________________
No. 14]
MANDKILA TAL INSCRIPTION, V.S. 1043
87
(Verse 15) Fortune is fickle, as is usual with ladies, no doubt. Even then he (Vishộuhari), having per force bound her tightly with the rope of his intellect, so to say, made her stable in his spotless family, as one ties a she-elephant with a rope to a mighty tree and thereby steadies her.
(Verse 16) From him was born a son, Nārāyana (by name), who possessed wealth, whose hands were pretty to look at, who was never afraid of the hell, who won over his opponents by the darts of his (sweet) speech, so to say, who was liked by people and who used to have all the quarters of the space resounded by the chants of the Sāma-vēda ;* (in these respects) Nārāyaṇa was the very god Nārāyaṇa (Vishnu) himself, who is the husband of Lakshmi, who holds the Sudarsana discus in his hand, who is never afraid of the demon Natake who has slain the enemies on behalf of the gods, who is regarded to be a paragon of beauty in the world, and who is sung by the chants of the Sāma vēda, reverberating in all the directions.
(Verse 17) His (Näräyana's) store of virtues was great and his fame was extensive indeed. Also he was always possessed of deep compassion. His only big fault was this that he made the wide earth groan under the burden of glistening white temples (that he built), having various spires, (thereby) looking like the mounts Vindhya and Kailasa.
(Verse 18) (Nārāyaṇa was the very god Nārāyana indeed :)-His eyes were like lotus-petals. His body was charming. He was truthful.. He received honour at the hands of leading Brāhmaṇas (or of Garuda, the lord of birds). His forehead was beautiful (or, he holds the beautiful conch-shell known as Pāñchajanya). He was the foremost among the members born in his family (or, he is incarnated as Nrisimha or Man-Lion). Like Manmatha (from Vishnu), from him was born his son, named Adyötana, who was a recipient of all favours.
(Verse 19) By him (Adyotana), who was of loving nature, was rolling in prosperity, was of high birth, had his ignorance removed entirely (by the acquisition of knowledge), was of very pure conduct, was brilliant, (and) was steadfast, did his family extremely shine forth even as a chamber is illumined very brightly by a lamp that is full of oil, has a good wick, has a splendid receptacle, has completely dispelled the pitch darkness, is absolutely free of dirt, is glowing, (and) is steadily plroed.
(Verse 20) His (Adyōtana's) wife was (a lady), named Nāțyā, a very abode of luck, devoted to her husband, charming of form, sweet of speech, (and) attached to her husband as his very shadow.
This implies that he never did any wrong so as to deserve any infornal infliction. • Himself being a bania by caste, he no doubt employed Brāhmana priests for chanting the Sama-vēda.
• The attribute loka-känta appears to be an echo of 10k-Abhirama applied by Valmiki to Räma compared with Vishnu in physical beauty : subhrer dyata-tdmr-akahab säkohad Vishnurmiva svayam Ramo 18k-abhiramyam, oto. (Ramayana, M. L.J.P., II, 2, 44-45.).
* This reminds one of the praises of Vishnu sung by the gods, as found in Kalidasa's Raghuwanba, X, 21 : Sapta-san-pagitan tväth, oto.
The alternative given within the round brackets here and further on in this vorse apply only to the god Mrāyana or Vishnu.
. Cf. Palivraid mahabhaga cildy=&vednugaid sada (Ramayana, I, 73,28)
