1.6. Phanom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand

[Full title: Thai Studies (6): Phanom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand]

Phanom Rung is a hillock in the District of Nangrong in the province of Buriram of Thailand. On it stands a Prasad, a Hindu shrine of the Lopburi period, which had fallen apart but has recently been restored. There used to stand in its compound a pillar which in course of time broke into two. One part of it was located a couple of decades back. It carried on its four sides a writing which was deciphered by the eminent French savant Professor George Coedes and was translated into French. Later Krom Silpakorn, the Department of Fine Arts of the Govt. of Thailand, brought out its Thai translation in one of the many volumes dealing with inscriptions. It is only very recently that the other part of the pillar could be located at some distance from the shrine. It too carries writing on all its four sides. It marks an important discovery in the field of Sanskrit inscriptions of Thailand. Like the older inscription, it is in verse and is divided into four parts called Patalas, three of which carry a colophon at the end designating each one of them after their subject matter, e.g., the Saundaryapatala, describing the beauty of the King (Narendraditya), the Sarvavidyabhyasapatala, describing the mastery of all the lores on his part and the Vidyasiddhiyogapatala sketching his achievements on account of the lores. The inscription was put up as a record of the gifting of a palanquin (dola) called Indradola by King Narendraditya to the temple of Bhadresvara.

The text of the inscription is broken at many places, the letters becoming illegible because of the stone having peeled off. Conjectural reconstruction of it has been attempted in a few cases in the foot notes. In a number of cases orthographical errors have crept in, which have been corrected in brackets. Where, however, the text is not broken, the composition is highly poetic. At a few places the composition appears to be laboured and the author seems to be hard at work to create poetic effect. The construction there becomes involved losing much of its natural charm. Since Prasad Panom Rung, the shrine at Panom Rung, was built around 10 th century A.D. King Narendraditya, the King referred to in the inscription, must have belonged to a period around that. The Old Phanom Rung inscription also makes mention of this king having practised penance in a cave in the shrine in the context of the installation of his golden statue by his son Hiranya to commemorate which event the inscription was put up. Narendraditya was a Khmer King. The Khmer rulers are known to have been highly Hinduised engaging themselves in building Hindu shrines and temples. They are known to have exercised suzerainty over considerable parts of Thailand and many of the temples and shrines in it owe their construction to their intense zest for building activity. Face: I 1. 00 2. evam vicintya bhavinabhivaya ssa bhavo ' vibhutyai 3. nirmaya nirmalamukham vidhuvaddha ' (renyam ?) niya (?) 3 yugam yadi (di ) yam 4. tarendratarakakrtakaranam vivaksu "nute nu tadi (di ) yamurvyam 5. yah kamininikaraniscalamanasastho (s) pi sthatumarhati hrdi sma mahakavinamam (nam ) 6. ati (duti ?) vara samavala kavitarucisca sakta ( sakte ?) vinetumubhayatra yatastadangam 7. vanya (nya ) navadyasudhayadhikaya dhiya va vijneya esa sutarannayanabhinandah CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by $3 Foundation USA

Panom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand 101 8. asmakamasurucidarsanamantarene- tyeva dhruvam ksananimeja (sa) gatastriyastah 9. kamo ( 5 ) pi me gaditasadgunalesa esa bhavyavyapetavapuso bhavatabhibhutah 10. ityukta isa iva yadbhava eva gauryya naryyaryyahrdyakrta kamasahasrakotih 11. suradhika ya smrtameva dhata srastundhruvam yat srjati sma kamam ............bhayam vasvana 12. 13. bhava dadhavanyadrsassudure sya jagatah prayataprayasvam 14. sasvatsam (sama ?) samucitah priya esa eva kamopra ......... 15. sanke na ( nu ?) somatapasadhikasadhitam prak pratah (praptah ?) kalamavikalamadhikam sasamkat 16. yassrastatasrstikrpaya khalu yena somi na ( ka ?) ye punitasurucih parakantihinah 17. kancidvina nijavadhussamuha (pa ?) rjitapi yai raksakavi (kairvi- ?) rahita hi sasankakantih 18. nasta tathavidhataya nu punah punaryad vidyayutananaruciscirasangata tu (nu ?) 19. rudhirarucilavancandrastadasye tadiye sakalakamalamapyamghridvaye bham vibharti 20. yadi ( sa hi ?) divi bhuvi lokanam mato niskalamko yadanukaranabhutarcchamaranannrvandya 21. iti saundaryapatalam samaptam 22. namassivayastu sivaya vo ya ssamke sasamkanalasuryyanetrah 23. usnatvasitatvasamatvamipsu - ssvasye vibhartsyadbhu (dbhu ) tajanujatam 24. bhujadvayannirjitavairivrndan (ndan ) CC-0. Pstabhagavrtavarmmayugmam tion, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

