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YASASTILAXA AND INDIAN CULTURE
अवलगति कलिकाधीश्वरस्स्वां करीन्द्रैस्तुरगनिवह एष प्रेषितः सैन्धवैस्ते ।
अयमपि च समास्ते पाण्ड्यदेशाधिनाथस्तरलगुलिकहारप्राभृतव्यग्रहस्तः ॥ कश्मीरैः कीरनाथः क्षितिप मृगमदैरेष नेपालपाल: कौशेयैः कोशलेन्द्रः शिशिरगिरिपतिग्रंन्थिपणेरुदीर्णैः ।
श्रीचन्द्रश्चन्द्रकान्तैर्विविधकुलधनैर्मागधः प्राभृतस्त्वां द्रष्टुं द्वारे समास्ते यदिह समुचितं देव तन्मां प्रशाधि ॥ “The envoys, despatched by the kings of Kerala, Cola, Ceylon, the Saka land, Śrīmāla and Pañcāla, and by the lords of Anga, Kalinga and Vanga as well as other kings, stand in the courtyard, holding in their hands the choicest products of all their dynastic possessions. (They may be told) whether Your Majesty, the lord of the earth, has the leisure to see them or not.” “ The lord of Kalinga comes to thee with mighty elephants, and the princes of the Indus region have sent thee yonder multitude of horses. Here, too, is the lord of the Pandya country, his hands full of wreaths of large pearls brought as presents.” “Ruler of the earth, to see thee the lord of Kāśmira is at the door with presents of saffron, the ruler of Nepāla with musk, the lord of Kosala with silks, the lord of the Himālayas with large Granthiparṇal roots, the lord of Kailäsa with moonstones, and the king of Magadha with diverse heirlooms. Sire, command me to do what befits the occasion.”
The challenge to various kings, demanding submission, intended to be delivered by Yasodhara's envoy, is no more than a rhetorical exercise ; but interesting data on the reception of envoys from hostile courts and the declaration of war can be gleaned from the episode of the king of Pañcāla described in Yasastilaka, Book III. The Sandhivigrahin enters and tells Yaśodhara: Sire, Dukūla, an envoy of Acala, king of Pañcāla, has arrived and is waiting at the gate.' Thus saying, he ushers in the envoy, and ordered by Yasodhara, offers him a seat at the proper place after he has paid his respects to the king. The Sandhivigrahin then says: 'Envoy, show to yonder Lord the presents sent by your master. Messenger, deliver the letter;' and both the envoy (dūta ) and the messenger (sāsanahara) carry out the instructions. The Sandhivigrahin had already been informed by a spy, living in Acala's capital in the guise of an ascetic under the name of Jābāla, that that king had a powerful force of elephants and planned to declare war against Yasodhara before long The information supplied by the spy is corroborated by certain indications provided by the articles sent - an iron ball, the letter marked with the emblem of a sword on the outside, and the presents wrapped in four pieces of cloth; or according to another interpretation, an iron ball and the presents and the letter,
1 A fragrant root called trga in Assamese, which is pounded by women to the accom.
paniment of sengs during the night on nuptial occasions among the Assamese people. 2 See Chap. VII.
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