Book Title: Epigraphia Indica Vol 02
Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

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Page 266
________________ 233 DUBKUND STONE INSCRIPTION OF VIKRAMASIMHA. The poet's account of the Mahárájádhiraja Vikramasimha (lines 10-32) is as follows: "There was, an ornament of the Kachchhapaghâta family, and a son of the illustrious Yuvaraja who was white with fame that spread abroad in the three worlds, the illustrious prince Arjuna, a leader of a formidable army of unparalleled splendour, a prince whom even the ocean did not equal in depth, and a bowman who by his skill in archery had completely vanquished the earth." Having, anxious to serve the illustrious Vidyadharadeva, fiercely slain in a great battle the illustrious Rajyapâla, with many showers of arrows that pierced his neckbones, he unceasingly filled all the three worlds with his imperishable fame, brilliant like pearl-strings and like the orb of the moon and the foam of the sea. The notes of his musical instruments which rose, when he marched out, resembling the roaring of the sea, and the sounds of the bells of his countless troops of mountainlike elephants, eagerly marching forth, vied with each other in spreading on all sides, and never left off filling the hollow of heaven and earth, joined by the loud echo which rose from mountain caves. From him was born Abhimanyu, who, always possessed of many unblemished qualities which supported crowds of suppliants who (but for him) would have wandered round the circuit of the quarters, and which in splendour rivalled the moon's crescent, .... having powerfully vanquished in battle even the victorious, valued other princes as lightly as a straw. Since the highly intelligent king, the illustrious Bhoja, has widely celebrated the skill which he showed in his marvellous management of horses and chariots, and in the use of powerful weapons, what sage in the three worlds would be able to describe the qualities of this prince, who put to flight haughty adversaries by the fear inspired by the mere sight of his umbrella? When he marched forth, the thick clouds of dust which rose from the earth, pounded by the sharp hoofs of his chargers, covering the sun's orb, predicted as it were with certainty that soon indeed would be dimmed the lustre of all other illustrious beings. From that illustrious prince was born the prince Vijayapâla, who filled the circuit of the quarters with his boundless glory which spread about, bright like the quivering rays of the autumnal moon, and who allayed all suffering whatever on the whole orb of the earth. Moreover, this prince in a high degree roused the feeling of wonder in the minds of the learned, because in the battles which were viewed by the damsels of heaven he imparted fear to all his enemies one after another, although he had not got it himself, while he never gave to them. a portion of the earth, which he did possess. From him was born the illustrious prince Vikramasimha, the lion of valour,' rightly so named, because in the display of his mighty valour, which performed valorous deeds, he cleft asunder the projecting fleshy frontal globes of the arrayed elephants of Arjuna being the name of one of the Pandava princes, the poet manages to bring into the verse the words Pandu, Bhimasena (the second son of Pandu and elder brother of Arjuna), and Dhanvin (an epithet of Arjuna). The words of the original would also mean 'possessed of many uncut bow-strings which supported crowds of arrows able to conquer the circuit of the quarters'. 2 H

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