelwood to the royal palace. He also caught cattle, goats, sheep and horses which were let loose in the field and handed them over to the royal cattle sheds.“ (M.C. Regmi 1970 (No. 5): 125).
dakṣiṇā	[S.] var. dachiṇa, dachīnā, dachenā; sacrificial fee or wage paid to the priest at the end of a ritual.
dāma	var. dām; n. the smallest monetary unit, one-fourth of one paisā (in case of measurements of land etc.) and one-256th of one mohararupaiyā̃.
dastura	[fr. P. dastūr] n. 1) customary fee. 2) custom, tradition, rule. See also daidastura.
eka-chāpe	n. lit. "single stampded"; a letter with the seal or signature of the Prime Minister.
guṭha / guṭhi / guṭhī	[fr. S. goṣṭhī] var. guṭh, guthi; n. 1) a socio-religious organization that manages and finances religious and charitable functions, a trust. 2) “endowed lands or other sources of revenue for financing religious and charitable functions“ (M.R. Pant 2002: 132; cf. M.C. Regmi 1988: 267).
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).
javā	var. java, yava; n. an area measurement unit equal to one quarter of a ropanī, or measuring 22,5 hāta (MA-54 5.38-40).
kabuliyata	n. a deed of consent, agreement or acceptance.
kausī tosākhānā	n. central state treasury which served several additional functions like the expenses and storage of goods for the royal palace and the appointment of subbās in the Tarai (cf. Edwards 1975: 111). DNA_0011_0035 suggests that even though the Kausī and the Tosākhānā formed one administrative unit headed by the khajāñcī, to a certain extent both were treated as distinct entities.
kuruvā	var. kurvā; 1) n. volumetric unit equivalent to two mānās, or 20 muṭhīs. 2) a brazen vessel for measuring two mānās.
lālamohara	var. lālmohara, lālamohar, lālmohora; abbreviated mohara; n. royal document bearing the red seal.
likhitam	[S.] var. likhitama, likhītama, likhita; 1) adj. written. 2) n. a written document (as evidence).
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.
muri / murī	n. 1) also khetamuri; unit of land measurement in the hill region, comprising 1/4 ropanī with 100 muris in 1 kheta. The area varied according to the grade: 1190 sq. ft. for lands of the best grade, and 1339 sq. ft., 1487 sq. ft., and 1785 sq. ft. for lands of inferior grades. 2) volumetric unit comprising 20 pāthis (with 8 mānas to a pāthi), equivalent to 90.919 (M.R. Pant 2002: 134 ) or 87.23 (Pant and Pierce 1989: 93) liters. (M.C. Regmi 1978: 163; M.C. Regmi 1999: 235 ; M.C. Regmi 1978a: 228 ; M.C. Regmi 1978b: 862 ; Adhikari 1984: 354; M.C. Regmi 1988: 269).
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.
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.
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.
ropanī	[fr. S.] var. ropani; n. unit of land measurement in the hill region, including the Kathmandu Valley, comprising four murīs. The area may vary according to the grade, but current standard area for a ropanī comprises 5,476 square feet (cf. M.C. Regmi 1999: 235 ; M.C. Regmi 1978: 864; Whelpton 1991: 286; M.C. Regmi 1995: 77; M.C. Regmi 1978: 163; M.C. Regmi 1988: 270).
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).
sāheba / sāhaba	[fr. A. sāhib] n. 1) word to respectfully address a high-ranking person, sir. 2) master.
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).
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).
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.
ṭhekadāra	var. ṭhekaḍāra, ṭhekādār, ṭhikidār, ṭhekdār; n. contractor. 1) person who holds a ṭheka for the collection of taxes (M.C. Regmi 1988: 270). 2) farmer who rents his land.