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No. 23.]
THE BANGARH GRANT OF MAHI-PALA I: THE 9TH YEAR.
V. 2. From him was born the king Dharmmapala, whose grandeur mocked the charm of the Ocean of Milk, whose place of birth was the same as that of Lakshmi (or who was the place of the birth of Lakshmi), who exacted the payment of revenue (kara) evenly, (or who was full of crocodiles, "makaras "), who was capable of bearing the weight of the world, (or who was capable of bearing the maintainer of the Earth, i.e. Vishnu), who was the only refuge of kings that had sought protection out of fear of having the wings (of their armies) cut off (or who was the only refuge of mountains who had sought shelter out of fear of their wings being cut off by Indra), who was intently engaged in maintaining the dignity (of the social orders) (or which was intently engaged in maintaining boundaries) (and) who was the receptacle of valour (or who was the home of the rays of the sun).
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V. 3. To him, who had taken the vow of truth like Rama, was born a younger brother, like him in virtues, named Vakpala, who was the equal of Saumitri (i.e. Lakshmana) in greatness, who, endowed with grandeur, was the only abode of policy and valour and who, remaining under the rule of his (elder) brother, made the (ten) cardinal points free of the banners of the enemies and brought them (i.e. the cardinal points) under a single umbrella.
V. 4. From him was born a victorious son, named Jayapala, who, purifying the world by his deeds, which were like that of Upendra (Vishnu) and vanquishing the enemies of religion in battle, made his elder brother Devapala enjoy the happiness of having the world for his kingdom.
V. 5. His son, the illustrious Vigrahapala, was born like Ajatasatru (Yudhishthira), the keen edge of whose spotless sword, like a stream of pure water, wiped away the toilette marks of the wives of his enemies.
V. 6. He begot a son, the illustrious Lord Nārāyaṇa, who in (his own) body was possessed of the qualities divided by the guardians of the cardinal points for supporting the world, who adorned by his own deeds the throne of law obtainel by righteousness (or by inheritance), the stone foot-stool of which was surrounded by kings with the lustre of their crest-jewels.
V. 7. His son was the illustrious Rajyapāla, a ruler of the middle world, who, by (excavating) tanks, the beds of which were as deep as the bed of the ocean, (and) by (erecting) temples whose sides were as high as the ridges of the principal mountains (Kula-bhudhara), had become famous.
V. 8. As from the eastern mountains the Sun, so from him, in the womb of Bhagya-dēvi, the daughter of the high-crested Tunga, the moon of the Rashtrakuta family, was born a son, the ocean of lustre, the illustrious Gopala-dēva (and) who became for a long time the only husband of the earth, who had only one husband (i.e. was the sole Lord of the earth), which (earth) was clad in the four oceans decorated by the rays of many jewels as its coloured garment.
V. 9. Lakshmi, being possessed of the powers of valour (utsaha), counsel (mantra) and rule (prabhu-sakti, i.e. kosha, danda and bala2), keeping the earth pleased (just as a goodnatured lady, keeps well-pleased) her co-wife served her husband (Gopala), who was not lacking in kingly virtues, with ever-increasing charm and devotion.
V. 10. As the moon, the scatterer of myriads of rays, from the Sun, so from him was born in course of time Vigrahapala-dēva, the scatterer of innumerable riches. By his rise (or birth), who was pleasing to the eyes on account of personal beauty (or by his soft rays), who
1 This refers to the descent of the Pala kings from the Sea (cf. Palas of Bengal, Mem. B. A. 8., Vol. I' p. 46). This fact is based on the Ramacharita of Sandhyakaranandin, published by Mahamahōpadhyāya Hara Prasad Sastri (Mem. B. A. S., Vol. III, I, 3-4).
This explanation is based on Amarakosa 2, VIII. 19, quoted by Mr. Akshaya Kumara Maitreya 1 nis Gaudalekhamälä, p. 99, note. 2 x