. yasya sma deharddhaga girindrarandhra niryatabhogindravibham vibharti Face: II 1. 2. gamga tvadhogatigatagiri 3. 4. vidvamsamevamiva sabdavidorthasabdalimga 5. guhyo ( 5 ) pi sasituratulyamukhopadesat sastrena vahadu 6. evam gabhirahrdaye paramassivo ( 5 ) yam yasyavasat sumadhika (ka?) tru nigudhagehe 7. sarvvagame paturatulyatamani tani sarvvavratani ca sivadimatanyasesam 8. yatlaissamanamakarodyadayam tato yad devanna vetti vata devavidam vinanyah 9. syana nasa kila sannikrsta jagatpratita nu mukhyasya karnah 10. suta (?) ntatyantikatagatto (to ?) sya sye yat sphutastatsrutisabdasabdah 11. u (su ?) bhavya (?) matena yadananena ardha (rtha ?) ramayam .......dyam 12. yasyarhamasyasya ma sadhvivo- dgacchati tena sasvat 13. urasaya (?) sa yasyadhikam padyabandham sahitasahitasabdartham mahantah pi (pi ?) vantah 14. sakalasakalamatmiyana yajantyeva yatva paramaparamapi striva tyajatyatmabandham 15. itisarvvavidyabhyasapatalam samaptam 16. namadhvamardhendudharantamarddhamga- sara (ra) gomarddhakalevaram yam

Panom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand 103 17. saurisva ( sca ? ) gauri ca sisussasi ca nu sevitum tyaktakalevarorddhah 18. ramye girau ramyagiripratite nanadrumaih pelavapallavagraih 19. vra (vra ) tancakararunadhamabhiryyah kailasasaile giriso yatha prak 20. pratassamutthaya vidhaya yogam yo brahmano dvaramidam vibheda 21. brahmamadyandabhedannu bhiyatmayoga- ssanaissanairyyogamimam cakara 22. yassaptamase phalapattrabhojyam bhunjan babhau bhojanapanabha (bha ) jam tulyadhruvam yogigane nuyate khedanniraharamanapta esah Face: III 1. 2. 3. ... 4. 5. .......... paraprabhutvam yataro vividhavratena bhudharadayamrtamantarena dayanayarccanayanavadyo naracayairyyatasya naryyaryyayuthaih 6. maranakarajanantam sarpadastantarakya 7. ksatabhativisato mantraiskhamandakinistha 8. iti vidyasiddhiyogapatalam samaptah (ptam ) 9. nidragramabhidhane sri 10. tri (tri ) gurun tri (tri ) jagadguruh 11. ssri 12. narendradityanamabhut 13. indradolakhyadolam ya 14. sribhadresva ( ra?) isvare 15. dadau tatra dadau naga 16. pattram sthuladrisambhave 17. devyam rajaguhattyam (hayam ) yo 18. yanayatam satam matam

. hemadolam vilasitam 20. manyamaturadanmuda Face: IV 1. ktya sa ... 2. 3. bhairavyatulya ..... tavidha ........ ne 4. stotram varam pravarasenakrtessama 5. kavyavidviditassriddha 6. narendradityasamstavam 7. ekah karttumimam panca 8. patalakhyam sasaka sah 9. sri narendrarkanitanta- 10. ndantidantaratham krtam 11. ananasunum 12. siva sa 13. yurakhya 14. ttamada bha 15. japalya ... yasmai yo 16. dolam vilalitottamam 17. sthuladripasupatapadaparayanena 18. yenanavadya (dya ) hrdayena narendrasuryye 19. sasthulasailagirisena gurornarendra- 20. dityasya rupamakarod bhavamekabhutam TRANSLATION Face: I Line 2. Reflecting thus that Siva for the welfare of the worldly beings Lines 3-4. Creating a face of whose spotles beauty, (as excellent) as the moon, and the two with the desire of expressing as it CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection were that something was not New

