6.4. Ravi-varma Prasasti (Chandrakala-mala)

[Full title: Works written in Prasasti (eulogies) style: Ravi-varma Prasasti (Chandrakala-mala)]

Ravivarma-prasasti of Kavibhusana written 18 slokas in praise of Sangramadhira Ravivarma which forms a part of an inscription^[1] in Ranganatha temple at Srirangam. This set of 18 verses includes 16 verses in its body and two in the form of a colophon. The kings great fame is conceived as the moon having sixteeen digits, each kala being represented by one verse. The sixteen verses together form the Kirttindukala of Ravi-varma Kulasekhara.

All the eighteen verses are given below. They may be translated verse by verse as follows:

स्वस्ति कुर्मस्त्रयीधर्म वर्मणे रविवर्मणे ।
रण कर्मस्थिताधर्म।।। र्म।।। रतिशर्मणे ॥ १ ॥

svasti kurmastrayīdharma varmaṇe ravivarmaṇe |
raṇa karmasthitādharma... rma... ratiśarmaṇe || 1 ||

1. We invoke blessings on Ravi Varman, the bulwark of the duties enjoined by the three Vedas.......... the refuge of enemies..........

दुर्बलस्य बलं रजेत्येव सत्य सरस्वती ।
संग्रामधीरो धर्मस्य दुर्बलस्य बलं कलौ ॥ २ ॥

durbalasya balaṃ rajetyeva satya sarasvatī |
saṃgrāmadhīro dharmasya durbalasya balaṃ kalau || 2 ||

2. That a king is the strength of the weak, is a true saying: Sangramadhira is the strength of religion which is weak in the Kali age.

रविश्च रविवर्माश्च द्वाविमौ तेजसां निधी ।
एकस्याह्नि प्रतापश्रीरपरस्य त्वहर्निशं ॥ ३ ॥

raviśca ravivarmāśca dvāvimau tejasāṃ nidhī |
ekasyāhni pratāpaśrīraparasya tvaharniśaṃ || 3 ||

3. The Sun (Ravi) and Ravi Varman are both stores of light: the one abounds in splendour in day time, but the other day and night.

कृष्णाश्च रविवर्मा च यदुवंशोब्धवावुभौ ।
एको गोपवधूजारास्वदारैकपरोपरः ॥ ४ ॥

kṛṣṇāśca ravivarmā ca yaduvaṃśobdhavāvubhau |
eko gopavadhūjārāsvadāraikaparoparaḥ || 4 ||

4. Both Krishna and Ravi Varman were born in Yadu’s family: the one is the paramour of herdsmen’s wives, the other solely devoted to his own wife.

राज्याभिषेककामनां रविवर्ममहीपतेः ।
पुष्पाभिषेको भूपनां त्वत्पादाम्भोजधारणम् ॥ ५ ॥

rājyābhiṣekakāmanāṃ ravivarmamahīpateḥ |
puṣpābhiṣeko bhūpanāṃ tvatpādāmbhojadhāraṇam || 5 ||

5. O King Ravi Varman! For rulers who long to be inaugurated as kings, to lay hold of your lotus feet is the inauguration with flowers.

गुरुकल्पद्रुमेन्द्राठ्यं द्यां करोषि रवेः महीं ।
ज्ञाता दाता सतां पाता महतां किन्नु दुष्करम् ॥ ६ ॥

gurukalpadrumendrāṭhyaṃ dyāṃ karoṣi raveḥ mahīṃ |
jñātā dātā satāṃ pātā mahatāṃ kinnu duṣkaram || 6 ||

6. O Ravi! Wise, liberal, and a protector of the good, you transform the earth into heaven, possessed by jupiter, the tree of paradise, and Indra. What is there difficult for the great?

संग्रामधीरः त्वद्राज्ये चोरो नास्तीति वण्मृष ।
चम्पकद्युति सर्वस्वचोरस्ते विग्रहस्वयम् ॥ ७ ॥

saṃgrāmadhīraḥ tvadrājye coro nāstīti vaṇmṛṣa |
campakadyuti sarvasvacoraste vigrahasvayam || 7 ||

7. O Sangramadhira! It is false to say that there is no robber in your kingdom, your own body robs the champaka flower of all its lustre.

