________________
No. 34.]
THE LARGER LEIDEN PLATES OF RAJARAJA I.
255
(V. 2) As long as the moon-crested deity (t.e. Siva) sports with his consort on the Kailasa mountain, as long as Hari (Vishnu) performs meditative sleep (yoga-nidra) on the serpent couch in the milk-ocean, and as long as the sun, the sole light of all the worlds, dispels the dense darkness of the world, so long, may the Chola family protect from danger the circle of the whole earth.
(V. 3) From the Sun (Ahimakara), the sole eye of the whole world, was (born) Manu the first of kings; (then) was born his son Ikshvāku, whose footstool was licked by rows of diadems of kings. In his family was (born) king Mandhātri, who was a storehouse of virtues, who was equal to Dhātri (Brahman) and who justly ruled this earth (extending) as far as the Lōkālōka mountain.
(V. 4) His son was the heroic king named Muchukunda. As his son was born king Valabha who was the sole erest jewel of the Kshatra (i.e. the Kshatriya race). In his family was born the illustrious king, who was widely renowned throughout the world as Sibi and whose two feet were worshipped by the whole host of kings.
(V. 5) Who, excepting Vyasa, the best among poets, is able to describe the qualities of that profoundly virtuous king who preserved his own life (only) for the benefit of others?
(V. 6) As a full moon to the ocean of that family, was born (king) Chola, who was the repository of all arts (kala) (just as the fullmoon is the repository of the sixteen kalas) and the kings born in whose family bore the name Chōla after his name.
(V. 7) Then came king Rajakēsarin, who conquered all (his) enemies. After him came Parakesarin, who was bent on destroying the towns of hostile kings.
(V. 8) The name of Rajakesarin and (that) of this Parakesarin became alternately the order of kings born in their family.
(V. 9) In that family was born the lord of kings, Suraguru, who destroyed all (his) enemies, who was the standard of the Solar race, (and) who, having conquered in the battle-field even the unconquerable Mrityu, acquired the unattainable epithet Mrityujit.
(V. 10) In his family was born king Vyaghrakētu, who was a lion (as it were) to the elephants -(his) enemies. In that race was born the strong king Pañchapa (who was) the Kalpa-tree to (bis) supplicants.
(V. 11) King Karikala, (the god of) Death to his enemies, was born in that family. This (king) constructed embankments to the Kāvēri (river).
(V. 12) In his family was (born) Kochchamkaṛṇān of well established fame, the bee at the lotus-feet of Sambhu (Siva), (and one) whose feet were worshipped by all kings. In his family (there) was king Kökkilli of clear intellect, the lord of prosperity, whose feet were worshipped by the crests of the whole host of kings.
(V. 13) In that family was born the victorious Vijayalaya of great strength, who conquered the entire surface of the earth (and) whose two lotus-like feet were brightened by the lustre of gems emanating from the region of the diadems of prime kings that prostrated before him.
(V. 14) From that king (also mountain) came forth Aditya (also Sun) of great splendour, who possessed (mighty) powers (also heat) and destroyed the dense darkness, i.e., enemies.
(V. 15) From him, who was the sole abode of countless heaps of gems (and) who possessed enormous strength, rose for the benefit of the world, king Parantaka with full glory, just as the moon does with all his rays, to give pleasure to the world, from the milk-ocean (which contains within it countless gems and huge aquatic animals).
(V. 16) Having conquered the earth right up to the Chakravāļa (mountain and) protected the whole (of it) with peace, that sun to the darkness, i.e. the Kali age, founded various big towns
