Briddhi Lakshmi

Briddhi Lakshmi
śrī śrī vṛddhi lakṣmī devī
Queen Consort of Bhaktapur
PredecessorVishva Lakshmi
SuccessorPosition abolished
Queen regent of Thimi
TenureApril 1740 – 20 July 1740
PredecessorPosition established
SuccessorPosition abolished
Bornc. 1704
Bettiah, Bettiah Raj, Mughal Empire
(Present day Bihar, India)
Diedsometime after 1754
Kingdom of Bhaktapur, Nepal
(Present day Bagmati Province, Nepal)
SpouseRanajit Malla (m. 1712)
IssueBira Narasingha Malla (Devendra Malla)
DynastyMalla (by marriage)
ReligionHinduism
SignatureBriddhi Lakshmi's signature

Briddhi Lakshmi (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐰𑐺𑐡𑑂𑐢𑐶𑐮𑐎𑑂𑐲𑑂𑐩𑐷‎; née Rāya) was the queen consort of the Nepalese Kingdom of Bhaktapur (modern day Bhaktapur, Nepal) from 1722 as the first wife of Ranajit Malla and also a Newar language poet.[1] For a brief period, she and her two-year-old son were the de jure monarch of an independent Thimi.[2] She is today mostly remembered for the poems she composed.[1]

She was born in a noble family in from the region around Bettiah, in modern-day India and had a brother named Murāri Rāya.[3] In 1712, she was brought to Nepal and then married to the nine year old Ranajit Malla. Later during the reign of Ranajita Malla, she was popular among the people of the kingdom, however had no supporters among the nobility. Likewise, she also found herself replaced by Jaya Lakshmi, a who became a favourite concubine of Ranajit Malla. By the time she gave birth to a son in 1738, Jaya Lakshmi's eldest son had already reached maturity.[4] This caused a crisis of succession in Bhaktapur which ended with Briddhi Lakshmi first taking refuge in the town of Thimi and then later in Kathmandu.[5]

She was a prolific poet and songwriter in the Newar language; her poem, "𑐎 𑐏 𑐫𑐵 𑐩𑑂𑐫𑐾‎" (ka kha yā mye), an abecedarian lyric, is considered one of the greatest works in the Newar language.[1]

Early life

In November 1711, an envoy led by Bhairava Malla and Vira Joshi was dispatched by Bhupatindra Malla to Bettiah in order to fetch Briddhi Lakshmi to Bhaktapur.[6] The expenditure book of their journey is so far the only source about Briddhi Lakshmi's early life. The expenditure book does not mention her name and refers to her as "kanyā", a term used for an unmarried girl.[7] However, the book does mention her brother's name, Murāri Rāya.[8] Bridhhi Laksmhi, as per the book was not of royal descent.[7]

By February 1712, the envoy had returned to Bhaktapur with Briddhi Lakshmi and her brother, Murāri Rāya, who had accompanied his sister but returned after they arrived safely in Bhaktapur.[9] Briddhi Lakshmi was married to the crown prince Ranajit Malla eight months after her arrival, on the first day of kartika vadi 833 NS (October–November 1712).[8]

Succession crisis

Sources

Much of what is known about the crisis is known from the journal of Cassiano Beligatti, a Capuchin missionary from Macerata who was staying in Bhaktapur during the crisis of succession.[10] There are also three copper plate inscriptions: two of them, at the temple of Brahmani in Bhaktapur attributed to Ranajita Malla, Briddhi Lakshmi and their child while the other two at the temple of Balkumari in Thimi and at Chitrapur Village, south of Thimi; dating from the same day from Briddhi Lakshmi.[10][11] Additionally, there are six Newar Language poems written by Briddhi Lakshmi likely during her stay in Thimi or Kathmandu.[12]

Background

The king had made every effort not to recognize as his legitimate son and heir to the kingdom, a boy born of a Queen; and the king did this at the instigation of his concubine, which she considered contrary to the statutes of the kingdom, wishing to make her own son succeed the king

— The Journal of Cassiano Beligatti[13]

Ranajit Malla who ascended the throne after his father's death in May 1722 had many concubines and one particular concubine, Jaya Lakshmi became the favourite of the king.[14] From Jaya Lakshmi, Ranajit Malla had a son, named Ajitasimha Malla, whose birth date is not known yet, but he must have been the king's eldest male child as he is addressed as the crown prince in a document from 1728.[14] Additionally, Jaya Lakshmi was addressed as the rājapatni ("royal consort") in an epigraphy from 1733.[15] Throughout this time, Briddhi Lakshmi appears to have been childless.

