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

404 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
were drained to the mud, and hills were levelled by the
march of this army. Lines of tents were adorned with
lofty banners, and it seemed as if the tents stretched out
their necks to see the hills of Kashmīra. Such a mass
of dust was raised by the marching army as to strike
terror to the sun in the sky, even as from Rāhu. Their in-
fantry, their cavalry, and their elephants could not be
numbered, even as the dust in the road.
The soldiers, covered with dust in their long marches,
reached the Chandrabhāgā river in a few days, even as
the Chakorī reaches the moon. There the men who had
soiled themselves with the mud of tanks, washed their
clothes, drank the pure water, and enjoyed themselves
as they liked. The horses shied on the banks of the
Chandrabhāgā, being afraid to bathe, at which men who
were near them became frightened and agitated, while
those who were at a distance jested at them. An
elephant was loosened for bath, and though placed be-
hind a female elephant became struck with terror and
alarmed the men and threw them into confusion. In
a few days the army crossed the Chandrabhāgā in its
march towards Kashmīra, and reached the neighbourhood
of the mountains. The infantry felt greatly exhausted
in ascending and descending the hills, which they
did on their knees, ankles, and feet. The way over
mountains is like the way to Yama ; there are waterfalls
in some places, and in others water is scarce; in some
places exhaustion is caused by puddle, and in others

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 405
there is fear of being struck by stones; some places
are always cold, and some are always hot being
exposed to the rays of the sun. Bullocks, elephants,
and horses ate in these mountain tracts the new and
tender shoots of grass which was grown by copious rain.
These men from Madhyadesha beheld the arrangement
of the mountains, made enquiries about the trees they
met in villages, and they were greatly filled with wonder.
When the troops had ascended the top of a hill, they
looked like Yama at the end of a kalpa. They smoothed
passages over impassable tracts by means of boulders of
stone, they alarmed the elephants which were in groves,
they cleared the groves, and made torrents of water flow
over table-lands. The inhabitants of these mountains
were struck with fear at the prowess of the emperor, and
at the sight of his army; and they came to Kāsema
Khāna bringing him presents of goats and citrons. As
men catch birds by giving them bits of meat, as fish is
caught in the water by means of hooks, as skilful men
induce animals to come near by throwing corn at them,
even so did Kāsema Khāna overcome the inhabitants of
the country by distributing wealth among them. His
army was in want of a person to show the road to
Kashmīra, and Haidara Chakka offered to do this act of
enmity towards Yākobha.
At this time Bahrāma Nāyaka was in charge of
efending the road to Kashmīra. He felt uneasy on
account of fear for Yākobha ; he stationed his men in

406 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.

their places and went alone to the army of Kāsema
Khāna. Kāsema Khāna was well versed in work of
every kind; he gave dresses, ornaments, and wealth to
the Nāyaka, and thereby he greatly honored him. Other
people who were at Pañchānila hill had also disregarded
Yākobha and had given the kingdom to Hosaina Khāna,
and when Hosaina Khāna heard that Kāsema Khāna, a
foreigner, had come within his territory, he became angry.
Now Yākobha reviled Hosaina Khāna, and marched
towards the Pañchānila hill. But the soldiers whom
he had sent, turned away from the work of their master,
and made peace with Hosaina Khāna on such terms as
they liked. When king Yākobha heard that his army
had joined Hosaina, he blamed his fickle minded men,
such as steal wealth in times of prosperity and act inimi-
cally in times of danger; they are difficult tc be kept
under control, even as the thieves are.
Yākobha released Mera Mahmada and Shamsha
Chakka from prison, and went to Kāshṭhavāṭa. Spoiled
of their glory, these two servants did not pay their
respects to Yākobha nor serve him; monkeys play with
the chintāmaṇi jewel as with a ball! The soldiers dis-
banded themselves when Yākobha went away, even as
the pearls scatter themselves when the string of the neck-
lace is torn into two. Some went to Kāshṭhavāṭa, some
lived in the city, some went to foreign countries, some
came to an agreement with the Muggulas. Shamsha
Chakka snatched the kingdom from Hosaina Khāna,

