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114
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
VOL. XVIII.
(Verse 19.) In order to extend the duration of his life beyond all measure, the ascetics pleased on account of the protection afforded to them, the preceptors, out of affection, the servants, out of devotion, the multitude of foes, out of policy, and mankind in general, for the sake of its livelihood, made their respective services (treasures) subservient to him, who was as worthy a recipient as the Creator Himself.
(Verse 20.) According to the injunction of the Sruti, this is a truism, sp long as the world lasta, that he who does a thing enjoys the fruits thereof, and not (another) though he be the lord of even hundred kings. It is strange that the meritorious deeds of honest men, whose intellect was undefiled, went to increase the prosperity of this king, who was the conqueror of Kali and the lord of Fame.
(Verse 91.) Of him, who had burnt the powerful hostile races by the fire of his anger, and guarded the oceans by his valour, the absence of greed (for further conquest) shone indeed (even as the satiety of a man who had drunk a large quantity of water).
(Verse 22.) Like Kumăra (Kárttikėya) with his host of Måtrikås who performed wonderful deeds, he subdued the terrible Asuras with the help of a band of women that lived upon arms.
(Verse 23.) Vidhi (Fate), writing anew (the destinies of the world), wrote in the chancery of that king, looking at (ie, being guided by) his face, since the latter was the master of the world in consequence of his prowess. (In other words the destiny of the world was absolutely at the command of that all-powerful king.)
(Verse 2+.) Fame, resulting from the unbounded energy of that lord of the world, was unto him even as a consort, and like a flame, issuing out of a flood of luxuriant lustre, returned after conquering the Sun. It is a wonder that she crossed the oceans.
(Verse 25.) In order to increase the fame and religious merit of his consorts, the king erected a house within his seraglio compound in the name of Narakadvish (Vishnu).
(Verse 26.) As long as the sky has the flowing celestial stream (Gangā) as its upper gar ment, as long as there lasts the power originating from severe religions austerities, as long as Truth proteote all that is above, so long may this noble and famous workpurify the world. .
(Verse 97.) Daladitya (is) the poet of this prasasti which would exist' along with the world up to the end of the Kalpa; (he) the son of Bhattadhanněka and the fruit of penances, as it were of a number of learned men, (is) the (personified) inner faculty of discrimination, standing before king Bhöjadēva, the protector of the world, inasmuch as he (Baláditya) follows the good rules sanctioned by the best of sages.
The verno apparently means that all tried their best to prolong the life of the king. The ascetics, by religious observances on his behalf, the preceptors, by touching him proper mode of life, the servants, by looking to his com. forts, the enemies, by not disturbing him, and the subjects, by loyally carrying out his orders, would all contributo towards the same end, vis a long and happy life to him.
This verse completes the sense of the previous one wherein it was implied that the king enjoyed the fraits of the meritorions deeds of various categories of people.
* [Vaitfishnyam in my origion, means here the opposite of abpence of greed' i.e. thirst (for conquest). This thirst, says the poet was evident because the King had burnt the vagas (races or bamboos) of his enemies and had drunk (or protectod) on account of that great beat (pratäpa), the ocean. --- d.)
• The allusion is to the fight between the Deras and the Dänavas in which Kamara was the commander-inchief of the forner, and had in his army a number of Matrikās. cf. Mahabharata, Salyaparya, Ch. 45 (Madras Edition). Although the female companions of Kumārs are usually called Mátrikäs, the use of the word Vidya is probably to be explained by the fact that it is sometimes used as a synonym of Matrika, both meaning Durga. (Vids in the case of the King should be taken to mean Source of Knowledge.'-Ed.)
This verse furnishes another instance of the use of the word 'Kirtti' in the sense of any work of public atility calenlated to header famous the name of the constructor of it.' For full discussion on this point, cf. Fleet Gupta iuperiptions, p. 212, f. n. 6.
I am indebted to Mr. Radhsgovinda Basak, M.A., for valuab e suggestions regarding the translatica of the as cription.
