A stone tablet inscription installed by King Jitāmitra Malla in Bhaktapur's Lāykū Phalcā regulating the management of irrigation canals (NS 803)
ID: NHDP_0002_0002
Edited and
translated by Shyam Sundar Rajbanshi and Rajendra Shakya
in collaboration with
Rajan Khatiwoda
Created: 2025-07-04;
Last modified: 2026-11-03
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The accompanying edition, translation/synopsis and/or commentary are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
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Abstract
This stone tablet inscription, installed in NS 803 (1683 CE) in the Lāykū Phalcā in Bhaktapur Durbar Square by King Jitāmitra Malla, sets in stone regulations regarding the distribution of water from irrigation canals, local participation in work on the canals, and fines imposed for offences outlined in it.Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1᠀ स्वस्ति।।श्रीश्रीश्रीभवान्यैनमः।।श्रीश्री2सुमतिजयजितामित्रमल्लदेवेन,देवाल
3यादि , सत्रादि , संपादिकप्रजाभ्यःइत्थंप्रसादोद
4त्तः।।निर्झराधिपैर्द्धान्यारोपणजलदत्यां,दामस्यार्द्धप्रति
5रोपणिप्रजाभ्यःगृहीतव्यं।।निर्झरसंस्कारार्थ,प्रजाभिरेकस्मि
6न,दिवसेगत्वाकार्य्य,संपादनीयंच।।तस्मिन्दिवसे,सूर्य्यास्तपर्य्यन्तंनिर्झ
7रसंस्कारःकर्त्तव्यः।।ततःनिर्झराधिपैःप्रजाभ्यःचिन्हमुद्रादातव्या।।योन
8गच्छतितस्यदामत्रयंदण्डः।।समयेगन्तव्यंकार्य्यमपिकर्त्तव्यं।।प्रजाभिर्न्निर्झ
9राधिपानांविष्टिर्न्नकार्य्या।।निर्झराधिपैःताभ्यःप्रजाभ्यःकिमपिनग्राह्यं।।इत्वनम
10पिनिर्झराधिपेत्यानदेयं।।कृषेर्यथाक्रमंधान्यरोपनार्थंजलंदेयं।तत्राधिकार्य्यनधि
11कारिपौर्व्वापर्य्यविचारोनकार्य्यः।। ।।अथनेपालभाषा,श्रीश्रीसुमतिजयजितामित्रम
12ल्लदेवसन,देवलज्या,फलेज्यायाङास,परजायाता,धरवा,पनिसेन,धरसकचंगर
13थाङास,परिमितिदयकंप्रसन्नजुया,सकलेधरयां,वापेज्यास,लंखमूल,पेकजव२
14धरछाज्यासकलेंहायमाल,नखातमजुकुन्हु,ज्यातानमजुववेरस,धरज्याङायके,वेर
15सज्याछुयमाल,प्रजापनिसेन,तेवलंज्याजुयंमाल,न्हिछिंज्यायास्केमाल,धरस,न्हिसार
16कावमुदिविय,मवरसा,मवकोस्के,दंमस्व३वरिकाय,थ्वतेसउपरकायमदु
17दंदुज्यायनेमदु,दंदुनतयावदामकायंमदु,दंदुसिकायंमदुज्यापनेमदु,ध
18रयानामन,लंखवोयकाववियमदु,कथनवियमाल,तवधाङजुरसां,चुकुन
19धाङजुरसां,थ्वतेमयातसा,श्रीश्रीराजनविचारयायमाल,गोम्हंपरमानया
20ङतरा,ओम्हानंविचारयायमाल,थ्वतेसधरवानकचंगरथाङावसानसा
21राजदण्डमोहरटंकाषु६यायमाल,थ्वतेथेचोकयातसाईश्वरीयासु
22दृष्टिजुयुव,मयातसाकुदृष्टिजुयमाल,थ्वज्यायाङा,श्रीश्रीउग्रमल्ल,श्री
23श्रीभूपतीन्द्रमल्ल,चवतारादुखि,भागिराम।।श्रेयोस्तुसम्वत्८०३
24ज्येष्ठशुक्ल,महाज्येष्ठिपूर्ण्णिमाकुन्हुयाङा।। ॥पूर्व्वैःकैरपिपार्थि
25वैरकृतयाकीर्त्युद्भटैर्द्धार्मिकैर्भक्तग्रामनिवासिलोककृ
26पयादत्त्यानयासर्व्वतः।।भूयात्सावरजात्मजस्येकुशल
27भूपालचूडामणेरश्रान्तंसुमतेर्द्धराधिपजितामित्रस्यराज्यस्य
28च।। ।।अनेनकर्म्मणेनस्वेष्टदेवताप्रीणातु।। ।।शुभमस्तु।।
Translation
[1r]
[May there be] success! Hail! Homage to the threefold glorious Bhavānī.
The twofold venerable King Sumati (noble-intentioned), King Jitāmitra Malla the Victorious, has been extending his grace to the people by constructing temples and rest houses. The canal overseers1 are to exact half a dāma per ropanī from the people for each transplantation of rice when water is supplied during the planting. People are to participate in canal maintenance for one day. On that day they are to do maintenance work on the canal early until sunset. Canal overseers are to provide a seal attesting [compliance] and impose a fine of three dāmas on anyone who does not go to work at the canal. One must go on time.
