North Indian Inscriptions

SRAVANA-BELGOLA EPITAPH OF MALLISHENA.

......(V. 12.) Great is the might of the preceptor Pâtrakêsarin, on account of whose devotion (the goddess) Padmâvatî became (his) helpmate in disproving (the theory of) the three qualities.¹

......(V. 13.) Praise that Su[matidêva], who, out of affection for you, composed the Sumati-saptaka, which displays crores of wise thoughts (and) removes the pain of worldly existence to those who avoid the wrong path and desire the path of truth !

......(V. 14.) O wonder !² Having brightly risen in the southern region, the sage Kumârasêna set (i.e. died) in the same (region), (and) the splendour (of the fame) of this unique sun of the world remains the same (after his death).

......(V. 15.) How could not men, experiencing sweet pleasure, praise that noble chief of sages, Chintâmaṇi, who composed (for use) in every house the Chintâmaṇi, which contains fine thoughts on virtue, wealth, pleasure, and salvation ?

......(V. 16.) Only Śrîvarddhadêva, (who was) the crest-jewel of poets (and) the author of a poem, called Chûḷâmaṇi, which is worthy of study, has performed (sufficient) pious deeds (in former births) for earning fame.

......(Line 42.) NOTE.— He was thus praised in verse by Daṇḍin :─

......(V. 17.) “Paramêśvara (Śiva) bore Jahnu’s daughter (Gaṅgâ) on the top of (his) matted hair. Thou, O Śrivarddhadêva ! bearest Sarasvatî (the goddess of speech) on the tip of (thy) tongue.”

......(V. 18.) Granted that, (like the sage Mahêśvara, the god Mahêśvara) has overcome Cupid, supports a troop (of demigods, alias disciples), (and) touches with (his) feet the crests of mountains (alias, of kings). But who in this (world) can (sufficiently) praise that sage Mahêśvara, whose standard (the god) Mahêśvara is not able to reach, as he knew all arts (kalâ), (while Śiva wears only the crescent (kalâ) of the moon on his head), (and) as the celestial river (Gaṅgâ) of his fame flowed over the glittering diadems of the eight regents of the points of the compass, (while from Śiva’s head the Gaṅgâ descends on earth) ?

......(V. 19.) Worthy of worship is that lord of sages, Mahêśvara, who was victorious in seventy great disputations and in innumerable others, (and) who was worshipped (even) by the Brahmarakshas.³

......(V. 20.) Within whose reach is that pious saint⁴ Akalaṅka, by whom (the Buddhist goddess) Târâ that had secretly descended into a pot⁵ as dwelling-place, was overcome together with the Bauddhas ; before whom the gods of the heretics,— who were burdened with (his) chair (which they) carried (on their shoulders),— folded the hands for worship ; and in the dust of whose lotus-feet Sugata (i.e. Buddha) performed an ablution,⁶ in order to atone, as it were, for (his) sins ?

......(Line 51.) NOTE.— The following is reported to be his own description of the unrivalled power of his blameless learning :—

......(V. 21.) “O king Sâhasatuṅga ! There are many kings with white parasols ; but (kings) who are as victorious in war, (and) as distinguished by liberality, as thou, are hard
__________________________________________________________________________________________

......¹ Brahmasûri Śâstri informs me that the three qualities (lakshaṇa) of existing matter (sat) are utpâda, vyaya and dharauvya ; compare Dr. Bhandarkar’s Report on Skt. MSS. 1883-84, p. 95. According to Mr. Pathak (Journ. Bo. As. Soc. Vol. XVIII. p. 232), the trilakshaṇa-hêtu is discussed and refuted in Pâtrakêsarin’s Ashṭa-sahasrî and Pramâṇaparîkshâ.
......² The “wonder” consists in Kumârasêna’s rising, setting, and remaining in the South, whereby be differed from the sun, which rises in the East and sets in the West.
......³ [By brahmarakshas I understand ‘Brâhmaṇas defeated in disputations.’— E. L.]
......⁴ Here and in verse 24 the word dêva appears to have this meaning.
......⁵ The legend of the pot is narrated in one of the Mackenzie manuscripts (Taylor’s Catalogue, Vol. III. p. 424), and in certain Jaina works (inscriptions at Śravaṇa-Beḷgoḷa, p. 45 f. of the Introduction).
......⁶ According to verse 23, Akalaṅka kicked Buddha’s image with his foot.