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 407

but in fear of Kāsema Khāna he retired to the top of a
mountain. He heard of the approach of Kāsema Khāna,
made up his resolution, and took to the mountains
which were difficult to be approached by men. He was
at that time attended by a handful of men, while the
other was attended by many. Kāsema Khāna placed
Haidara Chakka in front of him, even as Rāma had
placed Sugrīva, and fought a great battle. When the
Kashmīrian troops saw Chakka Haidara, they all fled
away, even as the darkness of night flies at the rising of
the sun in the morning. As a great mass of dust is
driven away by the slightest wind, even so the Kashmī-
rian troops were driven away by those of the Muggulas.
The former fled, and the latter became victorious ; and
the women who had husbands and children raised loud
lamentations when they heard of this news. They had
lived like lotus plants, their hands had trembled like
lotuses, and so also their eyes under locks of hair, even
like blue water-lilies under the black bees. Then when
the calamity came in like darkness, the eyes bright-
ened, like the blue water-lilies, but the lotus like faces
shrank. Tear drops fell on the breasts of these women,
as if to quench the fire that was burning within
their heart. The soldiers entered the city on Sunday,
the second lunar day of the bright fortnight of Kārttika,
in the Shaka year 1509. The city was full of grapes
and walnuts, and was adorned with flowers and saffrons,
and the Yavanas who entered it fully confessed that it

408 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
was like heaven. All the Muggulas, who received pre-
sents of grapes from the cultivators and tasted them,
acknowledged that they were superior to the nectar from
the lips of their wives. The Muggulas adorned their
heads with flowers and saffron, and extolled their valour
over their wine.
Even the people of Kashmīra entered the service of
Haidara Chakka when they saw Kāsema under his
guidance. But when Kāsema found that Haidara Chakka
was attended by many men, he became alarmed, and
threw the Chakka into prison; whereupon the people
of Kashmīra who had followed him retired to a distant
forest. They then all united themselves together, re-
proached themselves, held a council, and resolved to
fight. Their army was full of men, but did not look
graceful without a king, even like a woman without a
husband, or like a night without the moon. Thus
thought they who had been defeated by the Yavanas,
and they promptly caused Yākobha to be brought.
Kāsema Khāna heard that Yākobha had arrived in per-
son, and he sent Momāra Khāna to vanquish him. Now
when king Yākobha heard that Momāra Khāna was
approaching, he put on his armour in order to fight a
great battle; but his ministers asked him who this
Momāra Khāna was, a servant of his servant, that he
should fight with him. Whereupon the king left Momāra
Khāna, who was stationed at Vijayeshvara, alone, and
marched towards the city by another road. At this

time the sun, which is full of the knowledge of the three
Vedas, set, as if in pity for the destruction of men
which was about to take place in the impending battle.
As the day declined, twilight lingered for a short time,
and then, as if afraid to be alone, went away to obtain
the company of the day. When the moon saw Yākobha,
terrible in appearance and with two swords in his
two hands, and remembered that both he and Yākobha
were kings, he went, as if in fear, to the place of setting.
At this time Yākobha, whose army was tired after
having marched from a great distance, attacked the city
without delay near Sadāshivapura. It was at night, at
the time when husbands were kissing and embracing
their wives, and when Cupid was cruelly discharging
his arrows, that the cry, like the roar of a lion, rose at
the place of battle. Yākobha killed many Yavanas in
the streets and within houses, and followed by a large
army, he set fire to the gate of the palace. Kāsema
Khāna lay hid in his own house, like a black-bee enclosed
within the petals of a lotus, wishing for the arrival of the
morning. Phatiha Khāna, the Muggula, had collected
an army, he was well clad in armour, and was at
Sekandharapura. The whole city was burnt, to the terror
of the Yavanas, and the people of Kashmīra fought
by the light of the flame. When Kāsema Khāna saw
the troops of Kashmīra, he, in his anger, killed Haidara
Chakka who was in prison. Yākobha abstained from his
night attack in the morning, and his soldiers departed
35

