A letter from Nehā Girī to Gosāīṃ Rāya Bhāratī inquiring about money transactions and pleading the latter to send him money (NS 864)
ID: PCCHA_0001_0002
Edited by
Rajendra Shakya and Kashinath Tamot
in collaboration with
Pabitra Bajracharya
Created: 2025-05-14;
Last modified: 2026-11-05
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Abstract
A letter from Nehā Gīri to Rāya Bhāthi (Bhārthi) informs that he cannot exchange silver in Tibet and inquires whether he has received the money from Jaya Kṛṣṇa. If he has not received it, he should make an effort to obtain it, as it is very important. He informs that the business and owners are not good and also advises not to lend the money.Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1᠀श्री३भिर्म्मस्यनसाहाय॥1जिथुरिविति˴˴छिभोरोसा˴˴जिओतिओम2कामoगाकथ्वदामछिकेवितिशुभ॥1᠀शुभकुशरवातविचार˴˴भिनकंहया˴˴मंहत˴˴राभाथिगुसाहिजुयाके˴˴थन˴नेहागीरियाभा
2खानंनमोनारायन˴˴थनजिफयाख˴˴अमक˴छिकुशरजुओमखुरा˴˴विचारखंथुति˴˴उपरा˴˴जि
3नपतिविसेहयापतिथ्यङमखुरा˴˴उपरात˴˴ङ्हापायाछपतयारिसरथ्यनो˴˴रिपतसविसे
4हया˴दाजुयाराहातसवोर३यारिसरमदु˴˴थ्यङरामथ्यङरा˴˴रिसपतिमारना˴˴गुसाहिजु˴उ
5वरात˴ख˴˴मंहतजु˴˴मार˴˴चिभासजामियधुनो˴˴थनदामजादु˴˴रु˴˴ओहोग्ययमदु˴˴ग्ययदय
6तुनविसेहयथुका˴˴उपरात˴˴मंहऽतजु˴˴जिनपतिसतसेहयाजयकृष्णजुयाकेचोङदा
7म˴˴काओधकपतिसतसेहया˴˴कायधुनोमखुरा˴˴कायमधुसां˴˴जितपतिरिसरसार
8ना˴˴कायमधुसा˴भिनकचितया˴˴धरतया˴˴काओ˴˴जुगुतिवितिकाओ˴˴थ्वज्यामयामगाकउ
9रात˴मंहतजु˴˴उमिसेन˴˴भाखातयकिओ˴˴छन्हुशुधात˴˴भाखातयकेमते˴˴तुकराभिन
10कयाओ˴˴रिपरसथाकुइओ˴˴न्हापाराक˴˴ज्यायायमार˴˴छिनमसियाजाछतामदु˴˴अम
11कनसाहुकर˴˴भिमखतोथनवंजारमभिङ˴˴थनयाभोरोसान˴˴छिनदामरिविकात
12इओ˴˴छिनपतिकजुयमते˴˴जित˴˴जिओतिओथ्वदाम˴˴मदयकगाकधकधाओना
13शुभसंम्वत्८६४मितिअनाराथ्व५चोयाशुभ॥ऽ॥
[1v]
[Wax seal no longer intact] [Wax seal no longer intact] 1भकुध्वाकासचोङरायभा2थिगुसाहिजुकुव्येरभाथि1गुसाहिजुनिम्हतपतिजुरो॥
2शुभ॥
Synopsis
Sent from Tibet in NS 864 (1744 CE), on the 5th of the bright fortnight of Anālā (text: Anārā, the intercalary month usually appearing around June/July or December/January), this letter from Nehā Girī to Gosāīṃ Rāya Bhāratī (text: Rāya Bhāthi Gusāhiju), residing at Bhaku Dhvākā, opens with the traditional greeting “Namonārāyaṇa” and inquiries after the recipient’s health.
Girī confirms receiving Bhāratī’s earlier correspondence, asks whether his own recent letter has arrived, and requests a prompt reply either way. Moving to business, he reports selling a modest quantity of goods. However, despite having cash on hand, local shortages mean no gold or silver is available for exchange; he promises to remit precious metals the moment they become obtainable.
A major concern is debt recovery. Girī urges Bhāratī to retrieve the outstanding funds held by Jaya Kṛṣṇa, pressing for a deliberate strategy if the money has not yet been collected. He warns against granting extensions, advising Bhāratī not to give debtors even an extra day regardless of their promises, as delays will only make recovery harder.
Contrasting the business environments, Girī notes that merchants in Kathmandu are reasonable, whereas those in Tibet are untrustworthy. He reproaches Bhāratī for delaying remittances while banking on uncertain future payments from Tibet, pleading: “Do not be so credulous! Insist by any means necessary—this money is an absolute necessity for me.”
In a marginal postscript, Girī expresses his desperation: “This is my earnest plea; I rely solely on you. Come what may, this money is utterly indispensable... I beseech you.”
The verso of the document consists of two blocks of a single sentence mentioning the name and address of two recipients, namely Rāya Bhāratī Gosāīṃ and Kubera Bhāratī Gosāīṃ (text: Kuvyera Bhāthi Gusāhi), residents of Bhaku Dhvākā.
