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No. 45]
KONI INSCRIPTION OF KALACHURI PRITHVIDEVA II; K.E. 900
(V. 8). While he, who conferred obligations on all people, spread the mass of his fame and destroyed advancing lordly elephants of his enemies, was ruling the earth, there were nowhere (to be seen) the arrogance of any kings, the fever-like anxiety, due to poverty, of supplicants, the affliction, due to terror, of the person who sought protection and also the habitation of wicked
persons.
(V. 9). To him was (born) a son (named) Ratnadēva (II), the king well-known in the three worlds, who was the first to teach humiliation to the flourishing lord of Kalinga; who had an extremely developed and spreading fame; who had full knowledge of thirty-six sciences of weapons and the pride of fully developed arms; (and) who was the great magical incantation for the destruction of evil spirits, namely the rising kings on (this) earth.
(V. 10).--Does that illustrious Ratnadēva (II) need to be praised-(he) whose sole delight at all places and times was in the festivity of battle whether he was followed by a host of armies or was alone, and the great noise of whose dreadful marches incessantly hovers over (other) kings, proudly rebuking them as it were and challenging them to fight again and again!
(V. 11). When he, possessed of boundless, dreadful and mysterious prowess was about to invade the circle of quarters, the highest mountains all round, with the resounding and dreadful reverberations of the sound of his war-drums, were, as it were, calling out to the lords of regions, uttering terrific cries, being apprehensive as regards the support of the earth burdened with his large marching hosts.
(V. 12). From that king was born (a son) named Prithvidēva (II), the off-shoot of gems in the head-dress of the lords of the earth,' even as the sun rises from the slope of a mountain, as the moon was produced from the ocean, as Pradyumna was born from Purushottama, Hari from the illustrious cowherd Nanda, and Skanda from the moon-crested (Šiva).
(V. 13).--How many warriors did he not vanquish? What good people did he not please? At the doors of what panegyrists did he not keep lordly rutting elephants tied? How many princes did he not protect when they sought refuge on the battle-field? What excellences of the victorious Prithvidēva (II) are not attractive?
(V. 14). There was Söḍhadeva like a jewel adorning a family of Brahmanas, who received the hereditary ministership of these kings that bore the burden of all good qualities (and) who was verily a wish-fulfilling tree to supplicants.
(V. 15).—Who being an abode of greatness crossed the ocean of excellences, whose great fame adorned the world and whom, possessed of many and marvellous qualities, that (famous) king Prithvidēva (I) made his hereditary minister.
(V. 16).-His son was Nimbadeva who in his personal form surpassed the god of love, who looked attractive with all (kinds of) learning (and) who was a wreath on the crown of good people, the heavenly abode of wealth and fame, an ornament of the royal assembly and a friend of good persons.
(V. 17). Who was the dwelling place of pleasing speech, the abode of religious merit, the resting place of compassion, the resort of good people, the hermitage of wisdom, the support of modesty, a large shrine of steadiness, the residence of wealth, the dwelling of beauty, the house of contentment and the sole receptacle of glory.
(V. 18). He had a wife named Lakhama who was, as it were, his own body, the sole receptacle of all virtues, who resembled Rati in lovely form and Arundhati in righteous deeds and who, being religious-minded, was the desired object of the prosperity of her house.
1 This suggests that his feet were bowed to by the heads of these kings.
