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THE DYNASTIES OF CENTRAL INDIA
Bhoja expired, Karṇa broke down the fort and took all the wealth of Bhoja, whereupon Bhima sent the following order to Dāmara: "you must give me either half of the kingdom stipulated for, duly obtaining it. from Karna, or your own head." Accordingly he entered the royal pavilion with thirty-two foot soldiers and took Karna prisoner, when he was asleep in the middle of the day. Then Karna placed in one division a shrine of the gods, and in the other all the property of the kingdom and said to Damara "Take whichever half you please." Then Dàmara took the shrine and made a present of it to Bhima."
Though the whole story cannot be taken as true, yet certain facts mentioned in it need our consideration. Damara of this legend is certainly identical with Damodara mentioned by Hemacandra. That Bhima attacked Karna and his minister, having taken the golden shrine, the bloomed fame of Bhoja, and made peace with Karpa is also stated by Hemacandra in his Dvyäkrayakavya. But, unfortunately, we have no documentary evidence to prove this joint attack of Bhima and Karna on Bhoja and his sudden death. The Vadanagar-prašasti composed by the Jain Sripala states on the other hand Bhima's attack over Dhārā, the city of Malava emperor."
His death: Regarding the death of Bhoja, the Jain chroniclers have no definite statement. The Prabandha-cintamani in one place states that "the king Bhoja being attacked by those two kings, lost his pride, as a snake, overcome with a charm, loses its poison, and then a sudden disease took hold of Bhoja and he was hidden by the people." From this statement certain scholars inferred that Bhoja died during a joint attack on Dhārā by the
103
[Contd.]
।
ताभ्यां नरेन्द्राभ्यां मन्त्रेणाक्रान्तो व्याल इव भूपालो विगलितदर्पविषो बभूव । आकस्मिके संजाते भोजपुरपाटवे ... श्रीभीम .. दामरं भोजवृत्तान्तज्ञानाय स्वपुरुषेण पप्रच्छ अथ तस्मिन् श्रीभोजे दिवमुपेयुषितद्वृत्तान्तविदाकर्णेन तद्दुर्गम दुर्गभंगादनु समग्रायां श्रीभोजलक्ष्म्यामुपात्तायां श्री भीमेन दामरः आदिष्टः यच्छ्री कर्णावया मत्परिकल्पितं राज्यार्द्ध निजशिशो वोपनेतव्यं । इति राजादेशं विधित्सु द्वात्रिंशता पत्तिभिः समं गुरूदरे प्रविश्य मध्यान्हकाले प्रसुप्तं श्रीकण वान्ये जग्राह । अथ तेन राज्ञा एकस्मिन् विभागे नीलकण्ठ चिन्तामणिगणाधिपप्रमुख देवतावसरे निर्णीतेऽपरस्मिन्नुत्तरार्द्धे समस्तराज्य वस्तूनि स्वेच्छयैक्रमर्द्धमादस्वेत्यभिहिते श्रीभीमराजादेशादेवतावसरमादाय श्रीभीमायोपायनीचकार । Canto IX, V. 57. सम्फुलकीर्त्तिर्भोजस्य स्वर्णमण्ड पिकामिमाम् ।
श्रीवासोरपद्माभां हरापरिकृशश्रियम् ॥
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Jain Education International
2 EI., II, p. 297, V. 9.
3 PC., p. 51.; See also supra, p. 102.
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