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२८
The position of Vastupāla at the court of Dholka. King Bhīma was very weak and profligate, and unable to protect his kingdom from the depredations of his feudatories and foreign enemies. He therefore made Lavanaprasāda, the son of Arnorāja, son of Kumārapala's Maternal aunt, his Sarveśvara (vice-regent) to regain the lost splendour of the kingdom of Gujarat. Though thus Bhīma was the king in name and Lavanaprasāda and his son the real rulers of Gujarat, the father and the son were faithful to the throne of Anahillapura and did neither usurp the throne nor style themselves as Mahārājādhirājas, but they remained content with their title of Mahamandaleśvara. Lāvanyaprasāda seems to have remained at the court and was all-powerful there, as is clear from the various grants, which he made to be issued for the maintenance of the temples etc. built for the religious merit of his mother, while Viradhavala freely ruled at Dholka. The position of the two ministers was quite unique. They had the full confidence of Viradhavala, who turned deaf ears to the malicious back-biting of slanderers. Vastupāla had the administration of the whole kingdom in his hand?, while Tejahpāla had the ministerial seal of the whole State and Jaitrasimha, son of Vastupāla, held the governorship of Cambay. This power and confidences were
१. संवत् १२८८वदि अमावास्यादिने भौमे राणकश्रीलावण्यप्रसाददेवराज्ये वटकूपके वेलाकुले
प्रतीहारशाखाप्रतिपत्तौ श्रीमद्देवचन्द्रसूरिशिष्येण क्षुल्लकधर्मकीर्तिपाठयोग्या व्याकरणटिप्पनकपुस्तिका लिखितेति । –Colophon of a palm-leaf ms. of हैमशब्दानुशासन preserved in the Sangha's Bhandara at Pa--an. संवत् १२८८ वर्षे वैशाष शुदि १५ सोमेऽद्येह श्रीमद्विजयकटके महाराजाधिराजश्रीमत्सिहणदेवस्य महामण्डलेश्वरराणकश्रीलावण्यप्रसादस्य च । सम्राजकुलश्रीश्रीमत्सिहणदेवेन महामण्डलेश्वरराणश्रीलावण्यप्रसादेन पूर्वरूढ्याऽऽत्मीयात्मीयदेशेषु रहणीयं । Lekhapanchasika. It may be here mentioned that Vastupāla has called him Mahārājadhiraja in the Girnar inscriptions (1288) and simply Maharanaka in the Mt. Abu inscription (1287).
चौलुक्यकुलनभस्तलप्रकाशनैकमार्तण्डमहाराजाधिराजश्रीलवणप्रसाददेवसुतमहाराजश्रीवीरधवलदेवप्रीतिप्रतिपन्नसर्वैश्वर्येण श्रीशारदाप्रतिपन्नापत्येन महामात्यश्रीवस्तुपालेन -Mt. Girnar
inscriptions. ३. संवत् १२८७ वर्षे लौकिकफाल्गुन वदि ३ रखौ श्रीचौलुक्यकुलोत्पन्नमहामण्डलेश्वरराणकश्रीलवण
प्रसाददेवसुतमहामण्डलेश्वरराणकश्रीवीरधवलदेवसत्कसमस्तमुद्राव्यापारिणा श्रीतेजःपालेन —Mt. Abu inscription.
bsnta-t.pm53rd proof
