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A document from Bhīma Śamśera instructing the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā to fill a vacant biseṭ post at Kathmandu’s Sveta Matsyendranātha Guṭhī (VS 1965)

ID: K_0213_0062

Edited and translated by Manik Bajracharya and Rajendra Shakya
Created: 2022-03-12; Last modified: 2022-08-24
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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, 2022. 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 document from Commander-in-Chief Bhīma Śamśera directs the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā to appoint a person to the vacant post of biseṭ at the Sveta Matsyendranātha Guṭhī at Jana Bāhāla, Kathmandu.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्रीसेतामछिन्द्रनाथ
2२

1श्री५सर्कार
2१

1श्रीकम्यांडरइनचिफजनरलभीमसम्सेर
2जङ्गराणावाहादुरवाट

[seal with the legend:श्रीभीमसम्सेर६०]

[Unknown seal]

1¯ ¯१¯तफगुठीवन्दोवस्तअडाकाहाकिमकारीन्दालेपुर्जिहेरी¯ ¯२¯कोकामगर्नेविसेट्‌मध्ये१जनाविसेट्‌
2षालिभैकामकाजगर्नेमानिसनभयाकोहुनाले∙सोकामगर्नेमानिस्‌राषिदेऊभनीभंदागुठीवंदो
3वस्तले∙छेभडेलवाटवंदोवस्तगर्नेभंन्यार∙छेभडेलमाभंनजादागुठीवाटवन्दोवस्तगरीदिंछभनीठेका
4नागरीनदिदाकाम्‌अड्‌कीरहेछजाहावाटवंदोवस्तहुनेहोचाडोवंदोवस्तहव़स्‌भनीपुजाहारी∙मनी
5रत्नगुभाजुलेहाम्राहजुरमाविंतीचढाउदाजाहेरभयोतसर्थ∙सोषालीभय़ाकाविसेट्षान्गीमा
6तेसअडावाटमानीस्‌भर्नागरीहाम्राहजुरमादर्सन्‌गराईसावीक्‌वमोजींनीजवाटजोगराउनुपर्नेकाम
7गर्नलाउनेकामगरइतिसम्वत्‌१९६५सालश्राव़ण१८गतेरोज७श्भ्म्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯

Translation

[1r]

Śrī Sveta Matsyendranātha (text: Setā Machindranātha) – 2

Śrī 5 sarkāra - 1

From the venerable Kamyāṇḍara ina cipha janarala Bhīma Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā

[Seal with the legend: Śrī Bhīma Samsera 60]1

[Unknown seal]

[The following] came to our notice after the priest Manīratna Gubhāju petitioned us, saying: “When [we] asked for a person to be appointed to the vacant post of one of the biseṭs who handled work relating to -2- [i.e., glorious Sveta Matsyendranātha]2 , the hākima [and] kārindās of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā of -1- [Śrī 5 sarkāra]3 checked the purjī [that you (i.e., Bhīma) issued] and said that the Chebhaḍela Aḍḍā was the one to make the appointment (bandobasta, lit. arrangements). When we went to the Chebhaḍela Aḍḍā, [they in turn] told that the Guṭhī [Bandobasta Aḍḍā] would make the appointment. As the matter was not resolved [by either office], the work [of the biseṭ] has been stalled. May the appointment be decided soon by whichever office it is supposed to come from.”

Therefore, your (lit. that) aḍḍā (i.e., the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā) should appoint a person to the vacantbiseṭ post [and grant the accompanying] emolument (khāngī). Have him pay darśana to us, and see to it that he carries out the usual required tasks.

Saturday, the 18th of Śvāraṇa in the [Vikrama] era year 1965 (1908 CE). Auspiciousness.

Commentary

This document clears up a point of confusion which arose over whether the Chebhaḍela or Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā should appoint a particular biseṭ when his post became vacant. Commander-in-Chief Bhīma Śamśera here instructs the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā to fill the vacant slot, making it clear that in this particular instance it was that office’s responsibility to make the appointment.

Notes

1. The number ‘60’ is probably the year VS 1960 (1903 CE). Although the number appears to refer to the year Bhīma Śamśera officially assumed the post of commander-in-chief, he already occupied the second position in the Rāṇā Roll of Succession drafted by Candra Śamśera in VS 1958 (1901 CE) after Candra came into power by deposing his elder brother Deva Śamśera (cf. Rāja VS 2073: 194). [⇑]

2. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

3. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
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).
darśana	n. a vision, sight or blessing of a deity or an honourable person. On darśana, see D. Eck (1985) and Michaels “Darśana”, in: Religion Past and Present, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_03411 (first published online in 2011; last accessed on 21 June 2022).
Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā	var. Guṭhī 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).
hākima	[H. fr. A.] var. hākim, hākīm; n. chief of an administrative unit, government office or court (Adhikari 1984: 349; Kumar 1967: 165; Michael 2012: 131; M.C. Regmi 2002: 299).
kamyāṇḍara ina cipha janarala	[fr. E.] mod. N. kamāṇḍara °; var. kamyāṇḍara īna cīpha janarala; n. commander-in-chief general, formal head of the army; second in the Rāṇā hierarchy and first in the Rāṇā roll of succession.
kārindā	[fr. P. kāranda] var. kārīṃdā, kārīndā; n. clerk or low-ranking official.
khānagī / khānkī / khāngī	n. 1) salary, wages, or an annual emolument. 2) emoluments of government employees and functionaries, generally in the form of land assignments (M.C. Regmi 1978: 227; cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 860; Adhikari 1984: 351). 3) rents accruing from the lands assigned to jāgiradāras (cf. M.C. Regmi 1965: 18-19).
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.
Rāṇā Roll of Succession	The Rāṇā roll of succession fixed the names of lawful claimants to various high offices of the state in hierarchical order from the top-most post of prime minister and commander-in-chief (prāimaminisṭara yaṇḍa kamyāṇḍara ina cipha) downwards. It was initiated by Jaṅga Bahādura Kũvara Rāṇā after his return from Europe in 1856 (and revised by him in 1860 and 1868). Later, Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā and other prime ministers either made new rolls or revised the existing ones (Kumar 1967: 66). The offices were: 1. commander-in-chief general (kamyāṇḍara ina cipha janarala) 2. western commanding general (paścima tarphakā kamyāṃḍiṅ janarala) 3. eastern commanding general (pūrva tarphakā kamyāṃḍiṅ janarala) 4. southern commanding general (dakṣiṇa tarphakā kamyāṃḍiṅ janarala) 5. northern commanding general (uttara tarphakā kamyāṃḍiṅ janarala) followed by: - generals (janarala) - lieutenant generals (lephṭena janarala) - major generals (mejara janarala) - lieutenant colonels (lephṭena karṇela) - colonels (karṇela) - etc. (Kumar 1967: 66, 100).
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.
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).

Bibliography

Rāja, Prakāśa E.. VS 2073. Rāṇā pradhānamantrīharuko jīvanī. Kathmandu: Makālu Prakāśana Gṛha.