द्वितीय राजतरङ्गिणी (जोनराज - कल्हणोत्तर मध्यकालीन कश्मीर का प्रामाणिक इतिहास)

210 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
Brāhmaṇas, by the exercise of hospitality and by serving
the king.
As a mad, dark elephant, when it sees a lotus, pure
and beautiful, and adorned with its cup, comes proudly,
and flapping its ears, to destroy the flower, but gets
entangled in the plant and sinks in the mud of the tank,
and dies along with the bees ; even so Vahrāmakhāna
gave up his attempts to conquer foreign countries, and
puffed up with arrogance, came to make war in Kash-
mīra. The king's officers had written to him promising
to join his army at the time of battle, and this made
him hope for success. Formidable at the head of his
army, he came from the interior of Karna, scaled the
mountains and, with a view to usurp the kingdom,
arrived at Kramarājyapura. At that time, the king with
his ministers was staying at Avantipura ; but on hearing
of Vahrāmakhāna's arrival he soon retraced his steps
and came to Svayyapura. Here, filled with anxiety at
the return of his uncle, he called together all his minis-
ters, and thus spoke in the midst of the assembly :—
"The kingdom descends from father to son, I am the
son and ought to get it. Who is this uncle of mine
who is attempting to obtain the kingdom ? He is
senior to me in years, but junior in claim. Or, leav-
ing alone the law of inheritance, the kingdom should
belong to a hero ; and let him be the sovereign of the
kingdom who becomes victorious in this battle between
us." When the chief minister heard these words of the