186 B. Bai.dyopadhyaya — Uamir Rasa, [No. 3, 



Ilamir Rasa, or a History of Hamir, prince of Ranthambor. Translated 

 from the Hindi. — By Bbajanatha Bandyopadhyaya, Jeypore. 



Author's JPreface. 



In the beautiful town of Nimrana there reigns a Chohan prince, 

 named Chandrabhan, a descendant of the celebrated Prithviraj. He is 

 religion itself. His subjects, consisting of four castes, live in peace and 

 plenty. He is called the emperor of Bat. Born in a clan illustrious for 

 noble and heroic actions, he has inherited most of the virtues of his glori- 

 ous ancestors, and his mind is naturally inflamed by the passion of hearing 

 their exploits. Once, seated on the throne in regal state, he ordered me to 

 compose for him an account of the battles fought by Hamir Chohan "with 

 Ala-uddin, Emperor of Delhi. " Tell me at length," said the Maharaja, 

 " the battles which were fought between Hamir and Ala-uddin, and the 

 causes which led to them." 



I am by birth a Gaur Brahman, descended from the Rishi Attreya. 

 I was born at Bijawar, in the province of Bat. My name is Jodhraj, and 

 that of my father Balakriskna. I am a pandit and poet. My knowledge 

 of astronomy and astrology has raised me to the highest rank in the royal 

 court. Baja Chandrabhan is very kind to me. He has given me houses, 

 horses, clothes, wealth and property, so that all my wants are relieved and 

 desires satisfied. In obedience to his orders I undertake to write in poetry 

 the details of the history of Hamir. 



Chapter I. 



[The work opens with a brief resume of the Pauranic cosmogony ; 

 and then gives the following account of the origin of the Agnikula Ksha- 

 triyas, to which caste the hero of the work belonged.] 



Parasuram slaughtered the Kshatriyas twenty-one times in order to 

 revenge himself on Sahasra Arjun, the murderer of his father. He filled 

 a tank with their blood and offered it to his dead father, whose thirst was 

 thereby satisfied. None escaped from his scimitar, but those who were very 

 humble, Avho held each a stalk of grass by the teeth as token of submission, 

 and who took to the guise of women. Boys, eunuchs, old men, and those 

 who put ten fingers within their mouths, those who left their swords and 

 fled away, and those who fell down at his feet, were also spared. He con- 

 tinued carrying on the work of destruction until his ancestors appeared, 

 blessed him and told him to put a stop to further massacre and bloodshed. 

 He then ceased and went to a jungle to pass his days there in penance. 



