The inscription on the brahmakõ of Buṅgadyaḥ recording the vessel's initial donation by King Viṣṇu Malla and its replacement by Juddha Śamśera (VS 1990)
ID: NHDP_0001_0139
Edited and
translated by Simon Cubelic
in collaboration with
Nutandhar Sharma
Created: ;
Last modified: 2022-11-23
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Abstract
This inscription, engraved on a large silver jar, consists of two parts: The first part records the initial donation of the jar by King Viṣṇu Malla in NS 851. The second part records that the original jar was damaged as a result of the 1934 earthquake and that Prime Minister Juddha Śamśera sponsored its replacement.Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1श्रीः11श्री ३ लोकनाथाय़ नमः॥लोकेश्वरं श्रुतिधरं तु वर्नैकहेतुवर्णैकहेतुं रक्ताम्वरं सूगतधर्म्ममनस्मनक्तं सुगतधर्ममनोभिरक्तम् हिंसामनरर्थकंरमिभ्येभिधा2ये़म भ्यालोक च रक्त मनिसं प्रनमामि प्रणमामिनित्यदारसिंह विष्णुमल्लं सदा त्वं रक्षतु क्षमः॥सम्रादिव्यै खगर्भ्य सदा पातु त्वमहर्सी त्वमर्हसि॥
3विद्युवानवसुसर्मीत वत्सरे नवने मासि च पंचदसेतिथो॥ सिततरे कविवार समानिते नृप वर्न वरार्थ करेन च ॥ मत्स्येन्द्रनाथाय़
4दिगंत सपदे परापरग्यान विस्वधिता तम्ने ॥अमेन संतोषित सवर्नं तवे ऽदीतंजीवद्यतं तुलाजतं॥x॥1 1नेसम्वत्८५१सालमाश्रीमाहाराज़जयविष्णुमल्ललेव्रह्मकोवनाईश्रीमछिद्रनाथलाईचढाईराषेकोमा९०सालमा
2घ२गते२कादिनठुलोभूकम्पभैमंन्दिरस्मेत्भक्तिव्रह्मकोकामनलाग्नेभैस्वस्तिश्रीमद्दतिप्रचण्दभुजदण्डेत्यादिओज
3स्विराजन्यप्रोज्ज्वलनेपालताराअतीप्रवलगोर्खादक्षिणवाहुपृथुलाधीशश्रीश्रीश्रीमहाराजजुद्धशम्सेरजङ्गवहादु
4रराणाग्राहदक्वादलालेजिञोदअनेय़रजिसिसान्तिमरीजीय़ोएलाज्जारोजिसिआ•ई•ईयितेङ्ग•पाव़टिङ्ग•शुनचि
5य़ानलुचुय़ांश्याङ्ग•च्याङ्गअनरेरिलेफटनेन्टजनरलवृटिशआर्मीअनरेरिकर्णेलअफअलदिगोर्खाराईफलरेजिमे
6न्टसईडियानआर्मीप्राईम्मिनिष्टरय़ाण्डसुप्रिमृकम्यांडरईनचिफवाटजिर्णोउद्धारगरिवक्सेकोसं१९९०
7सालचैत्रगतेरोजशुभम्टोला2 ॥
Translation
[1r]
[The first part of the inscription engraved on the vessel is written in highly corrupted Sanskrit and its meaning remains largely obscure. It seems that it consists of the following elements: an expression of obeisance and praise to Lokanātha; a request to Lokanātha for the protection of King Viṣṇu Malla (text: Dārasiṃha Viṣṇu Malla)3 ; and documentation of King Viṣṇu Malla's sponsorship of the jīvaghaṭa (Skt., lit. "spirit jar") for Matsyendranātha in NS 851.]
When on Monday, the 2nd of Māgha in the Vikrama era year [19]90 during the big earthquake the Brahma-vessel (brahmakõ)4 , which was commissioned by the venerable Mahārāja Jaya Viṣṇu Malla in the Nepāla era year 851 and offered to glorious Matsyendranātha became unusable when the temple collapsed, its replacement (jirṇoddhāra)5 was sponsored by—hail! (svasti)6 —the thrice venerable Mahārāja Juddha Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā, who is very mighty, has arms like a staff etc., Grand Master (pṛthulādhīśa) [of the most glorious order] of Ojasvī Rājanya, [of the] Most Refulgent [Order of the] Star of Nepal (Nepāla Tārā), and the Atiprabala Gorakhā Dakṣiṇa Bāhu, Grand Croix de la Legion d' Honneur, GC [of the Order of] Saints Maurice and Lazarus, GCIE, Yi Teṅga Pāva Ṭiṅga Śuna Ciyāna, Lu Cuyāṃ Śyāṅga Cyāṅga, Honorary Lieutentant General in the British Army, Honorary Colonel of all the Gurkha Rifle Regiments [in the] Indian Army, Prime Minister and Supreme Commander-in-Chief. [Weekday], the [date: day]7 of Caitra in the [Vikrama era] year 1990. May it be auspicious.
Commentary
The present jar, in the above inscription on it referred to by the Sanskrit term jīvaghaṭa and the Nevārī term brahmakõ, is an important ritual object during the bathing ceremony (naḥvaṃ/mahāsnāna) of Buṅgadyaḥ that takes place on the first day of the dark fortnight of Vaiśākha in Taḥ Bāhāḥ. As documented by J. Locke 1980: 262–263 and B. Owens 1989: 198–199, the spirit of the deity is transferred from the image into the jar by the officiating VajrācāryaPānju before the image is taken to Lagankhel. After that, the jar is placed inside the sanctum of the temple, where it resides until the renewal of the image is completed. During this time, the jar replaces the image in the regular daily worship. Whereas in Locke's account (Locke 1980: 262–263) the transferral takes place on the bathing day, Owens argues that the spirit is transferred into a small jar in the night before through the secret jīvana-nyāsa-pūjā (Owens 1989: 198–199). The spirit is retransferred into the renovated image at the beginning of the daśakarmapūjā with the Nyekhu painters (Owens 1989: 210).
The second part of the inscription indicates that the original vessel donated by King Viṣṇu Malla in NS 851 was severely damaged during the 1934 earthquake. Maybe the first part of the inscription was copied from the original object and the engraver was not able to decipher the text properly, either because it was damaged or he was unable to read the ancient script. This would explain why it is written in highly corrupt Sanskrit. The inscription is transcribed in Koirālā VS 2052: 68–69 and documented by NHDP as LAL0041_I_003.