A Nepalese Copper-Plate from the Time of Prithvinarayan's Father

6 | Kailash A NEPALESE COPPER-PLATE FROM THE TIME OF PRITHVINARAYAN'S FATHER Alexander W. Macdonald Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris I was able to photograph the tama-patra illustrated here in the bazar at Bodhnath in February, 1962. The plate measured 24 x 13.2 cms. It was in good condition without any traces of vert-de-gris Personally I do not think there can be any doubt as to its authenticity. Without giving full value to all the inherent vowels, I would tentatively read the inscription as follows: svasti sri giriraj cakra cudamani nara narayanetyadi vividha virudavali virajman manonnat, srimanmaharajadhiraj sri sri sriman narabhupal Sahadevanam sada samara vijayi nam :- -age hlopa lama kana, nakathaliko ghumva kus vrtti vakas bhayo, dhanajiyale seva garnu ksod lama kana vaksyako jajman sabhai vakas bhayo, thumban goljung ciltimma pajungka khet dui ghumva gaum gadlang eti gaumle ya lamale arhayako so kam garnu: miti sambat, 1798 phalgun vadi 5 roj. 7 subham// . On the modern map reproduced on the next page Nagthal ghyang is the Nakathaliko ghumva of the tama-patra; Thumman is Thumban; Gholiang is Goljung; Chime gaon is Ciltim; and Gothang is Gadlang. I hesitate in particular over two words, hlopa and ksod, and hope that someone who sees this note will be able to suggest better readings. Perhaps hlopa is a Nepalese rendering of Tib. lho-pa, "southerner" and might apply to someone from Bhutan. In any case, "Bhutanese" religious activity in the area in question, prior to the date of this tamapatra, is certain. Statues of 'brug-pa rin-po-che Nag-dban rnam-rgyal stand to this day in Nakathali dgon-pa, and in the dgon-pa above Gadlang. However, when I visited the area in October, 1972, both of the dgon-pa at Goljung (one is in the village, the other a considerable distance above it) appeared to be straightforward Rnin-ma-pa foundations. The village dgon-pa houses a very interesting image of Than-ston rgyal-po., i

Kailash / to face page 6 1khastisri girirajanaka cudama niranarayanetyadivividhavirudavali virajamana manonnata srimanma darajadhiraja sri sri srimannasnupala sahadevanam sada samara vijayi namu6 age do palama kana nakathaliko ghumva kusavrrtivakasanayodhanaji yale seva garnu jhoda, lama kanavakasya ko jajamanasacaivakasanayo, thuvana gola juna, cinima pajuna kasetara chuvagaum gadalie nigaumle, yala maleka kayako so kama garnumitivat 1758 phalgunarava diyano'su ||

IT kharka Chilime Khota 12000 14.003 gove 10000 g Kailash | 7 GHARL chatte Whole timure phyasing nagthal ghyang thumman pargang tirse birdim chime_gaon 12000 Amangal thangle 60 gholiang 1700 sunpati gothang khongjung Ishang yagaon syabrubesi 8000 10000 12000 siyo gre 6000 shabru DESID 5400 bhargu 5300. haku dhunche (CST) munga mangsen phalang ghyang, 14000 15672

1 8 / Kailash