View Full Version : Khanda, a call for help on translation
Kurt
17th March 2021, 10:29 AM
Dear members, can someone translate this for me?
Best Kurt
Mercenary
20th March 2021, 05:00 PM
I am not an expert in reading the inscriptions, but if no one is ready to reply, I can try (due to despair) to suggest my own explanation, not the reading, because the inscription perhaps cannot be read in the usual way.
"VARAK MATSEE" ~ "made from foil" or more precisely "by 'varak' method". This refers to gold foil, or rather this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vark
On such items, often made for travelers, there are sometimes such meaningless inscriptions like "this inscription is made of gold".
This is just my guess. I am not able to accurately read this inscription, sorry... :shrug:
Kurt
24th March 2021, 12:44 PM
Dear members, can someone translate this for me?
Best Kurt
Hello members,
can someone give me advice on who to turn to for a translation?
Thanks Kurt
Jens Nordlunde
24th March 2021, 03:52 PM
Kurt,
The text says 'Varak Matsee'. Varak can mean worked in Gold and Matsya/Matsee also means Fish.
Kurt
24th March 2021, 05:03 PM
Kurt,
The text says 'Varak Matsee'. Varak can mean worked in Gold and Matsya/Matsee also means Fish.
Thanks Jens,
a strange text.
Kurt
Jens Nordlunde
24th March 2021, 05:42 PM
Yes you are right Kurt. It is a very strange text.
I asked the one who translated the text for me, and he could not give an explanation of what it could mean.
mariusgmioc
24th March 2021, 06:06 PM
To my eyes, this looks like a late 19th - early 20th century Khanda, made for European collector market.
In this context the inscription may have been added for purely decorative reasons, to increase the marketability of the sword. :shrug:
Kurt
24th March 2021, 06:08 PM
Yes you are right Kurt. It is a very strange text.
I asked the one who translated the text for me, and he could not give an explanation of what it could mean.
Dear Jens ,
Many years ago when I bought the Khanda I made a trip to Rajastan, there I showed the inscription to an Indian scholar, he translated Badur Singh. ????
Kurt
Nihl
27th March 2021, 07:36 PM
I am not an expert in reading the inscriptions, but if no one is ready to reply, I can try (due to despair) to suggest my own explanation, not the reading, because the inscription perhaps cannot be read in the usual way.
"VARAK MATSEE" ~ "made from foil" or more precisely "by 'varak' method". This refers to gold foil, or rather this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vark
On such items, often made for travelers, there are sometimes such meaningless inscriptions like "this inscription is made of gold".
This is just my guess. I am not able to accurately read this inscription, sorry... :shrug:
As someone that can read devanagari, I can corroborate that the inscription indeed reads "varak matsi" (or "matsee", when transcribed phonetically), and Mercenary's explanation here makes the most sense to me.
Kurt
28th March 2021, 10:35 AM
As someone that can read devanagari, I can corroborate that the inscription indeed reads "varak matsi" (or "matsee", when transcribed phonetically), and Mercenary's explanation here makes the most sense to me.
Hi Nihl ,
Thanks for explanation and help.
Am a little disappointed expected an owner.
But now I am informed.
Kurt
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