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A letter granting water-expiation to nine members of Pṛthī Bahādura Pā̃ḍe's family (VS 1928)

ID: K_0172_0063


Edited and translated by Rajan Khatiwoda in collaboration with Simon Cubelic
Created: 2015-06-08; Last modified: 2016-11-03
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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, . 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

The first part of the letter, probably issued by a dharmādhikārīn, explains the ritual procedures for undertaking expiation (see commentary on K_0175_0018 for a discussion of the term patiyā). The ritual procedure has been specifically prescribed for nine members (including servants) of the family headed by Pṛthvī Bahādura Pā̃ḍe, who was guilty of committing adultery (see K_0175_0018). They nine became polluted through having afterwards met their incestuous husband, father or master, and then having eaten rice together with him. The second part of the letter certifies the water-expiation granted to them, although it explicitly mentions that they are still excluded from eating cooked rice together with fellow caste members. One Kaptāna Khaḍga Siṃ Bhaḍārī Kṣatrī had submitted a petition to the prime minister to allow water-expiation to be granted to the remaining family members of Pṛthī Bahādura in view of the first wife of Pṛthī Bahādura, Rāja Kumārī, having already been granted such expiation (see K_0175_0018 and K_0175_0032 and K_0175_0034). The prime minister responded to this petition by issuing an executive order to the court Iṭācapali that water-expiation should be shall be granted in the same way as it had been to Rāja Kumārī before (see K_0175_0032 and K_0175_0034).



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्रीमद्गोरक्षभूपेन्द्रप्रेरीत­स्मृतिसंमतम्­॥
2दुरितच्छेदनोपायं­प्रायश्चित्त­समाचर­॥१॥

1श्री३महाराज
2¯¯¯¯¯
3

1प्रथम­दिन­नर­वहादुर­र­किष्ण­विर्याले­मुंण्डन­गरि­अरुले­नङ­
2छेदन­गरि­तिलकल्क­माटो­भस्म­पंचगव्य­लेपन­गरि­स्नान­
3गर्नु­तस­दिन­दिनैमा­हविष्य­ग्रास­१५­षानु­दोश्रा­दिन­रात्री
4मा­ग्रास­१२­षानु­तेश्रा­दिन­नमागी­कसैले­षा­भनी­दिया­
5ग्रास­२४­षानु­चौथा­दिन­निराहार­गर्नु­यस्ता­रितले­फेरी­३­
6गर्दा­दिन­१२­हुंछ­१३­दिन्मा­पंचगव्य­षाइ­व्राह्मणलाइ­सिधा­
7दक्षिणा­दिनु­सहर­काठमाडौ­नरदेवी­टोल­वस्न्या­पृथी­वाहादुर­
8पाडे­क्षेत्रीले­आफ्ना­हाडमा­४­/५­पुस्ताका­भाउज्यू­र­दिदी­ना
9ता­पर्न्याको­स्मेत्­‌करनी­गर्याका­मुद्दा­१५­साल्मा­निज­पाडे­मदे
10सतर्फ­जादा­नीजका­संगमा­गयाका­ज्येठी­मुषेनी­र­अरु­तपसि
11ल­वमोजीम्का­मानीस­नीज­पृथी­वहादुरसंग­भतीयापछी­
12जेठी­मुषेनीले­भन्या­पतिया­पाइन्­यकै­सरहका­तपसिल्का­
13मानीसले­पनि­सोही­सरह­पतिया­पाउनु­पर्न्या­हो­भनी­क
14प्तान­षड्ग­सिं­भडारी­क्षेत्रीले­¯१¯­का­हजुर्मा­विन्ती­पार्दा­हु
15कुम्­‌वमोजीम्­‌नीज­पाडेकी­जेठी­मुषेनीलाइ­पतिया­भया
16को­हुनाले­नीज­पाडेका­अरु­जहान­तपसिल­वमोजीम्का­मा
17नीसलाइ­पनी­अदालत­‌इटाचपलिवाट्­पानीको­मात्र­प
18तीया­गराइदिनु­भंन्या­हुकुम्­भयाको­साचो­हो­भनी­२८­साल­
19वैसाष­>वदि­२­रोज­६­मा­छाप­लागी­आयाका­पुर्जी­वमोजी
20म्­‌नीज­वमोजीम्­‌तपसिल्का­मानीस­जना­९­को­भात­
21वाहेकै­छ­पानीमात्र­सुद्ध­¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
  तपसील1नीज­पाडेकी­व्याहीता­माहीली­मुषनी­हर­कुमारी­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2ऐ­का­छोरा­वर्ष­४­को­नर­वहादुर­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯१­
3नीज­पाडेकी­ल्याइता­मुषेनी­हरिलिला­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯१­
4ऐ­¯¯¯छोरी­वर्ष­५­की­त्रिविक्रम­देवी­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯१­
5भान्स्या­वाहुनी­लक्ष्मी­देवी­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯१­
 चाकर­1धर्मसीला­केटी­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯­१­
2किष्नविर्या­केटो­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯­१­
3मोहन­कुमारी­केटी­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯­१­
4इन्द्र­कुमारी­केटी­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯­१­इति­सम्वत्­१९२८­साल­मीती­वैसाष­वदी­३­रो­७­[?]

