H6 zssay on 



this first year of Sa'livahana, we must not mider- 

 stand it, as meant of the first of his tra ; but of the 

 first of his reign, which is unconnected vvitli his 

 period. In that case, Vicrama'rca hved 56 years ; 

 his death happened then in the 57, or the first of the 

 Christian era, the very year in which Sa'liva'hana, 

 the lord and master of Rome^ made his appearance, 

 and after whom tlie ei'a, in use thiiiG-U'gh tliat empire^ 

 is denominated-. 



The secoml Vicrama'ditya is the same with 

 ^Sri-Carn'a-De'va, called also S'udraca and S'ura- 

 ca; and is mentioned in the Vetalapancha-vin'satiy 

 under the name of Vicrama-ce'saui, prime minister 

 of the Emperor of India, at Patalyputra-jmram, It 

 is he, to whom a Brahmen gave strong hints, to seize 

 upon the throne, and avail himself of the infi-rmities 

 of his master. He is the Vicrama'ditya mentioned 

 by Ferishta, in his history of. India; and whom he 

 makes contemporary with Sapor, king of Persia. 

 He is also mentioned in tlie Bhoja-charitra ; for, 

 when Ra'ja'-Munja wante«L to destroy secretly 

 young Bhoja his nephew, the latter, being apprised 

 of it, effected his escape, and wrote to him several 

 couplets, well known to the learned ; wherein, re- 

 proaching him with his dark and base scheme, he 

 says, " Sri-Carn'a-Ra'ja-Vicrama isno more, and 

 he carried nothing along with him out of his immense 

 treasures ; but died like another man." From that 

 circumstance, the title Siu-X^arna-Ra'^^a-Vicrama 

 was conferred upon l]ti6jA by posterity. It seems 

 that he attempted to establish an era of his own, 

 which however did not last long. The Pandits, who 

 waited upon Abul-Fazil, informedhim, that several 

 princes had attempted to set up eras, denominated 

 after their own names: and this is also asserted by 

 many learned men now; but these new eras wcr«; 

 soon doomed to oblivion. 



