Kedukan Bukit inscription
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/KedukanBukit001.jpg/220px-KedukanBukit001.jpg)
The Kedukan Bukit Inscription was discovered by the Dutchman M. Batenburg on 29 November 1920 at Kedukan Bukit, South Sumatra, Indonesia, on the banks of the River Tatang, a tributary of the River Musi. It is the oldest surviving specimen of the Malay language, in a form known as Old Malay.[1] It is a small stone of 45 by 80 cm. This inscription is dated the year 11, 02, 605 Saka (1, 05, 683 AD).
These inscriptions were written in a sister system of Vatteluttu and Grantha called the Pallava alphabet, developed by ancient Tamils to write Tamil and contain numerous Sanskrit words.[2][3][4]
George Coedes states the inscription tells us, "that on April 23, 682, a king began an expedition (siddhayatra) by boat, that on May 19 he left an estuary with an army moving simultaneously by land and sea, and that, a month later, he brought victory, power, and wealth to Srivijaya. This anonymous king is almost certainly the Jayanasa who founded a public park two years later, on March 23, 684, at Talang Tuwo..."[5]: 82–83
Text
Original Text in Old Malay Language
Transliteration 1:
- svasti śrī śakavaŕşātīta 605 (604?) ekādaśī śu-
- klapakşa vulan vaiśākha ḍapunta hiya<ṃ> nāyik di
- sāmvau mangalap siddhayātra di saptamī śuklapakşa
- vulan jyeşţha ḍapunta hiya<ṃ> maŕlapas dari minānga
- tāmvan mamāva yaṃ vala dualakşa dangan ko-
- duaratus cāra di sāmvau dangan jālan sarivu
- tlurātus sapulu dua vañakña dātaṃ di mata jap
- sukhacitta di pañcamī śuklapakşa vula<n> <...>
- laghu mudita dātaṃ marvuat vanua <...>
- śrīvijaya jaya siddhayātra subhikşa <...>
Transliteration 2:[6]
- Swasti Shri Shakawarsatita 605 ekadashi
- Shuklapaksa wulan Waishaka dapunta hiyang naik
- Disambau mangalap siddhayatra di Saptami Shuklapaksa
- Wulan Jyestha dapunta hiyang marlapas dari Minanga
- Tamvan (Tamvar?) mamawa jang bala dua laksa dangan <...>
- dua ratus tsyara disambau dangan jalan saribu
- Tlu ratus sapuloh dua banyaknya. Datang di Matajap (Mataya?)
- Sukhatshitta. Di pantshami shuklapaksa Wulan <...>
- Laghu mudik datang marwuat manua <...>
- Syriwijaya jayasiddhayatra subhiksa.
Translation in Modern Malay Language
Literal translation:
- Selamat dan Bahagia. Dalam Syaka 605
- Sebelas hari Bulan Waisyaka. Baginda naik kapal
- Mencari untungnya pada tujuh hari
- Bulan Jyestha, Baginda berlepas dari Muara
- Tamvan membawa bala dua laksa dengan <...>
- Dua ratus pawang di kapal dengan jalan seribu
- Tiga ratus sepuluh dua banyaknya. Datang di Matajap
- Sukacita. Di lima hari Bulan <...>
- Belayar mudik datang membuat benua <...>
- Srivijaya kota yang jaya, bahagia dan makmur.
Detailed translation:
- Salam bahagia, batu bersurat ini ditulis pada hari ke-11 bulan Waisyaka Tahun 605 Syaka:
- Baginda menaiki kapal untuk mencari untungnya pada 7 hari di bulan Jyestha.
- Baginda berlepas dari Muara Tamvan dengan membawa dua puluh ribu bala
- dengan <...> serta dua ratus pawang dan tentera sebanyak
- seribu tiga ratus dua belas banyaknya dengan sukacitanya datang ke Matajap.
- Pada lima haribulan <...>, mereka datang belayar mudik ke hulu untuk membuka negara <...>.
- Srivijaya, kota yang jaya, bahagia dan makmur.
English Translation for Malay Language version of the Inscription
- All hail and prosperity! In the year 605 of the Saka calendar, on the eleventh
- day in the month of Waisaka, His Majesty took
- a boat to make a profit. On the seventh day
- on the full moon of Jyesta, His Majesty
- brings 20000 troops and
- 312 people in boats from firth of Tamvan, With 1312 foot soldiers
- and came to Matajap
- happily. On the fifth day on the bright moon of ...,
- they docked and open a country ...
- Great, prosperous and peaceful Srivijaya!
English Translation
- "Om swasti astu! All hail and prosperity. In the year 605 of the [Indian] Saka calendar, on the eleventh day at half-moon of Waisaka, Sri Baginda took dugouts in order to obtain siddhayatra.[7] On Day 7, on the 15th day at half-moon of Jyestha, Sri Baginda extricated himself from minānga tāmvan.[8] He took 20,000 troops with him … as many as 200 in dugouts, with 1,312 foot soldiers. They arrived at … Truly merry on the fifteenth day of the half-moon…, agile, happy, and they made a trip to the country … Great Sriwijaya! Prosperity and riches …"
See also
- Telaga Batu inscription
- Kota Kapur Inscription
- Talang Tuwo inscription
- Laguna Copperplate Inscription
- Prehistoric Malaysia
- History of Indonesia
- Timeline of Indonesian history
Notes
- ^ Guy, John (7 April 2014). Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 21. ISBN 9781588395245. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- ^ Colette Caillat; J. G. de Casparis (1991). Middle Indo-Aryan and Jaina Studies. BRILL. p. 36. ISBN 90-04-09426-1.
- ^ J. G. De Casparis (1978). Indonesian Chronology. BRILL Academic. pp. 15–24. ISBN 90-04-05752-8.
- ^ Andrea Acri (2016). Esoteric Buddhism in Mediaeval Maritime Asia: Networks of Masters, Texts, Icons. ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. pp. 256–258. ISBN 978-981-4695-08-4.
- ^ Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella (ed.). The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. trans.Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1.
- ^ Safiah Karim: Tatabahasa Dewan Edisi Baharu, page 7. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1993.
- ^ According to Coedès, siddhayatra refers to some "magic potion". An alternative translation, however, is possible: Zoetmulder's Dictionary of Old Javanese (1995) renders it as "a prosperous journey". If so, the sentence may be taken to read: "Sri Baginda took dugouts in order to spread Buddhism, the successful way."
- ^ Meaning not clear.
Further reading
- George Coedès, Les inscriptions malaises de Çrivijaya, BEFEO 1930
- J.G. de Casparis, Indonesian Palaeography, Leiden (Brill) 1975.
- Safiah Karim, Tatabahasa Dewan Edisi Baharu, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka 1993.