Vasantavilasa of Balachandra Suri (translation and study)

by R. T. Bhat | 1996 | 56,884 words

This is a study and English Translation of the Vasantavilasa—an historical epic poem written by Balachandra Suri that explores the life and achievements of Vastupala, a minister of the Chaulukya dynasty in 13th century Gujarat. The thesis is organized into three parts, covering the historical context of the Caulukya dynasty, Vastupala's accomplishm...

Canto 9 - The dream experienced by Vastupala

[Full title: English translation of the Vasantavilasa, Canto 9: The dream experienced by Vastupala]

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[The ninth Canto is devoted to a detailed description of a dream experienced by Vastupala. In the dream, a divine being with only one leg appeared before him. He was Dharma who told that he was fully four-legged in the Krtayuga; but he was reduced to become three legged in the Tratayuga; then in the Dvaparayuga he became further reduced to be two legged and because of the present Kaliyuga, he has become only one-legged. Dharma told Vastupala: << Previous Kings Mularaja and Jayasimha made efforts to spread my (Dharama's) influnce in their kingdom by undertaking pilgrimages to Somesvara. Siddharaja built a great temple called 'Rajavihara' which was like

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178 my play-garden; he further gifted twelve villages to the holy place of Satrunjaya to increase my splendour. Mayanalladevi, the mother of Jayasimha abolished the tax imposed on the pilgrims going to Somesvara and which was being collected at Bahuloda. King Kumarapala made pilgrimage to Satrunjaya and Girnar mountains and built many temples. He repaired the old temples of Kedara and Somesvara, which were like two horns of mine, myself described as Vrsa or bull. Kumarapala also repaired the temple of Mulesvara Mahadeva, built by Mularaja at Mandalipattana; he erected many new ones. But now that old splendour is gone. Where should the followers of the different systems of philosophies go to live with peace and comfort? I have described only a part of the whole calamity. "O great Minister! Do act in a way that may remove the affliction of my mind". Having heard the words of Dharma, Vastupala was aroused from his sleep. Then the Vaitalikas began to sing songs of praise of Vastupala together with a description of the Sunrise.] Once Minister Vastupala saw a dream. In the dream he saw a divine being of excessive brilliance, but having only one leg. He was being saluted by seven sages; the deities presiding over the directions were following him; the son of Indra had held an umbrella over him; the Lords of planets were waiving the chowries; he was holding a lotus in his left hand and a book in the right hand. All his limbs were bristling with lustre and he was oozing nectar from his cycs. 132

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179 Vastupala saw him approaching and at once advanced towards him uttering "Be Seated, Be Seated ". He made him seated on a high and wide seat and also offered seats to other Gods. Vastupala bowing down his head submitted to the one-legged deity :- "O Lord! you appear to be new to me. Still my mind knows that you are Dharma, the only benevolent brother of the whole world. Those who worship you through penance, muttering of God's names, hard work, mercy and self-control utter good words and wealth resides in their homes. These two divinities, Sun and Moon who rise and set alternately give light to the whole world. O Lord, it is all because of your influence. It is said that a serpent upholds the earth; that a hog bears it; that a tortoise supports it; that mountains hold it; that elephants bear it. But that is all false. How can a serpent`which lives on only air uphold the earth? How can a hog, a grass-eater bear it? How can a dull-wilted tortoise support it? How can senseless mountains hold it? How can elephants, prey to intoxication bear it? in reality, you alone are upholding the whole earth. It is again your influence alone that Gods like Indra and others who preside over different directions, built temple of Goddess Laksmi, and that the great sages became repositories of knowledge. It is because of your own power that the hot Sun of the summer burns and the clouds pour heavy showers of water. This I have spoken as far as my mind knows. More that this I desire to know from your mouth itself, it there is any thing special to be conveyed to me. » 133 "

