North Indian Inscriptions

UDAYENDIRAM PLATES OF VIKRAMADITYA II.

TRANSLATION.

A.―The Three First Plates.

Hail ! Prosperity !

......(Verse 1.) May that Śiva promote your well-being, whose true nature even the Vêda cannot fully reveal, from whom the creation, the preservation, and the destruction of all the worlds proceed, on whom the devotees meditate, (and) whose two feet are tinged with the collections of red rays of the rows of jewels in the diadems of the crowds of the chiefs of the gods who in person bow down before him !

......(V. 2.) May that Nârâyaṇa, whose body ever rests on the lord of serpents, (and) whose two feet are worshipped by crowds of gods, guard you ! He, whom the gods and Asuras, desirous of churning the matchless sea of milk, discarding the Mandara laid hold of, as it were, to obtain a second time the nectar of immortality, (and) who then shone, even more than ordinarily, as if he were the Añjana mountain !¹

......(V. 3.) There was the regent of the Asuras, named Bali, whose sole delight it was to engage in acts of violence towards the gods, while his one vow was, to worship the two lotus-feet of Śiva. He, after having presented as an excellent sacrifice a respectful offering to the primeval god, the enemy² of the Daityas, with great joy (also) gave to him who bore the form of a dwarf the earth with its islands and with all tings movable and immovable.

......(V. 4.) From him sprang a mighty son, a treasure-house of good qualities, towards whom was ever increasing the great pure favour of Śaṁbhu on whose head are the lines of the lustre of a portion of the moon,― Bâṇa, the foe of the gods, who with his sword struck down the forces of his enemies.

......(V. 5.) As the cool-rayed moon rose from the sea of milk, so was born in his great lineage Bâṇâdhirâja, who, possessed of never-failing might, with his sharp sword cut up his enemies in battle.

......(V. 6.) When Bâṇâdhirâja and many other Bâṇa princes had passed away, there was born in this (lineage), not the least (of its members), Jayanandivarman, the fortune of victory incarnate, and an abode of fortune.

......(V. 7.) This unique hero of great might ruled the land to the west of the Andhra country, like a bride sprung from a noble family unshared by others, having his feet tinged by the crest-jewels of princes.

......(V. 8.) From him was born his son Vijayâditya, who scattered hosts of opponents, (and) before whom the enemies, seized with great fear, did not stand on the field of battle.

......(V. 9.) From him sprang a son whose arm was skilled in cutting up all opponents, a source of never-waning merit and fame, who to womankind was like the god of love,― the illustrious Malladêva, who was the unique wrestler of the world (Jagadêkamalla).

......(V. 10.) As Hara begat the six-faced (Kârttikêya) on Pârvatî, so he begat on his queen an incomparable, prosperous, and prudent son who completely scattered multitudes of enemies,― the illustrious Bâṇavidyâdhara, whose pure fame became an excellent chaurî for the ears of the elephants of the quarters, (and) whose two feet were an object of adoration for princes.
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......¹ The meaning apparently is, that Nârâyaṇa (Vishṇu), when worshipped by the gods and Asuras, grants the nectar of immortality even more readily and abundantly than was the case at the churning of the ocean by means of the mountain Mandara. The words bhûyô=mṛitasy-âtayê in the second half of the verse must in my opinion be connected with the words of the first half ; compare the similar position of Vâmana-rûpiṇê in the next verse.
......² i.e. Vishṇu.