North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF RATANPUR

SHEORINARAYAN INSCRIPTION OF JAJALLADEVA II : YEAR 919

resplendent with the lustre of shining jewels in the head of the lord of gods bending down in reverence; (and) which have with ease surpassed the lustre of rubies and are hostile to sin !

(V. 2) May that (Śiva) of eight forms who is [himself] the self of highest bliss, [secure] your happiness !—(he) whose triad of eyes (consists of ) the sun and the moon together with fire, in whose breath there is wind, in whose body there is the ! earth, on whose head there is water, (and) in whose ears there moves ether . . . . . !

(V. 3) [There is] [the Moon] who is the elixir of an assemblage of night-lotuses, a feast to (the gods) who feed on nectar, who was born of the hollow of the mother-of-pearl of Atri's eye, the crest-jewel of the lord of spirits (i.e., of Śiva), a jar full (of water) at the successful marches of the five-arrowed king (i e., the god of love) . . . . . !

(V. 4) In his well-known lineage there was born . . . . . [Kōkalla] who resembled Haihaya in prowess; from him were born eighteen brave sons of unmeasured prowess, who exterminated the allies of their enemies.

( V. 5) In their [family^¹] there was born Kaliṅgarāja . . . . .

(V. 6) . . . . . . There was (born) here the lord of the earth Ratnarāja (I) of great radiance . . . . . From him there was born the king Pṛithvīdēva (I) who used his hands in embracing the Fortune of hostile kings (who were) overcome by his great valour.

( V. 7) . . . . . . ^²[Ratnarāja] (II) who at this very place vanquished Chōḍa- gaṅga, the lord of elephants.

(V. 8) From him was born [the king] Pṛithvīdēva (II) whose great prowess unfolded itself by the favour of the lord of Bhavānī (i. e., of Śiva) . . . . .

( V. 9) From him was born the king Jājalladēva (II) resembling the lord of radiance (i.e., the sun), on account of whom the earth felt delighted as does a lotus-plant (at the rise of the sun) ; being terrified by whose valour, the enemies whose minds were full of apprehension, leaving (their) countries, (resorted to) the forest . . . . .

(V. 10) . . . . . . which, with the roofs of the rows of mansions in it, caused obstruction in the speed of the sun's chariot.^³

(V. 11) Of Pṛithvīdēva, the first king (of that name) who flourished here, there was a younger brother, the illustrious Sarvadēva, as Vishṇu is of Indra.

(V. 12) . . . . . . incessantly [defeated?] hostile kings in battle.

(V. 13) He obtained Sōṇṭhivapaṭṭikā as part of his heritage. His illustrious [descendant ?] occupied the same town containing beautiful temples.

(V. 14) . . . . . [Seeing his heroic actions?] the best of warriors have their bodies uneven with bristling hair.

(V. 15) He had a son named Rājadēva, whose arm attained, in a great battle, . . . . . on the cluster of lotuses which were his vanquished enemies.

(Verse 16 is completely lost.) ⁴
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¹Compare e. g. verses 4 and 6 of the Amōdā plates of Pṛithvīdēva I.
²The lost portion must have contained a description of Jājalladēva I and the statement of his relation to Ratnadēva II.
³This is probably a description of the capital Ratnapura.
⁴It must have contained a description of Āmaṇadēva (I) who was probably a son of Rājadēva. It may be noted that in verses 35—36, the benefactions of Āmaṇadēva are placed immediately after those of Sarvadēva.