Phanom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand 105 made of the moon and the stars makes his (divine body) on the earth. Line 5. Who, though residing in the still minds of the hordes of the lovely damsels, was capable of occupying a place in the hearts of the great poets. Lines 6-7. Because the good messenger and the interest in poetry of equal strength are in a position to take his form to both, this one, the delight of the eyes can well be found out by his faultless nectar-like speech and his superior intellect without our sight of him quickly to our liking. With this idea as it were those ladies for a mement went into the closure of their eyes (closed their eyes). Lines 8-10. For me, the unlucky one, even Kama who is said to have a bit of good qualities, has been overpowered (destroyed) by you. Thus addressed Siva was taken by Gauri as Kama. In the same way the ladies took in their noble hearts the one born of Him (Siva) [the King] a thousand crore of Kamas. Line 11. It was with his thought who was superior to gods that the creator surely creates Kama. Line 12. The other sights he kept in his thought afar. Line 13-14...... Lines 15-16 Methinks earlier he (the king) performed Soma austerities (tapas) and achieved thereby the art (skillfulness, kala) in full exceeding that of the moon [in the case of the moon kala signifies digit ] in that through the grace of the Creator, he, Somi , the performer of the Soma sacrifice [the hinted meaning: who has the Soma in him] has pure and good lustre in his body (appearance). This (lustre ) he does not have from some thing else (as does the moon which has it from the sun) [The other meaning: he does not lack the supreme lustre , parakantih taya hino na]. CC-0. Prof. Satya parkantik paraka Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

Lines 17-18 It is possible that those without the help of some one may win for themselves a wife with a lustre like that of the moon. It could happen time and again but she may be lost in the absence of protectors. But the lustre united with learning in the face of him (the king) stays long (= it is not lost ever). Lines 19-20 The moon imparts to his face blood-red lustre. All the lotuses impart to his feet sheen. He is taken in the heaven and on the earth by the people as blemishless. For the worship of the deities adored the people have in him as the (role) model. Line 21. With this ends the Section on beauty. Lines 22-23. Homage to Siva for your well-being who I imagine with his eyes of the moon, the fire and the sun carries on his face (head) the wonderful Ganga with the desire of achieving the equilibrium between heat and cold. Lines 24-25. His two arms equipped with a pair of armour with a half of them visible to the eye, which have made Face: II a conquest of hordes of enemies coming out of the half of his body looking like a big mountain give the appearance of lordly serpents emerging from the hollows of the latter. Line 2. But the Ganga flowing down below on the mountain Line 4. Those who know (the true import of the) words in this very way to a scholar the meanings, the words and genders... Line 5. Even a difficult thing by the incomparable oral instruction of the king in accordance with the Sastra.............. Line 6. In this way this supreme Siva abided in his profound heart, more so, in the secret inner CC-0. Prof. Satya vapartment,llection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

Panom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand 107 Line 7. Well-versed in all Sastras, he performed all incomparable vows gratifying to Siva and others, as if with effort, though (really) effortlessly. It is because of this that nobody understands the king except the one who knows him. Line 9. His mouth is close to the nose which is known the world over. His ears are close to the mouth. The sound of the well-known Sruti, the Veda, having come too close, is manifest in his mouth. Line 10. His mouth, a part of the human body, (is uttering something) which is delightful in sense. That is why something noble comes out of it, the mouth, which is deserving of it, ever and ever. Line 13. The great drinking at whose superior poetic composition, characterized by well-linked words and salutory meanings dissociate themselves from their kith and kin while they proceed on with it, and all that belongs to them, as a (faithful) woman loses all attachment, to a person other than her husband, however, superior he may be. Line 15. Here ends the section on Pursuit of all Knowledge. Line 16. Bow to that god, the bearer of half (the digit) of the moon, with half the body composed of Visnu and the other half of that of Uma. It is probably with the intent of serving or worshipping him that Sauri (Visnu), Gauri (Uma) and the new moon have given up half of their body (in him). Line 18. On the mountain well-known as Ramyagiri, he performed penance subsisting on a variety of trees with tender fresh leaves of pink hue, just as did Siva on the Kailasa mountain in times of yore. Line 20. Rising in the morning he practised Yoga and thereby rent open the Gate of Brahman. Lest his sustained practice of Yoga should lead to the bursting of the Brahmanda, he slowed down the CC-0. Prof. Satya Pace of the Yoga Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

