A report from Loka Bahādura Thāpā Chetṛ re the appointment of Hīrānātha as abbot of the Śrīgāũ monastery (VS 1943)
ID: K_0097_0038
Edited and
translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2019-06-03;
Last modified: 2024-01-16
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Abstract
In this report, Colonel Loka Bahādura Thāpā Chetṛ, the chief of the Salyan district office, informs the prime minister about Hīrānātha's petition to be confirmed as successor of Mahanta Khimānātha on the monastic throne (gaddī ) of Siddha Bhagavantanātha in Śrīgāũ, Salyan/Dang.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1श्रीभवानीवक्स2२1श्रीसिद्धभगव़ंतनाथ•
2१[seal]1चिफ्कर्नैललोकवहादुरथापाछेतृलेचर्हायाकोरीपोट्¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯
2ऊप्रांतमहाराजकरुणानिधान्•सल्ल्यानादाङ्श्रीगाऊका¯ ¯ १ ¯ ¯कामठगद्दीमावस्न्यामहंतहरू
3काचोलावदल्दामठ्जगाधांनसक्न्याचेलालाई•महंतहरूलेकागजपत्रगरिदीपिठीञामा•
4धाप्दीगद्दीसौंपीजाँथ्या•महंतहुन्याचेलालेसल्ल्यानाअडामाजाहेरगरीसोअडाकापगरीर
5१पट्टीसिपाहील्याईगद्दीमावसालीसल्ल्यानैअडामार्फत्लालमोहरदस्षत्गराईदिन्यारितअ
6घीदेषीचलीआयाकोरहेछहालमेरागुरूसोमठ्कामहंत•षिमानाथलाईगर्मिसन्वंदीका
7जरोलेथालीसिकिस्तहुँदाअसाध्येठहरीहांम्रापुर्षागद्दीकामालिकलेचलाईआयावमोजीम्
8हामीले•तँचेलालाईगद्दीसौँपीगञ्यूँसल्ल्यानाअडामाजाहेरगरीगद्दीमावसीसावीक्वमोजीम्
9मठ्जगाचलन्गरीसनदपत्रगराउनुभनी४३सालआश्वीनसुदी३रोज५कादिननीजमेरा
10गुरूषीमानाथवाटमेरानाउमाकागजलेषीछापलगाई•दिनुभयाकोथीयोउस्काभोलीपल्ट
11आश्वीनसुदी४रोज६कादिननीजमेरागुरूमुक्तभयालालवमोहरसावीक्वमोजीम्येस्
12अडावाट•मलाईगद्दीमावसाली•चाहिन्यासनदपत्रगराईपाउन्याहुँभनीचोलावदल्न्याम
13हंतषीमानाथकाचेलामहंत•हिरानाथलेनीजमहंतषीमानाथकानाऊमा३८सालफागु
14णवदी२रोज१कादिन•भयाकोलालमोहरकानक्कल्र•नीजहिरानाथलाईनीजषिमानाथ
15लेगरीदीयाकोकागजस्मेत्ल्याईयेस्अडा•माजाहेरगर्नआऊदा३५सालमासोहीमठ्का
16महंतजगदीश्वरनाथकाचोलावदलीनीजमहंतषीमानाथले•महंत्याञीपाऊदाहजुरपाल्
17पामाराज•भयाकावषत्माहजुरवाटगरीवक्स्याकोदस्षत्•देषीनाले•नीजहिरानाथमठज
18गाकोकामकाजचलाऊनसक्नेलायेक्कोठहर्याई३८सालफागुणवदी२रोज१कादि[?]नी
19जमहंतषीमानाथकानाऊमाभयाको•लालमोहररसावीक्देषीचलीआया[?]जीम्[?][?]
20डा[?][?]रीर•¯ २ ¯कंपनी१पट्टीकाहुद्दासिपाहीनीजहिरानाथकासाथपठाई¯ १ ¯[?]मठ्[?]
21द्दीमावसालीमठ्कोकामकाजचलाउनलाईदिन्याकामगर्याँनीजहीरानाथलेचर्हाया•
22कोसलामीसुनाकाअसर्फिथान्१पनीयेसैरपोट्माषामीचढाईपठायाकोछुँदाषील•
23होला•नीजहीरानाथकानाऊमापठाईदीनु•भन्यासदरदफदरषानाअडाकाहाकीम्कारीन्दा[?]
24नाऊमासनदगरीवक्स्यासावीक्दरसावीक्कारीतीथितीवमोजीम्हजुरहरूकोजयेम[?]