410 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
after plundering horses, elephants, and clothes. The
king had completely chastised the wicked at night during
which the sky had displayed its stars, even as a trader
displays his jewels ; but when the powerful sun forcibly
opened the petals of the lotuses in the morning, the
sky perspired dews in the effort to hide its jewels in a
hurry.
When the morning came, the moon set, and the sun
drove away darkness in an instant, all the Muggula people
collected together, and king Yākobha became very much
alarmed. He then withdrew from the city in the morning,
and the Yavanas, whose hearts were inflamed with anger
on account of the night attack, plundered the capital.
Kāsema Khāna knew that Yākobha had departed, but
he saw his own army broken, and still he was anxious
to achieve a victory ; he therefore marched by the way
by which Yākobha had gone. One named Alammāshīra
Khāna accompanied by many men bowed at the feet
of Kāsema Khāna. Alammāshīra was an inhabitant of
Tailagrāma, and he and his friend Shamsha Chakka had
once fought with each other. Phateha Khāna, a Muggula,
remained at Sekandharapura with a large army for
the protection of the city. A fierce battle was then fought
between king Yākobha and Kāsema Khāna in which the
Kashmīrians hurled stones, arrows, and iron clubs ;
but a quarrel again arose among themselves, attended
with the cry of “I am the king,” “I am the king”.
When king Yākobha learnt of this quarrel, he, at the

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 411
advice of his friendly brother, went again to Kāṣhṭhavāṭa.
Yosobha Khāna and Mera Mahmada then concluded a
peace with Kāsema Khāna, a peace which the latter
had sought. Kāsema Khāna then sent Yosobha Khāna
and others to the feet of king Jyallāladīna who always
honored them by giving them wealth, and they bowed
at his feet.
Now the winter season, like another invasion of the
Muggulas, came to Kashmira, and many people suf-
fered on account of the rigour of its cold: Snow fell
on the houses of the Yavanas after they had achieved
the victory, like showers of flowers from the sky. Then
came the season of spring adorning all the roads with
abundant flowers, as if to advise the assiduous king
Yākobha to begin hostility. He returned from the
country of Kāṣhṭhavāṭa accompanied by many men, with
the view to overcome the Muggulas. When Kāsema
Khāna heard of this, he too, with the object to conquer
the enemy, marched out with horses and elephants
which made the earth tremble. A great battle was
fought between them in the country of Kṣhetra, and the
day was clouded with arrows and stones. The Muggu-
las pressed on king Yākobha, but he, unperceived by them
went towards the city, took shelter in an almost inacces-
sible hill near the paddy fields, and came up suddenly
against the Muggulas. The sun reflected on bright swords
and armours which lighted the dark caverns in the
wood. The turbans were filled with blood issuing from

412 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
the bodies of the many who were slain, as if they were
the wine cups of Yama. So many were the stones
hurled, breaking down trees, that it seemed as if the
Kashmīrians were unable to bear the sight of lofty hills.
The waters of the fountains were mingled with the blood
of the dead. Was it that the sportful Yama played with
red powder dissolved in water ? Thus the war conti-
nued between king Yākobha and Kāsema Khāna ; and for
a month none of them was either victorious or defeated.
Now Ādūla Khāna was sent by Kāsema Khāna, with
an army to fight with the Kashmīrians who were sta-
tioned on the hills. And when the battle was about to be
commenced, the mountains became covered with clouds
which brought in a storm, and, as if with it, the last
night of kalpa for the mlechchhas. Thunders pealed
in the clouds, and the quick succession of light-
nings looked like the quivering tongue of Yama,
as if he was devouring something. The clouds poured
forth torrents of rain as the army of Ādūla Khāna
marched and he ascended a hill up the way towards
the sky. There was one named Shrīranga, a king, a
servant of Jyallāladīna ; he also went to fight, ascending
up the way towards the sky. When the Muggulas had
entrenched themselves at Sadāshivapura, the Kash-
mīrians took shelter on a hill near Jyeṣhṭharudra.
Streams of blood flowed in the battle which then took
place, and ran into the Vitastā.
Merjā Ādūla, the servant of the emperor, came with

