हम्मीर महाकाव्यम् (रणथम्भौर चौहान वीरगाथा एवं इतिहास)

23
After Govindarája, Bálhana succeeded to the throne
Bálhana had two sons—Prahláda, the elder, and
Vágbhata, the younger. Being brought up and educated to
gether, there was between them very great brotherly affection
When they came of age, their father, who had grown old and
feeble, placed his elder son, Prahláda, upon the gádi and
appointed the younger, Vágbhata, to the post of prime mi-
nister The old king did not long survive this arrangement
Prahláda was a just king, and, as he ruled mildly, his
subjects were contented
One day, however, as fate would have it, he went out to the
forest to hunt The hunting party was a grand one There
were many dogs with them, and the party was dressed in fine
clothes Merrily they went that day over hill and dale and the
prey was unusually heavy Many a mighty lion was made to
bite the dust While the party was thus engaged, the king saw
a big lion lying at his ease in a patch of tall reed-grass, and,
being dexterous with his bow, aimed an arrow at the lion and
killed him The attendants of the king raised a shout of joy
at this feat of royal archery, which had the effect of rousing from
his slumbers another lion that was hard by, but of whose presence
they were not aware In an instant the brute rushed on the
king with the swiftness of lightning and seizing one of the
king's arms in his mouth tore it from the body This sad accident
put a stop to the sport, and the party bore the wounded monarch
home, where the effects of the poison of the animal's bite termi-
nated his life.
The death-bed of the king was an afflicting scene He placed
on the gádi his son Víranáráyana, and called to his presence
Vágbhata, his brother and minister, and said to him that the
three qualities of bravery, penetration, and circumspection were
the main stays of a monarch, but that these were acquisitions
to which people attained in their majority. Rarely were they