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

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 339
chief minister was Somarājānaka, born of the Lunar
dynasty. The other chief minister was the Mārgesha
Ebhrāhema. He was pious and intelligent, and was
bent on doing good deeds, and was born in the family
which had produced men who attained greatness from
the time of Saropala. The third minister was the Pratī-
hāra Hājyameya of great worth, but he died by the will
of the gods, and the king gave his son Malleka Jyañgira
his ancestral villages and estates, and the usual respects
due to him.
Surely the Brāhmaṇas at this time did not do the
duties of their castes, and Somachandra was the person
to induce them to disregard the performance of their
duties. Merasheṣha, the pupil of Shāhkāsima, was
born in the country of Irāka ; he knew all the sciences,
and became Somachandra's guru without giving him
religious instructions. According to Merasheṣha's ad-
vice, Somachandra arrested men belonging to temples,
confiscated lands of the Brāhmaṇas and gave them to
Merasheṣha's servants, and thus pleased him. Supha
and other followers of Merasheṣha cut down lofty
trees on the pretence that they were required for
burning incense, but really for the object of ob-
taining fuel. The gods then deserted their images,
for otherwise how could men plunder their temples ?
All men became alike through the influence of Kali,
be they of good or of evil habits, be they the learned or
the Bhuṭṭas, or the actors, or the wicked ! Now