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history and describes how the Goddess of Learning, pleased with his devotion towards her appeared once to him in his contemplation-sleep and told him that he was her legitimate son. We are then informed what qualities Vastupala possessed so as to deserve to be made the hero of the present poem.
In the second canto the poet describes Anahillapura Pa--ana, its big goldknobbed temples, its palace-like buildings, its fort, its ditch and the Durlabharaja tank.1
In the third canto the poet describes the kings of Gujarat from Mūlarāja to Bhimadeva II and how Viradhavala and his forefathers protected the kingdom of Gujarat from being partitioned by feudatories. The appearance of the guardian deity of his kingdom to Viradhavala in a dream and the appointment of the two brothers Vastupala and Tejahpāla as ministers are then described.2
The fourth canto is taken up with the praise of the abilities of the two ministers and the appointment of Vastupala as the Governor of Cambay.3
The fifth canto narrates the fight of Vastupala with Sankha of Bhrigukaccha and the defeat of Sankha.4
The sixth, the seventh, and the eighth cantos contain the conventional poetical descriptions of the seasons, sports and pleasures, and the rise of the moon and the sun.5
In the ninth canto a dream of Vastupala is described at length. A onelegged god (Dharma) appeared to him in the dream and told him that he was four-legged in the Kritaiyuga, three-legged in the Treta, two-legged in the Dvapara and one-legged in the present Kali age, Mularāja and Siddharaja promoted his spread by pilgrimages to Someśvara, and Siddharāja made over 12 villages to Satrunjaya and his mother Mayaṇalladevi got abolished the tax on pilgrims to Someśvara collected at Bāhuloḍa. Kumārapāla also made pilgrimages to Mts. Girnar and Satruñjaya and got repaired the old temples of Kedara and Some vara, built by Mularāja at Mandalipa--ana, and also erected many new
1. cf. Kirtikaumudi canto I.
2. cf. Kirtikaumudi cantos II-III and Sukritasankirtana cantos I-II-III.
3. cf. Kirtikaumudi canto IV.
4. cf. Ibid canto V.
5.
Kirtikaumudi canto VII and Sukritasankirtana canto VI.
bsnta-t.pm5 3rd proof
