A letter from Kaṃca Purī to Rāya Bhāratī and others informing about bullion remittance and future shipments to Nepal (NS 859)
ID: PCPIM_0001_0095
Edited by
Rajendra Shakya and Kashinath Tamot
in collaboration with
Chaaru Jain
Created: 2026-10-01;
Last modified: 2026-11-10
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Abstract
Sent from Tibet in NS 859 (1739 CE), this letter from Kaṃca Purī to Gosāīṃ Rāya Bhāratī, Gosāīṃ Balabhadra Purī and Gosāīṃ Maṃsā Girī in Patan coordinates a bullion remittance and forthcoming shipments. Purī advises his kinsmen to collect a packet of 152 tolās of gold worth 3,344 moharas consigned via Padmarāja of Tuṃkyaba, specifying their shares. In return, he requests four to five pāthīs of corals and topazes while reporting an acquisition of 8,000 moharas in musk pods, urging the Patan monastery to send a trustworthy gosāīṃ agent to escort the musk consignment safely down to Nepal.Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1᠀श्री३भिर्मस्यनसाहायः॥1शुभकुसरवातविचारभिनकंहया⟪नमोनारायनयाङहया⟫1 अमकनगुसाहि˴राजभात्रिजुप्रमुख2नगुसाहिवरिवध्रपुरिजुगुसाहिमसाग्राजुयाक्य2 ˴थनगुसाहिकंचपुरिया
3याभाखानविचारखथुतिउपरातखतुवक्यवयापद्मराजजुयानामतयाओ
4विस्यहया˴˴कुतिन˴˴पुनसिंङजुनवियाओहइओथुकापद्मराजजुयाराहा
5तिसरुपोर१कारहुनि˴पोरसदयमाररुखामस्यरकारारुनितानरु
6तोरा१५२द्रतोरानमोहो२२सहजामामोहो३३४४चिनसहिनका
7ओथ्यङयारिसरमारना˴उपरातख५राजभातिजुवरिभद्रपुरिजुथ्वदा
8मयावो२छपनिस्यनकाओवो१मंसाग्राजुयातकाओना˴˴रिसरहिओना
9मंसाग्रायासरनपुरपुस्यारथ्यङसाथ्वप्रतिस्वयतुनुंदकोप्यपाथि
10ङापाथिवियाओहिओमगुरिदसांवियाओहिओनामुरभिनकयाङाओहिओ
11दामयाथास˴हतासचायमत्य˴थ्वकगुथ्वकनंवियाओहयथुकाउपरातख˴थन
12कस्तुरिमोहो८०००या˴कस्तुरिकायधुन्व˴छमिस्यन˴जिओम्हगुसाहिछम्ह
13छोयाओहिओ˴वियाओहयथुकाभाखाङ्हपा२वियाओहयापोरयारिसर
14मदुगथ्यजुरपतक२यारिसरवियाओहिओनाखमतया˴समस्तछमिस्य
15नसिओथुका˴मुरनखरकछिसं˴सरिनिदानमार˴सम्वत्८५९चिरागा६शुभ॥
[1v]
1[Partially broken wax seal]1᠀निपारसचोङराजभात्रि2वरिभद्रपुरिमंसाग्राजु1श्वम्हस्तशुभ॥
Synopsis
Sent from Tibet on the 6th of the dark fortnight of Cillā (text: Cirāgā, Phālguna), NS 859 (1739 CE), this letter from Kaṃca Purī to Gosāīṃ Rāya Bhāratī (text: Gusāhi Rāja Bhātri), Gosāīṃ Balabhadra Purī (text: Gusāhi Varivadhra Puriju) and Gosāīṃ Maṃsā Girī (text:Gusāhi Masā Grāju) in Patan opens with the customary greeting Namonārāyaṇa.
Purī announces that he has forwarded a consignment received from Punasiṃṅa of Kuti via Padmarāja of Tuṃkyaba (text: Tuvakyava). He instructs his partners in Patan to contact Padmarāja and collect a packet of gold weighing 152 tolās, comprising khāmasyara3 and scrap gold (kārā ru)4 . Valued at 22 moharas per tolā, the consignment amounts to 3,344 moharas.
Requesting immediate acknowledgment of its delivery, Purī directs how the proceeds should be divided: two shares jointly for Rāya Bhāratī and Balabhadra Purī, and one share for Maṃsā Girī. He then urges his associates to dispatch four to five pāthīs of gemstones—specifically corals and topazes—the moment they read the letter, asking them not to press impatiently for immediate payments.
Purī reports that he has already purchased 8,000 moharas’ worth of musk pods in Tibet, but asks the Patan house to send a reliable, accountable gosāīṃ up to Tibet so he can send [the musk pods in his care]. Finally, stating the lack of confirmation for previous shipments, Purī insists that they send a reply for every consignment dispatched.
The verso bears two single-sentence blocks naming Rāya Bhāratī, Balabhadra Purī, and Maṃsā Girī in Nepal (text: Nipāra) as recipients of the letter.