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 413

the view to commence hostility, but at that time a battle
was being already fought between the followers of
Yākobha and of Alamshira Khāna, the Kashmīrian.
But when Ādūla arrived, the followers of Yākobha saw
him and exclaimed :— "Here the Muggulas have come" ;
and they left the soldiers of Alamshira Khāna,
attacked Ādūla, and fought with him. But Alamshira
Khāna's men helped Ādūla Khāna and fought against
Yākobha. Ādūla Khāna was pleased with Alamshira
Khāna and acknowledged that he had helped the
emperor. Shrīraṅga entered into a relationship with
Rāya Siṃha. He had with him forty Rajputs, whom,
when it began to rain, he ordered saying,— "Retreat
O Rajputs ! I have become cripple and have not the
strength to go." But they replied,— "It will not be
so, the habit of running away does not exist in the
Rajput tribe, the emperor honors the Rajputs, and we
will therefore continue to defend Lankā.* These Rajputs
did not retreat.†
Many perished in the battle thus fought, and
the men of Kāsema Khāna were struck with panic.
The Kashmīrians saw that the Yavanas were defeated
and broken, and they rushed on them suddenly.
King Jyallāladīna heard the news of this war and or-
dered Saida Yosobha to subdue the country. When king

• A village on the Ular lake.
  † The portion translated in this para : is in prose and within
  square brackets in the text.

414 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
Yākobha heard of this, he went against Yosobha Khāna,
even as a jackal goes against a lion knowing him by his
roar. Kāsema Khāna had come to Kashmīra led by
avarice, but remained there blockaded by Yākobha, even
as a black-bee that comes to a lotus is imprisoned there
by the approach of night. He was full of fear and could
not stir out. He was however relieved of his fear within
a short time by the arrival of the sun-like Yosobha Khāna,
and he issued out in triumph. The news about Merjā
Yosobha alarmed Shamsha Chakka and others who
wandered about like pigeons when the hawk is on its
wing. Kāsema Khāna was freed from his fear when
Yosobha Khāna arrived, even as the chakravāka is freed
from its position of separation from its mate on the
rising of the sun. Mahmada Mera joined some
Kashmīrians and always placed himself at the service
of Yosobha Khāna who sent many people of Kashmīra
to the feet of king Jyallāladīna.
Now king Yākobha came from Kāṣhṭhavāṭa with
the desire to overcome the Muggulas, even as
insects come out of madness to a flame; and Merjā
Yosobha Khāna sent Hājye Mera with Mahmada
to subdue him. The king's and the Muggula armies
remained on their grounds unmoved, as if Fate examined
their strength by holding both of them in a balance.
The Yavanas occupied the land on the south-west, and
the Kashmīrians on the top of a hill, and none could
advance towards the other. The shouts, like the roar

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 415
of a lion, rose from the two armies, as if the noise issued
from the teeth of Yama eagerly crushing men. A great
and a tumultuous battle was then fought, terrible to the
gods and the asuras, and a touch-stone to test the worth
of great warriors. The Kashmīrians hurled stones
which shook numberless branches of trees, as if the
arms of those trees trembled in fear at the sight of the
battle. In the never ceasing shouts of the great warriors
it seemed as if the hills cried out in fear. The arrows
discharged, by the warriors covered the trunks of large
trees and looked as if their hairs stood upon their
bodies at the sight of the tumultuous battle. The
Muggula army fought in diverse ways, and felt satisfied ;
but Yākobha saw his army broken, and became
uneasy with fear. He thus said to himself :— “I believe
that my soldiers have been devoured by the Yavanas, even
as the moon is devoured by Rāhu ; how can I alone
cope with the mlechchhas in this sea-like battle ?” He
then retired alone from that place, and came to Kāsh-
ṭhavāṭa, feeling humiliated day by day.
Now Yosobha Khāna returned to Jyallāladīna in order
to serve him, and his brother Merja Barddhaka took
possession of Kashmīra. All men felt happy when he
sat on his seat of judgment, even as the chakara bird feels
happy when the moon ascends the eastern hill. Once
upon a time a merchant killed a person in the merchant’s
house ; a piece of the corpse of the murdered man was
thereupon tied round the merchant’s neck, and he was

