________________
No. 21.]
PURSHOTTAMPURI PLATES OF RAMACHANDRA: SAKA 1232.
223
to the Mahāmāndalika Purwabai Nāya ka, the son of the Phulabaduë Sämvala Nāyaka, who belongs to the Väsishtha-gotra and is a student of the Rigvēda-śākkā. The following are the eulogistic verses about him :
(V. 19) Glorious is Vasishtha, the abode of austerities, who is the sole preceptor of the world, the son of the Creator, known as his second self, (and) the foremost of the seven sages; whose wife is Arundhati whose virtue is the foremost teacher for giving) instruction in chastity; and in a corner of whose cowpen there is the celestial cow which is a very moonlight for (dispelling) the darkness, namely, the distress of the three worlds.
(V. 20) From him another son was born like him and then from him another. Thus in course of time there sprang a noble family, an ornament of the three worlds, resembling a sucoession of the sun's rays causing awakening among the embodied beings troubled by the alligator-like dark. ness and infatuation.
(V. 21) In that (family) was born Bhānusuri who constructed in every quarter, staircases in the guise of temples for the sake of gods who had come out (of heaven) to receive offerings in his sacrifices; and who, in order to raise up the creatures who had sunk low by reason of their (bad) deeds, excavated, as deep as the surface of the nether regions, tanks which were the mines of jewels in the form of his bright fame.
(V. 22) From him was born Alhadēva, (who was) a treasure of austerities, and a meeting place of all fruitful excellences; in whose mouth dwelt with ease the fourteen lores even as the fourteen worlds do in the belly of Hari (at the time of world-destruction.)
(V. 23) From him was born a son named Vināyaka, the crest-jewel of (all) learned people In the water of the Ganges, namely, bis fame, even the holy places perform the purificatory rite; (and) the loud noise of the exposition of the Vēdas discloses his house to the supplicants who come in haste, having heard of his virtue of liberality.
(V. 24) From that learned man sprang a famous son named Sārvaladēva, the friend of the love of piety, the source of ylory, the essence of cleverness, the abode of contentment, forgiveness and happiness, the bead of the family of compassion, the festivity of the establishnient of courage, the treasury of learning, the minister of discrimination and the assembly-hall of wealth.
(V. 25) Having ascertained that like a flower be was gentle by nature, venerable, pure, capable of attracting the mind and the best abode of fortune, the king Rāma, the foremost of the Yadus, who has a keen intellect, being intent on showing favour to him, made him, who was) vigilant, the superintendent of the arrangement of flowers..
(V. 26) Day by day there grew in the mind of the king affection for Samvaladēva, who was honest, beneficent, intelligent, truthful and devoted to service even as fortune did in his home.
(V. 27) Then he married, according to the sacred rite, a wife named Akvāmbikā, worthy of himself, who was the daughter of Sārangasūri and the son's daughter of Madhavasūri born in the family of Jāmadagnya-Vatsa, and who was adorned by the jewels of excellences
(V. 28) To these, who were designedly united by the wise Creator, there was born & son, bearing the fitting and significant name of Purushottama. This is the eleventh incarnation of Hari, who reflecting on the slight blemish in incarnating himself as the fish, etc., wus seeking a noble birth.
11.e., he became famous by excavating these tanks. *[See above, p 212, 2. 1.-Ed.)
