A tablet inscription at Jośī Sataḥ at Saugaḥ written by Bhājunārāyaṇa and his family members recording the building's initial construction and daily and occassional worship (NS 962)
ID: NHDP_0001_0175
Edited and
translated by Simon Cubelic, Rajan Khatiwoda and Rajendra Shakya
Created: 2023-05-02;
Last modified: 2024-12-13
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Abstract
This inscription records the construction of the Jośī Sataḥ at Saugaḥ by Bhājunārāyaṇa and his family members and stipulates that the daily worship of Gaṇeśa and annual offerings during the processions of Buṅgadyaḥ and Indra Jātrā are to be financed by renting out space in the sataḥ for a shop.Diplomatic edition
[1]
[A carved image of Umāmaheśvara in the middle of the top margin flanked by Gaṇeśa (left) and Kumāra (right)][A carved image of six donors at the bottom]1 ᠀ श्रीगणेशायनमः।। ।।करर्चकेसितेराधेतृतीया2यांभृगौदिने॥श्री३राजेन्द्रविक्रमसाहदेव
3नरनारायनप्रशादकृतं॥राजदैवज्ञवशोन्थभा
4जुनारायणाकरोत्॥सम्वत्९६२वैशाखशुक्ल
5नतृतीया॥मृगसिलानक्षत्रे॥शुक्लमयोगे॥शुक्ल
6वार॥थ्वकुन्हुयोगादननीराजदैवज्ञमाधव॥
7राजयापुत्रवालकृष्णयाकिजाभाजुनारायननंसातिगलश्री
8गणेशयान्हेवने॥श्रीकाजीसमसेरजङपाडेयाकेफोङाव
9सतलदयकाजुलो॥थ्वसतलसश्रीमत्स्यन्द्रजात्रायानु⟪ग⟫लयात
10याइन्द्रजात्रायास्वांछाकुन्हुश्री३गणेशपुजायास्यंयथासक्ति
11दानयायमाल॥थ्वनेथातसंप्वा१मतचछिछोयकेमालथ्वया
12तआयथ्वसतलयापसलंतुजुल॥थ्वतेयाचिन्तायाकपुत्र
13भवानीकृष्ण॥उधव॥तृवीक्रमजुल॥शुभं॥
14भाजुनारां[?],भवानीकृष्ण,उधवतृवीक्रम[?]1सिज[?]
Translation
[1r]
[A carved image of Umāmaheśvara in the middle of the top margin flanked by Gaṇeśa (left) and Kumāra (right)]
[A carved image of six donors at the bottom]
᠀1 Obeisance to venerable Gaṇeśa! On Friday, the 3rd of the bright fortnight of Vaiśākha in [Nepāla Era] year 962 (1842 CE), Bhājunārāyaṇa (text: Bhājunārāyana), the son of Rājadaivajña Mādhavarāja and younger brother of Bālakṛṣṇa, [both] of Yogāda Nani, inagurated (lit. built) a sataḥ in front of the venerable Gaṇeśa of Saugaḥ (text: Sātigala), having asked [for permission] from venerable Kājī Śamśerajaṅga Pā̃ḍe (text: Samaserajaṅa Pāḍe). The thrice-revered Gaṇeśa is to receive worship, and as generous donations as possible to be to this sataḥ during Nugaḥyāḥ2 of the Śrīmatsyendra Jātrā, and also on Svāṃchā (i.e. the 14th of the bright fortnight of Bhādra) during Indra Jātrā. On these two occasions (pva)3 , a single lamp should be kept lit throughout the night. [The revenue generated from] the shop at the sataḥ is to be the income to [support] these [activities]. The responsible individuals for [overseeing] these [activities] are my son[s] Bhavānīkṛṣṇa, Uddhava (text: Udhava) and Trivikrama (text: Tṛvīkrama). Auspiciousness.
[The text on the pedestal is unreadable]
Commentary
At the base of the inscription, six diminutive carved statues represent members of the donor family, each with their names etched above them. The leftmost statue is that of Bhājunārāyaṇa (text: Bhājunārāṃ), the individual credited with establishing the sataḥ. The second statue, to his left, presumably represents his wife, although her name is now illegible. Following these, there are three statues representing his sons: Bhavānīkṛṣṇa, Uddhava (text: Udhava) and Trivikrama (text: Tṛvīkrama). These sons were entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the activities conducted at the sataḥ. The final statue is that of Rātikā, who is likely Bhājunārāyaṇa's daughter.
Remarkably, the inscription also mentions the operation of a shop within the sataḥ to generate income for covering the expenses associated with conducting the mentioned activities. This indicates that a shop had been functioning on the ground floor of the sataḥ since its initial construction in 1842 CE and continued to do so until it was disassembled for reconstruction. After its rebuilding in 2019 CE, the ground floor of this now three-story concrete building has remained unoccupied.