However, on 20 July 1738, Briddhi Lakshmi gave birth to a son in Thimi.[16] Briddhi Lakshmi, being the king's only legitimate wife was favoured by the public and naturally Ranajit Malla was pressured by the public to change the crown prince to Briddhi Lakshmi's son.[14] There is a copper plate at the Brahmani temple of Bhaktapur dating to NS 859 kartika krishna 1 (November 1739 CE) that mentions a donation of six Dapha to the panchayat of the city from Ranajita Malla, Briddhi Lakshmi and the Sahebaju.[a][18]: 174 

It seems Jaya Lakshmi wanted to maintain the status quo by retaining her son's position as the crown prince and pressured the king to not change his previous decision.[16] However, there was significant public pressure that compelled the king to recognize the son of Briddhi Lakshmi as the heir.[b]

However, Jaya Lakshmi having the support of the nobility as well as being a favourite of the monarch was able to excerise much power on the palace.[16] In contrast, Bridhhi Lakshmi had no supporters among the nobility and courtiers of the palace, likely due to Jaya Lakshmi being from one of the noble families herself, except for a minister which Beligatti specified was from a "non-aristocratic family".[10][16] In her poems, she describes being bullied and ridiculed in the palace by her rivals, for instance her poem "bhayirava taleju bihune varadāna" describe her situation as "I am being troubled like what a cow would feel united with a tiger".[12] Beligatti also wrote in this journal that "the concubine had left no means untried to carry out her plan of destroying the little king"[19]

Flight to Thimi

Briddhi Lakshmi's Newar language copper plate inscription at Balkumari temple, Thimi dated to May 1740, mentions her taking refuge in the town.[5]

Beligatti additionally wrote that Briddhi Lakshmi could not live in peace in the palace where her rival Jayalakshmi held all the power, and that she scented dangers ahead even for her child.[20] Due to the public pressure regarding her safety, Ranajita Malla was compelled to appoint to a high-ranking office, which Beligatti calls Viceroy, a supporter of Briddhi Lakshmi who arranged the escape of the Queen and her infant son to Thimi in mid-April 1740.[19]

Thimi being the second largest city in the kingdom, along with some smaller settlements around it like Nakadesh formed the appanage to the heir.[19] Not long after her flight to Thimi, the people of Thimi, Nagesh and Nala declared her infant son as their king.[19][2]

Ranajit Malla in order to solve this predicament called a general council for the people on 26 April 1740, whereby he would grant permission for anyone in the kingdom to enter his palace and were given permission to freely express their opinions directly to their king.[2] Beligatti who was the witness of this event, wrote the following in his journal:

"Due to this new turn of events, the King thought to convene a General Council on the quid agendum and summoned it for the evening of April 26th which, being in my opinion bizarre, I do not think it right to omit. About two hours after sunset, the King, together with the 4 principal Brahmins, and the Viceroy descended to one of the 12 courtyards of the king's mansion. All of them sat around a loggia and had all the torches removed so it was dark all around. Now, there were two gates that led from the square to the place where the King was with the aforesaid people, and having removed the guards at said gates allowed free entry to anyone who wished to enter and state their opinion. There were a great many of such people. All of them had their faces covered to hide their identity and spoke in an affected tone not to be recognized. Some scolded the king, even called him bad names; others threatened him with dire consequences and still a few more tendered what one would like to call a simple advice.

