गुप्त अभिलेख संग्रह (जे. एफ. फ्लीट - गुप्त सम्राटों एवं परवर्ती नरेशों के ऐतिहासिक पाषाण व ताम्रलेख)

206 CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM. VOL. III.
(L. 5.)—That king begat one son, by name the illustrious Kumâragupta, of
renowned strength, a leader in battle ; just as (the god) Hara begat a son, (Kârtti-
kêya) who rides upon the peacock ;¹—by whom, playing the part of (the mountain)
'Mandara,'² there was quickly churned that formidable milk-ocean, the cause of the
attainment of fortune, which was the army of the glorious Îsânavarman, a very moon
among kings, (and) which had for (its) spreading rows of waves the plantain-trees that
were wantonly shaken to and fro by the roaring wind (caused by the marching of the
troops), (and) had (its) rocks, that were the ponderous and mighty rutting elephants (of
the forces), whirled round and round by the masses of water that were the rising dust
(stirred up by the soldiers). Cherishing heroism and adherence to the truth, (even) in
(the possession of) wealth, he went to Prayâga; (and there), honourably decorated
with flowers, plunged into a fire (kindled) with dry cow-dung cakes, as if (simply
plunging to bathe) in water.³
(L. 8.)—The son of that king was the illustrious Dâmôdaragupta, by whom (his)
enemies were slain, just like the demons by (the god) Dâmôdara. Breaking up the
proudly stepping array of mighty elephants, belonging to the Maukhari, which had
thrown aloft in battle the troops of the Hûṇas (in order to trample them to death), he
became unconscious (and expired in the fight); (and then, waking again in heaven,
and) making a choice among the women of the gods, saying "(this one or that) belongs
to me," he was revived by the pleasing touch of the waterlilies that were their hands.
He, (while he was) king, gave away in marriage a hundred daughters of virtuous Brâhmaṇs
endowed with many ornaments and with youth, (and) dowered with agrahâra-grants.
(L. 10.)—From him there was a son, the illustrious Mahâsênagupta, the leader,
among brave men ; who in all the assemblages of heroes acquired a (reputation for)
valour (that stood) in the foremost rank ;—whose mighty fame, marked with the honour
of victory in war over the illustrious Susthitavarman, (and) [white] as a full-blown
jasmine-flower or waterlily, or as a pure necklace of pearls pounded into little bits (?), is
still constantly sung on the banks of (the river) Lôhitya, the surfaces of which are (so)
cool, by the Siddhas in pairs, when they wake up after sleeping in the shade of the
betel-plants that are in full bloom.
(L. 11.)—As (the god) Mâdhava, whose feet are graced by the attentions of (the
goddess) Śrî, (was born) from Vasudêva, so from him there was (a son), the illustrious
Mâdhavagupta, finding pleasure only in prowess, whose feet were graced by the
attentions of the goddess of fortune. He being remembered in the foremost rank
. . . . . . . . . . . ; being the leader of those who acquire renown in war ; (and) being a
very store-house of goodness, the best of those who excel in the collection and bestowal
of riches, the natural home of wealth, truth, and learning, (and) a firm bridge of religion,
—there is no one on the earth . . . . . . . . . . . . who is (as) worthy to be praised by vir-
¹ One of the names of Kârttikêya was Kumâra; hence the comparison between him and
Kumâragupta.
² The allusion in this verse is to the churning of the ocean by the gods and demons, for the
recovery of the nectar and other precious things that had been lost. The mountain Mandara was
utilised as the churning stick. And, during the process, Lakshmî, the goddess of fortune and wealth,
sprang from the froth of the sea.
³ This verse seems to indicate that Kumâragupta's funeral rites took place at Allahâbâd; but
not necessarily that he placed himself on the funeral pyre while still alive.