Epigraphia Indica Vol 18

Author(s): H Krishna Shastri, Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 79

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XVIII.
He afforded pleasure to the eyes of his subjects (by his personal appearance, perhaps). To drive off uprighteonsness (adharma) his discus (chakra) travelled as far as the Chakravāla mountain. While this famous monarch ruled the earth, the lion and deer lived together amicably. All objects renounced their mutual hostility (that is, became friends); but dharma alone became an exception to this statement, for adharma did not exist (that is, it could not become a friend of adharma).
V. 17. The king Muchukunda of many good qualities was born of this race, which is never exposed to danger and which is ever prospering; this sovereign shone bright like the moon with his fame, which was white (unblemished) as the kunda (jasmine) flowers.
V. 18............ The king made it impossible for even those who fell in battle to enter heaven.
V. 19. In this family was born Harischandra, who subdued by his prowess hosts of kings and who delighted in war, Valuing them as a mere straw, he sold his own body and his wife and son to pay the money of Kausika (Viśvāmitra).
V. 20. In this dynasty was a king named Sagara, who was dreaded by all other kings. When this monarch began to perform a number of afvamēdha-ydgas, Indra began to tremble (lest his position be lost to Sagara by the virtue which he was going to acquire by his meritorious deeds). Owing to the greatness of the sons of Bagara, the salt oceans obtained the name sågara, and this name began to apply to other seas also.
V. 21. Bhagiratha was born in this race. Having brought down from heaven the river Ganga to raise his ancestors (the sons of Sagara) to heaven from the ashes to which they were redaced by the fire of the anger of the sage Kapila, he caused the celestial river to flow in three regions (that is, heaven, earth and hell) and the men who touched its waters to become immortal.
V. 22. Ritaparna, who was full of kingly virtues and who possessed a fame which was praised by all good men, sprang from this dynasty and protected the earth.
V. 23. In this family was born king Dilipa : he was like a lamp to the universe ; he had removed from the world misery and had destroyed the power of his enemies; his anger drew tears from the eyes of the queens of hostile kings (that is, if any hostile king excited his wrath, that king was sure to meet with his death at the hands of Dilipa). He was a famous sovereign whose bow was ever destined to be crowned with success.
V. 24. Seeing that the earth was groaning ander the evil deeds of the powerful and wicked Rāksbasso, the Lord of the Universe, Bhagavān, became incarnate in four different aspects as Rāma, Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna. The two first and last pairs of brothers resembled the right and the left pairs of arms of Vishnu.
V. 25. This universal Lord taught the world the modes in which a son should conduct himself towards his father, a brother towards his brother, a young man towards his wife, an enemy towards his enemy, kings towards Rishis and relations towards relations.
V. 26. It was not out of anger that he killed the king of the Rākshasas (Råvaņa); por wag it out of bis (carnal) love for his wife that he rescued her (from her captivity under Rāvana); he only discharged his duty, which as a sovereign he was bound to do. If it were not so, why then should he bave killed a Sadra who was doing penance on the Malaya mouptain or soon after (rescue), abandoned his wife, Sītā, of resplendent beauty and rare courage ?
V. 27. Sri-Rama, of straight (uncrooked) virtnes, had a bridge constructed across the sea for the army of monkeys to march over. (By his act of killing Rāvana, a monster having evil ways), he firmly established all dharmas (dharma-sētu) on the earth. This Rāma, full of good qualities, is praised by men as the dhūmakātu (comet) to the misery of the gods (caused by the Rakshasas) and the source of chagrin to the Asuras.
South-Ind. Inscriptions, Vol. III, p. 393, v. 17.