Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1᠀­शुभ­॥कुसवत­विचार­भिनकहया­˴˴थन­निहा­गिरि­गुसाहिया­भाखान­˴˴
2अमकन­कुव्यर­भाथि­गुसाहियाके­˴˴नमोनारायन­याङहया­˴˴थन­जि­फया­˴˴
3अ⟪म⟫कन­छपनि­भोछि­ससरिद्र­कुसर­जुओ­मखु­रा­˴˴उपरात­ख­ल्हासन­विसे
4हयागु­पोर­२­थुगुरिया­रिसस­थेङ­गथे­जुर­˴˴ननानं­रिसर­मार­ना­˴˴
5ओ­रिविसे­हझि­ख्यन­पोर­१­थुगुरियां­निपतकयां­रिसर­ननानं­वियाओ­
6हयमार­ना­˴˴उपरात­थन­तओकइया­वखान­याङाओ­तिगिरि­मयदानस­
7र­पङओतर­भसानिक­चिभाचाभाखुनु­विस्यहस्धुया­वतुक­माव­मार­मि­
8धुन­दाम­सकर्‍य­थथे­चोन­˴˴पु­वुया­पुर­जक­मियमजिओ­जजार­जुर­ङ्हाया­
9वनज­मखत­˴˴तओमार­६­दनि­अथे­हतास­चायाओ­छु­याय­साहुया­धर
10मन­अथे­जुइओमखु­थुका­वुरुहुन­मि⟪य⟫­थुक­˴˴द्याङाओ­मि­धाय­रु­ओहो­
11सरवत­मदु­थुरिन­⟪म⟫मिसे­चोङा­˴˴छपनि­छुं­हतास­चायमते­˴˴छमि­वस्तुक­
12थन­चोनगु­छमि­छेस­चोतुं­भारपि­˴˴छमि­मनस­फिकिर­जुर­सा­थन­वन­
13ज­भिनिओ­मखु­˴˴छपनि­साहु­˴˴छमी­मनस­भिन­सा­थन­वऽनज­भिनिओ­
14पुन­फेरख­˴˴अम­जयछपनिके­दाम­भिनक­म्हओ­˴˴भसारि­कजि­
15गुरुयात­काओ­धाय­˴˴छपनि­सा⟪ह⟫­परमेश्वर­छमि­राहातिस­रात­सा­जि­
16माहासुख­˴˴थन­अमप⟪नी⟫­वजार­पिनिस­थन­मजिओ­भखा­फोनिओ­वियामते­
17थथे­तयान­हयानं­छमिस्य⟪न⟫­मम्हर­सा­दाम­⟪काय⟫­थाकुर­˴˴थनया­वतेमान­वन
18ज­मदु­भुइ­रुया­­द्र­२७॥­खामस्यरया­द्र­२६॥­पाकरुया­द्र­२९­ओ⟪ह⟫­⟪विय⟫­सपाच
19स­जाओ­४०­थनया­थथे­चोङ­अमकनया­वतमान­तयाओ­पति­छ
20पुनिपु­दया­दयमार­ना­˴˴शुभ­सवत­८६४­मिति­नस्त­अनागा­१३­स­

21चोया­जुर­शुभ­:-

[1v]

1᠀भकु­ध्वाकाया­कुव्यर­भा
2थि­गुसाहिजुयात­प्रति­
3जुर­शुभः­॥

[Partially broken wax seal]

Synopsis

Sent from Tibet on the 13th of the dark fortnight of Anālā (text: Naṣṭa Anāgā, intercalary month) in NS 864 (1744 CE), this letter from Gosāīṃ Nehā Girī (text: Nihā Giri Gusāhi) to Gosāīṃ Kubera Bhāratī (text: Kuvyara Bhāthi Gusāhi) of Bhaku Dhvākhā (text: Bhaku Dhvākā), Patan, discusses the strained state of their trans-Himalayan trade network.

Girī opens by asking whether the two packages dispatched from Lhasa arrived safely alongside the latest correspondence, requesting a prompt update on their condition.

He then reports a major disruption: trade routes through the Tingri Plain (text: Tigiri Mayadāna) are blocked due to reports of a smallpox outbreak. Consequently, commercial activity has stalled, cash flow has frozen, corals cannot find buyers, and overall trade has deteriorated sharply compared to previous years.

Despite these setbacks, Girī urges Bhāratī not to lose heart, reminding him that a merchant cannot afford despair. He explains that rather than liquidating inventory at a loss, he has held onto the merchandise because of local shortages of gold and silver for exchange. Reassuring Bhāratī of his stewardship, Girī insists that the consigned goods are as secure in his custody as they would be in Bhāratī’s own home, adding that because Bhāratī is the head of the enterprise, undue worry on his part will only harm the venture.

Turning to affairs in Nepal, Girī urges Bhāratī to pursue outstanding debts from Jaya and other debtors without delay, warning that hesitation will make recovery far more difficult. Highlighting Tibet's economic slump and surging prices, Girī quotes current rates for various types of gold: bhui ru : 27 moharas, 2 sukās, khāmasyara : 26 moharas, 2 sukās, and pāka ru: 29 moharas.

In closing, Girī asks Bhāratī to send a letter or two detailing prevailing commercial conditions in Nepal. The verso features two single-sentence address blocks identifying the recipient as Kubera Bhāratī Gosāīṃ of Bhaku Dhvākhā.

Glossary