1869.] Translations from Chanel. 169 



ten guardians of the universe, and 100 exultant champions, each of 

 whom could turn to flight 10,000 ordinary mortals. The king gave 

 Kanh command of this advanced guard, and halted at Fort Gopachal. 

 Here Amarsi sent to his aid* from Chitrakdt 20,000 horse and 30 

 elephants. When Prithiraj fixed his camp at Gopachal, all the people 

 deserted their homes and fled to hide in the woods and mountain 

 caves. Then Kaimas gave this wise counsel ; " Mallakhan is a strong 

 and haughty chief ; get the better of him by a pilgrimage to Batesur- 

 By the death of Mallakhan your fame will spread though the world." 

 As Kaimas advised, so he acted. With clash and clang of soul-stirring 

 music the army marched ; earth quivered and shook ; Seshnag's 

 thousand hooded heads trembled at the weight. The Chauhan gave 

 , heed to the stratagem Kaimas had devised ; no news of the halt at 

 Gopachal reached the Ghandel. The army lingeredf on the road to 

 Batesur ; the king of Sambhar struck off apart from the main body 

 of the host. With him were 500 elephants, breaking down forts as 

 huge as mountains, their riders equipped with splendid^ spears. 

 Under each chieftain were 500,000 men; as the Chauhan army march- 

 ed, the earth-supporter's head shook. From Gopachal Prithiraj made 

 a cross-march to visit the shrine of Mahadeva. 



When his camp broke up from Gopachal, the crowd of elephants 

 spread over the whole face of the earth. Under the tramp of his 

 horses' hoofs, mountains were ground into powder as small as mustard 

 seed. A moving canopy of dust warded off the rays of the sun. 

 The Chauhan army with its gallant array of knights made forced 

 marches, and Avith loud strains of martial music all arrived at Batesur. 

 Summoning priests and bards to join his warrior train, the king in an 

 ecstasy of devotion adored Sankara after bathing at Brahmanal 

 Attended by bards and sages to the Batesur temple, he touched the 

 feet of the deity and reverently circumambulated the image, After 

 bathing, he made an offering of 10 elephants, 100 horses and 2000 

 pieces of gold ; all these gifts he bestowed upon the Brahmans. Then 



* 'Aid' — '&^^^^ for the Persian kumalc. 



t ' Lingered.' The word in the text is f^3T T tne precise meaning of which 

 was doubtful, till a day or two ago when I heard it used by a rustic in Court to 

 express the slow movement of a man whom the Police had apprehended and 

 were dragging off to the lock-up. 



X Splendid ^r^^ probably for Persian asl or asil. ' Spears' — *IWKt- 



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