North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF RATANPUR

RATANPUR STONE INSCRIPTION OF JAJALLADEVA I : YEAR 866

(V. 5) He had eighteen sons who destroyed his enemies as lions slay elephants (and) who augmented [the treasury of their family]. The eldest of them afterwards became the lord of Tripurī. He made the remaining brothers the lords of maṇḍalas.

(V. 6) The race of one of these younger brothers obtained, in the course of time, the matchless son, Kaliṅgarāja, a tree of prowess grown large by the water of the eyes of the wives of his enemies ; who, in order to augment his unimpeded prowess and treasure,^¹ left his ancestral country and acquired by his two arms the country of Southern Kōśala.

(V. 7) Since Tummāṇa had been made a capital by his ancestors, he, residing there and destroying his enemies, increased his fortune.

(V. 8) As the moon (was produced) from the ocean, so was born here from him Kamalarāja, lovely by his wide-spread spotless fame; who destroyed hostile people and augmented the splendour and beauty of men's minds even as the moon dispels blinding darkness and makes the night-lotuses look more lovely.

(V. 9) As the ocean (produced) the Kaustubha for the decoration of the supporter of the earth ^² (Vishṇu), so he begat Ratnarāja (I), who surpassed the radiance of the sun to be an ornament of kings.

(V. 10) Tummāṇa, with its temples of the holy Vaṅkēśa and other (gods) and also (those of ) Ratnēśvara and others, with a garden containing innumerable flowers and good fruits and a beautiful high mango-grove and crowded with mansions and decorated with charming beauty, was made, by Ratnēśa, delightful to the eyes, when viewed by the people.

(V. 11) This extensive and glorious Ratnapura which Ratnēśvara established has its fame known in (every) quarter ; with a great lord residing (in it), it resembles the city of Kubēra (occupied by Mahēśa, i.e., Śiva); being decked with many-coloured wonderful jewels, it looks like the ocean, and decorated as it is with many temples, it appears like heaven (graced by many families of gods).

(V. 12) On all sides this Ratnapura says: “Since Ratnarāja ordered me to be established on the earth, and since the banker Yaśa³ has been in charge of me, may the fame of these two spread in the three worlds on account of me!''

(V. 13) Nōnallā, the famous daughter of Vajjūka, the ruler of the Kōmō-maṇḍala was married by Ratnarāja together with royal fortune.

(V. 14) From her was born Pṛithvīśa (I), endowed with the qualities of righteousness and valour. He led to heaven his relatives by (his) righteousness and his enemies by (his) valour in fighting

(V. 15) When Ratnarāja, who by his valour and other (qualities) vanquished his enemies, had gone to heaven for work in heaven, his son Pṛithvīdēva (I), the royal hero, became king after him. He was a guardian of the world with his hundreds of excellent qualities, the foremost of which were his lordly nature, munificence and valour. The frightened princes bowed to him since he was (verily) a god on the earth.⁴

(V. 16) With Pṛithvīdēva (I) ruling over it, the earth became heaven itself. This marvel was clearly manifest since (the earth) was everywhere occupied by heroes, spread
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¹ Here again, Kielhorn, taking Tritasaurya-Kōsa (śa) m as separate from yēna ayam, translated, 'who in order not to impoverish the treasury of Tritasaurya etc.' But the intended reading is clearly yēna a- yaṁtrita-sau(śau)rya-kōsa (śa)m etc.
²There is a play on the word mahībhartṛi.
³ Kielhorn, not knowing that Yaśa is a proper name here, translated: 'if the foremen of the guild acquired fame.' But see above, p. 403.
⁴ Pṛithvīdēva, the king's name, literally means 'a god on the earth'.