Translation

[1r]

1By order of the venerable king of Gorkhā, perform prāyaścitta, in accordance with the smṛtis, as a remedy that removes evil.1

Śrī 3 Mahārājadhirāja (i.e., Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Jaṅga Bahādura Kuvãra Rāṇā) ---1

On the first day, Nara Bahādura and Kṛṣṇa Vīra2 should shave [their] heads and [along with] the other persons [mentioned below] should cut their nails,3 should anoint their bodies with sesamum husks (tilakalka), [sacred] ash and the five cow products4 and take a bath. On the same day, during the day time, they should eat 15 mouthfuls of sacrificial food. On the second day, during the night-time, they should eat 12 mouthfuls. On the third day, they should eat if somebody offers [food] without their having asked [for any]. On the fourth day, they should fast (nirāhāra). [They should pass] twelve days repeating [the same procedure] three times.5 On the thirteenth day, they should eat the five cow products and offer dakṣīṇā [together with other] uncooked ritual offerings (sīdhā) to a Brahmin.

Kaptāna Khaḍga Siṃ Bhaḍārī Kṣatrī submitted [the following] petition to ---1--- (i.e. the prime minister) which states: “Regarding the case of adultery committed by Pṛthī Bahādura Pā̃ḍe, a resident of Naradevī Ṭola of Kathmandu city, with the [non-widowed] wife of a 4th/5th-generation cousin and with a 4th/5th-generation female cousin in the [Vikrama] year [19]15, Jeṭhī Mukhenī and the persons listed in the details [below] were polluted through eating rice with him after they had fled to the Terai with him. [Given that] Jeṭhī Mukhenī6 (i.e. Rāja Kumārī Pā̃ḍe) had been granted expiation by the order given, the other similarly [polluted] people who are listed in the details [below] should also be granted similar expiation”.

[Concerning this matter], on Friday, the 2nd of the bright fortnight of Vaiśākha in the [Vikrama] year [19]28, stamped official note (chāpa lāgīāyāko pūrjī) has arrived, stating: "The order given to the Iṭācapalī court to grant water-expiation to the other members of Pṛthī Bahādura Pā̃ḍe's family listed in the details below is right given that his Jeṭhī Mukhenī granted expiation7 ”. In accordance with this note, the nine people [listed] in the details below [have been granted] water-expiation.


 Details

1Byāhītā (i.e. the lawful wife) Māhīlī Mukhenī Hara Kumārī8 of [Pṛthī Bahādura] Pā̃ḍe---1
2his 4 year old son Nara Bahādura ---1
3Lyāitā (concubine) Mukhenī Harililā of [Pṛthī Bahādura] Pā̃ḍe ---1
4his 5 years old daughter Trivikrama Devī ---1
5[the female] Brahmin cook Lakṣmī Devī ---1


 Servants


2The girl Dharmasīlā ---1
2The boy Kṛṣṇa Vīra ---1
3The girl Mohana Kumārī ---1
4The girl Īndra Kumārī ---1

Saturday, the 3rd of the dark fortnight of Vaiśākha in the [Vikrama] year 1928.


Commentary

Despite the fact that there is no mention of who drew up the document, it can be argued on the basis of the following points that the document was issued by a dharmādhikārīn to the petitioners as an official certificate. 1. It is explicitly mentioned in the Ain of 1854 that only dharmādhikārīns are entitled to perfom the rite of expiation, once they receive an official written note (pūrjī) from the courts or an attested written order (pramāṅgī) from proper authorities (see MAKM 1854/89 §2-(8). 2. We see that the first part of the letter spells out the ritual procedures to be undertaken by the family members polluted through association with Pṛthī Bahādura. The Ain of 1854 is silent on such procedures, and a dharmādhikārīn whould have been the most likely authority competent to prescribe them. According to smṛti texts for instance (MDh 11.84-85), three Brahmins who are learned in the Vedas are allowed to prescribe penances.


Notes

1. The verse has been faithfully transcribed as it appears in the document without correcting it in accordance with the standard Sanskrit grammar. Further, it has been edited and translated in Michaels 2005: 42, where it occurs at the beginning of a patiyā-pūrjī. []

2. Nara Bahādura was a son of Pṛthvī Bahādura, while Kṛṣṇa Vīra was one of his servants (see under "Detail" of the document). []

3. Because Nara Bahādura and Kṛṣṇa Vīra are male they have to shave their heads as well as cutting their nails, whereas the remaining persons are female and consequently are only required to do the latter. []

4. pañcagavya is prepared from the following five cow-products: milk, curd, ghee, urine and dung. []

5. The four days of penance referred to may be the pādakṛcchra which when repeated three times becomes the prājāpatyakṛcchra (see YDh. 3.318-19). []

6. A mukhenī/mukhinī is the wife of a holder of the post mukhiyā. It is also simply an honorific word for addressing to the wives of Kṣatriyas (see NBŚ s.v. mukhinī/mukhenī) []

8. She is the second of Pṛthī Bahādura's three wives; the first and second, Rāja Kumārī and Hara Kumārī were lawfully wedded spouses while the third Haralilā was a concubine. []