25ई¯ १ ¯कामठ्कोपुजाआजाकामकाजचलाउंदाहोलालमोहरदस्षत्महंतषिमानाथ
26लेगद्दीसोपीगरीदियाकोकागजकानकलस्मेत्तपसील्मा•गासीजाहेरगर्याकोछुँजो
27मर्जिहुकुम्•¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯
28ईतीसम्वत१९४३सालमीतीकार्तिकसुदी८रोज५[?][seal]
Translation
[1r]
Śrī Bhavānī Baksa 2
ŚrīSiddhaBhagavantanātha (text: Bhagavaṃtanātha) 1
[[seal]]1
Report offered by [District] Chief Colonel Loka Bahādura Thāpā Chetṛ
Uprānta. O great king, treasure store of compassion2
MahantaHīrānātha3 the disciple of the late Mahanta Khimānātha4 , bringing a copy of the lālamohara issued in the name of the said Mahanta Khimānātha on Sunday, the 2nd of the dark fortnight of Phālguna of the [Vikrama era] year [19]385 together with a document (kāgaja) given to the said Hīrānātha by the said Khimānātha6 , came to inform this office (i.e. the Salyan office) of the following:
"Whenever the mahantas sitting on the monastic throne of [ŚrīSiddha Bhagavantanātha]7 of Śrīgāũ, Salyan (text: Sallyānā)/Dang (text: Dāṅ), [were about to] pass away (lit. change bodies), they would give a letter (kāgajapatra) to a disciple who was able to manage the monastic estates, clap [him] on the back [and] confer the throne [upon him]. The customary practice since earlier times has been [that] the disciple, the mahanta-to-be, informed the Salyan office (aḍḍā) and that the office's chief officer (pagarī) brought a detachment (paṭṭī) of soldiers [and] installed [the disciple] on the throne whereafter the Salyan office had a lālamohara signed [and] delivered [to him]. In recent days, when my guru, the mahanta of that monastery (maṭha), Khimānātha, fell seriously ill, after developing the fever related to the hot season, [and] remained incurable, he—my previously mentioned guru, Khimānātha—penned and applied his seal to a document (kāgaja) [written] in my name on Thursday, the 3rd of the bright fortnight of Āśvina of the [Vikrama era] year [19]43,8 which states: 'According to what has been traditionally practised by the occupants (lit. masters, mālikas) of our ancestors' throne, we have conferred the throne upon you, [my] disciple. Inform the Salyan office, assume the throne, use the monastic estates in the customary way [and] have a certificate of appointment (sanadapatra) issued.'9 On the next day, Friday, the 4th of the bright fortnight of Āśvina, he was released (i.e. passed away).10 I am to receive a lālamohara, this office having installed me on throne [and] having had the necessary sanadapatra issued according to customary practice."11
I saw that, when Mahanta Jagadīśvaranātha passed away in [Vikrama era] year [19]35 [and] Mahanta Khimānātha received the abbotship, the signature (daskata) was granted by You (hajura) as ruler (rāja) in Palpa (text: Pālpā)12 , whence I deemed the said Hīrānātha to be able to manage the monastic estates, [and]—in accordance with the lālamohara issued in the name of the said Mahanta Khimānātha on Sunday, the 2nd of the dark fortnight of Phālguna of the [Vikrama era] year [19]38 and what has been customarily practised—I sent the pagarī of this office and one group of senior officers (huddā) and soldiers of the [Śrī Bhavānī Baksa]13 Company (kampanī)14 to the said Hīrānātha, installed [him] on the throne of the maṭha of [ŚrīSiddha Bhagavantanātha]15 and performed the task of assigning [him] management of the maṭha. I am also sending, enclosed with this report, the 1 gold coin (asarphī) offered by the said Hīrānātha as a complimentary present (salāmī). It will doubtless be accepted. If you issue an order (sanada) in the name of the chief and the clerks of the General Registry Office (Sadara Daphtarakhānā) that states: "[A lālamohara] in the name of the said Hīrānātha shall be sent", the customary worship and business of the maṭha of [ŚrīSiddha Bhagavantanātha] will be conducted and the victories of You and Your Government (? hajuraharū) will be celebrated according to prevailing custom. I bring to [Your] notice, [as listed] in the details, the copies of the lālamohara, the daskhata and the document by which Mahanta Khimānātha conferred the throne. Whatever order [You give, I shall obey].
Thursday, the 8th of bright fortnight of Kārttika of the [Vikrama] era year 1943 (1886 CE).16 [[seal]]17
Commentary
The present document regarding the confirmation of the abbotship of Hīrānātha (and not, as the NGMPP catalogue card mistakenly states, of Khimānātha) raises some interesting issues. It is, for instance, the only source available so far that provides further information and the exact date of Mahanta Khimānātha's death. Furthermore, although the document speaks of the "customary practice since earlier times", it attests to changes in the formal procedure of appointing a new mahanta to the monastic throne of Siddha Bhagavantanātha. While the late Mahanta Khimānātha had approached the governor of Palpa (see above), his disciple Hīrānātha followed the instructions of Khimānātha's letter to him and channelled his request for an official confirmation of his abbotship through the district office of Salyan. Loka Bahādura Thāpā Chetrī, who wrote this report to the "hajura" and "rāja" formerly governing in Palpa and now freshly appointed as prime minister, namely Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā (see n. 11), took over the Salyan district office—after an interim period under his mother Himmat Kumārī (Regmi 1985: 38)—from his deceased father Dalamardana Thāpā Chetrī in 1873 (Adhikari 1984: 228 table V; Regmi 1985: 38). According to Regmi he was later "found to be owing arrears of payment to the government", had to return to Kathmandu, whereupon his brother Śera Bahādura Thāpā Chetrī was appointed as his successor in 1882 (Regmi 1985: 39). However, as the present document shows, four years later he was (still or again?) involved in the affairs of the Salyan district office.
In Kārttika VS 1944, twelve months after Loka Bahādura had submitted this report, the matter was processed by the Sadara Daphtarakhānā (see K_0097_0042). A fortnight later the prime minister's Mulukī Aḍḍā also concurred (see K_0097_0043), and in Māgha VS 1944 a corresponding mahantyāĩko lālamohara in the name of Hīrānātha was issued by King Pṛthvī Vīra Vikrama (see K_0469_0024).