This went on until one hour after midnight had passed and those assembled then dispersed. The king deferred his judgment for the next day. Such night councils are not held except in similar cases, when the people are not satisfied with the King; and the King is hardly safe in his life, because these people are not bloodthirsty, principally toward their Kings, but when they are reduced to extremities they depose the King, and either confine him to an apartment of the court, or exile him from the Kingdom. What decision the King took after such a council, I never knew.

Many members of both factions came to us and broke our ears with their stories. Some wanted the Prefect to speak to the King, but the Prefect always refused, saying that we had not come here to support any party or take part in politics, but only to teach religion".[2][21]

Briddhi Lakshmi set up a copper plate inscription in the Balkumari temple of Thimi as well as another in the village of Chitrapura, both dated to NS 860 vaisakha vadi 1 Thursday (May 1740 CE), where she mentions her taking refuge in Thimi along with the Sahebju.[5] Both the copper plates also grant a tax exemption to the panchayat of the respective towns for providing protection to the queen and her son.[22][18]: 175 

This succession crisis spread to other kingdoms of Nepal as the king of Kathmandu Jaya Prakasa Malla seems to have supported the queen in her uprising which created a quagmire with Ranajita Malla and which eventually led to a minor war between them.[23]

Escape to Kathmandu

On 20 July 1740, Briddhi Lakshmi had escaped Thimi for Kathmandu, with Beligatti writing, "the Queen of Bhaktapur who was in Thimi where the people had proclaimed her son king, on the pretext of bathing herself and her son in the river Bagmati to satisfy a vow she had made went there, but when she arrived at the river, instead of washing herself she ordered to those who were carrying her to speedily reach the borders of Kathmandu, and took refuge at the court where an apartment with guards was assigned to her by the king Jaya Prakasa. The action of the queen was much talked about in all the three kingdoms, even though she did that only in order to safeguard the life of the little king".[24]

Her flight to Kathmandu seems to affected the people back in Bhaktapur, with Beligatti observing that the Saparu festival in Bhaktapur was called off early and was conducted "very melancholily due to the evasion of the Queen and little King".[25]

Aftermath

It appears after the council, Ranajit Malla himself went to Thimi to console his queen and resolve the conflict, however, it's unclear what happened afterwards or when she returned to Bhaktapur after her flight to Kathmandu as no clear sources have been found.[10]

The next source that mentions her is dated almost a decade after the event in 1750 (NS 871), from two stone inscriptions, she set up in Banepa, relating to her having built a temple and a bridge in the city.[26] However, her son is mentioned in an edict from February 1747 (NS 868 phalguna sukla 7) as sri sri saheba juju as being invited to the inauguration of a Buddhist monastery in Bhaktapur.[27] Similarly, in an inscription from a communal shelter in Thimi dated to June 1751 (NS 872 jestha) identifies the kingdom as under the joint rule of Ranajita Malla and the Sahebaju.[28]

From 1750 she appears frequently as a donor of ceremonial and religious items in temples of Bhaktapur and Banepa with her last source being a donation at a temple in Bhaktapur from March 1754.[29]

Children

Before the birth of a prince on 20 July 1738 in Thimi,[30] there are no other mentions of any children from Briddhi Lakshmi. The copper plate inscription she set up at the temple of Bramhani in Bhaktapur in 1738, mentions his name as "Vira Narasimha Malla".[14] Vira Narasimha Malla is also the name that appears in a stone inscription from 1752 (NS 873), where it states that he was co-ruling the kingdom with his father.[26] However, one of Briddhi Lakshmi's poems from 1740 to 1742, mention her son's name as Dhana sāheba.[31] while her Banepa inscription mention her son's name as Devendra Malla.[26] Similarly, Devendra Malla's name also appears as a donor of a drum to Taleju, the tutelary goddess of the Mallas, in 1754.[32]: 79  Early historians like Dilli Raman Regmi were unsure whether Devendra Malla and Vira Narasimha Malla referred to the same person or were the names of two brothers.[26] However, modern historians like Dhaubhadel suppose that Vira Narasimha and Devendra refer to the same person.[14]

