North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF RATANPUR

AKALTARA STONE INSCRIPTION OF RATNADEVA II

(V. 13) From him was born here a son named Harigaṇa, who was the foremost faultless instrument of (the acquisition of ) the goddess of victory for the throne of the kings of the Kalachuri family; who (used to be) in the fore-front of battles and destroyed the mighty army of the enemy even as the sun dispels darkness.

(V. 14) From him was born a son named Vallabharāja . . . . who is well- known in the assembly of good persons, __ the cool-rayed (moon) to the lotuses of the faces [of . . . . ] and who is (a source) of courteousness as a peak of the Himālayas is of the Gaṅgā.

(V. 15) The illustrious great king, whose power is well-known on the earth, makes good men mistake him for Kumāra (Kārttikēya); (for) he is possessed of great prowess (as Kārttikēya is of a powerful missile) ; he is clever in removing the impediments of learned persons (as Kārttikēya is in destroying the enemies of gods); and appears splendid with his mighty and spreading fire-like prowess (as Kārttikēya looks beautiful with the proud stepping of his peacock).^¹

(V. 16) Having not seen a suitable illustration, and having not heard of one in (this) Kali age, in (respect of ) horse-riding, acquaintance with numerous and various (branches of ) knowledge, healing and appreciation of a multitude of noble qualities, the crowd of poets observed silence in eulogising him.

(V. 17) Being vehemently fond of the sport of capturing elephants on earth, he has made the whole Vindhya forest devoid of elephants and having humbled, through (his) lord, the king of Gauḍa who like Indra was the lord of elephants, the valiant (Vallabharāja) day by day turned the enemy's city into a Vindhya tract for the capture of (his) elephants. .

(V. 18) Having killed his enemies he made an extraordinary lake which had the water of blood . . . . . which appeared resplendent with the lotuses [of heads], (and) charming with the fishes of the rows of flags; which with the locks of hair on the heads (of the men killed in the fight), was full of lines of moss; with was furnished with tortoises, namely, the frontal globes of elephants cut off (in the battle) and crowded with crocodiles in the form of horses.

(V. 19) In the towns of the enemies of him who deprived (the enemies' wives) of the beauty of (the mark of ) the thick and shining red lead^² . . . . in that battle with the four-membered army, all the five seasons (beside the monsoon) were full of rain, as the clouds of the eyes of brave warriors' wives poured down the water of (their) tears incessantly.

(V. 20) Like the sun there rose on the earth his sword which caused a decrease in the kingdoms of all kings as the sun by its rays sucks up the moisture of the whole earth; which is fond of increasing his fortune as the sun is of multiplying lotuses; which is bright and refulgent, with . . . . running away through fear.

(V. 21) He, who is clever in politeness and rich in fame, has, through devotion, provided the Earth with this ornament in the guise of a temple of Rēvanta, (which is ) an object of enjoyment to the eyes, taking her to be the crowned queen of his lord, the king.

(V. 22) Spreading his exceedingly white fame by constructing (this) wonderful
__________________________

¹ On account of a play on the words śakti, vibudha, and śikhin, the three adjectives in the first hemistich of this verse are intended to be construed with Vallabharāja and Kumāra. Bhandarkar understood a pun on laḍaha also, but the word is used here in the sense of 'beautiful'; otherwise the verse would not admit of a satisfactory interpretation. Śikhi-vikrāntam is to be dissolved as (1) śikhiṇab vikrāntam (the step- ping of the peacock) and (2) śikhī iva vikrāntam (fire-like prowess).
² Owing to the loss of several letters at the end of 1.13, I am not certain about the interpretation of the first half of this verse.