A Yūpa (यूप), or Yūpastambha, was a
Vedic
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed ...
sacrificial pillar used in
Ancient India
Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentism, Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; ...
.
It is one of the most important elements of the
Vedic rituals for
animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing and offering of animals, usually as part of a religious ritual or to appease or maintain favour with a deity. Animal sacrifices were common throughout Europe and the Ancient Near East until the spread of Chris ...
.
The execution of a victim (generally an animal), who was tied at the yūpa, was meant to bring prosperity to everyone.
Most yūpa, and all from the Vedic period, were in wood, and have not survived. The few stone survivals seem to be a later type of memorial using the form of the wooden originals. The Isapur Yupa, the most complete, replicates in stone the rope used to tether the animal. The topmost section is missing; texts describe a "wheel-like headpiece made of perishable material", representing the sun, but the appearance of that is rather unclear from the
Gupta period
The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...
coins that are the best other visual evidence.
Isapur Yūpa
The Isapur Yūpa, now in the
Mathura Museum
__NOTOC__
Government Museum, Mathura, commonly referred to as Mathura museum, is an archaeological museum in Mathura city of Uttar Pradesh state in India. The museum was founded by then collector of the Mathura district, Sir F. S. Growse in 1 ...
, was found at Isapur () in the vicinity of
Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
, and has an inscription in the name of the third century CE
Kushan ''Kushan'' or Kushana may refer to:
* Kushan Empire
The Kushan Empire (– CE) was a Syncretism, syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan ...
ruler
Vāsishka
Vāsishka (Bactrian: BAZHÞKO ''Bazēško''; Middle Brahmi: 𑀯𑀸𑀲𑀺𑀱𑁆𑀓; ', '; Kharosthi: 𐨬𐨗𐨿𐨱𐨅𐨮𐨿𐨐 ', '; ruled –265 CE) was a Kushan emperor, who seems to have had a short reign following Kanishka I ...
, and mentions the erection of the Yūpa pillar for a sacrificial session.
Isapur pillar inscription of Vasishka.jpg, Vāsishka
Vāsishka (Bactrian: BAZHÞKO ''Bazēško''; Middle Brahmi: 𑀯𑀸𑀲𑀺𑀱𑁆𑀓; ', '; Kharosthi: 𐨬𐨗𐨿𐨱𐨅𐨮𐨿𐨐 ', '; ruled –265 CE) was a Kushan emperor, who seems to have had a short reign following Kanishka I ...
inscription on the Isapur Yūpa.
Isapur inscription of Vasishka Year 24.jpg, Translation of the inscription mentioning the usage of the sacrificial pillar.
File:Yuupah in Brahmi.jpg, The word "Yūpaḥ" (
𑁊) in Brahmi script
Brahmi ( ; ; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system from ancient India. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as ...
in the Isapur pillar inscription.
File:Isapur Yupa with sculpture of a rope and noose to be tied to the sacrificial animal.jpg, Isapur Yūpa with sculpture of a rope and noose to be tied to the sacrificial animal.
Yūpa in coinage
During the
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...
period, the
Ashvamedha
The Ashvamedha () was a horse sacrifice ritual followed by the Śrauta tradition of Vedic religion. It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty: a horse accompanied by the king's warriors would be released to wander ...
scene of a horse tied to a yūpa sacrificial post appears on the coinage of
Samudragupta
Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', ( 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India. A military genius and a patron of arts, he is regarded among the greatest rulers in Indian history. As a son of th ...
. On the reverse, the queen is holding a ''
chowrie'' for the fanning of the horse and a needle-like pointed instrument, with legend "One powerful enough to perform the Ashvamedha sacrifice".
File:Dinar of Samudragupta LACMA M.84.110.1 (1 of 2).jpg, Samudragupta
Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', ( 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India. A military genius and a patron of arts, he is regarded among the greatest rulers in Indian history. As a son of th ...
coin with horse standing in front of a yūpa sacrificial post, with legend "The King of Kings, who had performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice, wins heaven after conquering the earth".
File:Dinar of Samudragupta LACMA M.84.110.1 (2 of 2).jpg, The queen, reverse of last, is holding a '' chowrie'' for the fanning of the horse and a needle-like pointed instrument, with legend "One powerful enough to perform the Ashvamedha sacrifice".
File:Samudragupta_circa_335-380_CE_Ashvameda_type.jpg, Another version of the Ashvamedha scene. Coinage of Samudragutpa.
Yūpa inscription in Indonesia
The oldest known Sanskrit inscriptions in the
Nusantara are those on seven stone pillars, or ''Yūpa'' ("sacrificial posts"), found in the eastern part of
Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
, in the historical area of
Kutai
Kutai is a historical region in what is now the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The region shares its name with the native ethnic group of the region (known as 'the Kutai people'), with a total population arou ...
,
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo/Kalimantan. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the cu ...
province. They were written by
Brahmins
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
using the early
Pallava script
The Pallava script, or Pallava Grantha, is a style of Grantha script named after the Pallava dynasty of Southern India (Tamilakam) and is attested to since the 4th century CE. In India, the Pallava script evolved from Tamil-Brahmi. The Gran ...
, in the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
language, to commemorate sacrifices held by a generous mighty king called
Mulavarman
Shri, Sri Mulavarman Nala Deva (spelled Mulawarman in bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai, Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yūpa #Y� ...
who ruled the
Kutai Martadipura Kingdom, the first Hindu kingdom in present
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. Based on palaeographical grounds, they have been dated to the second half of the 4th century CE. They attest to the emergence of an
Indianized state in the Indonesian archipelago prior to 400 CE.
