A stone slab inscription at Su Bāhāḥ in Lalitpur re Dhanajyoti and his wife Rukamanī’s installation of a Lokeśvara idol at a phalcā (NS 820)
ID: NHDP_0001_0108
Edited by
Rajan Khatiwoda and Rajendra Shakya
in collaboration with
Simon Cubelic and Ravi Shakya
Created: 2020-05-20;
Last modified: 2021-09-06
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Abstract
This inscription records the installation of an image of Lokeśvara at a phalcā and the establishment of a guṭhī to observe its anniversaries, both under the sponsorship of donors Dhanajyoti and his wife Rukamanī of Su BāhāḥDiplomatic edition
[1r]
[Engraving of Candra and Sūrya] [Engraving of a caitya adorned with a garland on a double lotus throne] [Engraving of Candra and Sūrya] [Ornamentally engraved line]1⟅ ॐनमोरत्नंत्रयाय।।धर्म्मेश्वर:सकलपापविनाशहे2तुःसौखावतीगतिमहाजनमार्थहे[?]दुःखाधिपारगमनो
3त्तमकर्ण्णधारःश्रीलोकनाथचरणंभवतोभजेहं।। ।।श्रयोऽस्तु
4सम्वत्८२०वैशाषशुक्लचतुर्थ्या:परेपञ्चम्यान्तिथौमृगशिर
5नक्षत्रेअतिगण्डयोगेशुक्रवासरे।थ्वकुन्हुश्रीलोकेश्वर﹨फलेप्र
6तिष्ठादिनजुरो।। ।।दानपतिसलको[?]थविरश्रीधनजोतिजु।।
7भार्य्यारुकमणि[?]ति ﹨﹨केहेंव
8न्हाय।थुतिसमुहनदुन्ता।।[?]बुरोव[?]।थ्वतियावरसानन
9दवथ्यजुरो।।[?]चैत्यभ[?]र।।गजुरिथ्वतिया
10तजुरो।।मेष[?][?][?][?]।।फं२सियाब
11जि﹨﹨फं२थ्व[?]तिफरेस﹨﹨
12दानबियजुरोभुय[?]फं२सष्वा
13र﹨﹨थुतियायरश[?][?]भोजन
14यायजुरो﹨गुथि[?][?][?]तिजु﹨﹨मणि
15देवजु﹨﹨कोवाहारदे[?]वराजजु﹨﹨वं
16कुवाहरकुतुजुथुति[?]यायमार﹨﹨सेल्हो
17यात﹨दमशुकितयन[?]ग्वम्हनसे
18नकर﹨वम्हनप[?]नकमथ्वया
19सहस्रपुण्यराकजुरो।।शुभमस्तुसर्वदा।। [Engraving of a vajra at the end of the line] [Engraving of a vajra in the lower left margin] [Engraving of Prajñāpāramitā] [Engraving of the Buddha] [Engraving of Ṣaḍakṣarī Lokeśvara] [Engraving of a vajra in the lower right margin]
Synopsis
On Friday, [between the conclusion of] the 4th and [the beginning of] the 5th of the bright fortnight of Vaiśākha in NS 820 (1700 CE), an image of Lokeśvara was installed at the phalcā in Su Bāhāḥ. Dhanajyoti and his wife Rukamanī, residents of Su Bāhāḥ, donated 8 ropanīs of land 1 and established a guṭhī to fund the annual rituals. With the revenue from the land, 2 pāthīs of puffed rice (syāḥbaji), 2 pāthīs of thvã (?) and other items2 are to be distributed at the phalcā as charity (dāna) on meṣasaṃkrānti, the first day of Vaiśākha. A coat of whitewash from 2 pāthīs of lime is to be applied and certain persons are to be fed food items of their choice3 . The guṭhī members ..., Jyotiju (text: Jotiju), Maṇidevaju, Devarājaju4 , ... of Ko Bāhāḥ, and the kutuju5 of Oku Bāhāḥ (text: Vaṃku Bāhara) are instructed to perform an illegible task. An illegible amount is allocated for renovating the phalcā. It is stated that whoever does these things will receive a thousandfold merit.
Commentary
As many letters have faded, it is difficult to read the inscription completely. What we know from it for certain is that Dhanajyoti and his wife Rukamanī, residents from Su Bāhāḥ, sponsored the installation of an image of Lokeśvara at a phalcā in Su Bāhāḥ and donated land to support the annual rituals for the image. The actual location of the phalcā at which the image was installed is not clear, as the inscription is no longer at its original location. The phalcā probably is the one to the east of the monastery.