180 Inscribed Slab found near Chhatar pur. [March, 



and abounds in holy shrines) the son was Yaso-Dharma Deva, 

 the abode of virtue, naturally obedient to his father, of great prowess, 

 and creating a doubt whether he was Bhishma or Upendra.C 21 ) 



31. Though shewing like premature grey hairs, still the brilliantly 

 white dust on his head (received in prostration to the feet of Brahmins) 

 obtained increased beauty. 



32. Sivi only gave a piece of his flesh (pal) to a single bird (dvija) ( 22 ) 

 who begged it ; but that king bestowed millions on all who asked. 



33. Through awe of that victorious monarch, kings conceived these 

 notions ;— when prostrating their foreheads on the ground, that he was 

 an animated gem ; — when preceding his equipage, that to march on foot 

 was an office distinguished by dignity ; — that to speak to him, was as 

 if on every side there were life and triumph ;— and that to make every 

 sort of obeisance, was a graceful attitude. 



34. His brilliant conduct covered with glory, as if overspread by a 

 coat of white plaster, now placed him on a level with these miracles, — 

 the mansion of the king of snakes, ever illuminated by the moon — 

 and the expanse of the atmosphere strewed with jasmine flowers.C 23 ) 



35. Though in greatness rivalling the luminary borne by seven 

 horses, and capable of seeing beyond the seven seas, no man in this 

 world could scan the ocean of his mind. 



36. When his power was annihilated, dominion (Dhrita-rashtra) 

 and prosperity were denied to the enemy — who poured forth those 

 plaintive notes (Gandhari) grateful as the warbling of a bird (Sakuni); 

 who fainted at hearing the mangling by terrific (bhishma) crows 

 (Drona) of the ears (Kama) and faces (Asya) of men (Nara) 

 — and who was now conscious of that hero's valor and prowess 

 (Dharma prabhava). This was strange.( 2i ) 



21. Bhi'shma was the son of Gang a ; his father was Santanu: he was general of 

 Duryodhana, the opponent of his consin Yudhisthara. Upendra is a name of 

 Krishna. 



22. A passage in the Mahabharat is alluded to. Sivi was celebrated for his generosi- 

 ty ; a bird demanded surrender of his prey which had taken refuge with Sivi. His 

 offer of other food is rejected, and the victim or a piece of Sivi's own flesh insisted 

 on. The just and generous king complies with the latter alternative. Puns again are 

 perpetrated on the words pal and dwija, which signify a weight and a Brahman 

 respectively, besides the senses taken in the translation- The partakers of Yaso 

 Dharma Deva's liberality were Brahmans. 



23. These are impossible events, something like Virgil's leaves inscribed with king's 

 names. 



24. A play on the words runs through this Sloka— Dhrita-Rashtra was husband 

 of Gandhari, the sister of Sakuni. Bhisma, Drona, Kurna, and Narasya, are 

 generals of Dhrista-Rashtra and his son Duryodhana. Dharma-Prabha- 

 va is a name of Yudhishtara, nephew of Dhrita-Rashtra. See Sri Bhagavat 

 Purana. The ambiguity is lost in the translation. Bhisma and the rest might be 

 taken as the Cloanthi and Gyaantes of the enemy's army with less outrage to com- 

 mon sense. 



