North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF RATANPUR

second Pradyumna^¹ himself, the lotuses of whose feet were enjoyed by the rows of bees, namely, the lustre of sapphires on the shining crowns of all kings bending (before him).

(V. 6) Thereafter was born the king Siṅghaṇa, after him,Ḍaṅghīra; after him also (same) Madanabrahman and then Rāmachandra.

(V. 7) Then there was Ratnasēna, the son of Rāmachandra. His wife was Guṇḍāyī by name, (who was) resplendent with the ornaments of her excellenc(V. 7) Then there was Ratnasēna, the son of Rāmachandra. His wife was Guṇḍāyī by name, (who was) resplendent with the ornaments of her excellences.

(V. 8) His son is the king Vāhara who has destroyed all his enemies, (and about whom the following doubts are entertained, viʐ.,) “Is he Hariśchandra, or the Moon descended on the surface of the earth, or Kārttikēya, or the god of love, or Nakula, or Sahadēva, (since he is) the abode of truth, always liberal (and) brave, the incomparable Śiva to the enemies' cities?”

(V. 9) When Vāharēndra, the lord of the earth, marches with his army, the Pathāṇas deserting their stations hastily repair to the [distant] Śōṇa, their minds being perplexed through fear; others, through apprehension of him whose prowess is extremely fierce in destroying hostile warriors, take shelter in the fort of heaven, after giving up their lives, wealth and kingdom not fit to be deserted.

(V. 10) Having captured at will wild elephants which had been sporting freely . . . . and got them brought by their drivers to his capital from Ratnapura, Vāhara, the best of kings, the illustrious lord of the earth, (who is) Karṇa of the Kali age, oh, wonder! gives them away together with gold to his suppliants!

(V. 11) Day after day in every month of Kārttika he, having bathed, piously makes gifts of cows and then listens to the reading of venerable holy purāṇas and other (works); he gives away in the presence of Durgā a hundred thousand lamps also, for the attainment of an eternal reward. Hence is this illustrious lord of the earth, Vāhara, great!

(V. 12) Seeing the abundant dust raised by the pairs of hard hoofs of crores of horses in his army . . . the river in the form of his enemies, overflowing with water, rushed to the banks. There also were (his) enemies who, being eager for fighting, were killed in the forefront of battle and lost their sons. Such is this matchless lord of the earth, the illustrious king Vāharēndra!

(V. 13) Triumphant is the illustrious king Vāhara (who possesses) this large, high and invulnerable fort like another heaven on earth, which, like the ocean, receives clouds hospitably, . . . (and) has (large) stores of various kinds of corn, wealth, fuel and grass accumulated in it . . . . . .

(V. 14) . . . . . . Having placed all wealth . . . . in this fort of many peaks (called) Kōsaṅga, (and) having destroyed completely all hosts of enemies, this (Vāharēndra) also roams about, marching here and there.

(V. 15) Here is that Mantrin of his, (named) Mādhava, who snatched away the royal fortune of the enemies, having first made the principal gate and performed a brave deed, conquered^². . . . . .

(V. 16) Obeying the command of the king Vāhara, . . . . the noble minister Mādhava, (becoming) hard-hearted, wrested away the territory of the Paṭhāṇas.

(V. 17) Having defeated the Paṭhāṇas in battle, he brought away by camels gold (and) other metals, elephants and horses, innumerable cows and female buffaloes. Such is the councillor Mādhava, a lion among the Amātyas!
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¹ Pradyumna, the son of Kṛishṇa, was an incarnation of the god of love.
² The names of the enemies defeated by Mādhava are not clear on the original stone.