322 Decipherment of an Inscription from Chedi. [No. 4, 
and Durlabhapura are, however, perfectly legible ; and so are those 
of the transcriber for engraving, Tunai, son of Vira,* * * § and of the 
engraver, Nonna, son of Sangama, artificer. But the most important 
loss, by much, is that of the date, which was dynastic.f I hazard 
the conjecture, that it corresponded to one of the early years of the 
twelfth century. 
The inscription is in thirty -three lines, and covers a surface mea- 
suring six feet and five and a half inches by three feet and one inch. 
Its stone has a raised edge all the way around. At present this 
stone is at Jubulpore. Some twenty years ago" it was carried 
thither, I am informed, from Bilhari, which lies about fifty miles 
distant, near the road to Mirzapore. There is a local tradition, that 
Bilhari bore, in by-gone days, the name of Pushpavati. Its inha- 
bitants still show ruins of one palace attributed to Kama, and of 
another said to have been built by a Raja Lakshmana.J In the case 
of Kama, popular memory may, thus, have been faithful for the 
space of eight hundred years. 
Mainly from want of leisure, I have not translated the inscription 
in detail. Apart from the facts of history which it is the vehicle 
of imparting, its merits are none at all. Its Sanskrit, almost 
throughout, is, in a high degree, involved, ungainly, and affected, 
besides being, not seldom, incorrect. Of its three writers, the first, 
at least, appears to have been keenly conscious of his awkwardness; 
for it is only justice to take him at his word. He says : “ Though 
I possess not beauty of language, it will accrue to me from memo - 
rializing this most worshipful lunar family, of celebrated eminence. 
Analogously, mark ! albeit naturally produced of a dark colour, do 
not, indeed, the streams, exuding in rut from the temples of the black 
elephant, acquire the lustrous hue of the milky ocean, when brought 
into contact therewith ?” § Once more : “Alas! what, forsooth, are 
we, to delineate, with tasteless babble, the virtues of these magnates ; 
* Called Tcaranilca, or scribe. He seems to have been son of Siruka, the 
Kayastha. 
t A patent issued by Karna, of Chedi, was dated in the year 2 of his own 
era, according to Colonel Wiliord. See the Asiatic Researches, Vol. IX., p. 108. 
j Less trustworthy, of course, and yet deserving of a note, are the traditions, 
that Vikramaditya and Bliartrihari were born at Bilhari, and that the same 
place witnessed the loves of Madliavanala and Kamakundala. 
§ Sixth stanza. 
