122 The Poems of Chand Barday. [No. 2, 



Gaharwar Raja of Benares." It is strange to find a scholar like Sir 

 H. Elliot guilty of so many inaccuracies in one short paragraph : for 

 Sama read Samay, for Hamoti, Hemavati, for JBanda, Bhandav, from 

 the root bhand, to divide, and for Indraji, Indrajit. The legend of 

 Hemavati's amour with the moon is related at full length in the first 

 canto of the Prithiraj rayasa, which I now proceed to translate. 

 Here the river Ken, or Cane as it stands in our barbarous maps, 

 appears in its original form as Karnavati, and the city of Kajrai is 

 called Kharjinpur or Khajjurpur. 



Translation of Canto I of the Prithirdj-rdyasa (Benares MS.) 

 I reverence the gracious feet of Ganesh, Ganga and Gauri by whose 

 slightest favour, highest wisdom is attained. Getting unutterable 

 lore, I sing the glory of Raghupati ; after Ganesh and Girija, not 

 unmindful of the great bard Valmiki. Valmiki composed the Kamayana; 

 Vyasa uttered the Mahabharat ; their works are renowned throughout 

 the world ; the Mahabharat has spread through the universe. Men 

 reckon the Mahabharat at 100,000 verses ; the poet Chand, in as many, 

 celebrates the fame of the Chauhans. The king, a second Duryodhan, 

 with his hundred knights inaugurating an era ; in a second Mahabharat 

 the poet Chand records his achievements. With the Tomar king were 

 four godlike sages, lights of the world, lights of the court, endued 

 with the sin-destroying splendours of Hari and Vyasa ; four lights 

 born in the world, of pure and boundless wisdom, Vyasa the son of 

 Parasar incarnate in four portions. 



With the foes of hares and deer (i. e. clitds) with the kings of the 

 feathered tribe (i. e. hawks) and innumerable dogs, Anangapala set out 

 towards the north to hunt. On the bank of the mountain stream he 

 espied a dense forest, abode of the king of beasts; thither the 

 monarch turned. Spells, charms and prayers, even the chase itself, 

 are forgotten : such a marvel met the king's gaze in the forest. A 

 ram of vast strength, that would dash through a thousand armies, 

 was fighting with eight tigers, and scattered them all. A hind, 

 conceiving strange fury in her breast, wildly butting the eight tigers 

 on the ground, rushed on to the attack and, leaving her young, tore up 

 the ground with her antlers. The king, astonished at the sight, 

 called for Vyasa : " How can a ram fight a tiger ? tell me, noblest of 

 Brahmans. A ram has but little might, yet now consider it well, he 



