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NAGPUR STONE INSCRIPTION.
191
(V. 19). He ruled the earth, humbling Indra in heaven by his majesty, defeating host of enemies in hostile lands by his valour, and surpassing Vishņu's lord of serpents in his serpent-home by his ability to uphold the earth.
(20). From him sprang the illustrious king Siyaka, the fire of whose wrath was extinguished by the tears, caused by the pangs of widowhood, of the royal ladies of hostile princes; while the fire of his prowess even now is perceived here, in the guise of the starry firmament, presenting a novel appearance inasmuch as the smoke, in the guise of the atmosphere, is beneath it.
(21). The clusters of big pearls, which flew up into the air from the frontal globes of furious elephants cleft by his sword, though constantly falling dowo, have, disguised as they are as large sparkling stars, not even now reacbed the earth.
(22). To whom shall we tell this great unseen and unheard-of wonder? Or who will understand it? Yet for curiosity's sake we report it: Although he delivered the earth, although he wedded the unique goddess of fortune, although again and again he did the work of the gods, he never was Vaikuntha.
(23). From him was born the illustrious king Muñjaraja, who alone, with the bow in his hand, put an end to many a fight commenced by hostile armies, as Siva did to (Daksha's) sacrifice ;" and the fire of whose prowess, to protect the orb of the earth, used to envelop it under the guise of the belt of the lofty Lokaloka mountains
(24). Even when he was marching for mere pleasure, his frolicsome soldiers turned out in such numbers that the horizon was obscured by the clouds of dust, raised by the squadrons of his cavalry, and that the cavity of the universe was completely filled with the excessive noise of the trembling chains, swung to and fro by the feet of the arrays of his huge elephants, taller than the hugest mountains.
(25). When, having their heads struck off by his sword, heroes had obtained the rare fortune of being transformed into divine beings, and when, proudly viewing their bodies below surrounded by champions, eager for the fray, they were throwing themselves from the aerial cars, they were joyfully embraced and forcibly held back by the Siddha women, clustering round them.
(26). After him his younger brother, the far-famed illustrious SindhurAja, became king, the fire of whose bravery bore the brilliant beautiful lustre of the roaring submarine fire. As the mass of waves, raised by the fierce blast which springs up at the destruction of the world, submerges the mountains, so the broad scimitar, brandished by his arm, when it was lifted in war, dealt out destruction to princes.
(27). When this prince marched forth victoriously, the cloud of dust raised by the onset of his fleet horses appeared to the host of his enemies like the smoke of the alldevouring fire rising all round from the fissures of the surface of the earth, broken by the weight of his formidable elephants.
(28). In every battle princes found out that the creator had as it were combined in him the depth of the ocean and the might of the wind, as they are at the destruction of the world, the firmness of the lord of tortoises, the weight of the whole universe, the splendour of the all-destroying fire, and the magnitude of the celestial vault.
"Vaikunthe, io, Visbņu, aplifted the earth, obtained Lakshmi, and did the work of the gods; the king freed the earth from trouble, secured fortune, acted for the benefit of well-minded people, and never indeed showed delle or indolence (dyda ne sei benphatdm).
Bee the first verse of the first act of Kalidass's Soluntala, and Sir M. Monier-Williams' note on it