In addition to
Mulavarman
Shri, Sri Mulavarman Nala Deva (spelled Mulawarman in bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai, Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yūpa #Y� ...
, the reigning king, the inscriptions mention the names of his father
Aswawarman and his grandfather
Kudungga (the founder of the Kutai Martadipura Kingdom). Aswawarman is the first of the line to bear a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
name in the Yupa which indicates that he was probably the first to adhere to Hinduism.
[S. Supomo, "Chapter 15. Indic Transformation: The Sanskritization of ''Jawa'' and the Javanization of the ''Bharata''" in Peter S. Bellwood, James J. Fox, Darrell T. Tryon (eds.), ''The Austronesians: Historical and Comparative Perspectives'', Australian National University, 1995]
File:Prasasti-Yupa02.jpg, One of the yūpa Mulavarman
Shri, Sri Mulavarman Nala Deva (spelled Mulawarman in bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai, Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yūpa #Y� ...
inscriptions from Kutai
Kutai is a historical region in what is now the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The region shares its name with the native ethnic group of the region (known as 'the Kutai people'), with a total population arou ...
, at the National Museum
A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...
in Jakarta
File:153 Mulavarman Inscription, Muara Kaman, Kalimantan, 5th c (23406879131).jpg, Mulavarman inscription on a yūpa, 5th century CE
File:154 Mulavarman Inscription, Muara Kaman, Kalimantan, 5th c (22862209853).jpg, Mulavarman inscription on a yūpa, 5th century CE
File:The word Yupa in the 154 Mulavarman Inscription, Muara Kaman, Kalimantan, 5th century CE.jpg, The word "''Yūpo''" in Brahmi in a Mulavarman Inscription, Muara Kaman, Kalimantan, 5th century CE
Text
The four Yupa inscriptions founded are classified as "Muarakaman"s and has been translated by language experts as follows:
Muarakaman I
''srimatah sri-narendrasya,''
''kundungasya mahatmanah,''
''putro svavarmmo vikhyatah,''
''vansakartta yathansuman,''
''tasya putra mahatmanah,''
''trayas traya ivagnayah,''
''tesan trayanam pravarah,''
''tapo-bala-damanvitah,''
''sri mulawarmma rajendro,''
''yastva bahusuvarnnakam,''
''tasya yajnasya yupo 'yam,''
''dvijendrais samprakalpitah.''
Muarakaman II
[R. M. Poerbatjaraka, Ibid., hal. 10.]
''srimad-viraja-kirtteh''
''rajnah sri-mulavarmmanah punyam''
''srnvantu vipramukhyah''
''ye canye sadhavah purusah''
''bahudana-jivadanam''
''sakalpavrksam sabhumidanan ca''
''tesam punyagananam''
''yupo 'yan stahapito vipraih''
Muarakaman III
[
]
''sri-mulavarmmano rajnah''
''yad dattan tilla-parvvatam''
''sadipa-malaya sarddham''
''yupo 'yam likhitas tayoh''
Muarakaman IV
''srimato nrpamukhyasya''
''rajnah sri-mulawarmmanah''
''danam punyatame ksetre''
''yad dattam vaprakesvare''
''dvijatibhyo' gnikalpebhyah.''
''vinsatir ggosahasrikam''
''tansya punyasya yupo 'yam''
''krto viprair ihagataih.''
Translation
Translation according to the Indonesia University of Education
Indonesia University of Education ( Indonesian: Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, UPI) is a public university in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. It was established in 1954 as Teachers Education College (PTPG).
Indonesia University of Education i ...
:
Muarakaman I
The Maharaja
Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
Kudungga, who was very noble, had a famous son, the Aswawarman his name, who like the Ansuman (the sun god) grew a very noble family. The Aswawarman had three sons, like three (holy) fire. The foremost of the three sons was the Mulavarman
Shri, Sri Mulavarman Nala Deva (spelled Mulawarman in bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai, Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yūpa #Y� ...
, a king
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
who was civilized, strong and powerful. The Mulavarman
Shri, Sri Mulavarman Nala Deva (spelled Mulawarman in bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai, Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yūpa #Y� ...
has held a feast (salvation called) a lot of gold. For commemoration of the feast (salvation) that this stone monument was erected by the brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
s.
Muarakaman II
Listen to all of you, eminent Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
s, and all other good people, about the virtues of the Mulavarman
Shri, Sri Mulavarman Nala Deva (spelled Mulawarman in bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai, Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yūpa #Y� ...
, the great king who is very noble. This kindness is in the form of a lot of alms, as if the alms of life or just a kalpa tree (which gives all desires), with land alms (which is given). It is with this goodness that this monument was erected by the Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
s (for a memorial).
Muarakaman III
This monument was written for (commemorating) two (cases) that have been donated by King Mulavarman
Shri, Sri Mulavarman Nala Deva (spelled Mulawarman in bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai, Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yūpa #Y� ...
, namely a mountain of oil (thick), with lamps and flower panicles.
Muarakaman IV
The Mulavarman
Shri, Sri Mulavarman Nala Deva (spelled Mulawarman in bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai, Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yūpa #Y� ...
, the noble and eminent king, has given alms of 20,000 cows
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...
to the brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
s who is like fire, (located) in the holy land (named) Waprakeswara.[Note: archaeologists and historical experts has stated that "Waprakeswara" referred to a field dedicated to worship the Lord Shiva] For (remembrance) of the kindness of the king, this monument has been made by the Brahmins who came to this place.
The Yupas are now kept in the National Museum of Indonesia
The National Museum of Indonesia () is an archeological, historical, ethnological, and geographical museum located in Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, right on the west side of Merdeka Square. Popularly known as the Elephant Museum () ...
in Jakarta
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yupa
Mathura art
Vedic animal sacrifice