Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1᠀­झारछे­˴मथस­
2चोङ­˴राय­भांत्रिजु­

1वरिभद्र­पुरिजुस्त­
2शुभ­॥

1᠀­श्री­३­भिर्मस्यन­साहायः­॥

1᠀­शुभ­कुसरवत­विचार­˴˴भिनकं­˴नमोनारायन­याङ­हया­˴˴अमकन­˴˴राय­भात्रिजु­
2प्रमुखन­वरिभद्र­पुरिजुयाक्य­˴जयराम­˴भात्रि˴जुयाक्यं­˴र्वयनि­पुरिजुस्कें­˴˴कपुर­
3भात्रिजुस्कें­˴खरक­सिस्कें­थन­˴कंच­पुरिया­भाखान­˴˴नमोनारायन­याङहया­˴थ
4न­जि­फया­ख­˴अमकन­˴छीस्कर­खरक­छिं­कुसर­जुओ­मखु­रा­विचार­ख­थुति­
5उपरात­ख­˴˴थनया­˴वस्तमान­˴तओकछिया­भयन­˴थहाओकोहाओ­˴सुं­मदु­वस्तुक
6या­थासनि­˴जिखाछेस­˴चोङ­˴जिखाछेसं­˴˴ल्हचिस­चोङ­ल्हचिसं­˴जिन­छु­याय­˴जि­थ
7न­˴ल्हासस­म्ह­ग्यार­˴˴जिन­छु­याय­˴˴अमकन­˴छमिस्क­थ्यङाओ­चोङ­दको­˴˴पुर­
8पुस्यार­˴वियाओ­हिओ­˴दामया­थासं­हतास­चायमुमार­˴थ्वकगु­˴थ्वकनं­वियाओ­
9हय­थुका­˴हतास­˴चायमुमार­ना­˴जि­थन­˴राजान­˴ल्हासस­˴मंहंत­याङाओतर­
10आओ­जि­˴आखारस­˴महंत­जुयाओ­चोङा­˴थनया­निमिस्तिन­हतास­चायमुमार­ना­
11उपरात­ख­˴ङ्हपा­२­विस्यहया­˴जिखाछेन­˴विस्यहया­˴पोर­सकर्‍यं­˴थ्यङ­मखु­रा­रिसर­
12मदु­रिसर­मार­ना­˴˴ल्हासन­˴कुतिया­˴तंजिङ­सजया­राहाति­विस्यहया­रु­पो­१­थ्यङ­
13मखु­रा­रिसर­मदु­रिसर­वियाओ­हिओ­ना­˴˴उपरात­ख­˴आओ­विस्यहया­˴कुतिया­
14मापा­तासिया­˴वंजार­˴प्यमाया­राहाति­विस्यहया­˴कस्तुरि­˴वकु­­३­दयमार­˴मन­
15६­स्यर­५­द्र­स्यरन­मोहो­३५­चिन­भाय­नाम­श्वयाओ­काओ­˴थ्यङया­रिसर­
16मार­ना­˴कुतिन­थया­ज्यारा­पाचु­˴कस्तुरया­जामा­˴मोहो­८४००­र्‍याख­श्वओ­ना­
17उपरात­ख­थ्व­कस्तुरि­˴वछि­राय­भात्रि˴जुं­काओ­˴वछि­˴वरिभद्र­पुरि­˴जयराम­भा
18त्रिजुयात­काओ­˴मोहो­२५००­राय­भात्रिजु­˴मोहो­२५००­˴वयनि­पुरि­˴˴कपु­भात्रि­˴र्य
19वाहा­पुरिजुस्त­काओ­˴मोहो­२५००­वरिभद्र­पुरिजुस्त­काओ­˴मोहो­१०००­जयराम­
20भात्रिजुस्त­काओ­˴मोहो­५००­˴˴कांधव­राम्हंजुस्त­काओ­˴मोहो­३००­राम­पुरिजुस्त­
21मोहो­३००­˴नओ­पुरिजुस्त­काओ­˴कस्तु­वोतिथ्य­˴थओ­भाग­थ्य­काओ­रिसर­वियाओ­
22हिओ­˴थ्व­वस्तुक­कस्तु­˴फाचिन­भिंङ­˴का­गथिव्यन­˴निपारस­मि­धार­सां­मिओ­˴सु
23रथ­छोय­धार­सां­छोओ­˴छमि­खुसि­जुया­थ्य­जिओ­थ्य­याओ­ना­˴जिनि­थन­चोङा­छु­याय­
24उपरात­ख­˴ङ्हपा­˴प्रति­पु­२­तयाओ­˴हयधुन्व­भिङम्ह­˴अतिथ­छम्ह­छोयाओ­हिओ­थ
25न­भिङ­मदु­˴दाम­दकोदको­वियाओ­हय­भाखा­छुं­वस्तुक­वियाओ­हर­सा­˴सजया­रा
26हाति­वियाओ­हिओ­ख­मदु­˴ख­मतया­˴सम्वत्­८५९­मिति­ज्यर्स्त­किर्ष्ण­५­चोया­शुभ­॥

