Who is the Lengha‑deva of the Govindapur Copper‑plate of Laksmana Sena?
Summary
Chitta Ranjan Pal investigates the enigmatic term “Lengha‑deva” appearing on a copper‑plate grant issued by Bengal’s Lakṣmaṇa Sena (c. 1179–1207 CE). The plate records a donation of land to a Brahmana and describes its boundary as bordering a “Lengha‑deva maṇḍapa.” Earlier scholars translated the term as “temple of Lengha‑deva” but left the deity unidentified. By comparing linguistic evidence and other inscriptions, Pal argues that “Lengha” derives from words meaning “naked.” In Jain usage a sky‑clad Tirthankara is called a naked deity (nagna‑deva). The author notes that Lakṣmaṇa Sena’s grants often abutted Buddhist and Jaina temples, indicating religious pluralism. He concludes that the boundary in question refers to a Digambara Jaina shrine housing a naked image of a Tirthankara. The finding suggests that Jainism persisted in Bengal under the Sena dynasty and that the king’s patronage extended to non‑Brahmanical institutions.
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Conclusion
Through linguistic analysis and comparison with other copper‑plates, the study concludes that “Lengha‑deva” denotes a sky‑clad Jaina Tirthankara, so the land granted by Lakṣmaṇa Sena bordered a Digambara Jaina temple. This interpretation resolves the identity of the deity and underscores the coexistence of Jain, Buddhist and Brahmanical institutions in twelfth‑century Bengal.