Kedukan Bukit Inscription
Encyclopedia
The Kedukan Bukit Inscription was discovered by the Dutchman M. Batenburg on 29 November 1920 at Kedukan Bukit, South Sumatra
South Sumatra
South Sumatra is a province of Indonesia.-Geography:It is on the island of Sumatra, and borders the provinces of Lampung to the south, Bengkulu to the west, and Jambi to the north...

, on the banks of the River Tatang, a tributary of the River Musi
Musi
Musi may refer to:* Musi River * Musi River * Musi language It may also refer to:*Angelo Musi, an American basketball player...

. It is the oldest surviving specimen of the Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...

, in a form known as Old Malay
Old Malay
The Old Malay language, also called Classical Malay, is the ancestor of the modern Malay language, including Indonesian and Malaysian. It developed in the now Melayu Kingdom of Sumatra. It was heavily influenced by Sanskrit and Kawi , and was grammatically quite similar to modern Malay.-Old...

. It is a small stone of 45 by 80 cm. This inscription is dated the year 605 Saka (683 AD) and contains numerous Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 words.

Original Text in Old Malay Language

All these inscriptions were written in Pallava script
Vatteluttu
Vatteluttu alphabet, also spelled Vattezhuttu alphabet is an abugida writing system originating from the Tamil people of Southern India...

, a form of ancient script used in Tamil kingdoms
Ancient Tamil country
The Sangam period is the classical period in the history of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other parts of South India, spanning about the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE...

 of ancient India.

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 <...>
laghu mudita dātaṃ marvuat vanua <...>
śrīvijaya jaya siddhayātra subhikşa <...>


Transliteration 2:
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 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 11 haribulan Waisyaka Tahun 605 Syaka:
Baginda menaiki kapal untuk mencari untungnya pada 7 haribulan 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 on the full moon of Waisaka, His Majesty took
a boat to make a profit. On the seventh day
on the full moon of Jyesta, His Majesty
brings 2000 troops and
312 people in boats from firth
Firth
Firth is the word in the Lowland Scots language and in English used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland and England. In mainland Scotland it is used to describe a large sea bay, or even a strait. In the Northern Isles it more usually refers to a smaller inlet...

 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. On Day 7, on the 15th day at half-moon of Jyestha, Sri Baginda extricated himself from minānga tāmvan. He took 2,000 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
    Telaga Batu inscription
    Telaga Batu iscription is a 7th century Srivijayan inscription discovered in Sabokingking, 3 Ilir, Ilir Timur II, Palembang, South Sumatra around 1950s. The iscription is now displayed in National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta, with inventory number D.155...

  • Kota Kapur Inscription
    Kota Kapur Inscription
    Kota Kapur Inscription is an inscription discovered in western coast of Bangka Island, offcoast South Sumatra, Indonesia, by J.K. van der Meulen in December 1892. It was named after "Kotakapur" village, the location where this archaeological findings were discovered. This inscription is using old...

  • Talang Tuwo inscription
    Talang Tuwo inscription
    Talang Tuwo inscription is a 7th century Srivijaya inscription discovered by Louis Constant Westenenk on 17 November 1920 on the foot of Bukit Seguntang near Palembang.The inscription was discovered in good condition with clear inscribed scripts...

  • Laguna Copperplate Inscription
    Laguna Copperplate Inscription
    The Laguna Copperplate Inscription is the earliest known written document found in the Philippines. The plate was found in 1989 by a sand laborer working on Lumbang River near the outlet to Laguna de Bay, in Barangay Wawa, Lumban, in the Laguna province.The inscription on the plate was first...

  • Prehistoric Malaysia
    Prehistoric Malaysia
    Prehistoric Malaysia may be traced back as far as 200,000 years ago from stone tools found at Bukit Jawa, an archaeological site in Lenggong Perak. The earliest human skeleton in Peninsular Malaysia, Perak Man, dates back 11,000 years and Perak Woman dating back 8,000 years, were also discovered in...

  • History of Indonesia
    History of Indonesia
    The History of Indonesia was shaped by its geographic position, its natural resources, the series of human migrations, contacts, economy and trade, conquests and politics. Indonesia is an archipelagic country of 17,508 islands stretching along the equator in South East Asia...

  • Timeline of Indonesian history
    Timeline of Indonesian history
    This is a timeline of Indonesian history.-Pre-history:* Pleistocene: The modern geological form of Indonesia appears, linked to Asian mainland....


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.
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