Epigraphia Indica Vol 26

SR No.: 032580
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1945
Total Pages: 448
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 24 MB

Page 108

No. 7.]
BARIPADA MUSEUM PLATE OF DEVANANDADEVA.
(V. 4) He, too, had a son, who was well-known by the name of Sivananda, had faithful allies, and verily won the hearts of his pepole (and) whose fame shone forth like the sun, (who was thus) quite as a swan with pure white wings, dwelling in the Manasa (lake).
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(V. 5) He had a son, called Devananda, who proved a veritable blazing fire to his enemies reduced to the state of straw, who, having ascended in the sky of his family, like a new moon endeared himself to (all) beings, whose nectar of beauty, in youth, maidens drank to their heart's content using their eyes as goblets, (and) who acquired renown through his stainless qualities.
(V. 6) He was a roaring lion in tearing asunder the frontal globes of the great elephants of the irresistible enemies and was always a sun in winning over the lotus-like faces of zealous women. On that account the present king was (known) as Vilasatunga. He is the foremost among the pious and his fame, as white as autumnal moon-light, is intensely increasing everyday.1
(V. 7) The night having moon as her face, dense darkness as her garment, stars as a string of necklace, and appearing excessively fair due to the besmearing of sandal paste of moon-light, beholds, just like a beautiful woman in the chamber of the sky, her own image in his lofty and extremely white palace, which is a mirror to the ladies of the quarters.
(V. 8) From his white palace, towards the banners, the beautiful and white row of tall shops, on account of their whitewash, becoming a rival to the moon-light, looked at from a distance by the people moving about, appears like the Ganges gently flowing down from the Himalaya mountain.
(V. 9) This king, the light of the noble family, is a very sun to the lotus-lake (in the form) of the prosperous Nanda family, is a very moon to the lotuses that are the faces of his fierce enemies' wives, having large eyes with red ends.....excessively delighting the people with his doings. Truth, charity, family-pride and humility are his inborn good qualities.
(Ll. 19-24) The illustrious Paramabhaṭṭāraka Mahāsāmantādhipati Dēvānandadēva, who has through the blazing fire of his prowess consumed the bodies of his enemies, whose good fame has travelled as far as the four oceans, who has placed the four varnnas in their proper positions, fulfilled the desires of all the suppliants, gives delight to the virtuous men, who has a cloth-banner (with the emblem) of the red-eyed snakes wearing on their heads the alligators made of white
[Mr. Panigrahi's above rendering of this verse seems to be responsible for the confusion he has made in the genealogy. It may be pointed out that the author has used the past tense in describing the first four rulers, while in the case of Viläsatunga he employs the present tense, thereby indicating that the charter was issued by Vilasatunga who has clearly been spoken of as tasmad.......bhütab 'who has been born from him (i.e. from Devananda)'. This Viläsatunga and the second Devananda mentioned in 1. 24 have been taken by me as referring to one and the same person because the descriptive attributes place them in apposition to each other and there is no such word used as tasmat or tasya to indicate their relation otherwise.
The sixth verse may thus be explained as follows: "It was from him that the king Vilasatunga has been born, who, clapping his hands, appears a very lion for tearing asunder the frontal globes of his enemies' huge elephants that are difficult to check, who always wins over a repeatedly offended lady (as easily) as the sun causes, a k a lotus-bud to unfold, who ranks foremost among the virtuous (and) whose glory, as bright as the light of autumnal moon, ever grows further and further."-B. C. C.]