1839.] Inscribed Slab found near Chhatarpur. 181 



37. What boots it that a ditch was dug by the sixty thousand royal 

 sons of Sagar who devoted their lives ; and that it was filled with 

 water by his grandson and two other descendants in the first and second 

 degree? Hearing the narrative of the origin of the sea {Sagar), he idly 

 emulous made a vast undulating lake greater than the sea itself.C 25 ) 



38. Resplendent as the autumnal moon, as soon as that palace, 

 which had bruised the horses' hoofs and shattered the chariot wheels, 

 was seen by the charioteer of the sun, he swerved his car from its path, 

 — that palace of which the golden ball, gave the idea of the solar disc 

 kissing the summits of the snowy mountains, and constituted the 

 delight of the household image of Vavkunta, the foe of demons. 



39. Of that great king the chaste queen was Narma Deva, high-born, 

 happy, and beloved on earth. 



40. Even when injured she was alwa}^s unresenting ; but when 

 benefited, lavish of her life ; forgiving the arrogant, but never addicted 

 to pride herself. 



41. The queen bore to that god amongst men a virtuous and pure son, 

 Banga ; — just as Sachi bore Jayanta to the Ruler of the Gods 

 (Indra). 



42. That best of men (Narottama) born in the race of Vrishni, 

 the cleaver of the skulls of his foe, surnamed pure (Puta nama) 

 imparted gladness to his encomiasts, ( Yasodd 'nandatd) and adhered 

 to peaceful pursuits. ( 26 ) 



43. By that lion-like man, resistless in his anger, safety of life was 

 never allowed to the robber of gold (Hiranya Kasipu).{^ 7 ) 



44. " May it please your Majesty from this place to listen to the 

 " lord of Kosala (Oude) ?" " Lord of Kratha let the mandate be 

 " quickly heard." " Oh Ruler of Sinhala (Ceylon) prostrate yourself, 

 " and stand outside." " Speak chief of Kuntala, first putting up your 

 " cloth to your mouth." Such were the words spoken by the door- 



25. Allusion to the Puranic origin of the Ocean is made. Sagur had determined 

 to reap the fruit of an Aswa-Meddha. The first stage of this is the release of the vic- 

 tim horse with a label. When fairly caught after battle with rivals he is slain, and the 

 sacrificer obtains his vow. Indra alarmed for his throne had the labelled horse 

 picketted in Patdla, in the centre of the earth, before the Muni Kapila. Sagar's 

 sons baffled in their chase dug for the victim. Finding him, they abused the Muni, by 

 whose curse they became ashes. By the successive austerities of Ansuman, Dilipa, 

 and Bhagiratha, grandson, great grandson, and great great grandson of Sagar, 

 the celestial Ganges was brought on earth, and filling the excavation, reanimated 

 the ashes of their progenitors who- ascended to heaven. The poet indicates that 

 Yasodhurma Deva dug a great Tank. 



26. A play on words pervades this stanza. It may refer to Krishna or Narot- 

 tama, also called Putanama, who was the delight of Yasoda, his adoptive mother. 



27. The same Jeu de mots is kept up. 