Death

It is unclear how or when Briddhi Lakshmi and her son died. After their Banepa inscription, Briddhi Lakshmi and her son, Vira Narasimha's name appears as the donors of various ceremonial items in the temples of Bhaktapur 1750 and 1754. For instance, in 1751 (NS 872), they donated statuettes of various deities at a Buddhist temple in Bhaktapur.[29] Finally, their last reference is from a ceremonial item they donated to the temple of Bhairava at Bhaktapur, and the inscription in it contains the date 11 March 1754 (NS 874 Chaitra 2) and mention Briddhi Lakshmi and Devendra Malla as the donors.[33][29]

In late December 1753, Ranajit Malla set up two gold plate inscriptions on the Golden Gate which he commissioned. Both of the inscription does not mention Vira Narasimha's and his mother Briddhi Lakshmi; however, it mentions Jaya Lakshmi as Ranajit Malla's wife.[32]: appendix 15 

As regards her son, in the local folklore, Vira Narasimha Malla was assassinated.[34] Literature from the late 19th century, like Daniel Wright's 1877 publication and Sylvain Lévi's publication mention that Vira Narasimha was assassinated by his stepbrothers (i.e. Ranajit Malla's sons from his concubines) using "dark magic".[35][36]

When the Gorkhali forces invaded Bhaktapur in November 1769, it appears neither Briddhi Lakshmi nor her son were alive. The memoir of a servant of Ranajit Malla during the battle, mention that his three concubines (Newar: mathayāḥ) were his only wives left alive.[37] Similarly, the memoir also does not mention Bira Narasimha or Devendra Malla, which suggests that her son had died by then too. Therefore, her (and her son's) death must have happened after March 1754 but before 1769.

Literary works

A page from a songbook in the Asa Safu Kuthi containing one of her poems.

While some of her poetries are preserved in Dapha songbooks, the 52-folio manuscript titled "gīta saṃgraha" at the National Archives of Nepal under catalogue number B 285/12 is the only surviving collection of her poetry.[38] All of her poems from the "gīta saṃgraha" are laments describing her experience during the crisis of succession and her subsequent flight to Thimi and Kathmandu.[12] However, only two of her works from the book, ka kha yā mye and bhayirava taleju bihune varadāna have been published so far; by Janak Lal Vaidya in 2000.[39]

Out of the two that have been published, Premshanti Tuladhar, a professor of Newar, particularly has praised her ka kha yā mye (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐎 𑐏 𑐫𑐵 𑐩𑑂𑐫𑐾‎, lit. 'a song of ka and kha'), an abecedarian poem based on the Newar alphabet.[1] Similarly, Historian Om Prasad Dhaubhadel describes it as "touching, sensitive and important".[40] Following are the starting verses of the poem in the original Classical Newar and its transliteration:

𑐎𑐮𑐶𑐳 𑐖𑐣𑐩 𑐡𑐫𑐶𑐰𑐣 𑐧𑐶𑐮 𑐕𑐵𑐫‎
(kalisa janama dayivana bila chāya)
𑐏𑐕𑐶𑐫𑐵 𑐧𑐕𑐶𑐫𑐵 𑐬𑐳 𑐩𑐡𑐸 𑐳𑐸𑐏 𑐫𑐵𑐫‎
(khachiyā bachiyā rasa madu sukha yāya)
𑐐𑐬𑐸𑐜 𑐐𑐌𑐩𑑂𑐴𑐳𑐾𑐣 𑐩𑐫𑐵𑐟 𑐰𑐶𑐰𑐾𑐎‎
(garuḍa gomhasena mayāta viveka)

— Briddhi Lakshmi, ka kha yā mye, [31]

Following is the translation of the verses:

In Kali, why was I given birth by the gods,
Not even for a moment, for half a moment, there is rasa nor joy
The one who sits atop the Garuda[c] has shown no discernment.

