North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF RATANPUR

(V. 18) Him that lotus-born (Brahmā) created, being desirous, as it were, of seeing the best collection of excellences (in one person), after he had severally taken, beauty from the husband of Rati (who is) desirous of conquering the universe, nobility from the mountain of gold, gravity from the ocean, untiring prowess from the thousand-rayed (sun) (and) supremacy from (Śiva) the destroyer of the god of love.

(V. 19) The female swan, namely, his fame, having again and again roamed about by the water near the shores of the seven oceans and not feeling fatigued, went to the abode of gods, longing for the heavenly Gaṅgā and having eaten there tender lotus-fibers and pieces of lotus-stalks and pining through ardent passion, she has repaired for enjoyment to the swan^¹ of (Brahmā) the god born from the lotus in the vessel-like egg of Brahman.

(V. 20) Having realized that the life of man is unsteady like a piece of cotton, which moves when struck by the wind, and that fortune is fickle, the wise one turned his mind to religion.

(V. 21) Intelligent as he is, he caused to be constructed at the town of Mallāla a beautiful temple of the god Kēdāra resplendent like the mass of his own fame.

(V. 22) Having first clasped the earth which felt delighted at the close embrace of its heavy hips, this temple which is clever in embracing with its encircling arms of banners the women, namely, the quarters, kisses, as it were, to its heart's content, the face of Beauty of the surrounding sky without (any) bashfulness in the presence of the beautiful damsels of the celestial city, as if because its heart is full of love.^²

(V. 23-4) This charming eulogy has been composed by the intelligent Ratna- siṁha, the son of Māmē, who knows the settled conclusions of the systems of Kāśyapa and Akshapāda, (and it) a lion to hostile disputants; who owes his rise to the lotus-like feet of the illustrious Rāghava, as a tree with far-spread branches owes its growth to showers from clouds, (and who is) to the Vāstavya family (what) the sun is to an assemblage of lotuses.

(V. 25) This eulogy, charming like a women who appears beautiful by her good qualities, has been written out of eagerness by Kumārapāla, the best of Kshatriyas, who was born in the race of Sahasrārjuna.

(V. 26) This has been engraved with care by the sculptor Sāmpula, who has seen the farther shore of the ocean of various mechanical arts.

The year 919.

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^¹ Kielhorn, who read madīt=saṁyayau in line 23, translated, 'It has rapturously come, to enjoy itself, to the lotus-grounds of the interior of the vessel-like egg of Brahman.' This is incorrect for the correct reading is marālaṁ yayau. Mārāla means 'a swan'. It refers here to the swan which is the vehicle of Brahmā. The poet intends to suggest that the king's fame went to the world of Brahmā.
^² Kielhorn translated, 'The surrounding sky ….. eagerly kisses, as if it were the face of Fortune, this (temple) fit to be embraced on all sides by the encircling banner-like arms of the women of the regions' (Ep. Ind., Vol. 1. p. 45). The scribe wrote by mistake parisaraḥ śrīmukhaṁ for parisara-śri-mukhaṁ which seems to have misled Kielhorn. What the poet intends to convey is that the temple first embraced the earth, since it had a deep foundation, and then the quarters with its arms of banners, and finally it kisses the face of Beauty of the surrounding sky with its spire. The idea of the towering spire of a lofty building kissing the sky is common in Sanskrit literature. This verse is imitated from v. 25 of No. 93, above, in which we have the reading gagana-parisara-śrī-mukhaṁ.