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NHDP_0001_0200

Documenta Nepalica

Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal
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A pillar inscription at Tripureśvara temple in Kathmandu memorializing the installation of a statue of Lalitatripurasundarī by Rājendra Vikrama Śāha (VS 1894)

ID: NHDP_0001_0200


Edited and translated by Marija Grujovska
Created: 2024-06-02; Last modified: 2024-11-11
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Published by Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal, Heidelberg, Germany, 2024. Published by the courtesy of the National Archives, Kathmandu. The copyright of the facsimile remains with the Nepal Rashtriya Abhilekhalaya (National Archives, Government of Nepal). All use of the digital facsimiles requires prior written permission by the copyright holder. See Terms of Use.
The accompanying edition, translation/synopsis and/or commentary are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License CCby-SA.

Abstract

This inscripion commemorates the establishment of a statue of Lalitatripurasundarī by her step-grandson, King Rājendra.


Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1स्वस्ति­श्रीमद्वेदाङ्कनागभूपरिमिते­वैक्रमशके­शुचौ­ध
2वलपक्षे­मुनितिथौ­सोमवासरे­हस्तनक्षत्रे­श्रीमन्‌म
3हाराजाधिराजश्रीश्रीश्रीश्रीश्रीरणवहादूरशाहकनि
4ष्ठपट्टराज्ञ्या:­श्रीललितत्रिपुरसुन्दरीदेव्या:­प्रतिकृति:­
5श्रीमन्महाराजाधिराजश्रीश्रीश्रीराजेन्द्रविक्रमशाहदे
6ववरेण­तत्‌पौत्रेण­स्थापिता­चिरं­य़थाविहितफलदा
7त्री­भवतुतराम्­•॥      ॥      ॥      ॥शुभम्­•॥      ॥

Translation

[1r]

Hail! In the year [1894] counted [as] the Vedas (4), hook (9), nāgas (8) earth (1)1 in the Vikrama era, in the month Āṣāḍha2 , on the seventh lunar day of the bright fortnight, on Monday, when the nakṣatra is hasta, a statue of the venerable Queen Lalitatripurasundarī, the principal queen of the venerable supreme king of great kings, the five times venerable Raṇa Bahādūra Śāha, was established at the wish of the venerable supreme king of great kings, her grandson, the thrice venerable Rājendra Vikrama Śāha. May [it] continue 3 to yield results as prescribed for a long time. Auspiciousness.


Commentary

The present Sanskrit inscription, documented by NHDP as KAT2760_I_003 and the inscribed object as KAT2760-012, is etched onto a pillar located in the Tripureśvara temple courtyard, to the southern side of the temple. The statue mentioned in the inscription is the gold-plated statue of Queen Lalitatripurasundarī, which stands atop the inscribed pillar. Its installation was commissioned by King Rājendra Vikrama Śāha in 1837 CE, six years after her death. Lalitatripurasundarī comissioned the construction of Tripureśvara temple and established a trust (guṭhi) for the upkeep of the temple's rituals in VS 1876 4 and an almsgiving trust 5 in VS 1877. A printed edition of the present inscription can be found in Abhilekha Saṃgraha Vol. 12 (Tevārī et. al, VS 2020: 19).

Notes

1. The year is given in the form of a chronogram with the digits expressed by words associated with particular numbers. The numbers are to be read in reverse order (Salomon 1998: 173). A list of words with numerical significance can be found in Kane 1958: 701-703. [⇑]

2. Alternatively, śuci can stand for Jyeṣṭha or the hot season in general (cf. Monier-Williams 1964 under the lemma śuci). [⇑]

3. The suffix tarām attached to the verbal form bhavatu intensifies its meaning. Hence, yathāvihitaphaladātrī bhavatutarām is translated as may [it] continue (tarām) to yield results as prescribed. For similar constructions, see Böhtlingk and Roth 1861 under the lemma tara. [⇑]

4. For the size and the borders of the endowed land as well as a detailed list of the trust's income and expenditure see DNA_0012_0016. [⇑]

5. For the size and the borders of the endowed land as well as a detailed list of the trust's income and expenditure see DNA_0012_0019. [⇑]