A letter from Nehā Girī to Kubera Bhāratī regarding communication lapses and economic conditions of their Tibet trade (NS 864)
ID: PCCHA_0001_0093
Edited by
Pabitra Bajracharya, Rajendra Shakya and Kashinath
Tamot
in collaboration with
Chaaru Jain
Created: 2025-05-28;
Last modified: 2026-11-10
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Abstract
Sent from Tibet in NS 864 (1743 CE), this letter from Gosāīṃ Nehā Girī to Gosāīṃ Kubera Bhāratī in Patan addresses communication lapses and economic conditions within their trading network. Girī explains his hesitation to dispatch further shipments after receiving no confirmation for several previous packages and letters sent from Lhasa and Shigatse. Reassuring Bhāratī of his commitment, he promises to liquidate merchandise and remit the proceeds, while providing current market rates for gold, musk pods, and fly whisks amidst a strained Tibetan economy.Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1᠀श्री३भिर्मस्यनसाहाय॥1᠀शुभकुसरवातविचारभिनकंहया˴˴अमकन˴˴कुवेरभाथिगुसाहिजुयाके˴˴थन˴˴ने2हागीरिजुगुसाहियाभाखानं˴˴नमोनारायन˴याङहया˴˴थनजिफयाख˴˴अमकनछिकु
3शरजुओमखुरा˴˴विचारखंथुति˴˴उपरात˴˴कुवेरभाथिगुसाहिजु˴˴जिनविसेहयाप
4तिथ्यङमखुरा˴रिसरमदुरिसरमारना˴˴दामपोरयापतल्हासपत२˴जिखाक्ष
5पत३थुरियारिसरमथ्यङना˴˴थ्यङरामथ्यङराछिपतिनिमदु˴˴सहपत५पतक
6यारिसरदसा˴˴जिनथनपोरवियाओहयना˴˴थ्वपोरयारिसरमदतरे˴जिनपोर
7वियाओहयमछार˴˴थ्यङरामथ्यङराजिननिमसिया˴छिपतिमदु˴˴छिसाहुपर
8मेश्वर˴˴छिछुधंधाकायमुमार˴˴थन˴˴जिओ२थ्ययाङाओ˴˴मारपोरथयाओ˴˴दामको
9तवियाओहयथुका˴˴हतासचायमतेना˴˴थनयावेतमानरुयाद्र२६॥//॥खास्यर
10द्र२५।।।ओसायापाचद्र४०˴˴कस्तुद्र३५च्याम्हरद्र१०तोइहाकुद्र५थन
11याद्रथथ्यचोनोना˴˴मारभिगुतिखरगुपाथिवापाथिविया वियाओहकृ//ता२
12नता˴˴छिमारवनजमदुनाछिमसियाखमदुथुकाना मुरसरिद्रनिदान
13मारनाशुभसंम्वत्८६४मितिकराथ्व१५सचोयाजुरोशुऽभ
[1v]
1[Partially intact wax seal]1[Partially intact wax seal] 1᠀भकुध्वाकायाकुवेरभाथि2गुसाहिजुयातपतिजु
3रोशुभ॥
Synopsis
Sent from Tibet on the full moon day of the bright fortnight of Kaulā (text: Karāthva, Kārtika), NS 864 (1743 CE), this letter from Gosāīṃ Nehā Girī (text: Nehā Gīri Gusāhi) to Gosāīṃ Kubera Bhāratī (text: Kuvera Bhāthi Gusāhi) of Bhaku Dhvākhā, Patan, opens with the traditional greeting Namonārāyaṇa and inquiries after the recipient’s health.
Girī asks whether five earlier letters sent from Lhasa and Shigatse (text: Jikhākṣa)1 ever reached Bhāratī. He notes that he has had no response to two dispatches accompanying a cash shipment and a separate letter from Lhasa, nor to three subsequent letters posted from Shigatse. Because Bhāratī’s latest reply failed to confirm receipt of these shipments and dispatches, Girī admits he felt hesitant to send any further parcels.
Addressing Bhāratī reverently as sāhu (patron/master) and parameśvara (supreme lord), Girī promises to assemble goods and remit the realized cash down to Nepal. Urging Bhāratī not to fret, he provides prevailing market rates for several key commodities: gold (ru2 ): 26 moharas, 2 sukās, 2 paisās, 2 dāmas; khāmasyara3 : 25 moharas, 3 sukās4 ; pāca5 of osā6 : 40 moharas; musk pods (kastu): 35 moharas; fly whisks (cyāmhara): 10 moharas; and toi-hāku7 : 5 moharas.
Girī also requests that Bhāratī send standard measuring vessels-specifically of one pāthī and half a pāthī (bāpāthi) capacity-up to Tibet.
He closes on a sober note regarding the depressed regional market, remarking that the strained commercial climate in Tibet is already well known to Bhāratī.
The verso features two single-sentence blocks identifying the recipient as Kubera Bhāratī Gosāīṃ of Bhaku Dhvākhā.
