VICRAMADITTA AND SALIVAHANA. 1 1^ 



ther with some of the principal features of the history 

 of the Persian Kings of the Sdssanian dynasty. For 

 ViCRAMA is supposed to have waged war with the 

 ^Romans, 2i\\ the iimt that he hved: that is to say 

 for 145 years: and to have taken one of their em- 

 perors prisoner, whom he carried in triumph through 

 the streets o^Ujjayin'i. One of tliese Vicramas was 

 xe^iWy ^ Sassanian prince : and the famous ShabouR 

 or Sapor, of that dynasty, took tlie Emperor Vale- 

 rian prisoner. 



Thus Vicrama is made contemporary with Solo- 

 mon ; and, hke him, he is said to have found the 

 great inantra, spell or talisman ; through which he 

 ruled over the elements, and spirits of all denomina- 

 tions, who oheyed him like slaves': otherwise they 

 were sure of heing severely punished. Like Solo- 

 mon, he had a most wonderful throne, supported and 

 adorned with lions, who were endued with reason 

 and speech : and this wonderful fabric is called, in 

 Sanscrit, Sinhasana, or the seat supported by lions. 

 We read in the vetala-pancha-viusati, that it was 

 through the assistance of the great Vetala, or Devil, 

 that two Vicrama'dityas obtained the empire of 

 the world, a long life, with unlimited sway. The\' 

 performed the piya in his honor, ofrered sacrifices, 

 and in short dedicated, or gave themselves up to him. 

 This is highly reprobated by divines in India, yet 

 they seem to allow, that when all other means^ail, it 

 may be done, provided Tt be not for wicked and abo- 

 minable purposes. We read in the T/i aunt rat hnameh* 

 that the div. Argenk had likewise applied to the 

 devil, to become the Solomon or Vicrama of his 

 age. ZoHAC gave himself up -also to the devil, in 

 order to become the sovereign lord of the world, 

 and with his assistance he killed his predecessor. 



* P'Heebelots's Bibl. Orient, v. SULUIMAN. 

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