416 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
taken round with the proclamation that "any person who
becomes so devoid of sense as to kill another will surely
get similar heavy punishment." Once a Yavana, intoxi-
cated with wine, killed a Kashmīrian without any
fault. The murdered man was kept hidden under
water, and the Yavana declared that he had murdered
none. When Merja Barddhaka was informed of this
by the relatives of the murdered man, he at once asked
the Yavana why he had killed a Kashmīrian ; but he
asserted that he had killed none. "If a person is killed"
continued the Yavana "where is his headless trunk ?"
The Yavana said this in a firm tone, whereupon
Merja Barddhaka ordered men to look in the tank.
When the tank was stirred up, the headless trunk ap-
peared, and the Yavana's guilt for having murdered a
man was established. Merja Barddhaka found the
Yavana guilty and ordered his punishment as it is laid
down in the shāstra.
Asked by Jyallāladīna, Yosobha Khāna, with his head
bent down, thus spoke about the countless excellent
things of Kashmīra :—"The Creator has created Kashmīra
like a second heaven ; and even the king of the serpents,
with his two thousand tongues, cannot describe the glories
of that country. There the amorous men leave aside the
grapes whose sweet juice does not last long, and drink
the nectar which exudes from the lips of their
beloved women. There the faces of the women, with
their quick moving eyes of flirtation, look graceful like

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 417
the lotuses on which the black-bees move busily about.
But there alas ! the snow gives constant trouble, and as
if pretending to feel cold, the women, with their both
hands trembling before their husbands, express their
love." The other ministers then thus said to the sove-
reign of the world :—" O emperor ! the glories of Kash-
mīra are innumerable. There the glorious morning, noon,
and evening indicate themselves by the ebb and flow
of water*. There is the celebrated god Amareshvara,
the living snow which grows and diminishes in the bright
and the dark fortnights. There is the glorious living fire
which remains always ablaze, which requires no fuel, and
leaves no charcoal behind."†
When king Jyallāladīna heard of the excellencies of
Kashmīra, he issued from the city of Lāhora in order
to see that country ; and on the fifth bright lunar day
of Āshāḍha, arrived with his army in the capital of
Kashmīra. On the seventh bright lunar day of that
month he pleased the Brāhmaṇa boys with gifts of gold,
and they blessed him. He then went to Mārttaṇḍa, and
gave cows adorned with pearls and gold to Brāhmaṇas.
He was glad to see Kashmīra with its vines, and walnut
trees, and high and charming woods of tāli trees. He stood
on the banks of the Vitastā and saw the position of the
city and was greatly astonished. He saw the tank near

• There is a small water-course near Srinagara in which the
  depth of the water varies during the different hours of the day.
  † Some gas-spring like the one at Jwalamukhi.

