North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF SARAYUPARA

TRANSLATION

Ōṁ! Adoration to Rudra!^¹ Adoration to the Buddha!

(Verse I) May the eternal lustre of Śaṅkara, who destroys fear from the three- fold cause,^²protect (you)-(the lustre) which, being subtle and unique, flashes forth (after) cutting asunder the knot of the deep and extensive ignorance with the sword of knowledge, in respect of which the whole multitude of sense-organs is at variance, (and) which shines in the (various) forms of (its) superhuman power such as the manifest, delighting Purusha. . . . . !

(V. 2) May Saṅkara protect you for a long time !-(Śaṅkara) who, seeing that Pārvatī had turned away her face in anger through jealousy owing to his salutation of Sandhyā,³was perplexed in (finding out) an excellent means of coaxing her befitting the occasion, (and ) who that very moment had the joy of a forcible embrace (given) by her (i.e. Pārvatī) being frightened [by the lifting up of the mountain Kailāsa] by the two mighty arms of Rāvaṇa !

(V. 3) May Tārā, the mistress of the three worlds, increase your pleasures !- (Tārā), who bears her body (which is) manifestly beautiful and (which is) intent on (following) the precepts of the Buddha in this way, (viz.,)-(her) form is full of piety, (her) mind has the feeling of mercy, (her) intellect is very pure, (her) eyes (appear) beautiful with (their) love of the virtue benevolence, (and) (her) hands (are) in a peaceful posture of . . . . .!

(V. 4) Glorious is the Buddha, the ascetic, whose intellect is bright on account of the absence of fondness for the varied desires and qualities, (and) who, having curbed the great joy of the damsels (sent) by Māra, was praised by the multitudes of Siddhas !

(V. 5) Who, seeing the highest bliss in obliging creatures, performed various deeds for the suppliants even at (the cost of ) his life, which have been glorified in stories; (and) who, having assumed by his power of Yoga a great many incarnations in this world, was always wholly merciful by nature, -such is (Buddha) that foremost of sages !

(V. 6) That god (Vishṇu), the destroyer of demons, who is the prime cause of the destruction and maintenance of worlds and is (their) sole support, created Brahmā in the beginning. He, who is the repository of the skill and knowledge in the creation of the manifold objects in the three worlds, created speedily the seven Prajāpatis, Atri and others, by meditation.

(V. 7) Of them Atri, the foremost among the wise, practised the austerities known as anuttara^⁴ with unwinking eyes for three thousand divine years without cessation. Through his power was born from his noble eye a mass of light brightening the ten quarters.-So was born the moon, the store of nectar, whose light is praised by the (whole) world.

(V. 8) From that moon was born the wise one, who had manifestly the lustre of gold, the abode of the irreproachable lustre of glory, who is celebrated in all the three worlds by the name of Budha. He obtained for (his) wife Ila, the daughter of Manu.

(V. 9) From him also was born a son, the repository of austerities, whose glory
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