— Translation

Similarly, her other poem that has been published, named bhayirava taleju bihune varadāna (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐨𑐫𑐶𑐬𑐧 𑐟𑐮𑐾𑐖𑐸 𑐧𑐶𑐴𑐸𑐣𑐾 𑐧𑐬𑐡𑐵𑐣‎, "bhairava taleju, give me a boon") after the starting verse, has been equally praised by Dhaubhadel.[40] Following are the starting verses of the poem in the original Classical Newar and its transliteration:

𑐨𑐫𑐶𑐬𑐧 𑐟𑐮𑐾𑐖𑐸 𑐧𑐶𑐴𑐸𑐣𑐾 𑐧𑐬𑐡𑐵𑐣‎
(bhayirava taleju bihune varadāna)
𑐠𑐩 𑐥𑐶𑐫𑐵 𑐳𑐶𑐩𑐵 𑐳𑐶𑐳𑐾, 𑐮𑐏𑐫𑐵 𑐁𑐢𑐵𑐬 𑐧𑐶𑐳𑐾, 𑐣𑐶𑐡𑐵𑐣𑐣 𑐮𑐴𑐶𑐫 𑐖𑐶 𑐩𑐵𑐮‎
(thama piyā simā sise, lakhayā ādhāra bise, nidānana lahiya ji māla)
𑐧𑐵𑐮𑐎𑐫 𑐩𑐾𑐰 𑐐𑐟𑐶 𑐩𑐡𑐸, 𑐥𑐟𑐶 𑐳𑐶𑐳𑐾 𑐨𑐐𑐰𑐟𑐶, 𑐎𑐬𑐸𑐞𑐵𑐣 𑐫𑐵𑐰 𑐖𑐶 𑐰𑐶𑐔𑐵𑐮‎
(bālakaya meva gati madu, pati sise bhagavati, karuṇāna yāva ji vicāla)

— Briddhi Lakshmi, bhayirava taleju bihune varadāna, [12]

Following is the translation of the verses:

Oh Bhairava, Oh Taleju, grant me a blessing
One's own beloved tree, that one has given the support of water, it is one's necessity to nurture it
This child has no other salvation, knowing this Bhagavati, you must take care of me with compassion.

— Translation

Historian Janak Lal Vaidya describes Briddhi Lakshmi as an important poet of the 18th century and praises her poem for its sweetness and musicality.[41]

In culture

On 27 November 2023, a Nepal Bhasa song written by Durga Lal Shrestha was released, the subject of which was the relationship between Ranajit Malla and Bridhhi Lakshmi before they were married but after her arrival in Bhaktapur from Bettiah.[42] For the music video, Ranajit Malla was played by Karma Shakya and Briddhi Lakshmi was played by Rojina Suwal.[43]

Following are the manuscript folios containing her poem, ka kha yā mye and bhayirava taleju bihune varadān:

Notes

  1. ↑ Sahebju, derived from the Arabic word for "master", is the title given to the heir apparent during the Malla Dynasty.[17]
  2. ↑ "The people rose up against the King, and he had to satisfy them by solemnly recognizing his son as successor. Upon our arrival, the little King was two years old." [19]
  3. ↑ either Vishnu or her husband the king
  • Wikisource logo The full text of Ka Kha Yā Mye at Wikisource
  • Wikisource logo The full text of Bhairava Taleju Bihune Varadana at Wikisource

