2 Further Notes on the Trithiraj-rAyasa^ [No. 1, 



as that of Vyasa, since Prithiraj, the hero to he celebrated, was no 

 whit inferior to Duryodhan. He then relates how Anangpal, guided 

 by a happy omen, founded the citadel of Dilli, and sunk an iron 

 column so deeply in the ground, that its point entered into the fore- 

 head of Seshnag. Upon the stability of this pillar depended the 

 permanence of the Tomar dynasty ; yet the king, impressed by the 

 pretended incredulity of Takshak, Seshnag's brother, who came to him 

 in the disguise of a Brahman, allows the pillar to be moved. Terri- 

 fied at the portents of an impending catastrophe which follow upon 

 his rash act, Anangpal seeks consolation from Vyasa, who thereupon 

 discloses to him the whole future course of events, saying : 



The Tomar dynasty shall eventually be succeeded by the Chauhans, 

 the latter by the Muhammadans. The last and greatest king of 

 the Chauhans shall be Prithiraj. He shall wage many glorious wars ; 

 in particular, one with the Chandel king of Mahoba. Now the 

 origin of the Chandels shall be on this wise : The Graur line of 

 kings at Kasi is succeeded by the Graharwars, Karnchandra, Ran- 

 sinh, Jagaunath, Ransinh II., Surasinh and Indrajit. In the court of 

 this last monarch is a Brahman, Hemraj. (In another passage this 

 name is written Hansraj.) The moon-god becomes enamoured of 

 his daughter Hemavati. The offspring of this guilty union, Chandra- 

 brahma, becomes the special favourite of heaven, and to console the 

 mother for her disgrace, Brahma promises that her sons from gener- 

 ation to generation shall sit upon the throne so long as they retain the 

 word Brahma as an affix to their name. Chandra-brahma subdues the 

 territory of Kasi, founds Kalinjar and Mahoba, and is warned in a vision 

 that his family shall reign at Mahoba for 20 generations. He is suc- 

 ceeded by Bar-brahma, and he again by Par-brahma and so on for 19 

 generations, till Parmal the 20th in descent from the moon-god, being 

 ashamed of his family origin, drops the name of Brahma. In conse- 

 quence, he is deserted by the favour of heaven, and in the war with 

 Prithiraj is worsted by that monarch. The particulars of this war 

 form the subject of the Mahoba-Khand. 



I have given the above argument of the poem in order to shew 

 that, however abrupt in execution, it has been deliberately planned, 

 and is built upon a wide and definite basis. I also observe that 

 Babu Rajendra Lai Mittra, the learned Philological Secretary, who 



