Epigraphia Indica Vol 02

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 31

14
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
TRANSLATION. Om!
Om! Adoration to Siva!
(Verse 1) May the moon's digit on the forehead of the Moon-crested (god) provide for you unstinted bliss,-(that digit) which, only one (and the first), ever makes the troop of Śiva's attendants, even in the absence of the evening-twilight, think it to be (joined by) the second (digit)!
(2.) May those founts of holiness, the lines of the creeping and leaping tortuous waves of the river of heaven, meandering on Siva's head, guard you,-(those waves) about which the celestials are doubting whether they be lotus-garlands, or lunar digits, or sprouts of righteous deeds, or serpents' skins, or (the god's) majesty bursting into view!
(3.) (That body) which, being a gross element, is all-pervading: (that) by whose revolution the world comes to light; (that) which gladdens the eyes of the creatures; and (that) which causes the diversity of savour and other (qualities) residing in earth; (that) which is the vast substratum of odour; (that) which sacrifices; (that) which is characterized by cold; (and that) which, colourless, is sensible to the feel;-may Śiva with these (eight) bodies (of his) protect you!
(4.) May Nilakantha, who fills with delight men eager to wield spear and missile, when decorated with the young moon he exults in his dance, grant whatever is dear to you !67
(5.) May the Elephant-faced (god) in his mercy bestow on you supreme felicity,who, under the guise of a tusk whiter than jasmine, bears the piece of the moon which is freed from the dark digit, able to dispel the profound darkness of crowds of obstacles! (6.) May Sarasvati guard you,-who by manifold forms (of speech) brings about all intercourse (of men, and) by partaking of even a small portion of whose elegance in trifles (even), men may secure greater weight in assemblies!
(7.) In the Moon's family was a prince with thousand hands, day and night watching to guide one by one the minds of (the dwellers in) the three worlds, (and) by his splendour eclipsing the rulers of the world,-(a prince) named Arjuna, by the (were) remembrance of whom is recovered even now what has been lost and carried off by thieves long ago.
(8.) In his lineage was born a renowned ruler of the earth of whom even the most marvellous tale is not untrue, bearing the name Kokalladeva, an illustrious name, eminently fit to give pleasure to the three worlds.
(9.) From him sprang the prince Gångeyadeva who, by vanquishing hostile rulers
Viz., because the first lunar digit, by itself, is altogether invisible. The noun kalyanità is not given by the
dictionaries.
6 Valgu, ordinarily 'handsome, beautiful', is here used in the sense of the participle valgat, opposed to ringat. 66 These eight bodies of Siva are the ether, the sun, the moon, fire, the earth, the sacrificing priest, water, and air. It will be sufficient to refer the reader to the opening verse of Kalidasa's Sakuntala.
67 The two compounds of the first half of the verse would be applicable also to the dancing peacock (nilakantha) which causes great delight to him whose weapon is a spear (ie., to the god Karttikeya or Skanda, also called Saktidhara 'the spearbearer', to whom the peacock is sacred), and the tail of which is covered with spots similar to the moon. Compare the very similar verse No. 1737 of Vallabhadeva's Subhashitávali, which will show that the translation of the word chandraka by the young (or small) moon' is correct.
Dr. Hall quotes a verse found by him in an extract from the Brahmandapurana, which expresses the same idea.