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Introduction
LIII
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46
both the meanings. In the plates of his younger brother Dhruvasena I the third son of Sri Bhaṭārka we find it mentioned that he was crowned king personally by Paramaswāmī'. -'over - lord' the king of the whole world. This probably means that his sovereignty was recognised by the then occupant of the imperial throne, who may have personally come to grace the occasion. According to Cunningham It was the last act of supreme sovereignty performed by Buddhagupta." It may be that the general Bhaṭarka and his son the general Dharasena were military rulers who were more or less occupied with fighting; for it is only about Mahārāja Dronasimha that the plates of Dhruvasena say that he acted according to the duties prescribed for kings by Manu and other law-givers and was consequently a' Dharmaraja' who had made provision for education (Vinaya) and systematic government (Vyavasthapaddhati) of his people. This description reminds us of Kalidasa who, if he lived in the Gupta period, must have been fresh to the memory of the literary men of Drenasimha. The poet in his Raghuvamsa describes Dilipa as the real father of his subjects because he educated, protected, and supported his people who were said to swerve not an inch from the path laid down by Manu.
Maharaja Droṇasimha seems to have set the fashion for his successors of giving great donations though only one copper plate of his is as yet discovered. He made his donation for the benefit of a temple of the goddess Pāṇdurājā.
Of Dhruvasena I we have in all about sixteen plates. In some he calls himself' Parama - bhaṭṭāraka
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