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No. 45.]
CHITTAGONG COPPER-PLATE OF KANTIDEVA.
317
the mother of Kāntidēva was a devotee of that great God. In any case it is noteworthy that the combination of lion and serpents is not met with in the seals of any other royal family in Bengal.
TEXT. [Metres : v. 1, Vasantatilakā; vv. 2—3, Arya'; vv. 4, 6, Sloka ; v. 5, Sārdülavikrīdita.] 1 Om Svasti [II*] Srimaj-jaya-skandhāvārät Varddhamāna-pura-vāsakāt [11*] 2 Yo dharma-ratna-kiraņair=apavidhya sāndra[m*) möh-āndhakāra-patalan sakalam tri3 lokam aloka-lokam=anayat=sa jayaty=udāra(ro) durvāra-Māra-visara4 sya jayi Jinēndraḥ || [1*] Tad-bhakti-valita-daktir-bhuja-dvay-aurjitya-vijita-ripu5 darpaḥ sa jayati dharm-aika-rataḥ khyātaḥ śri-Bhadradato(tta) yaḥ || [2*] Tasya su6 bhāshita-Bhārata-Purāņa-Rāmāya'n-artha -vit-tanayaḥ [] *) nămnā sri-Dhanadattaḥ 7 prakațita-mahim-ānvayo yo=bhūt || [3*] Tasya gauri mahābhūbhțit-sută vu(bu)dba8 guru-stutā [*patni Vinduratir=nāma yā va(ba)bhūva Siva-priya [4*) Tasyā
bhöga 9 nidāna-dana-salilair=ärdriksit-örjad-bhuja-sphūrjad-vajra-va(ba)l-arjit-āji-vija10 ya-prājya-pratāpē mahan | saumyaḥ sūnțita-väg=arāti-bhaya-ksid-vikhyāta11 kirttir=yaso jyotsnā-hāra-tushāra-kunda-dhavalam yö yātavān=ātmajaḥ || [5*] 12 Yag=cha kurvañ=jagat-tushtyai hiranya-kaśishu(pu)-kshayam n=āvalamvi(mbi)tavān=mā13 yān=dāna-värir=api prabhuḥ [6*] Sa khalv-akhila-jana-mano-bhirām-abhigāmi14 k-anēka-guna-ratna-bhūshaṇaḥ | Paramasaugato mātā-pitsi-pā15 d-anudhyātaḥ Paramēsvaro Mahārājādhirājaḥ śrīmāna(n) Ka16 ntidēvaḥ kusali | Harikēlā-mandalē bhāvi-bhūpatims-tad-ātma-hi17 tam-idam võ(bő)dhayati viditam=astu vaḥ |
1 Vindurati must have been quite an influential personality in her husband's family who were Buddhists. She herself was a devotee of Siva and continued as such even after her marriage. She did even more. The insoription describes her husband not as one well versed in the Tripi faka, but as one well versed in the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Ramayana. This acquisition on Dhanadatta's part may be ascribed to his wife's influence on him. This would again depict her as a very strong character. It was, perhaps, to preserve each other's tolerance that neither had the other converted to his or her own religious creed. Viewed in this light, the composite character of the seal, affixed to the copper plate, exhibiting both Bauddha and Saiva emblems, becomes plain. I am in. debted to Dr. B. Ch. Chhabra for this suggestion. [It may be noted that Buddha himself is seated on a serpent couch and in one instance is flanked by a lion on each side : see, Longhurst, Bud., Ant., of Nagarjunikonda, A. &. Memoir, No. 54, plates XI (c) and XXIII (b). Five-hooded någas are also prominently figured on Buddhist pilasters, ibid., plate XXV, figures b and C.-C. R. K.]
* Expressed by a symbol. • This ya looks more like yo, the medial 6 being similar to that found in jy of jyotma below in l. 11. • DJ. road tha and then corrooted it to riha. The latter is, however, really tha. . DJ. read bhaga but bhoga is clear. The translation of DJ is accordingly faulty.
