Indian Antiquary Vol 07

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 87

MARCH, 1878.]
THE UMETÀ GRANT OF DADDA II.
65
slain 16 on his head glittered a diadem that shone with the refulgent rays of millions of diamonds, polished by his prostrations at the lotus-feet of gods, Brahmans, and other venerable persons ;" his store of religious merit, the only friend in heaven, was always being increased in consequence of his liberally fulfilling the desire for wealth of the poor, of the helpless, of the sick, of the wayfarer, of beggars, and of the distressed; he proved his cleverness and polished manners in settling his love-quarrels with proud damsels through prostrations and sweet words; and he threw the dense darkness of the Kali age into the cage of his bright virtues.
His son was the illustrious Jayabhat a, who showed the proud valour of a young lion, since by the strength of his sword (nistriisavi- krama) he destroyed troops of hostile elephants mad with rut, just as the lion with fearless stride (nistrinsavikrama) kills numbers of rutting elephants which attack him. He possessed in the highest degree the sportive qualities of the guardian elephants of the quarters of the horizon, because he made expeditions in the jungles growing on both the shores of the gulf of Khambay), just as the elephants roam in the forests growing both on the shores (of the western and eastern oceans), and because his bounty flowed constantly and without stint, just as the elephants constantly shed copious ichor (nirankusadanapraváhaprorritta)." He covered with the sandal-ointment of his glory, which was brilliant like crystal or like a lump of camphor, (his own)
body and the high bosom (samunnatapayodhara) of Fortune who resembles the sky with its high. rising clouds (samunnatapayodhara). 20
His offspring is the great king of kings the illustrious Dadda, who has dispelled the intense darkness that had grown thick through the power of evil and had overspread the whole world", --who possesses an exceeding store of affection for his spiritual guide, and hasillaminated the world of the living by his pure precepts", - who possesses true spiritual knowledge,--who has become the luminary of the extensive Gurjara dynasty, (and) who has obtained the f great titles.
(He) being in good health, addresses these commands to all governors of zillâs, governors of tâlakás, headmen of villages, officials and employés, great men, chief men, and others :Be it known to you, that, for the increase of my parents' and of my own merit in the next world and fame, I have granted, with heartfelt” devotion, confirming the gift by a libation of water, on the day of the full-moon of Vaisakha, in the year four hundred of the Sa ka era, to Bhatta Madhava, the son of Bhatta Mahidhara, aninhabitant of Kanyaku bja, who belongs to the Chaturvedis of that (town), and to the Vasishthagotra in general, and studies the Bahvricha (sákhá of the Veda), for the performance of the Bali, Charu, Vaišvadeva, Agnihotra, the five Mahayajñas, and similar rites, the village of Niguda, situated in the Kama niya sodasata Bhukti, the boundaries of which areto the east the village of Phalaha vadra, to the west the village of Vih âņa, to the north
10 Professor Bhandarkar changes phala to chhala, I think, unnecessarily. His translation omits the word pranmukhágata, Prabhatasamayarudita refers both to the fact that the widows of Dadda's enemies naturally renewed their lamentations on re-awakening to a conscious. ness of their sorrows, and to the custom that the kings of ancient India used to be awakened by the hymns of their bards: compare, e.g., Vikramankacharita XI. 78 et segg.
11 The diamonds, I think, received an additional polish not by being rabbed against the feet of gode, &c., but by touching the ground during the king's prostrations. Guru includes, besides preceptors, parents and other persons to whom reverence is due...
15 In my opinion wistrimsavikrama is intended to convey a double meaning, though Prof. Bhandarkar renders one only. A pandit would hardly allow to pass so splendid an opportunity for a pun. Vikrama, if referred to the lion, may either be translated by stride or jump,' or by "attack."
10 Regarding this passage see also Ind. Ant. vol. V. p. 111.
90 Professor Bhandarkar's translation omits the word anga, body,' which must refer to the king. The links of this chain of puns are the following:-The king gained glory according to the custom of the Kavis, glory is compared to every substance of white or brilliant colour. To the latter belongs also sandal-ointment. Sandal-oint-
ment is rabbed over the body, especially over the breast. Hence the king's body may be said to be covered with the sandal-ointment of his glory. Lakshmi (Fortune) is, according to Hindu ideas, the spouse of the king. In embracing Lakshmi the king transfers portions of the sandal on his breast to her bosom. The double meaning of payo. dhara, cloud' and 'bosom,' finally suggests the comparison of Lakshmi with the firmament, which is considered particularly fitting, because the king's glory, may also be said to cover the sky (compare above, the description of Dadda I.).
* Dosha, which I have translated, with Prof. Bhandarkar, by 'evil,' means, strictly speaking, 'faulty activity, which prevents the attainment of final emancipation. *** My translation differs considerably from Prof. Bhandar. kar's, and this difference is partly caused by the new reading sampatka instead of sampanna. Vimala, which Prof. Bhandarkar leaves out, proves, in my opinion, that disa does not mean the quarters, but precepts.'
93 This translation is tentative, and based on the analogy of the phrase paramiabhakty, which appears on the Rathor and later plates exactly in the position where the earlier ones have abhyantarasiddhya. But I am not in a position to prove that siddhi is used elsewhere M synonym of bhakti. Professor Bhandarkar omits the compound from his translation.