Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 82

72
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1875.
Lakshmi Tilak Kavi made a tika or com- therefore the city too is called the 'pure.' The mentary on, and corrected it, as we are told by king's servants are clever and intelligent. All Leśâjâ ya Tilak Gani, a Jaina monk, who its women are practisers of Sati-dharma, therecompleted the work as we now have it at Pral. fore the age is continually called the Satyuga. hadan Pattan-probably, as K. Forbes con- Beside the city flow Sarasvati's clear waters, joctures, Påhlanpur (though possibly Pitlad)- rendering pure the earth and the air: here at the Divali in the Saṁvat of Vikram 1312, or live Brâhmaņs equal to Vasishtba or VisvaA.D. 1255. The narrative portion of the work mitra, who could produce warriors from the does not even assume to be a connected relation; fire-pit. it is rather a series of anecdotes; but the informa- Mularâja t was the rst of the Solanki tion afforded by it and the Prabandha Chin. race in this city. He was the benefactor of the td mani, in reference to customs, manners, world, full of all good qualities and generousinstitutions, and modes of thought, may be re- minded. All kings worshipped him as the sungarded as a correct reflection of the times when is worshipped. He gained the title of the "enthese works were written : anda curious picture thraller of the universe," for the subjects of all is thus presented of superstition and moral ef- lands came to his country and found a happy feteness beyond hope of reformation from within, residence. To Brâhmans he gave great gifts : even after the warning lesson taught by the sci- his enemies, like Dheds, begged outside the town mitars of the Ghaznivide host in 1026,-though from fear of him. When this Raja went out that invasion had probably no small influence in on vijayayatrá he subdued the Raja of North developing such characters as Bhima Deva Kosala Desa ; half the inimical kings he slew, I. and Siddharâja. But though such princes the other half he forced to submit. The wives of might delay for a time, they could not save their his enemies, that, like frogs in a well, had never people from the fate their grovelling subjection in their lives seen anything beyond their own to a superstitious priesthood, with its debasing houses, were seized by Bhillas as they wanresults, had earned for them,-a fate finally dered in forests, and were carried by them to the inflicted by the merciless Ala-ud-din in city to be sold as slaves. This Raja often per
formed yajna : he caused the Vedas and other The following is an outline of the narrative books to be collected. He slept not in the dayportion of the Dvaidsharáya* :
time, and was often awake at night for the The First Sarga.
protection of his subjects. There is a city named Anahilla pura,
The Second Sarga. that is as it were the svastika of the earth, the To Mularâja once on a time Somanatha abode of Nyaya Dharma and Lakshmi, by reason Mahadeva said in a dream : "Othou who wert of which the whole world is beautified. Beauti- born of the Châluky& race, be prepared to fal are its women, and the kings that have ruled fight with Grâ haripu and other Daityas who there have been handsome and strong, obe- wish to destroy Prabhâsa Tirtha by my dient to parents and gurds, and possessed besides splendour shalt thou overcome those Daityas." of sons. Excellent arrangements are made in When he awoke, Mularâja was delighted at that city by the king for the snpport of scholars the recollection of what Mahadeva had said to studying Vidya. Religion flourishes in it, and him. In the morning the Râja entered the the people are opulent and have abundant oc- matramandapa (court) with his chief ministers cupation. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens Jambak and Jehal the Rånak of Kheralu, full of trees of varied kinds. Debt is unknown that he might tell them what Mahadeva had in the city. Many munis are there, and such said. But at that moment several crown-bearing as perform austerities. Svarga is near to them princes presented themselves according to cus. as are the courts in front of their houses, and tom, so that Mularâja was not able to speak,
1297 A.D.
• The substance of the first five Sargas has already been given by Mr. K. Forbes in his Ras Mais, vol. I. pp. 52-59.
Mularfja was the son of Rija, and grandson of Bhuvang. ditya, of Kalyan, by Lill Devl the daughter of the king of Anhillapar, and was adopted by Samant Singha, the last Chhuda prince. Mularkja succeeded his uncle Samant!
Singhs about A.D. 942. Cunf. Forbes's Ras Mala, vol. I. p. 65; Gladwin's Ayeen Akbaree, vol. II. pp. 74 ff.; Sir W. Elliot, Jour. R. As. Soc., vol. IV. p. 1; Tod's Western India, p. 150.
Conf. Ras Mala, vol. I. 52. A town to the east of Siddhapur.