418 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
Jyeṣhṭharudra adorned with various kinds of flowers,
and was greatly surprised. Even Yākobha came to
take refuge at the feet of Jyallāladīna, by whose shoes
Yākobha's head was hallowed. Yākobha took refuge
with the king as he had purposed to do, and the king
made him an attendant of Mānasiṃha. Yākobha re-
mained at the feet of Mānasiṃha, he went out of the
country, and enjoyed the delights which the emperor
bestowed on him. King Jyallāladīna saw the kingdom of
Kashmīra, bestowed it on Yosobha Khāna, and went
away.
Merja Yosobha Khāna was well skilled in serving
the king, he ruled the whole country well according to
the king’s orders; but Jyallāladīna became angry with
him, and gave the possession of Kashmīra to Kāji Āla.
When Kāji Āla sent the annual revenue to the king, the
servants of Merja Yosobha were deprived of their
possessions, and they became like guests in their own
homes. The Kāji gave nothing to any one, nor enjoyed
anything himself, but collected a large quantity of gold
by robbing others, even as mice collect paddy.
Menaced by Kāji Āla, Yosobha Khāna's men went
about hungry, even like tanks in the hot season. The
people of Kashmīra came to rob the heaps of paddy
when they saw it amassed by Kāji Āla ; and the wealth
hoarded by this wicked Kāji caused a quarrel among the
Muggulas themselves. Merja Yādgāra, brother of
Yosobha Khāna, joined the people of Kashmīra with the

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 419
intention to kill Kāji Āla. The Kāji fought several times
with him, and then fled. His horse perished in
ascending a hill, and he also went to heaven. Hasana
Bhiga, a servant of Jyallāladīna, fought heroically and
returned alive from the battle. The people said with a
loud laugh and without feeling any grief, that the riches
which the Kāji had hoarded by dishonest means was
consumed by his enemies. Alas ! why did he hoard
them ! Merja Yādgāra gave to his own people all
that had been accumulated by depriving the cultivators.
Merja Yādgāra turned aside from serving the feet
of king Jyallāladīna, and assumed the sovereignty of
Kashmīra. The inhabitants of the country, when they
saw this, became apprehensive of another war, and were
grieved. When king JyallāladIna heard of this conduct of
Yādgāra he marched without delay, and in his anger, he
spread his army on the ridge of a hill, and passed through
an almost impassable mountain road. He then sent Shikha
Phareda ahead with many men to subdue the Merja.
The Shikha ascended the top of a hill called Hastigañja,
even as the charioteer of the sun ascends the eastern
hill. At this time Merja Yādgāra arrived at the village
of Shūrapura, but he was killed by his own servants who
rose against him. When the people saw him lying
dead, and eaten by jackals and dogs, they spat on the
ground and at once said that he was "a rebel against
his master", and remarked that he had thought that he
should pay his respects, now that the glorious emperor

420 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
had come, in more than one way, and so he sacrificed
his life, and thus paid his respects, and with them,
presents and devotion. Shikha Phareda came within
the city after Merja Yādgāra had been killed by his own
servants. He governed the city himself, and the thieves
could not then go about, even as the owls cannot in the
morning.
Now Jyallāladīna came to see the kingdom of Kash-
mīra adorned with saffron, walnut, fruits, and flowers.
The wives of the citizens hastened to see the king. One
woman pointed out the king to her beloved female friend
who was anxious to see him ; another exclaimed with a
flutter that she had seen that leader of the army ; another
woman, with threats to her child [who wanted to drink of
her milk] covered her breast and went [to have a view of
the king]. After the people of Kashmīra had seen the
sovereign, a continuous festivity was held in every house.
Formerly, the kings of the house of Chakka used to
exact an annual fine from the Brāhmaṇas, owing to their
animosity towards the people of that caste. In every
house a Brāhmaṇa of good family and character who main-
tained his own caste, used to pay an annual tribute to the
king. For the preservation of his sacred thread a Brāh-
maṇa annually paid a tribute of forty paṇas to the king.
The good Brāhmaṇas had left the country which was pollu-
ted by the mlechchhas ; those of the middle class had be-
come shameless ; and the low Brāhmaṇas had given up
their caste. When the mlechchhas remained like clouds

