A votive inscription on the front side of a silver cover copy of a copper representation of the moon on top of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot recording its donation by Daśa Nārā and his family (VS 2008)
ID: NHDP_0001_0157
Edited and
translated by Simon Cubelic and Rajan Khatiwoda
in collaboration with
Bharat Maharjan
Created: 2023-04-26;
Last modified: 2023-12-19
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Abstract
The inscription engraved on the front side of a silver cover copy of a copper representation of the moon records its donation by Daśa Nārā and his family for the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot and records the amount of silver required for its manufacture.Diplomatic edition
[1]
1[An embossed face of the moon] 1[A crescent on which the face figure rests and where the text is inscribed] 1सम्वत२००८सालजेष्टशुल्कपक्ष२४गतेवृहस्पतिवारत्रितियादिनेश्रीः३करुणामययारथसश्रीचन्द्रसुर्यचढे2यानाजुलव़हतोला⟪१६०⟫थुगुपुन्यंजगतसंसारेसत्वप्राणिउद्धारजुयासुखावतिभुवनेवासलायमाल:दशनारा:जोगनारा:सेँ:तुल्सी:जकु:मचाम:
Translation
[1r]
On Thursday, the third lunar day of the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha, [which is] the 24th solar day, in the [Vikrama era] year 2008, [representations of] the glorious moon and sun were offered for the chariot of the thrice glorious Karuṇāmaya. The silver [required for the manufacture of this object was] 160 tolās. May all living beings in this world be uplifted by this meritorious act and may they all dwell in the Sukhavatī heaven. [Donors:] Daśa Nārā, Joga Nārā, Sẽ, Tulsī, Jaku, Macāma.
Commentary
The inscription is engraved on the front side of a silver cover copy of a copper representation of the moon (NHDP Object ID number LAL0001-028). The original object was donated by Dhiṃnara Noko and a clan of Deobhājus in 1845 (see NHDP_0001_0156), while the silver copy was produced in 1951 by Daśa Nārā and his family, as this inscription indicates. On a photo taken on 2 May 2022 the silver copy is seen detached from the copper image.1 This object, together with an image of the sun (NHDP_0001_0166) and other items, is placed on the bāymvaḥ fixed on the top part of the chariot. The earlier-dated inscription on the backside of this object refers to it as moon (NHDP_0001_0156), whereas this inscription on the front side mentions sun and moon, just as the undated inscription on the sun representation (NHDP_0001_0166). Therefore, it is likely, that the two objects are considered as a pair and both inscriptions refer to them collectively, though each object was donated by different individuals.