Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 05
Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 381
________________ NOVEMBER, 1876.] MISCELLANEA. 319 the recitations of the bards, and the songs of the Malva, who came to him for protection to dancers, filled Ahava malla's palace. regain his kingdom (III. 67), and carried his arms The child's marvellous lustre, which announced as far north as Gauda and Kamar a pa. He its future greatness, induced the king to call him attacked also the king of Sinhala or Ceylon, Vikramaditya.. He throve and grew up a who fled before him to the hermitage of the hushandsome and strong boy, the favourite of his band of Lopamudra (III. 77, IV. 20). He defather. Early he showed in his plays that he was stroyed the sandalwood forests of the Malaya destined to be a mighty warrior and conqueror. hills, and slew the Lord of Kerala (IV. 1-18). He loved to chase the royal swans, the rdjahansas, He finally conquered Gânga kuņda (IV. 21), and to tease the lion-whelps in their cages. Later Vengi (IV. 29), and Chakra kota (IV. 30).SS he acquired the various lipis, or alphabets, and After having accomplished these brilliant ex. the art of using the bow. “Sarasvati also, the ploits Vikrama turned homewards. He had come giver of poetry and eloquence, kissed his lotus- as far as the Krishna, when he suddenly was mouth." Not long after Vikrama, the third disquieted by the appearance of unfavourable promised son was born. He received the name omens which announced some great impending Ja ya simha.. misfortune. He stopped his march and performed After a while, when Åhavamalla saw that on the banks of the river édntis, or propitiatory Vikram Aditya, who had grown up to manhood, ceremonies intended to avert the threatened evil. had acquired all sciences' and was anxious for Whilst he was still engaged in these rites, he the battle-feast, he conceived the plan of making saw the chief messenger of his father coming · him ywarája, and thus to designate him as his from the capital, with a face that clearly announced successor. But, as soon as he opened his mind to him to be the bearer of bad news. The prince the prince, the latter respectfully but firmly re- asked the Halkdr at once for news of Ahavamalla, fused the offered favour, alleging that the dignity since already on the appearance of the omens he of yuvardja belonged by right to his elder brother. had been anxious about the welfare of the latter. In this refusal he persisted, when his father re- Reluctantly and with many tears the messenger presented to him that both Siva's word and the told the dismal story of Åhavamalla's sudden decree of the stars pronounced him to be destined illness and death.ll The king, he said, had been for the succession. Finding that Vikrama was supremely happy on learning his son's success not to be moved, the king raised Somes vara against the Chola, Pandya, and Simhala. In the to the rank of yuvardja. Royal fortune and the midst of his rejoicings he had been attacked by love of the father, however, clung to Vikrama maliguant fever. Finding that all remedies were alone. He bore also the burden of the duties of of no avail, he had resolved to finish his life in the king and of the yuvardja, "just as the prime. the Tungabhadrâ, the Gangl of the south. val tortoise carries the serpent Sesha and the With the consent of his ministers he had travelled earth."+ to the sacred stream, and had died in its waves, With the permission of Åhavamalla, Vik. meditating on Siva.t rama then set out on a series of warlike expe- On the receipt of these news Vikramaditya ditions. He repeatedly defeated the Cholas was deeply affected, and loudly manifested his (S. III. 61, 63, 65, 66; IV. 22-28) and plandered grief. At first he refused to be consoled, and had Kanchi. He lent his assistance to the king of to be disarmed 'lest he should attempt his own $ II. 59-91. | Bilhana uses the following vicarious forms for this name:-Vikramanka, Vikramankadeva, and Vikramalanchhana. Elsewhere the forms Vikramadityadeva and Vikramárka occur. His Birudas are Tribhuvanamalla (Bilhana, inscript.) l'armádi (Kalbana, inscript. and Kumarapalach.), Kalivikrama (inscript.). Sarga III. vv. 1-24. • III. 25. The existence of the third son of Åhavamalla is not mentioned in the published inscriptions. III. 26-59. This part of the narrative of Vikrama's life also, which strongly puts forward his fitness for the throne and his generosity to the less able Someávara, looks as if it bad been touched up in order to whitewash V.'s character and to blacken that of his enemy. I III 60-IV. 30. 69 Bilhana's rhapsodio treatment of this portion of Vikrama's career makes it impossible to determine the chronological order of these wars. Only so much may be considered certain, that his last exploits were performed in the south, he came on his homeward march to the Krishna. The assertion that Vikrama defeated the kings of Gauda and Kamarupa sounds very strange. It is, bow. ever possible that he made with his cavalry & raid into their territories. Vengi (not Chengi, as the text reada) is the coast country between the Godavart and the Krishna, and belonged about this time to the Cholas (see below). Gångakunda, or Gåndakunda as the MS. bas prima manai, must have been another Chola dependency: compare below, VI. 21. II S. IV. 31-43. It is to be noted that the expeditions to Central and Eastern India are not mentioned again, and that the order of the wars differs from that given above. • The same epithet is applied to the Tungabhadra in the inscriptions. + IV. 44-68. Verse 58 contains a regular confession of Ahavamalla's faith in Siva. Laasen's conjecture (Ind. Alt. IV. 105) that he became a Jains appears without founde tion. Indian princes will build temples for many strange gods, without forsaking their kuladevata or ishtadevata The kuladevata of the Chalukyas of Kalyana appears to have been Vishnu, as they use the boar as their emblem.

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