Khanda, a call for help on translation

[Kurt]

Dear members, can someone translate this for me?
Best Kurt

[Mercenary]

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...

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by Kurt

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]

Kurt,



The text says 'Varak Matsee'. Varak can mean worked in Gold and Matsya/Matsee also means Fish.

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

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]

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]

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.

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

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]

Originally Posted by Mercenary

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...

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]

Originally Posted by Nihl

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