Book Title: Epigraphia Indica Vol 01
Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

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Page 346
________________ DEOPARA INSCRIPTION OF VIJAYASENA. 313 decoration, while diamond-flowers, pearl-strings, ear-rings, anklets, garlands and golden bracelets were all left to the wives of his servants. (V. 12.) When heroes, with their chests pierced by the spears discharged by the play of his long arms, through the efficacy of battle, resembling a holy bathing-place, became possessed of divine bodies, their breasts, marked with the saffron lines of the breasts of the damsels of heaven who clung to them, were, as before, viewed with terror by the timid Siddha couples." (18.) He and his sword, showing a bright face in their playful dealings with opponents and suppliants," both possessed a wonderful skill in bestowing their gifts. The one brought affliction to enemies, the other favours to friends; the one gave pearl-strings to allies, the other blows to opponents. (14.) His royal consort was (the lady) named Yasodevi, whose feet were brightened by a series of rays of the lines of crest-jewels of the wives of princes both friendly and hostile. A store of loveliness, she acquired eternal bright fame by her devotion to her husband, while her beautiful form charmed the three worlds. (15.) And from that royal lady there was born to that ruler of the three worlds. (a son), who made illustrious the course of his youthful amusements by destroying hosts of enemies; king Vijayasena, properly so named because he completely conquered the whole earth, encircled by the girdle of the four oceans. (16.) Who could count the crowds of kings that were either conquered or slain by him, every day engaged in battle? In this whole world, he suffered only the moon to retain his title of king, because the moon was the progenitor of his own family. (17.) How could we say that Rama, the lord of the countless hosts of the monkeychief, or Pritha's son, the leader of the Pandava army, were equal to that conqueror of enemies, to him who by his mere arm, decorated by the sword-blade, gained for himself the sole sovereignty over the orb of the earth, up to the borders of the seven seas? (18.) Of (the gods) who have attained to perfection each in a single quality, the one without discrimination destroys, another preserves, and the third creates the whole world; but this (king), transformed into a divine being by (his) manifold excellent qualities, in his wisdom has destroyed the enemies, has preserved those who abide by their duties, and by annihilating the adversaries has created celestial beings." (19.) He surely had already before made his sword, written on with the blood of heroes, the deed (to prove) that he had given places in heaven to opposing princes and in return accepted (from them) the earth. Had it not been so, how would the earth, when there arose disputes as to its ownership, have gone to him, presenting his drawn sword, and how would the line of his opponents have met with defeat ? (20.) Hearing the words of the poets "thou hast defeated NAnya and Vira,"" and I. e. because the breasts of the slain heroes, covered with red paint which was transferred to them from the breasts of their divine mistresses, looked as if they were still covered with blood. "In the original, pratyarthi-yaya-keli-karmani has a double meaning. It means both in playfully bringing about the destruction of opponents,' and also in playfully expending (wealth, etc.) on every suppliant." "Because the heroes slain in battle are transferred to heaven. The next verse shows that Ndnya and Vira must be taken here as proper names. Ndnya we find again (as was first pointed out to me by Dr. Burgess) in Nanyadeva, the founder of the Karpataka dynasty of Nepal (Indian Antiquary, vol. IX. p. 188; vol. XIII, p. 418; Bendall's Catalogue, Introduction, p. xv), who is placed in Saka 1019-A.D. 1097 (Pischel, Katalog der Bibl. d. D. M. G., vol. II, p. 8), close enough to the time when our inscription was composed to suggest the idea that he may possibly be the very king here spoken of. 2 =

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