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SRIDHARA'S DEVAPATTANA PRASASTI.
439
refuge, colleges, temples and alms-houses, gilt flagstaffs, arches, markets, towns, villages, drinking-fountains and halls (verses 9-10). King Chamunda continued to show them favour and bestowed "the village of Kanheśvara on the great councillor (mahamantrin) Madhava, «his father's friend" (verse 12). The line of the Vastrákulas was continued further through the offspring of Oyabhatta's second son, Lula. The latter had a son, called Bhabha or also Lala(?) (verse 24), who was a friend of King Bhimadeva I. Bhabha-Lala begat Sobha," the dear friend of him who was called Jayasinha" (verse 26). His son Valla became an official (sachiva) under Kumâra påla (verse 25) and married Rohiņi. "She bore to him Sridhara, who caused his race to unfold just as the moon makes the night-lotuses open their blossoms" (verse 26), and "was honoured among the officials of illustrious King Bhima," i.e. of Bhimadeva II. (verse 27). The poet then goes on to lavish the most extravagant praises on this person with which are mixed a few apparently historical statements. Verse 40 inform us that Sridhara was much married and had three wives, Savitri, Lakshmi and Saubhagyadevi. Accord ing to verse 42: "He quickly made again stable by the power of his mantra (i.e. his political wisdom or charms) the country, that had been shaken by the multitude of the (impetuous) war elephants of Malvå resembling a forest of dark Tamala trees, and he protected glorious Devapattana by his own power."
From this statement it would appear that he somehow assisted his sovereign to get over the troubles with King Arjunavarman, who some time before A.D. 1216 effected the bhanga of Gujarat, and that he was governor of Devapattana. The latter point seems to be hinted at also in the next following verse, where it is asserted that " Sridhara the pride of the fort made like to much grass the host of heroic Hammira, that moved like the high rising waves of the ocean which on the dissolution of the world inundate the shores,—that smashed the hills by the impetus of the mere movement of its feet and that split in twain the circle of the earth.”
“Heroic Hammira" is probably one of the Musalman generals, who more than once attacked and temporarily conquered Gujarat during Bhimadeva's reign. How great and important these successes in politics and war really were, must remain doubtful, as a little goes a long way with the composers of Prasastis. Verse 44 informs us that Sridhara built in Somnathpatan two temples, at Rohiņis vámin, sacred to Vishnu, in memory of his mother and a temple of Siva, called after his father Valla. The remaining verses are so badly mutilated that it is impossible to speak with any certainty as to their contents. The date Vikrama Samvat 1273, Vaisakha budi 4 Friday corresponds, according to Professor Jacobi's Tables (ante, volume I, p. 403, ff.) to Friday, April 22, A.D. 1216.
TRANSCRIPT. L. 1. --- fare
मनीमन्यादिभूम्यंततत्वमालावलंबनं । E T
4 [**]* वियहायुर्वहिर्जलमवनिरिंदुर्दिनकरविदाधारवेति विभुवनमिदं यत्रयमभूत्।
* ut AT
Or, pomibly," he whose pride was the fort."
• Restore sit
: faru
Metro, Anushitubb.
