Indian Antiquary Vol 42

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 244

232
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[AUGUST, 1913.
great treasures, like the Himalaya, that he was the central point of the world, and overshadowed the same with his might, like the Meru, and that like the Mandara which was used as a churning rod by gods at the time of churning out nectar, he knew how to bring to light and to acquire for himself Lakshmi, the Fortuna regum.
The correctness of this explanation can be easily demonstrated. For, the idea that the Himalaya hides within himself immeasurable treasures has been prevalent amongst the Indian people since & very old time, and it finds its expression in mythology, in that the abode of Kubera is located in the Himalaya. To the court poets, the idea that riches are the sdra of the Dimalaya is so obvious that at times they do not express it at all, but only bint at the same. Tuus Kalidasa says in Raghuvamsa IV, 79:
परस्परेण विज्ञातस्तष्पावनपाणिषु।
राज्ञा हिमवतः सारी राज्ञः सारो हिमाद्रणा। • As the (Ganas) (came) with presents in their hands, they understood each other's essence; the king, that of the Himalaya (i. e., his riches, and the Himalaya that of the king (i. e., his might.)'
Equally old and generally prevalent is the conception that the mountain Meru is the centre of the world ; and kings are very frequently compared with the same, in kavyas, in order to illustrate their great might. Thus, in the beginning of the Kadambari, Bâņa says (p. 5. 1. 11, Peterson's edition) of the king Sudraka :
मेरुरिव सकलभुवनोपजीव्यमानपारच्छायः • He resembles Meru in that all the worlds live in the shadow of his feet,' i. e., are preserved through his protection, just as they live in the shadow of the spur of the mountain. The comparison is also found in the inscriptions, e.g., in the prasasti which forms a prelude to the grant of land made by the Chaulukya king Malaraja I. It is said there06 (1. 3):-
i : He resembles Meru, in that he is always madhyastha, i.e., the centre of the world, and impartial.'
As for the mountain Mandara, it is one of the most well-known myths, according to which it served gods as a churning-rod, at the churning of the milk-ocean. As on that occasion, Lakshmi. the goddess of wealth, came out, and she is often described as the representative of the royal power and splendour and even as the consort of kings, the kings themselves are often compared with the Mandara mountain in order to bint at the idea that they churn out Fortune from the ocean of the enemies. Thus in Sri-Harshacharita, p. 227, 1. 7 (Kasmir edition) Båņa says, while describing the king Pashyabûti, that he was
e Mandara-like in drawing out Lakshmi.' This same thought is further elaborated in verge 7 of the Aphsad prasasti, a composition of the seventh century, written in a high Gauda style, where it is said of the king Kumâragupta :
भीमः श्रीशानवर्मक्षितिपतिशशिनः सैन्यदुग्धोदसिन्धुर्लक्ष्मीसंप्राप्तिहेतुःसपदि विमथितो मन्दरीभूव येन ॥ "Who became Mandara and immediately churned out the terrible army of the illustrious frânavarman, a moon amongst princes, the army, which was the means of the acquisition of Fortune, and thus resembled the milk-ocean.' A still more artificial representation of the simile is found in the prasasties of the Rathor king Govinda II, verse 3, belonging to the beginning of the ninth century. I bave explained it fully in the translation of the passage.
In the face of these facts, it can not be doubted, that the author of the Násik inscription intended to say or to hint all tbat is contained in the explanation given above ; 68 and when we see that he dares to express himself in such an oxtraordinarily concise manner and is content with only
- See Ante, Vol. VI. p. 191. My translation is given there mentions only the second meaning of madhyastha. It is, however, not improbable that the writer also means to say that Mdlarija was the centre of the world, although the expression cannot apply to a petty ruler who possessed only a few miles of land. Such consiclerations, however, have no weight with a court poet. 67 Corpus Inscr. Ind., Vol. III., p. 203, 1. 7.
« Ante, Vol. VI, p. 65. 9 It is just possible that he had in view oven other legs important qualities of the mountains named here. Thus, as the Meru is the abode of the vibudha or the gods, and as vibudha also means 'a wise man', the compari son of the king with the Meru may imply a compliment to the effect that the king was surrounded by wise Councillors and learned mon. Compare, for instance, Vasavadatta, p. 14, 1.1 Foto RT G :.