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Holy Abu
their people; nor did they swerve from faithfulness towards their master. They spent millions of rupees from their own pockets in building Jaina temples, upāshrayas (or residences for Jaina monks), rest-houses, free alms-houses, Hindu shrines, mosques, watersheds, wells, tanks, embankments, bridges and in similar acts of public welfare and repaired such older institutions.
Paramara Chiefs of Abu
According to traditional Rajput legends, Dhumarāja was the first prince of the Paramāra clan sprung from the sacrificial fire-pit of the sage Vasishtha at Mt. Ābu. In this lineage was born a chief named Dhandhuka who has been referred to in our account of the Vimala Vasahi. These Paramāra rulers were feudatory-chieftains or Mahamaṇḍaleshvaras of the Gujarat-emperors. They had their capital in the beautiful city of Chandravati, a few miles near the foot of the Mt. Abu. In the line of Dhandhuka were born Dhruvabhața and other princes and then came Ramadeva. His son Yashodhavala was a brave warrior who killed, in battle, king Ballala of Malava who was an enemy of Kumarapala. His son, king Dhārāvarsha was equally brave who killed in battle the ruler of the Konkana country. Prahladana, a younger brother of Dharavarsha, besides being a great warrior, was a great scholar and a poet1 who founded the city of Prahladanapura (modern Pālaṇapura near Ābu) and protected on the battle-field the army of the Gurjara ruler Ajayapala when it was weakened in fights against Samantsimha, the ruler of Mevāḍ. Somasimha succeeded as ruler of the throne of his father Dharavarshadeva. He obtained Shastravidyā (knowledge of the
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1. A Sanskrit drama, named Pärthaparakrama, composed by this prince, is published in the Gaekwad Oriental Series, Baroda.