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180 Dharma replied with a smile and a resounding sound :- "When the Yuga was called as Krta, I happened to be a bull with four legs. Then in the next (Tresa) Yuga I became three-legged; thereafter in the third (Dvapara) Yuga I became two-legged. O ruler of universal intellect ! what you stated is all true to fact; because you have been created by the Creator by taking parts from a host of Gods. In this Kaliyuga only this one leg of mine has remained; and even though shown with words" "see, understand," "the Kings are not perceiving it. Kings with their bodies enveloped by sin, which is covering them as an umbrella, do not want to forbear anything called by the term 'Dharma.' Kings who attained earlier, wealth and prosperity depending upon me, are neglecting the same me. Who will take the names of such ungrateful Kings? 134 "Gone is that King named Sri-Mularaja ! Departed is that King Sri Jayasimha !! They had spread my influence far and wide through pilgrimages to Somesvara. Sri Siddharaja constructed a great temple named 'Rajavihara' which was like my play-ground. To increase my prowess, he gifted twelve villages to the holy place of Satrunjaya. Revered Mayanalladevi, mother of Sri Jayasimha went on pilgrimages. She abolished the tax levied on the pilgrims going to Somesvara and being collected at Bahuloda. She built on way to Somesvara rest-houses where food and water was supplied in plenty to the pilgrims. Thus she had given me resort throughout. 135

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181 "There ruled a King by name Kumarapala, a gem among Kings. He has now remain only in the form a painting. He appeased me by undertaking pilgrimages to Satrunjaya and Raivataka mountains and through celebrating other festivals. He built Viharas for my sport which functioned like supporting posts to me the one-legged. It appeared as if that he uprooted Kali and filled those pits with these posts. 136 "Gone are those Kings !! Bereft of them, I have been reduced to such´ miserable plight because of the vicious impact of the Kali-Kala. As such there is none to support me. O dear son! what can I, helpless one do? The temples of Kedara and Somesvara were like the two horns of mine, a bull. They were repaired by Kumarapala and that act served to me as a reviving tonic to a sinking patient. In those days, the paths to holy places were resounding with the foot-steps of hosts of pilgrims coming and going and it appeared as if they were all laughing with pleasure. Now the same paths are resounding with the roaring at lionesses who appear to be roaring at me only. 137 "There was a temple at Mandalipattana of Mulesvara Mahadeva built by Sri Mularaja and it had become old and dilapidated. King Kumaranala repaired it and helped me to increase my spread. He built many new temples also. In those days all the temples were reverberating with musical concerts which pleased the ears of one and all. It was doing good to all. Now because of the effect of bad days, crows are flying round in those temples. 138 1

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182 "O Ruler ! when I am humbled in such a manner by the Kaliyuga, where should various philosophical systems like Jaina, Vaisesika, Sankhya, Bauddha, Nyaya and Jaimini do? Or, why should I speak much? You know everything, even though a part has been stated by me. O Great Minister, try in such a way that my mental agony vanishes into thin air"139 When Dharma spoke to Vastupala thus, his sleep ended because of the effect of the approaching dawn. Then Vaitalikas began to sing songs praising Vastupala and his prowess. And he woke up leaving his bed. 140

Footnotes for Canto 9:

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242 132) 133) sanjatanidro'ta vinidrakirtih svapnantarasau nitaramamatyah | ekanghrimekam suramuttarantam divo dadarsatisayaih sphurantam || 1 saptarsibhistairabhivandhyamanamantriyamanam ca disamadhisaih | viranciputrena dhrtatapatram grahadipabhyam dhutacamaram ca || 2 || 911 panai sriyam pankajabhaji vame vametare capi giram dadhanam | nijangabhasam bhrsamangabhajam netresu piyusamiva ksarantam | | 3 | | abhyapatantam tamatho vilokya matkautukanesavaso vasantah | pitam tu pitam dadatarghamarghamiti bhuvanasatvaramabhyudasthat || svacetasivamitabhakticitre tunge visale khaladhautasmye | nivesayamasa nave nrsimhah simhasane tam saha vasavadyaih || 5 5 || taddattahemasanamuddhirna krtva vrsimrsindresu nisedivatsu | dadau tadaucitya videsa mantri ratnarghametasya tato'paresam | | 6 | | mani samaniya sa manitarthi pani pramanikrtasadhuvrttah | krtanatirvacamimamuvaca bhutva puro mantripurandarasya ||7 || he natha ! purvam mama cedamisamapurvavadbhasi vilocananam | tathapi vettiva manastadevam dharmo'si yatvam jagadekavandhuh || 8 || 15

