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A lālamohara from King Rājendra appointing Raṃjīta Giri as overseer of sannyāsīs (V.S. 1898)

ID: DNA_0015_0033


Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2015-02-14; Last modified: 2018-06-22
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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, 2017. 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 CCby-SA.

Abstract

This edict from King Rājendra grants Raṃjīta Giri the office of central overseer (mahantamaṇḍalāi) of sannyāsīs under a one-year contract (ijārā) and defines further details relating to this privilege.



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्रीदुर्गाज्यूः­\

[royal seal]

1स्वस्ति­श्रीगिरिराजचक्रचूडामणिनरनारायणेत्यादिविविधविरुदावलीविराजमान
2मान्नोतश्रीमन्महाराजाधिराजश्रीश्रीश्रीमहाराजराजेन्द्रविक्रमसाहहादूरसम्से
3रजङ्गदेवानां­सदा­समरविजयीनाम्­¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯
4आगे­सहर­काठमाडौका­व्यासेभुटोल­वस्न्या­गोसाञी­रंजीत­गिरिके­सहर­काठमा
5डौ­
सहर­पाटन्‌­सहर­भादगाउ­गैह्र­नेपालषालटाभर­औ­मेचि­पश्चिम­भेडाहा­
6उत्तर­•भेरि­पूर्व­•रसुवा­दक्षिण­येति­राजे­भित्रका­महंतमंडली­सम्वत्­१८९८­सा
7ल­मिति­वैसाष­वदि­१­रोजदेषि­चैत्र­सुदि­१५­सम्म­वर्ष­१को­इजारा­गरिवक्स्यौं­आ
8फ्‌ना­षातीरजामासंग­संन्यासिछेउको­मर्‍योअपुतालीमा­घर­षेत्‌­वाहेक‌­डंडकुं
9ड­पंचषत्‌­औ­उम्य्राली­द्वारि­वितलप­•विर्ताटुसाल­छतिसै­जातभित्र­वस्न्या­संन्या
10सि­हायु­•दनुव़ार­दरैं­कुह्माल­•चेपां­पहरि­माझिछेउ­परापूर्वदेषि­लाग्‍याको­•दै
11दस्तुर­लिनु­•असलसित­•जातमान­चलाऊनु­•कमसलसित­नमिसनु­•संन्यासि
12को­परिआयाको­चंन्‍द्रायन­चलाउनु­•वर्ष­१को­सावीक­रुपैया­१८७।।­साल­९७­
13देषि­बढ्याको­रुपैया­२०­दुवै­वेमोजरै­ज्मा­रुपैया­२०७।।­दर्वार­दाषील­गर्नु­भा
14रादार­जागीरदार­•सुवा­सुवेदार‌­अमाली­द्वार्‍या­विर्तवार­•तलप्या­कसैले­मंड
15लिको­रकममा­हेमायेत्‌­नगर्नु­•हेमायेत­गर्याका­ठाउमा­रकम­चलाइदिनु­•सं
16न्यासिमंडलीका­ठाऊमा­हेमायेत्‌­गर्नामा­पस्या­डंड­पर्ला‌­इति­सम्वत्­१८९८
17साल­मिति­प्र‌­आश्वीन­सुदी­१४­रोज­४­शुभ्म्­¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯

Translation

[1r]

Venerable Durgājyū

Hail! [A decree] of him who is shining with manifold rows of eulogy [such as] "The venerable crest-jewel of the multitude of mountain kings" and Naranārāyaṇa (an epithet of Kṛṣṇa) etc., high in honour, the venerable supreme king of great kings, the thrice venerable great king, Rājendra Vikrama Sāha, the brave swordsman, the divine king always triumphant in war.

