Book Title: Old Bramhi Inscriptions In Udaygiri And Khandagiri
Author(s): Benimadhab Barua
Publisher: University of Calcutta

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Page 319
________________ Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra www.kobatirth.org Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir NOTES 291 twelfth year's record goes to show that he made a good deal of im. provement by constructing new roads and squares, by strengthening the gates with new burs, as well as by setting up new gate-houses and towers. Now, with regard to the internal life, joy and prosperity of the city of Kalinga, it may suffice to observe that there are allusions, in the second year's record (1, 3), to (1) the location of multitudinous fighting army, consisting of all the four divisions ; in the eighth year's record (I. 9), to (2) triumphal processions of victory characterised by the carrying of the Wishing-tree at the head and by the marching of the four divisions of the army at the back, as well as to (3) the feasting of all sections of the people, the general population, the officers, the religious sects keeping to household life, the Brahmanical ascetics and the Jain recluses ; in the third year's record (I. 4), to (1) the entertainment of the citizens by combats or comics, by songs, dances, musical performances, as well as by feasts, festivities and joyous gatherings, the king himself being represented as an expert in the science of music ; in the seventh year's record (I. 8), to (5) a pompous parade of swords, umbrellas, flags, guards and horses, as well as to (6) the performance of all ceremonies of victory; in the sixth year's record (1. 7), to (7) the wholesale remission of taxes and duties and the dispensing of many bounties as a display of the royal fortune ; and in the twelfth year's record (I. 13), to (8) the receiving of jewels, antelopes, horses and elephants, as well as the elephants, horses and other animals capable of exciting curiosity (abhutam-achariya-hathisapasava) as presents from the Vāsukis, and no less to (9) the supply of pearls, gems, jewels and rich apparels as tributes from the king of Pandya ; and in the eleventh year's record (I. 12), to (10) the paying of homage to the former kings of Kalinga as a great public and social function. The description is apparently incomplete. Nevertheless, it is full enough to portray a vivid picture of the joyousness of a happy, active, prosperous and crowded city. Here just one point calls for remark. In regard to the presents from a hundred Vasukis (1. 10), we have these two statements, (1) abhutamachariyan hathísa-pasavam pariharamti, and (2) miga-haya-hathi upanāmayamli, which would have been mistaken as overlapping. But from the adjective abhuta-achariya, "curious and wonder. ful," characterising the elephants, horses and such other beasts in the first clause, it appears that these were collected and preserved as curios, and reared in the royal enclosure for exhibition. For Private And Personal Use Only

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