Even if compulsory work is to be done, forced labour [on behalf] of overseers should not be done. Nothing is to be taken by the canal overseers from the people, not even a blade of grass.2
Water should be given for planting rice in the order of cultivation, without giving precedence to or forcing delay on [anyone] based on whether they are an official or not.3
Now in Nepālabhāṣā: [I,] the twofold venerable Sumati, King Jitāmitra Malla the Victorious, having carried out [construction and renovation] works on temples and public rest houses (phalcā), am pleased to have made regulations (parimiti) for [the welfare of] the people in case dharavās4 raise disputes at canals. All who source the water from the canal for rice transplantation must contribute two javas per ropanī for the digging of canals. Work related to the canal must commence during non-festive periods, [and] when there is no other work as well. The people must [begin to] work early [in the day] [and] work the whole day; a seal [of attestation] shall be given [for their day’s work].5 If [someone] does not come, a fine of three (3) dāma is to be levied [on him]. Imposing more than that is prohibited. [One] must not lead [people] away [for] penal labour.6 Firewood must not be taken as punishment (Pauḍela VS 2065: 69). Work must not be obstructed.
In terms of the canal [itself], water must not be diverted7 and supplied [improperly].8 [Distribute it] in the natural order, regardless of whether [the recipient is] someone influential (text: tavadhāṅa) or of low stature (text: cukunadhāṅa)9 . If these [regulations] are not followed, the twofold venerable king will have to consider the matter. The one appointed as pramāna will also have to. If the dharavās start causing trouble in this regard, a fine of six (6) moharaṭaṃkās10 should be imposed as a royal penalty. If things are done as prescribed here, the grace of the Goddess will be received; if not, divine disfavour. [Present as witnesses] to this work being done [are] twofold venerable Ugra Malla, twofold venerable Bhūpatīndra Malla [and] Cautārā DukhiBhāgirāma. May there be prosperity! Issued (lit. done) on the full moon day of the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha in NS 803 (1683 CE).11
May [support] for the king from all quarters be unflagging—Sumati, King Jitāmitra, the crest-jewel of competent rulers who is accompanied by his younger brother and son—by virtue of this gift, bestowed out of compassion to the people of Bhaktagrāma (i.e. Bhaktapur), a feat never before accomplished by any of the former principled kings of great fame. May his personal tutelary deity be pleased with this act of king and kingdom. May it all be auspicious.
Commentary
This inscription from NS 803 (1683 CE) is an important historical record from the late-medieval period, outlining as it does the rules for digging and repairing canals, and the fines for violating them. It is currently installed inside the Lāykū Phalcā (see DANAM BKT0094) in Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Its text has been published four times:
Rāṣṭriya Abhilekhālaya. Bhaktapurakā Madhyakālīna Abhilekhaharū. Kathmandu: Rāṣṭriya Abhilekhālaya, 2080, pp. 58-59.
Among these editions, the genealogy, Nepālikabhūpavaṃśāvalī, stands out as a different medium. While most genealogies and chronicles are viewed as not wholly reliable sources for the study of Nepal’s history, the Nepālikabhūpavaṃśāvalī, interestingly, gives a completely accurate reading of this inscription, along with another inscription (19.61-86), installed by King Yakṣa Malla next to the main entrance to the palace, recording the construction of walls and forts. It additionally refers to multiple inscriptions with dates and actions carried out, thereby solidifying the genealogy’s credibility.
This inscription details the regulations established by King Jitāmitra Malla (r. 1673-1696 CE) for excavating the main water channels, or rājakulos, used for irrigating rice fields. In 1667 CE (NS 787), he had already instituted similar rules for another channel in Patan, known as the Khonā Dhala. This was nearly two decades before the Bhaktapur inscription and even before he had ascended to the throne. Although the original Patan inscription from 1667 is now lost, its text was preserved in a new one installed in Patan’s Dupāṭa Ṭola in 1874 CE (NS 994), during the era of Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā (Śreṣṭha VS 2075: 68). The core text of the Bhaktapur and the later Patan inscriptions is almost identical. The only significant differences are later additions to the Patan version, which begins with a homage to Lokanātha (an epithet for the deity Buṅgadyaḥ) and includes the customary eulogy (praśastīs) for King Surendra and Prime Minister Jaṅga Bahādura.
NS 803 corresponds to the period from Kārtika 1681 to Āśvina 1682 CE. Since this document refers to the month of Jyeṣṭha, it aligns with 1682 CE, as Jyeṣṭha falls within the post-January months of this period. The correct conversion is as follows: NS 803, when added to 802, results in the ancient NS 1605, which corresponds to the Śaka era 1603 (Kārtika) to 1604 (Āśvina). Adding 78 years to Śaka 1604 (Jyeṣṭha) results in 1682 CE. However, the widely-accepted method of conversion involves adding 880 to the Nepal Era, which has been followed here.
Pauḍela (2065: 64-65) writes that the water from Mahādeva Pukhū reservoir east of Bhaktapur city proper is the source for the multiple water spouts of the palace square and surrounding areas. However, it is unclear when the water was initially channelled from the source to the palace. An inscription from NS 798 (1678 CE), currently installed in Bālākhu Hiti (see DANAM BKT0810), records Jitāmitra Malla’s construction of his palace, Thaṃthu Darabāra, along with a garden, terrace, and hiti (Tevārī et al. VS 2019: 25-28). As the water for this hiti was sourced from the same reservoir, it appears that the canal was also commissioned by Jitāmitra Malla himself.
The Sanskrit portion of the inscription contains the term nirjharādhipa, which clearly corresponds to the officials locally known as ḍhalapās. Ḍhalapās were appointed under the ChebhaḍelaAḍḍā and assigned the responsibility for digging and repairing major irrigation channels, and for distributing their water (Vaidya and Vajrācārya 2055: 60-61). The inscription instructs people to actively participate in the digging process. This was in practice even as late as the Rāṇā administration, as documented in a rukkā (K_0011_0016B) from VS 1921 (1864 CE).
