Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v1.c9.s3: No. 4. My-son Stelae Inscription of Bhadravarman
Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champā; Vol. II: Suvarṇadvīpa) v1.c9.s3
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No. 4. My-son Stelae Inscription of Bhadravarman
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The inscription was edited by M. Finot (B. E. F., Vol. II, p. 187).
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The village of My-son, containing vestiges of many monuments of the past, is in the district of Quang Nam (for detailed accounts of the ruins of My-son, cf. B. E. F. Vol. IV, p. 805). The inscription, engraved on two faces of a stelae in front of the large temple of My-son to the east, contains 21 lines of writing. The language is Sanskrit, and the inscription is written throughout in prose. There are, however, mistakes in spelling and grammar.
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The inscription records the donation of lands to the God Bhadreśvara. Although the author of the inscription speaks of himself in the first person, and refers to king Bhadravarman in the third person, it is clear from lines 5 and 11, that the endowment was given by the king himself.
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As the God Śiva is called Bhadreśvara, it would follow that the temple was also founded by Bhadravarman. For it was a well known usage in these countries to designate Śiva by a term composed of the first part of the king's name and the word Īśvara. It may be argued, of course, that the temple was founded by a predecessor of the king, also called Bhadravarman. But the endowment of lands, consisting practically of the entire valley in which the temple is situated, precludes this idea.—for if there had been a temple already in possession of any part of these territories, the fact would have been mentioned.
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Judging from the number and beauty of temples which once surrounded the shrine, and the many endowments that have been made to it by successive kings, the temple of Bhadreśvara seems to have enjoyed a very high prestige in Champā.
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TEXT.
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(ii).
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(१) सि' ॐ नमो महेश्वर उमाश्च प्र......(२) ब्रह्माणं विष्णुमेव च नमो पृथिवी वायुराकाशमप (:) (३) ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमं नमस्कृत्याह मिच्छामि सर्वविशेषैरनुध्यातं दुस्क(क्त) (४) म्म्र्व्यपोहन् (तु) सुकृतो नयुतन्तुदा² भद्रेश्वर स्वामिपदानुध्या(ने)न चास्साक(म्) महारा(जेन) (५) भद्रवर्मणा मानुष्यमध्वानं ज्ञा(त्वा) भद्रेश्वराय अक्षयी नीवी दत्ता यथा (पूर्वेण)³ (६) सुलहपर्व्वतो दक्षिणेन महापर्व्वतः पश्चिमेन कुचकपर्व्वत उत्तरेण म(हानदी) (७) परिमाणाभ्यन्तरा सकुटुम्बि- जना भूमि¹ दत्ता जनपद मर्यादा (:) षड्भागे पि……(८) स्वामिना दशभागेनानुगृहीता देवस्य देय (आ) इन् (इ) तदेव यथाभिलिखितमुर्ध्व(तो) (६) देवस्य जन्मप्रभृति धर्म्मप्रसवो यः तत्फलं भद्रवर्मणः यदि कश्चिद् (आ)क्रम्य हर(ति) (१०) विनाशयति वा मुक्तदोषा² कुटुम्बिनः तस्योपरि अधर्म्म³ स्यात् चानुर्व्वय राजा(नम्) (११) राजमात्रं वा सह कुटुम्बभिः विज्ञापयामि ममानुकम्पार्थं यन्मया दत्तं मा विनाशय(त) ॥
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¹ The इकार is doubtful.
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² The passage is corrupt. Apparently the writer intended to say "व्यपोहितुं सुकृतं नयश्च तनितुम्".
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³ This is the corrected reading cf. B. E. F. Vol. XVIII, No. 10, p. 14.
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(१) यदि विनाशयथ जन्मनि जन्मनि वो यत्सुकृतं तन्मम स्यात् (२) यच्च मम दुष्कृतं तद् युष्म(आ)कं स्यात् अथ सम्यक् परिपालयथ तद् युष्माकमेव (३) धर्म्म⁴ स्यादिति भूयो विज्ञायामि⁵ य इह प्रभवति…………………देवबलिकागरकाः (ने-) (४) (पा)ङ्कम्मं न कारयितव्यं स्यात् ओर…………रत्नगतं वा राजकुलकार्य्यमनुष्ठेयं……(५) (अ)थ गुरो ऽस्माकं राजान् (१)……यत् किञ्चित्…………फलायेषु पादेषु पदितव्यमिति (६)…………⁶ (७) कुशलायतनाः बहुरत्न च…………⁷ (८)…………⁸ अयन् न स्वरतो धर्म्मभव………(६)…………पालयति तस्यैष धर्म्म (:) यो नतु पालति⁹ अभिनाशयतु अथ विनाशयति (१०)…………………तस्य भद्रेश्वरस्वामि जानाति ॥
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TRANSLATION.
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(a).
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(1) Perfection has been attained. Reverence to Maheśvara and to Umā………(2) to Brahmā and to Viṣṇu. Reverence to the Earth, Wind, Sky, Water (3) and fifthly, the Fire.
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1. Read ‘भूमिर्’.
2. Read मुक्तदोषाः.
3. Read अधर्मः.
4. Read धर्मः.
5. Read विज्ञापयामि.
6. About 27 aksaras.
7. About 16 aksaras.
8. About 18 aksaras.
9. Read पालयति.
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Having saluted them I wish all eminent people to note the following: That with a view to (4) atone for all evil deeds, and to perform good and virtuous work,¹ and having realised the destiny of human life,² a perpetual endowment has been given to Bhadreśvara by our king Bhadravarman, who is devoted to the feet of Bhadreśvarasvāmi: To wit, (6-7) the land within (the boundaries viz.) Sulaha mountain in the east, the great mountain in the south, the Kucaka mountain in the west and the Great River in the north, together with its inhabitants, has been given. (8) The (royal share of the) revenue consisting of a sixth of the produce, but reduced, through the favour of the Lord (king? or the owner of the temple to which land is given?) to one-tenth, is to be given to the God. If what is written above is not done for the God by anybody, (9) the fruit of merits, acquired by him since his very birth, belongs to Bhadravarman. But if somebody plunders, or destroys it by force, then (10) the people are exempt from guilt which falls upon that man alone. To the king, versed in the four Vedas, and to his (11) officers and other people, I declare: Out of compassion for me don't destroy my gifts.
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¹ This portion of the text is not quite intelligible, but the above rendering seems to bring out the sense intended to be conveyed.
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² Finot translates "ways of man". For the use of the word 'adhvan' in the above sense cf. Durmaram puruṣeṇeha manye adhvanyanāgate. (Mahābhārata, Aśvamedhaparvan ch. 80, v. 24. Bombay Edition).
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(1) If you destroy it, all your good deeds in your different births shall be mine, (2) and all the bad deeds done by me shall be yours. If, on the contrary, you properly maintain ( the endowment ), (3) the merit shall belong to you ( alone ). I again declare . . . . . [ the broken fragments in Lines 4-8 do not yield any sense ] (9) he who maintains. the merit belongs to him. He who does not maintain but destroys, will himself be destroyed......(10) Bhadreśvarasvāmi knows.
Cites (1)
- Mahābhārata — Sanskrit