Line 22. For seven months living on fruits and leaves he Face: III appeared to be like those subsisting on food and drink. Since the Yogins followed him, he, out of pity on them, did not achieve the state of foodlessness i.e., did not give up food altogether. Line 8. With this ends the section on Vidyasiddhiyoga. Line 9. In called Nidragrama. Line 10. To the three preceptors, one who is the preceptor (or the lord) of the worlds. Line 13. Was of the name of Narendraditya. Lines 13-16. Who gave a palanquin called Indradola to Lord Bhadresvara. There he gave betel leaf to Siva on Sthuladri. Line s 17-20. Who gifted happily to the celebrated royal cave the golden palanquin to be taken in a carriage and Face: IV adored by the good of the revered mother. Line-3. Like Bhairavya. Line 4. Excellent eulogy (similar to that of Pravarasena). Line s 5-8. Well-known among connoisseurs of poetry. Was able single-handed to compose the eulogy of Narendraditya called Pancapatala effulgent with glory. Lines 9-10. The chariot made of elephant tusk carried by Narendraditya. Line 11. To the one whose son is not deficient. Line 12. He for well-being. Line 16. The palanquin graceful and excellent Line s 17-20. Who intent on the worship of the feet of Pasupati (Siva ) on the Sthuladri and sincerely devoted to King Narendraditya, his preceptor, identified the excellent form of King Narendraditya as one with CC-0. Prof. Sativa of Sthuladrion, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

Panom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand 109 Critical Appreciation (a) Linguistic The inscription does not carry the name of its composer. It looks the portion after the third Patala was added by another writer. The composer is referred to here by third person, sah. Called as kavyavid, the knower of poetry, he is said to have been able to compose, sasaka, this eulogy of Narendraditya, imam narendradityasamstavam, that in excellence equals the eulogy by Pravarasena, stotram varam pravarasenakrtes samanam, in five Patalas; the inscription has only three of them at present; singlehandedly, ekah. The use of the Perfect Tense in sasaka also lends credence to the view that it is some one else who supplemented his work This Tense, the lit lakara, is used in conveying something which is paroksa, i.e., unperceived by the speaker. Now, no composer would speak about himself as 'he composed the eulogy which was beyond his perception'. It is possible the supplement writer would have given the name of the writer but it got lost in the few preceding damaged lines. Due to scribal errors or the ravages of time the text of the inscription has got damaged at places which puts considerable strain on an analyst for arriving at the probable correct reading with the minimum of changes. An attempt is made here to restore the distorted text as also to evaluate it from the linguistic and literary points of view. The linguistic peculiarities can be classified into two, general and specific. Among the general mention may be made of the doubling of the consonants under certain conditions to which reference has been made in the evaluation of the earlier inscription (pp. 93-94). The consonants y, v and r are doubled in it in the given conditions invariably. It is because of this that dharma always appears in it as dharmma, varma as varmma, sarva as sarvva, nirmaya as nirmmaya, nirmalamukham as nirmmalamukham, surya as suryya, arka as arkka and so on. This doubling was not

