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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1876.
and ending with her raven tresses, which was to be given to Vikrama, set his heart on fire. A spy was despatched to Karahâta in order to see what his chances might be. During the time of this person's absence Vikrama's passion grew to such an extent that his limbs wasted away, and pallor overspread his face. But his torment was quickly allayed when the messenger returned with excellent news. He reported that Chandralekha, on hearing of Vikrama, had fallen in love with him, that she wished to elect him for her husband, and that her father's wishes coincided with her own. He concluded his speech by exhorting Vikrama to Bet out at once for Karah&ta, as the svayamvara was to take place immediately.
The king hastened on the wings of love to that capital of Cupid,' where inany other princes had already assembled. The chief of Karahata received him respectfully and affectionately. After the rites of hospitality had been performed, Vikrama entered the hall where the svayamvaru was to be held, and sat down among his rivals. In due time the princess also arrived, attended by her maidens and an elderly matron of the harem. The latter pointed out and described the great qualities of the assembled chiefs. Chandralekha heard unmoved the praises of the lord of Ayodhya, a descendant of Råma, of the kings of Chedi and Kanyakubja, of the ruler of the country watered by the Charmanvati (Chambal), of the princes of Kalinjara, Gopachala, Målva, Gurjara, Pandya, and Chola. One by one she rejected them, signi. fying her displeasure by various contemptuous gestures. Her eyes sought the Chalukya, and remained fixed on his face. When the other princes saw this, they lost all hope of success with the Patimvard, and plainly manifested their disappointment and anger. But the pratihdrarakshi, the attending matron, loudly approved the choice
of the princess, who had selected a husband so noble, handsome, rich and brave, the conqueror of the allied Cholas and Chalukyas. She exhorted her to throw the garland over his neck. Chandralekha obeyed, the acclamations of the assembled multitude approved her act, and the happy pair at once proceeded to the nuptial mandapat
After the wedding had been celebrated, the rejected suitors departed. Many of them would have liked to give vent to their anger by deeds, but fear of the great Châlukya restrained them. Vikrama and his bride, happy in each other's company, enjoyed their newly found bliss and the pleasures of spring. In the morning they took walks in the garden. Vikrama rointed out to Chandralekha the beauties of the season. He seated her in a swing and swung her with his own hands. Later the whole harem was called out, and the women amused themselves and the king with gathering flowers from the trees and creepers. Then, covered with the pollen of the blossoms, they went to a tank to bathe and to sport in the water. Finally, in the evening, after enjoying the bright moonlight and after making a fresh toilet, the whole party sat down to a banquet at which surá or madhu, a highly intoxicating liquor, flowed in streams. The women were soon flushed by this drink, and their odd behaviour and speeches served to amuse the king. I
At the beginning of the hot season Vikrama proceeded to Kalyana. His entry caused a great commotion, especially among the fair sex. The women, one and all, fell in love with their king and manifested their passion in various extravagant ways. Arrived at his palace, the prince held a darbar and then retired to the inner apartments, where, anointed with sandal ointment, he sought, in the company of his wives, refuge from the heat in bathrooms cooled by flowing water.
Eastern Bhalokamantitled Meenty kindatter of whichention.
alwassing classes, aaha Venirst strongly Manu, Vahes
+ VII. 3-IX. 152.-By giving in the seventh sarga a lengthy description of the effects of spring on the passions, and of its amusements, and by introducing a detailed description of Chandralekha's charms in the cighth sarga, Bilhans has managed to fill nearly three cantos with the narrative of Vikrama's marriage. He has also succeeded in giving the story a very unreal appearance by imitating the Raghuvansa in the description of the svayarisvara. Nevertheless the main facts related by him may be taken to be historical. For the name of Vikrama's wife, Chandaladevi, is preserved in the inscriptions, vide Jour. R. A8. Soc. vol. IV.p. 13. From the inscriptions of the Silaháras it is also certain that this family ruled in Karabata, the modern Karh (Kurrar), see ibid. p. 282. Bilhana does not employ the name Silahara, but he calls Chandralekha twice (VIII. 3 and IX. 27) Vidyadhara. The Silaháras bore this appellation by virtue of their descent from Jimutaváhans.
Tod's Annals of Rajasthan and other works show that svayamvaras occurred among the Rajputs until a very late period. From the great length and minuteness of the descriptions of Chandaladevi's beauty, of her suavaxitrara, and of Vikrama's affection for her, it may be concluded that she was still the favourite when Billana wrote.
1 IX. 1-XI. 95. The description of the king's amuse. ments, to which Bilhana, treating them apparently con
amore, allots nearly three whole sargas, may be considered a faithful picture of the life in the inner apartments of an Eastern king. Vikramaditya's son, Someswara III., surnamed Bhalokamalla, wrote a curious handbook of amusements for kings, entitled Månasollasa or Abhilashitachintamani. He enumerates twenty kinds of sporta (vinoda) and twenty amusements (krid), the latter of which appear chiefly destined for the harem. They include those mentioned by Bilhana. The exciting elements in them are mostly romping, equivoque, debauchery, and drinking. Drink has always been a favourite passion of the Rajputa. The abstaining classes among the Hindus-the Bråhmans and the Jaina and Bauddha Vånias-have constantly struggled against this propensity. The first strongly condemn it in their works on Dharna and Niti (see, e. g., Manu, VII. 50, and Kamandaki, XIV. 59), and both Jainas and Bauddhas whenever they gained over a Rajput king tell us that they made him renounce the use of spiritous liquors. Their efforts have not had any great success. For the Rajputa of our day, even those who are not debauchees, use various kinds of burnt waters, which in strength surpass anything ever manufactured in Earope. I must, however, confess that the use of spirituous liquors by Rajput females was unknown to me until I read of it in Bilhana's and Somesvara's works.
