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

58 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
the gifts and honors which the king bestowed, and by
his kindness, the mlechchhas entered Kashmīra, even
as locusts enter a good field of corn.
On a certain occasion the king subdued the king of
Udabhāṇḍapura, and being pleased with his daughter
Shrī Merā, obtained her as the goddess of victory in-
carnate. She was surely a goddess, born in the family
of Shāhi, and her son was destined, on a future day, to
consolidate Kashmīra destroyed by the mlechchhas.
That boy named Shrī Jainollābhadīna was like virtue
incarnate in the Kali Yuga and like the king of hermits,
he became the king's favourite.
A certain wily alchemist named Mahādeva gave
some drug to the king and spoke to him of alchemy, and
said that the golden Meru was indebted to the king
for having constantly borne the weight of the world,
and had through Mahādeva, bestowed much gold on
him. But his alchemy did not remove Mahādeva's
poverty. He deluded the sight by deception, and ex-
hibited gold in the crucible, and the delusion lasted for
a long time. But the king by his strong sense detected
the trick, and told Mahādeva of it. Alarmed at this dis-
covery, Mahādeva committed suicide.
Laddarāja the physician Shaṅkara, and Bhaṭṭa Sūha
were the councillors of the king and were intimate with
him. Three sons were born to queen Merā, beautiful
as Cupid, and like Virtue, Wealth, and Desire personi-
fied ; and they were adorned with the names of Mera-