restricted only to single words. It was extended to even the contiguous words, e.g., bhutarcca (bhuta + arca) (Face I, line 20), dhamabhir yyah (dhamabhir yah) (Face II, line 19), sanair yyogam (sanair yogam) (Face II, line 21). Further, Panini has the rules anusvarasya yayi parasavarnah and va padantasya (8.4.58 and 8.4.59) according to which a nasal, anusvara, coming at the end of a word is changed optionally to the letter homogenous of the following consonant with the exception of the aspirate h and the sibilants. Here too the inscription does not exercise the option, e.g., sutaran nayanabhinandah for sutaram nayanabhinandah (Face I, line 7); srastun dhruvam in place of srastum dhruvam (Face I, line 11); devan na vetti in place of devam na vetti (Face II, line 8) atmiyan tyajanty eva in place of atmiyam tyajanty eva (Face II, line 14); arddhendudharan tam in place of arddhendharam tam (Face II, line 16); ...nitan tan danti in place of nitam tam danti.. (Face IV, lines 9-10). An interesting example where it is resorted to serially is bhujadvayan nirjitavairivrndan drstarddhabhagam in place of bhujadvayam nirjitavairivrndam drstardhabhagam (Face I, line 24). b is written in the inscription as v: vibhartti, vibheda, vabhau. Among the specific peculiarities mention may be made of the use of the word Unmana for Uma, the consort of Siva: Sivo jayaty unmanayaikadhama. Now, this Unmana nowhere figures in Indian Sanskrit literature. No Sanskrit dictionary, old and new, lists it. But it appears to have been in vogue in the Southeast Asian region in the earlier period as evidenced by its use in the inscription noticed earlier, Suan Phak Kard Palace Sanskrit Inscription: Sivo jayaty unmanayaikadhama (p. 91) as also the Sdok Kok Thom Inscription of Thailand kaham himadritanayeva sarirayaster ardham manoramavarasya parisvajamil ity unmana iva manoratharangam angam alingate sma paritah kila yasya laksmih|| And the Bantey Srei Inscription of Siem Reap of Cambodia: unmana ya sali kanta nitantasivasangatal jagaddhitaya sasaktu sa saktir CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri colle santir acalatmajaded by S 3 Foundation USA

Panom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand 111 Punita in the sense of pure is now common in Hindi. But it certainly is not Sanskrit. Sanskrit is puta. The composer of the inscription, however, uses it punitasurucih which is rather interesting in the discovery that the word had come into use fairly early, in an inscription of Southeast Asia of about the 10 th Cen. A.D. At two places in the inscription the poet takes liberty with the name of the king. At one place (Face IV, line 9) he substitutes the second part of it, aditya, with arkka, a synonym of it: srinarendrarkkanitam, at another place (Face IV, line 18) with suryya another synonym of it: narendrasuryya. For the second there could be a metrical compulsion narendraditya as such without a split in two quadrants not being possible of adjustment in the same quadrant but there should have been no such compulsion in the case of the first one, the metre being Anustubh where narendraditya as such could easily fit in. The word dhaman has the sense in Sanskrit either of abode or majesty, tejas. The author uses it in the sense of the body which is an extension of the sense of abode: sivo jayaty unmanayaikadhama, victorious is Siva who has the same body with Unmana, viz., who shares the body with Unmana. The construction unmanayaikadhama is what is technically called Vyadhikarana Bahuvrihi in Sanskrit grammar where a component which normally should form a part of a compound is kept out of it. The normal construction should have been unmanaikadhama with the dissolution being unmana ekam dhama yasya whose one part is Unmana. The construction as it is yields the meaningand that probably was the intention of the composer-to convey that Unmana formed one part of him. The other place where the word dhaman occurs is where the king is spoken of subsisting only on trees-what the poet intends to convey here is the product of the trees: ramye girau ramyagiripratite nanadrumaih pelavapallavagraihi vratam cakararunadhamabhir yyah kailasasaile giriso yatha praku

The word vrata is capable of yielding both the meanings in Sanskrit, eating and non-eating, vratad bhojane tannivrttau ca, non-eating actually indicating not eating any other type of food except of a particular type only: payovrato brahmanah, paya eva vratayati, a Brahmana who subsists on milk only (to the exclusion of all other types of food). The king in the stanza above is spoken of subsisting only on the trees with the fringes of the tender leaves that were arunadhamabhih, of crimson hue. Dhaman has been used here in the sense of hue. The poet of the Panom Rung Inscription goes in for the extension of the meaning not only in the case of the word dhaman only, he does so in the case of the word asya too. Lord Siva carries on his asya, svasye vibhartti, the unique Ganga, adbhutajahnu-jatam, with the desire to bring about an equilibrium between heat and cold, usnatvasitatvasamatvam ipsuh, heat on account of the fire of the third eye and the cold on account of the moon. Now, the Ganga he does not carry on his face but on the head. This is how the author of the Mudraraksasa makes Parvati enquire of him as to who it is who is stationed on his head: dhanya keyam sthita te sirasi. It is on his matted locks that the Ganga had descended when brought from heaven. How can the author of the inscription speak of Siva carrying her on his face, svasye vibhartti, unless it were to be taken in the sense of the upper portion, the third eye and the moon being on the upper part of the face and the Ganga being still up from there in the locks. The word adbhuta in the stanza above makes one pause and ponder as to why it should have been used. The word means unique, the kind of which, as it looks, was not there (already), unprecedented as Yaska explains adbhutam abhutam iva (1.3.7). About the use of the word there could be two possibilities, one that it was used as a filler-the author wanted to insert a word with three syllables starting with a vowel for euphonic combination with the preceding rtti (vibhartti) to complete the metre or the one that it has a deeper meaning. There is little scope for first possibility. The author of the Phanom Rung Inscription is not an ordinary poet. He is described as kavyavid, the connoisseur

