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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
On the 14th (of the bright half of Māgha), he performed the preliminary rites of a suvarṇatulā and a Saptasāgara mahādana. The two maṇḍapas erected for the purpose were beautifully
decorated with flower garlands, flags, etc. The worship of the Earth-goddess, as well as of Hari,
Gaṇēśa and Vāstu was conducted, the election of the priests made, the recitals of the Vēdas
commenced and hōmas performed. All this was done preparatory to the consecration ceremony of
the lake.
Slab XVIII ; Canto XVII
The subject of the seventeenth canto is the accomplishment of the consecration of the Rājasamudra lake along with the ceremonies of the Saptasāgara gift and the gold tulā gift.
On the fullmoon day the king took his seat in the auspicious maṇḍapa, accompanied by his
priests and relatives. The latter included his brother Arisiṁha, sons Jayasiṁha, Bhīmasiṁha,[1]
Gajasiṁha,[2] Surajasiṁha,[3] Indrasiṁha and Bahādurasiṁha, grandsons Amarasiṁha (son of
Jayasiṁha), Ajabasiṁha, Manōharasiṁha and Dalasiṁha. There were other princes and Ṭhakkuras, the priest Raṇachhōḍa and the minister Bhikhū, also present at the ceremony. He performed
the pūrṇāhuti, that is, the last rite, of the dedication of the lake which was to be for the benefit
of the public at large. By this act Rājasiṁha equalled Dilīpa, Rāma and Yudhishṭhira who had
respectively performed the Aśvamēdha sacrifice, constructed a bridge across the sea and celebrated
the Rājasūya yajña.
Similarly he performed the final rites of the gold Saptasāgara[4] great gift, the prominent features
of which were the seven vessels filled with different contents and representing different deities,
each representing a sāgara : filled with salt, Brahman ; with milk, Kṛishṇa ; with ghee, Mahēśa ;
with guḍa, Sūrya ; with curds, Mahēndra ; with ghee and sugar, Rāma ; and with water, Gaurī.
Afterwards he entered the tulā-maṇḍapa accompanied by his people and there performed the
gold tulā ceremony, weighing himself along with his grandson Amarasiṁha, the weight of the gold
being 9,000 tolas.
The canto ends with the two verses, describing the lineage of the poet Raṇachhōḍa, that are
found also in some other cantos.
Slab XIX ; Canto XVIII
This eighteenth canto records certain gifts by Rājasiṁha and others, made on the occasion
of the consecration ceremony. The latter half contains mostly the conventional praises of the king,
the lake, etc.
Rājasiṁha gave the following twelve villages to his chief priest Garībadāsa : Ghāṁsō, Gudhō,
Sirathala, Sōlōla, Alīdaka, Majjhēra, Dhanēriya, Jhāḍīṁdikā, Sādaḍī, Ambērī, Sarōla and
Mānasana. To other Brāhmaṇas he gave away villages and land, measuring many halas.
The chief queen of Rājasiṁha (i.e., Sadākuṁvarī) performed a silver tulā gift. The priest
Garībadāsa and his son Raṇachhōḍarāya performed gold and silver tulā gifts respectively.
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[1] Both Jayasiṁha and Bhīmasiṁha were sons by the chief queen Rāmarasadē. It was the popular belief
that they were twins and Bhīmasiṁha was actually born first but as the news of the birth of Jayasiṁha reached
his father first he was considered elder. Ojha has, however, shown from several sources that Bhīmasiṁha was
younger by at least months and 4 days. Jayasiṁha’s date of birth, according to the Rājapraśasti (Canto Vi, vv.
4-6) was v. 1710, Pausha vadi 11 which Ojha takes as correct. See Ojha, op. cit., p. 882, n. 2.
[2] Indrasiṁha, Gajasiṁha, Bahādurasiṁha, Sultānsiṁha and Sardārsiṁha (last two not named here) were
born of Chandramatī, daughter of Rāval Sabalasiṁha of Jaisalmer.
[3] Ojha gives the name as Suratsiṁha whose mother’s name is not definitely known.
[4] See ante, Canto XIII, note 3.
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