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August, 1889.)
THE COUNTRY OF MALAKOTTA.
239
TRANSLATION
Om !
On! Adoration to Siva! (Verse 1). There was a renowned prince, Vidyadhara, an abode of Fortune, whose widespread fame was to the Chandolla race what the moon is to night-lotuses, (and) whose lotus-feet were bowed down to by crowds of princes. From him was born the prince Vijayapala, the chief of princes.
(V. 2). - From him sprang, devoted to the law, the illustrious prince Kirtivarman, brightened by the white-wash of whose fame the three worlds have become a white-washed mansion,
(V. 3). - When Fortune, withdrawn from other) princes, just as (sho toas recovered by Vishnu) from the sea, came to him who appeared like a new Vishộa, without his club, 16 she left off (her) fickleness.
(V. 4). — Resembling as he does, among kings, the moon moving in the midst of the stars, surely Yudhishthira, Sad iśiva 16 and Ramachandra, (all) these have entered his body, (which is) abandantly decorated, as with precious stones, with multitudes of manifold excellencies (and is indeed) a pellucid sea of excellencies.
(V. 5). - The chief counsellor among his ministers (is) the illustrious son of Mahldhara, the renowned Vatsaraja, who has gone forth from Ramapipur,
(V. 6). - He indeed became famous, a (very) Vâchaspati+7 in his unique office of counsellor, he who, having quickly wrested from the enemy this whole district (mandula) here by his counsel and excellent valoar, made this Fort of Kirtigiri.
(v. 7). - He indeed caused this fight of steps to be built here, (called the Chat) of the Nlastrious Vatsaraja, in order to make his bright fame ascend up into the universe.
The year 1154, the 2nd of the bright half of Chaitra, on Sunday.
THE COUNTRY OF MALAKOTTA.
BY E. HULTZSCH, PA.D.; BANGALORE. One of the countries, which the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsiang visited on his memorable tour throngh Indin, was Dravida with its capital Kanchipura (Cunjeeveram). He reached Dravida from the north, and proceeded from it north-westl. to Konkaņapara, Maharashtra, and Bharukachchha (Bhardch). Hiuen-Tsiang mentions another country, called Mo-lo-kiu-ch's which was situated to the south of Dravida. According to the Si-yu-ki, he visited this country in person, and returned from it to Dravida ; while Hwui-li's narrative seems to imply, that the pilgrim's report on Mo-lo-kiu-ch's was based merely on hearsay.
In a former volume of this Journal, the late Dr. Burnell identified Mo-lo-kin-ch'a with the delta of the Kavárt. He based this opinion on “the great Tamil inscription of Kulôttungs(Vira)-Chols (A.D. 1064 to 1113) which surrounds the shrine of the chief temple at Tanjore," and on the mention in it of a village called Malakîța-chůạimaņi-chaturvêdi-mangalam, which was situated in Avar-kufram, i.e. in the subdivision of Avûr near Kumbhakonam. A perasal of the inseriptions of the great temple at Tanjore convinced me that Dr. Barnell's statements
16 The word agadalso means " free from disease, healthy."
16 Saddhiva is an epithat of the god Siva, and also a proper name of men; 'but it is not apparent whom the sathor of the verse here refers to.
IT "The lord of sposob," name of Brihaspati, the teacher of the gods. The word mantri-pad-aikamird does not admit of proper grammatioal explanation; I understand it to mean mantri-padl kaemin (i.e. advity) dua.
Beal's Life of Hiuen-Triang, p. 146. The Si-yu-i (Vol. II. p. 258) has north,' which is impossible. Beal's Si-ywki, Vol. II. p. 230, note 193. Life, p. 140.
ante, Vol. VII. p. 891.