Panom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand 113 of poetry. He was, therefore, not the type who could be found fumbling for words. He was an accomplished poet as can be marked by his rhythmic use of words usnatvasitatvasamatva and the string of alliterations svasye vibhartty adbhutajahnujatam. If adbhuta is accepted as a significant word here, the question is with what it has to go, with jahnu or jahnujata? Well, it can go with both. That is the adbhutatva here. Adbhuto jahnur iti adbhutajahnun, tasmaj jata, who is born of the unique Jahnu, he being unique in discharging her through his ears after having drunk her earlier on account of her having inundated his sacrificial ground thus having been credited with being the father to her, jahnusuta or jahnavi or jahnujata meaning 'born of Jahnu'. Adbhutajanujaja would mean the unique Ganga, her uniqueness being that she sits on the head of Siva, the Lord of Lords! (b) Literary and Textual Since the composer of the inscription was kavyavid, it was natural for him to adorn his composition with necessary embellishments like figures of speech and metres of different types to carry greater appeal. Among the figures of speech of sense, the Arthalankaras, the more common are Upama, Simile, Utpreksa, Fancy, Rupaka, Metaphor and Arthantaranyasa, Transition. Among the Sabdalankaras Anuprasa in all its varieties is the most visible. The poet fancies that the king taking up position in the steady minds of the myriad ladies, did manage to find a place in the heart of the great poets: yah kamininikaraniscalamanastho 'pi sthatum arhati hrdi sma mahakavinam There was equal force, samabala, between liking for poetry, kavitarucih and an efficient messenger, duti vara (the text as it is may have to be emended here. In the text it is ati vara. That does not give any sense. Further, the initial a, short as it is, does not go well with the metre /hich requires a long one here. Since the second syllable ishati the first could well be dulation USA vara

meaning a good or efficient lady messenger) with the result that the above two were able to pull him both ways, [to the minds of the ladies and the hearts of the poets]. The flight of imagination of the poet further soars here. Since the form of the king, the delight to the eyes, nayanabhinandah, is transferred to other places, in the present instance, the minds of the ladies and the hearts of the poets, his existence could only be inferred through the nectarine speech with no blemish, or superior intellect, vanya sudhadhikaya dhiya va. The ladies would just close their eyes for a moment so that they could have a quick and a satisfying look at him (which could obviously be the mental one) asurucidarsanam antarena ksananimesagatas striyas tah. Proceeding on, the poet feigns conversation between Siva and his consort Gauri where she tells him that for her the unlucky one, bhavyavyapetavapusah, he has suppressed, annihilated, abhibhutah, Kama who is said to possess a bit of good qualities, gaditasadgunalesah. Just as she took Bhava, Siva himself as millions of Kamas, the women (the singular nari is in the collective sense here; jatav ekavacanam) in their noble hearts put (him, the king) the very one who was born of him, yadbhava eva (yasmad bhavo janma yasya), as millions of Kamas. The king is imagined here as the very son of Siva. Going on in this vein the poet imagines that the Creator created Kama to create him (the king) who is accepted for sure to be excelling even the gods, suradhikam yam srastun dhruvam yat srjati sma kamam. = He further imagines, the text may have to be emended to nu from na, going with sanke-it is indicative of fancy (Utpreksa)- that in the early period, prak, he, performed Soma austerities and thereby achieved (the text has pratah here which in all probability is an engraver's error for praptah) the skill in full, avikalam kalam (the author is playing on the word kala which in the case of the king may mean art, skillfulness and that of the moon the digit) which excelled even the moon, sasankad adhikam, by which he, the Somi, the performer of the Soma sacrifice (Soma-yaga) through the grace of the Creator, srastrkrpaya; the poet here again indulges in word play; while sasanka was somas the king was CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection,