[Regarding] the following: to the gosāīRaṃjīta Giri living in Byāsebhuṭola in the city of Kathmandu

We [hereby] execute a one-year contract (ijārā) [with you] as central overseer (mahantamaṇḍalī) [of the sannyāsīs] from the 1st day of the dark half of Vaiśākha, Saṃvat year 1898 to the 15th of the bright half of Caitra in the whole Kathmandu Valley (nepālakhalaṭābhara), [i.e.] the city of Kathmandu, the city of Patan, the city of Bhaktapur etc., and in [that part of] the kingdom (yeti rāje) west of the Mecī, north of the Bheḍāhā, east of the Bherī [and] south of the Rasuvā. Collect (linu) with content (āphnā khātīrajāmāsaṃga) the sannyāsīs' escheated property (maryoaputālī)—except for houses and fields—the judicial fines (daṇḍakuṇḍa) [and the penalties for] the five heinous crimes (pañcakhata), and—[with the help of] the umyrālīs (for umarāu?), dvāres, bitalapa (for bitalapyā?) and birtāṭusāla (?) 1 —the customary fee (daidastura) prevalent from olden times (parāpūrvadekhi lāgyāko) from the sannyāsīs living amongst the 36 jātas (i.e. householder sannyāsīs),2 the hāyūs, danuvāras, darāis, kumāles, cepaṅs, paharis [and] mājhīs. Uphold caste and creed honestly (asalasita jātamāna calāunu). Do not become involved in what is base. Uphold the traditional (pariāyeko) candrāyana (for cāndrāyaṇa?).3 Present to the palace the previously customary (sābika) 187½ rupees for one year [along with] the increase of 20 rupees [valid] since the year [VS 18]97, the two totalling, with no deduction (bemojarai), 207½ rupees. No bhārādāra, jāgīradāra, subbā, subedāra, amālī, dvāre, birtāvāra, talapya (for bitalapyā?) [or] anyone [else] shall show [any] favoritism when [collecting] maṇḍalī money. Collect money instead of showing favoritism. If favoritism is shown in sannyāsīmaṇḍalī locales, it will be punished.

Wednesday, the 14th day of the bright fortnight of the first Āśvina of the [Vikrama] era year 1898 (1841 CE). Auspiciousness.


Commentary

Also available are a number of royal orders addressed to officials in different parts of the kingdom and instructing them to collect revenue for Raṃjīta Giri (see DNA_0013_0059, DNA_0015_0031, DNA_0016_0075).


Notes

1. The term is unclear. M.C. Regmi mentions a central office known as "Tusal" that was "responsible for settlement of land disputes, registration of (Birta) land transactions, demarcation of land boundaries, irrigation, damage to lands by floods and landslides and other functions. It also handled procurement of copper on behalf of the Mint.“ (M.C. Regmi 1970: 275; cf. also M.C. Regmi 1978: 229 and Edwards 1975: 114). If this office is meant here the document would indicate that its officers were also involved in revenue affairs, at least in Kathmandu Valley. []

2. For the seemingly paradoxical phenomenon of householder sannyāsīs, see Bouillier 1985. []

3. cāndrāyaṇa, lit. "belonging to the course of the moon", is a special way of fasting prescribed for purposes of expiation (prāyaścitta). The term cāndrāyaṇa or sarva cāndrāyaṇa also denoted a special levy that had to be paid to the dharmādhikārī, the supreme religious judge in the court. The details available on this tax vary. According to Rana 1995: 129f. every household in Nepal had to pay four paisā per annum to get "some sin" committed unknowingly pardoned by the dharmādhikārī, while Bhaṭṭāraī et al. 1983: 223 gives the rate as "6 paisa per pillar" (i.e. per house) and says that the tax "supposedly erased any past or future transgression resulting from accidental contact with an untouchable" (quoted in Bouillier 1998: 230). The collection of this tax, which allowed the dharmādhikārī to raise a "sizeable amount of money" (Rana 1995: 130), repeatedly gave rise to conflict. Michaels 2005: 44, who identifies the cāndrāyaṇa tax with the dāna tax mentioned in Kumar 1967: 92, addresses the conflicts between the dharmādhikārī and the priests involved in the cāndrāyaṇa ritual (with reference to Naraharinātha 1956-57/pt. 2: 267). Concerning a dispute between the yogī monastery in Caughera and the administrative apparatus, see Bouillier 1998: 230f. (with reference to Naraharinātha 1966: 485 and 499). []