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243 134) tapojapodyoga dayadamaistvamupasate smanisamangino ye | tesamiyam gih samudeti dehe gehe ca laksmiriyamabhyupaiti || 6 || paryayatabdhodayadipyamanavimau vibhadhisavibhavarisau visvaprakasam kuruto'nisam yatkila prabho te sa khalu prabhavah | | 10 | 10 || kva vatapaksi bhujagah kva mustalolo nu kolo jadadhih kva kurmah | kva te visanjna girayah kva matta nagasca gamudrahasi tvameva || 11|| disamadhisa maghavadayo'mi yajajnire mandiramindarayah | yajjnanapatram ca babhuvuretu devarsayo deva ! sa te'nubhavah || 12 || grismarka bhismatapadavadavarini varini vasundharayam | muncanti yadvarimucah kuto'pi sa prabhavah khelitam suprabhavah | 13 || idam svasamvedanato mano me yadvetti tatte gaditam purastat | atah param tvadvadanadasesam nibhoddhumicchami vibho ! visesam || 14 || vrsacatuspadabhavam pura'ham yugam yadasitkrtanamadheyam | tatau'parasminnabhavam tripado'nyatra dvipado'janisam tato'pi || 16 || he visvabodheya ! yadattha tatte sarvam samicinamahinabuddhe | yadvedhasa tvam tridasavalinamam sanupadaya vinirmito'si ||17 kalau yuge'sminnayameke evavasisyate visvadhurinapadah | pasyanti tam bhunibhujo na pado'vadharya tamityapi dayamanam ||18 ||

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244 135) 136) papena klrptacchavina''tapatrracchayapadesena paritadehah | dhatribhujo dharma iti pratitam namapi nami mamarhi samante || 16 || pura sirajyasriyamapya matti mameva sampratyavajanate ye | dhatridhavanam kudhiyamamisam ko nama namapi samadaditi || 20 || srimularajah sa jagama raja yayau ca sa sri jayasimhadevah | somasayatrabhiranaisi visvamanisitam sphatimaham yakabhyam || 21 | | srisiddharajah samadhatta rajaviharamakridanako parma me | gramamsca satrunjayasaccakara sa dvadasa'smanmahasah prakrddhayai || 22 || jagama ca srijayasimhadevamata sati sa mayanalladevi | makheladola kila somanathapathi yaya'moccata bahulodah || 23 || yaya ca somisapaye yatheccham tirthadhvanini pakrtannatoyaih | yatra manobhirjagato'pisatragarairabhigrahita samsrayaham || 24 || kumarapalah ksitipalaratnamalekhyasesatvamavapa so'pi | asutri satrunjayaraivatadriyatrotsavairyena mamabhitosah || 25 || marge kapadasya viharaheti ralambadandaniva yo viharan | kilam nikhanyeva tadiyagarttapuresu purvam racayancakara || 26 ||

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245 137) 138) 139) 140) taistairvina tatkalikaladosattatkirtinaih prapi dasatidina | tena'dhunaham vasudhatale ha nirasrayah kim karavani vatsa ! || 27 || kedarasomesvarayorativa sirne visane tu vrsatmano me | rasayaniva ksayarogidehe gehe punaryo vanatamanaisit || 28 || yo gacchadagacchadane kasanghanakairdhvanadbhih prahasannivasit | sa sampratam tirthapathah prasutisimhirutai hum kurute mayiva || 26 || adhaya mulesvara lingajirnodvrtim krtimandalipattane yah | srimularajaksitipalaklrptamudyotayamasa mamavataram || 30 | | sangitanadah srutisuktipeyah sreyaskaro'jayat yatra purvam | tatradhuna duhsamayanubhavaccaityesu kastam karatascaranti || 31 | | jainendravaisesikasankhyayau ddhanaiyyayika jaiminiyasca ye'mi | te sampratam darsaninah kva yantu kadarthyamane mayi duryugena || 32 || yadva khaluktva bahu vetsi sarvam tvamekadese'pi nivedite yat | tatha yatethastadamatyaraja ! viliyate'ttirmanaso yathame || 33 || devah srivastupalaculukabhavanrpamatyamalamarala stalpam vyamohalilajalanidhipulinakaramunjhancakara || 60 ||

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