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Tuladhar, Prem Shanti (2000). Nepal Bhasa Sahitya ya Itihasa (in Newari). Nepal Bhasa Academy. p. 54.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Regmi 2007, p. 247.
  3. ↑ Bajrācārya 1989, p. 1.
  4. ↑ Dhaubhadel 2020, p. 32.
  5. 1 2 3 Regmi 2007, p. 248.
  6. ↑ Bajrācārya 1989, p. 9.
  7. 1 2 Bajrācārya 1989, p. 6.
  8. 1 2 Bajrācārya 1989, p. 7.
  9. ↑ Bajrācārya 1989, p. 4.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Dhaubhadel 2020, p. 35.
  11. ↑ Vajracharya, Dhanavajra (14 January 1967). "licchavikālamā caleko pāñcālī (pañcāyata) śāsana paddhatiko paraciya" (PDF). Purnima (in Nepali). 3 (4): 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Vaidya 2001, p. 124.
  13. ↑ Petech 1952, p. 30.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Dhaubhadel 2020, p. 33.
  15. ↑ NANP 2024, p. 111.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Regmi 2007, p. 246.
  17. ↑ Vajracharya, Gautam (1964). "Nevari Bhasama Farasi Arabi Adi Musalmani Bhasako Prabhava" [Influence of Arabic and Persian in the Newar Language] (PDF). Purnima (in Nepali). 1 (1): 33–41.
  18. 1 2 Vajracharya, Dhanvajtra; Shrestha, Tek Bahadur (1978). pāñcālī śāsana-paddhatiko aitihāsika vivecanā (in Nepali).
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Petech 1952, p. 32.
  20. ↑ Regmi 2007, p. 246–247.
  21. ↑ Petech 1952, p. 32–33.
  22. ↑ Vajracharya, Dhanavajra (14 January 1967). "licchavikālamā caleko pāñcalī śāsanapaddhatiko paricaya" [Introduction to the pāñcalī system of the Liccahvi era] (PDF). Purnima (in Nepali). 3 (4): 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2025.
  23. ↑ Petech 1952, p. 33.
  24. ↑ Petech 1952, p. 44.
  25. ↑ Petech 1952, p. 45.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Regmi 2007, p. 249.
  27. ↑ NANP 2024, p. 130.
  28. ↑ NANP 2024, p. 135.
  29. 1 2 3 Dhaubhadel 2020, p. 36.
  30. ↑ Regmi, D. R. (1965). Medieval Nepal: Select inscriptions, 1524-1768 A.D. with verification and corresponding dates in C.E. Firma K.L. Mukhopadhyay. p. 394.
  31. 1 2 Vaidya 2001, p. 125.
  32. 1 2 Vaidya, Tulasī Rāma (2002). Bhaktapur Rajdarbar. Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies, Tribhuvan University. ISBN 978-99933-52-17-4.
  33. ↑ Shrestha, Purushottam Lochan (12 March 2024). "bhairavamandirako vṛddhilakṣmīdevī ra devendra malladevako abhilekha" [Briddhi Lakshmi and Devendra Malla's inscription at the temple of Bhairava]. Atrangaka Tarangaharu (in Nepali). Bhaktapur: 847.
  34. ↑ Prajapati, Srijana (June 2024). "bhaktapurakā mallakālīna sāta bāhālaharu" [Seven Malla Dynasty Buildings from Bhaktapur]. Tribhuvan University (in Nepali).
  35. ↑ Wright, Daniel (1993). History of Nepal. Asian Educational Services. p. 199. ISBN 978-81-206-0552-7.
  36. ↑ Lévi, Sylvain (1905). Le Népal: étude historique d'un royaume hindou (in French). E. Leroux. p. 264. Les sept fils illégitimes de Ranajit complotent contre le prince Vira Narasimha, héritier présomptif de la couronne, et provoquent sa mort par une sorte de messe noire.
  37. ↑ Śreshṭha, Devīcandra (2019). Bhaktapuramā Gorkhālī hamalā: Garūḍanārāyaṇa Goṅgalako samjhanā (in Nepali). Jagadambā Prakāśana. p. 28. ISBN 978-9937-598-10-1.
  38. ↑ Vaidya 2002, p. 123.
  39. ↑ Vaidya 2002, p. 125.
  40. 1 2 Dhaubhadel 2020, p. 34.
  41. ↑ Vaidya 2001, p. 126.
  42. ↑ "सत्यनारायण मानन्धरको 'ङेङापा झ्यःया दरबार' बोलको गीत हेर्ने दर्शक बढ्दै". Kath Khabar. 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  43. ↑ KC Manandhar, Rajani (23 November 2023). Nyenyappa Jhya: Ya Darbar |55 Jhya Ya Darbar | Karma | Rojina | Satya Narayan | New Newari Song (in Newari). Archived from the original on 29 August 2024 – via YouTube.

Bibliography


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