Panom Rung Sanskrit Inscription of Thailand 115 somi, who has the soma in him. He in his body (naye should be emended here to kaye) has pure lustre, punitasurucih, (but) is not inferior on account of having the lustre [like the moon] of some one else in him, parakantihinah, parakantivasad hinah na. Parakantihinah is capable of another meaning and that also fits in here very well: not devoid of supreme brightness, para kantih parakantih taya hinah na. According to the poet the lustre of his face united with learning, vidyayutananarucih, stays long, cirasangata. Further, somebody may get a wife of moon-like beauty but she may be lost, nasta [bhavet] if unprotected (raksakavirahita should be raksakair virahita). It may happen in this way, tathavidhataya, again and again, punah punah. Going on further the poet says that the moon bears blood-red lustre in his face and all the lotuses impart their lustre to his two feet, rudhirarucilavan candras tadasye, sakalakamalam apy anghridvaye bham vibhartti. He, the blemishless one, is honoured by the people on the earth and on the heaven. The worship of the deities, amaranam arcca, which the people adore, nrvandya, has him as the model, tadanukaranabhuta. He is adored by the people in the heaven and on the earth as blemishless. Yadi in the text needs to be emended to sa hi, sa hi divi bhuvi lokanam mato niskalankah. Here the poet shows his rare insight into grammar by the use of Genitive in lokanam in company with matah, the Genitive being specifically enjoined in such cases by Pan. ktasya ca vartamane (2.3.67). The two arms of the king which have conquered hordes of enemies, nirjjitavairivrndam in a pair of armours, dhrtavarmmayugmam, issuing out of the cavity of the mountain, his body, with half portion of them visible, drstarddhabhagam, give the appearance of lordly serpents, bhogindravibham vibhartti. The king getting up in the morning, pratah samutthaya, practised Yoga, yogam cakara, and rent open the Gate of Brahman, yo brahmano dvaram idam vibheda. Lest his sustained practice of Yoga were to lead to the bursting of Brahmanda, the universe, brahmandabhedan bhiyatmayogaih, he slowed down the pace of the Yoga, sanaih sanair yyogam births living on fruits SA CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi

and leaves, yah saptamasan phalapatrabhojyam bhunjan, he appeared like those who have food and drink, bhojanapanabhajam tulya (should be tulyo). Since the Yogins followed him [in practising austerities], yogigane 'nuyate, the poet fancies, he did not achieve the state of foodlessness, niraharam anapta esah, i.e., he did not give up food altogether out of pity on them, khedat [if he were to give up food, the Yogins would also follow suit and that would not be good; so he avoided giving up food altogether]. Now a word about metres. Mostly it is Vasantatilaka, Malini, Indravajra, Upajati and Anustubh with the break-up as under: In Face I it is Vasantatilaka upto line 18. Lines 19 and 20 are in Malini. Line 21 is colophon. Lines 21-25 are in Upajati. In Face II lines 1-3 are broken and illegible, lines 4-12 are in Vasantatilaka, lines 13-14 in Malini, line 15 is colophon in prose, lines 15-16 in Upajati, lines 18-19 in Indravajra, lines 20-21 in Upajati and line 22 in Indravajra. In Face III first five lines are broken but from whatever is left of the text the metre appears to be Vasantatilaka, lines 6 and 7 are in Malini, line 8 is colophon in prose. From lines 9-16 it is Anustubh. Lines 17-20 are in Vasantatilaka. Though the metrical composition is fairly accurate, there is yatibhanga in line 20. But it is only an isolated case and should not attract too much of a critical notice. The inscription, a poetic composition of its own type requires a keen insight to unravel the string of fancies and metaphors-a task by no means easy in view of the damaged text and the possible scribal errors. The inscription has a lot to offer by way of aesthetic joy to an appreciative critic. Its expression wherever the text is not broken or blurred bespeaks the poet's high proficiency in producing a work of beauty which is a joy forever.