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THE ŚADLENDRAS OF JAVA 93

at ihcir head, and lroiji whose body the granules of pollen of the lotus-feet of Hara irickle down likc drops of water (do from ihe body of lhose who have just taken a bath)."

It would be bclter to translate it as follows :

"(Glory) to the great (maha) resplendenee (laksmf) that is radialed (avodan) by the dust (pollen) of the lotus - feet of Hara (= Siva), that has given unequalied joy to Daśavadana (=R3vana)_f Bana, Parlha (= Arjuna) and others tpramukha adi) who like bees resort to the lotus - feet of her Lord." As the bees (madhukara) resort to lotus-feet of the Lord. "As the bees (madhukara) resort to the lotus trickling (avodan) with honcy (madhu) , so havc the prominent heroes of the past resorted to the feet of Lord Siva to seck evcr-increasing royal splcndour." The translation "Great LaksmT" by Casparis is not possible as LaksmT, the goddess is nevcr associated with Siva. Hcre it refers only to royal style and splcndour, to the good fortunę and glory of a sovcrcign (rUjyalaksmf in Sanskrit), which is sustained by dcvotion. In the inscription, the divinc origin of the Lunar dynasty is from the Moon that rcsls in the matted loeks of Siva, and the slabilisalion of

power is assured by constant dcvotion to his lotus-fcct. Bolh the regimens

#

of power, its utpatti and sthili, are the grace of Lord Siva. In popular Indian parlance, it is a nakhaśikha approach, from top to toe, that is the whole bcing of Lord Siva hallows the fortunes of the King. The moon on his lopknot and his radiance of his loc-nails bestow their grace of the King, as he bows in rcvcrcnce and his hair black likc the bees touch the lotus-feet of the Lord.

Royal dignity has bccn exprcsscd by the foliowing words in the three inscriplions:

Xa. alha Krtthśsaso vara-caran3ńgulis sadś....mani-kanti-śobhinuh purarcilarh śriyarh vo dadatu.

Xb. tryambakasya cara na -yuga - vidhcya -śńmatfm śura-laksmfm aśrayadhvam.

Xc. Hara -pada pańkaja rajah-kanik -Svodan mahalaksmfrh.

Casparis has translalcd śriyam ‘prosperity (or: the royal dignity)’ in Xa, śura - laksmf, ⁴ Hcroic LaksmT* in Xb, and mahA-laksmf ⁴ Great LaksmT* in Xc. He has taken LaksmT as the Goddess, who is Ihe consort of Visnu. In all the three inscriplions it is royal power, prosperity and dignity. This changcs the translations of the inscriplions (which we shall take up later.) For inslance:

yikaca -kama la -bhśs vat - tantra - m&]8-sarup&m

yama -yata -yatf ' andr-aisvarya-murtt-fsta -diitrfm/