[Header] KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 421
in the country, and obscured it, the Brāhmaṇas went
to other countries, even like swans that go to the
Mānasa lake. Now when king Jyallāladīna learnt of
the condition of the Brāhmaṇas, he repealed the practice
of levying fines on them, which had prevailed since
the time of the kings of the house of Chakka. He
announced that he would without delay reward those
who would respect the Brāhmaṇas in Kashmīra ; and
that he would instantly pull down the houses of those
who would take the annual tribute from them. The
Brāhmaṇas, versed in the vedas, whose fear of the pay-
ment of an annual tribute was removed by this order,
blessed the king, saying, that let king Jyallāladīna who
had repealed the annual tribute live for 10,000,000,000
years. One thousand cows were used to be killed every
day, without any opposition, under the orders of the kings
of the house of Chakka, and for them. The Brāhmaṇas
had been overpowered by the mlechchhas, even as by
darkness. They were unable to see their friends, and like
lotuses they mourned at night. The means of their liveli-
hood was consumed by the mlechchhas who were even
like the forest fire ; they did not remain in the country,
even as deer do not stay in the forest which is burnt.
As they left the country, they sometimes, like jackals,
felt alarm in the way, and sometimes they were the
objects of laughter and of reproach.
Rāmadāsa who always served Jyallāladīna was a great
benefactor of the Brāhmaṇas. This celebrated person
36

422 KINGS OF KASHMÍRA.
saw their condition and gave them gifts of gold and
silver, and he was like a second Karṇa. The cloud
rains nectar, but that benefit is diminished by its thun-
ders ; but in the heart of king Rāmadāsa, who always
gave gifts, there was no pride. Where art thou now O
Māndhātā ? Inferior to him in liberality. Stop thy ear
O Karṇa ! that thou mayest not hear Rāmadāsa’s praise.
Feelest thou no shame O Jīmūtabāhana ? In what art
thou strong ? Truly O Vikramāditya ! I know of no
lasting benefit that has been attained by thy fame.
Rāmadāsa always distributes his gifts wisely and skilfully.
Rāmadāsa, the servant of Akavara, gave one hundred
pieces of silver, and also pieces of gold to every house
of a Brāhmaṇa. He distributed fifty thousand pieces
of silver among the poor Brāhmaṇas.*
O Rāmadāsa the kalpa tree of the world ! I think
there exists as much difference between thy gifts and
the gifts of others, as there exists between a gift and no
gift. Nirmmala and all other Brāhmaṇas versed in the
vedas, and the paṇḍitas blessed him and returned to their
homes. On another day, Prahlāda, Nirmmala, and all
of them were honored by the speech of this king, which
was as sweet as nectar. Even the illustrious Jyallāladīna
gladdened the Brāhmaṇas who were recommended to
him by Rāmadāsa, even as the moon gladdens the cha-
karas. The emperor bestowed villages on the Brāh-

• The portion translated in this para is in prose and within
  square brackets in the text.

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 423
maṇas, and they looked graceful, even as the forest,
that had been burnt by fire, does when the clouds
begin to rain. Āditya knew well how to serve king
Jyallāladīna ; he was always employed by the king in
distributing lands ; but being blind on account of his
affection for his relatives, Āditya overlooked such men
of merit as were his enemies, and prospered such men
without merit as were of his own party. As the nectar
rose from the sea churned by a hill, even so the gifts of
land issued from the king's palace moved by the words
of Rāmadāsa. But alas ! Āditya, like Rāhu, disap-
pointed the learned men, and gladdened his wicked
daitya-like friends by gifts of land. Jyallāladīna himself
was a sea of kindness, and he satisfied the mendicants
by his gifts of gold and silver.
The emperor then ordered Shikhāphaija to take one
thousand pieces of silver and to distribute them among
Brāhmaṇas and beggars who dwelt in villages and in
woods and in other places.*
King Jyallāladīna then bestowed the country again
on Yosobha Khāna, and went away. The people
felt happy when Yosobha Khāna took possession of the
kingdom, even as the lotuses are, when the sun ascends
the eastern hill. An annual payment was fixed from
the cultivators in every village, and soldiers were
forbidden from entering it, lest they create disturbances

• The portion translated in this para : is in prose and within
  square brackets in the text.