Synopsis

Sent from Lhasa on the 5th of the dark fortnight of Jyeṣṭha, NS 859 (1739 CE), this letter from Kaṃca Purī is addressed jointly to Rāya Bhāratī (text: Rāya Bhātriju), Balabhadra Purī (text: Varibhadra Puriju), Jayarāma Bhāratī (text: Jayarāma Bhātri), Rohiṇī Purī (text: Rvayani Puriju), Kapura Bhāratī (text: Kapura Bhātriju), and their monastic kin in Patan. It opens with the traditional greeting “Namonārāyaṇa” and inquiries after the members' health.

Purī reports that a severe smallpox outbreak has paralyzed trans-Himalayan travel, leaving merchandise stranded in Shigatse1 text: Jikhāche) and Lhatse (text: Lhaci, Tibetan: ལྷ་རྩེ, Wylie: lha rtse). Confessing his dread of the contagion, Purī remains confined to Lhasa. Even so, he urges his associates in Patan to continue forwarding gemstones, specifically corals, (pura) and topazes (pusyāra), promising to remit installment payments without delay and asking them not to press impatiently for immediate settlement.

In a significant personal update, Purī announces that the Tibetan king has appointed him mahanta of an akhāḍā in Lhasa, a post he currently occupies.

Seeking confirmation of earlier remittances, Purī asks whether the consignments2 sent from Shigatse and a parcel of gold entrusted to a Tibetan courier named Tenjing (text: Taṃjiṅa; Tib. བསྟན་འཛིན།; Wylie. bstan ‘dzin) of Kuti3 have arrived, as he has received no word. He notes a current consignment sent via Pemā (text: Pyamā), a trader from Māpā Tashi4 in Kuti, containing three bakūs5 of musk pods alongside gold bullion and coin. The recipients are instructed to verify receipt of 8,400 moharas realized from musk sales, noting that all service fees in Kuti have been cleared.

Purī then stipulates how the proceeds and goods must be distributed among the partners in Patan: musk pods divided equally where one half is given to Rāya Bhāratī, and the other is shared between Balabhadra Purī and Jayarāma Bhāratī; cash allocations: 2,500 moharas to Rāya Bhāratī; 2,500 moharas shared among Rohiṇī Purī, Kapura Bhāratī, and Ryavāhā Purī6 ; 2,500 moharas to Balabhadra Purī; 1,000 moharas to Jayarāma Bhāratī; 500 moharas to Kāṃdhava Rāmhaṃ; 300 moharas to Rāma Purī and 300 moharas to Nava Purī (text: Nao Puri).

Reiterating earlier requests, Purī asks the Patan house to send a dependable atitha7 to Tibet, citing a local shortage of trustworthy help.

He instructs them to dispatch any communication and goods in the hands of the Tibetan (i.e. Tenjing). The top margin bears two single-sentence blocks naming Rāya Bhāratī and Balabhadra Purī at the Jhorachẽ Maṭha as recipients.

Glossary

Bibliography