South Indian Inscriptions

INCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF TRIPURI

character by having intercourse with Ahalyā in season. This king (on the other hand) became the resort of proper conduct, adorable in all the three worlds.

(V.12) Why say (anything) else?

‘In this family there will be men highly precious on account of their greatness in this world’- Thinking so, he took possession of (the country of) Pāli’.^¹

(V. 13) His high-souled son, Bālaharsha of noble birth, whose deeds are well- known, and whose arms resembling the trunks of the quarter-elephants stretched to (his) knees, became the lord of the earth, having destroyed all hostile kings. By resorting to him, who followed the practices of the Kŗita age out of his love for good conduct, the three (purushārthas),^² giving up their mutual hostility and doing away with the host of their enemies (i.e., passions), found a stable resting place.

(V. 14) ‘Blessed was here the son of Daśaratha (i.e., Rāma) alone, who had–what else?––an enemy in the ten-faced (Rāvaņa) for (enjoying) the festivity of fighting. Fie on us, who have routed all (our) enemies by a (mere) frown!’-Thus did he blame himself out of love for fighting.

(V. 15) Of him, who was Yudhishţhira, being solely devoted to truth, there was a younger brother (named) Yuvarājadēva (I), endowed with well-known might of arms ,a second Arjuna in the Kali age, the pre-eminent bow-man in exterminating warriors in the army of his invincible foes as Arjuna was in slaughtering those in the army of Duryōdhana.^³

(V. 16) Having (acquired) knowledge suitable for bearing the burden of the earth, having a mind (lit., body) fond of the Vēdas, sending his advancing foes along the path of heaven, and leading his powerful army, famous in the world, which marched by several routes, he through his devotion to Śiva, became actually an Emperor (or Śiva⁴ incarnate, who is possessed of a body which is fond of serpents capable of bearing the burden of the earth, who sends his foes along the path of heaven and bears on high the river Gangā that flows in several streams⁵).

(V. 17) From him was (born) Lakshmaņarājadēva (II) through the religious merit of the people, ––(he) who established order (in this world), and in whom the people, having obtained a (righteous) king like Dharma,⁶ became happy for a long time.

(V. 18) He was a treasure of truth, the path for fortune (won) by conciliation and prowess,––who, liberal and kind as he was, obtained fame and political wisdom. Meritorious as he was by compassion, he had this slight blemish that he did not discriminate between the worthy and the unworthy even when he was giving away all his property.

(V.19) From him was born the illustrious Śankaragaņadēva (III), the ornament of the expanse of the whole world, While he was ruling over the earth, even Kali fled away, one does not know where.

(V. 20) (Under his rule) (only) the sword was nistrimśa (measuring more than thirty fingers) (none else being nistrimśa or devoid of compassion), (only) grey hair was curly (none else
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¹ This verse is in Prakrit and is probably intended to represent what the people said about Prasiddhadhavala.
² These are dharma ‘religious merit,’ artha ‘wealth’ and kāma ‘enjoyment of pleasures’.
³ There is a play on the word duryōdhana here.
⁴ The other meaning of Paramēśvara, viz., ‘Śiva’ is also intended; for, as shown below the adjectival expressions are so worded as to describe both an Emperor and Śiva. In the former alternative bhū-bhāra- kshama-dŗik is to be separated from śruti-praņayinīm and construed with Paramēśvarah; in the latter dŗikśruti means a serpent. There is also a play on the word vābinī which means here (1) an army and (2) a river.
⁵ The Gangā is called tri-pathagā because it flows in heaven, on the earth and in the nether regions.
⁶ I.e., Yudhishţhira who was noted for his benevolent rule.