North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF RATANPUR

TRANSLATION

Success! Ōṁ! Adoration to Śiva!
(Verse 1) May Rudra protect you!--(he), who at [the time of] sexual enjoyment is engrossed in persuading (thus) the daughter of the mountain (i.e., Gaurī)--'How can the lord of serpents who uses his eyes as eras be able to see us? And [how can] this crescent moon also which is in the state of infancy [know of it]? . . . . .'!

(V. 2) May the leader of the Gaṇas (i.e., Gaṇapati) grant you prosperity!––(he) the surface of whose unique frontal globes is smeared with large masses of the powder of excellent vermilion; who, with the violent dance of his trunk, adorns the [extensive] pavilion of all the regions of the sky . . . . .(and) who is engaged in the sport of uprooting multitudes of trees . . . . . .!

(V. 3) [Glorious] is the white-rayed god (i.e., the Moon) who covers the circles of the regions with the multitude of his rays flowing with streams of nectar; who has the beauty of a large mirror for the army of the king Madana as he marches forth for the conquest of the three worlds; . . . . who is the jewelled era-ornament of heavenly damsels and whose loveliness completely removes haughtiness from the hearts, resembling mountain caves, of mature women.

(V. 4) In his race was (born) the king Jājalladēva (I), a unique jewel-ornament of the world, who conquered the regions of three worlds by the pride of his round massive arms, (and) attained the position of the lord of the host of gods . . . . . . . the favourite husband of his wife, the earth, surrounded with the girdle of the [seven] oceans.

(V. 5) From him there was born a son [the illustrious king Ratnadēva (II)] who was the fierce submarine fire to the matchless ocean of the arrayed hard-to-be-subdued hosts of the Chēdi king; who was Rāhu in seizing and swallowing the large lunar orb of the mighty warriors of Chōḍagaṅga, haughty with self-conceit; and the marvels of whose great valour had no end on the orb of the earth.

(V. 6)There was born on the earth his son, the illustrious king Pṛithvīdēva (II), the source of increasing fame, white like the spreading lustre of the full moon ; the
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¹ Metre: Śārdūlavikrīḍita.
² This akshara was clear in Rajendralal's estampage. He supplied नि at the beginning of the next line
³ Meter: Vasantatilakā.
⁴ Metre of this and the next verse: Anushṭubh.
⁵ The missing aksharas were probably -र्मेपरि.
⁶ Meter: Śārdūlavikrīḍīta.
⁷ For the reading of this word and the figure of the following dates, see above, p. 485, n. 3.