दृष्ट्वा दक्षिणभोज त्वां परे बिभ्यति तद्वरम् ।
परदारानपि द्रष्टुं बिभेषि त्वं हि सर्वदा ॥ ८ ॥

dṛṣṭvā dakṣiṇabhoja tvāṃ pare bibhyati tadvaram |
paradārānapi draṣṭuṃ bibheṣi tvaṃ hi sarvadā || 8 ||

8. O you Bhoja of the south! It is well that your opponents are frightened when they see you; for you are ever afraid to look at other’s wives even.

एकस्वादु न भुञ्जीतेत्येतत् किन्न श्रुतं वचः ।
एकस्वादु जगत्सर्वं भुङ्षे यादवभूपते ॥ ९ ॥

ekasvādu na bhuñjītetyetat kinna śrutaṃ vacaḥ |
ekasvādu jagatsarvaṃ bhuṅṣe yādavabhūpate || 9 ||

9. Have you not heard the saying that one should not enjoy a sweet thing alone. Alone you enjoy the whole earth, O Yadava king!

कथं दक्षिणभोज! त्वां ब्रुवते बुद्धिमद्वरम् ।
दत्तं सद्भ्यस्सदा पश्चात् वित्तं यद् तन्न बुध्यते ॥ १० ॥

kathaṃ dakṣiṇabhoja! tvāṃ bruvate buddhimadvaram |
dattaṃ sadbhyassadā paścāt vittaṃ yad tanna budhyate || 10 ||

10. How it it, O you Bhoja of the south, that men call you the foremost of the thoughtful? When you have given riches to the good, you never think of it afterwards.

रिपूनेको जयानीति रणे मा दृप्य यादव! ।
बाहुः खड्गो मनो वाजी सहायाः किम् न सन्ति ते ॥ ११ ॥

ripūneko jayānīti raṇe mā dṛpya yādava! |
bāhuḥ khaḍgo mano vājī sahāyāḥ kim na santi te || 11 ||

11. Do not, O Yadava, that you unaided vanguish your enemies in battle; Have you not your arm, your sword, your courage and your steed for your allies.

प्रायो न दोषो स्त्रीहत्य राज्ञां रामसधर्मणां ।
सतां सहचरीम् हंसी रविवर्मन्! दरिद्रताम् ॥ १२ ॥

prāyo na doṣo strīhatya rājñāṃ rāmasadharmaṇāṃ |
satāṃ sahacarīm haṃsī ravivarman! daridratām || 12 ||

12. Surely, kings who behave like Rama, incur no guilt by killing women (aware of this) O Ravi Varman, you put an end to the poverty associated with the good.

धनं सर्वं ददामीति कथं ते यादव! व्रतम् ।
ब्रह्माण्डभण्डाकारेस्मिन् सञ्चिनोषि यशोधनम् ॥ १३ ॥

dhanaṃ sarvaṃ dadāmīti kathaṃ te yādava! vratam |
brahmāṇḍabhaṇḍākāresmin sañcinoṣi yaśodhanam || 13 ||

13. How is it O Yadava, with your vow to give away all wealth? Your pile up a wealth of fame here in the store-house of the universe.

सेव्यस्तैस्तैर्गुणैरेव सेवितुं यद्ददासि नः ।
येषा यदुपते सत्यं इक्षुभक्षणदक्षिणा ॥ १४ ॥

sevyastaistairguṇaireva sevituṃ yaddadāsi naḥ |
yeṣā yadupate satyaṃ ikṣubhakṣaṇadakṣiṇā || 14 ||

14. That you, O Yadu Lord, who can be served with many excellent qualities only, permit us to serve (you) that verily is (to us) a donation of a meal of sugar.

कुलशेखरभूपालः सिंहासनम् जुषत्वयम् ।
सिंहासनजुषो लोके स्थवरा एव भूभृतः ॥ १५ ॥

kulaśekharabhūpālaḥ siṃhāsanam juṣatvayam |
siṃhāsanajuṣo loke sthavarā eva bhūbhṛtaḥ || 15 ||

15. May this king Kulasekhara delight in his throne! Rulers who take delight in their throne, are indeed stable in the world.

संग्रामधीर इत्येतं मन्त्रं पञ्चाक्षरं बुधाः ।
जपन्तो दुर्गतिं जित्वा प्राप्नुवन्ति परं शिवम् ॥ १६ ॥

saṃgrāmadhīra ityetaṃ mantraṃ pañcākṣaraṃ budhāḥ |
japanto durgatiṃ jitvā prāpnuvanti paraṃ śivam || 16 ||

16. The wise who repeat the spell of five syllables Sangramadhira overcome misery and attain supreme bliss.

इति यादवकीर्तीन्दोः कलाः षोडश सूक्त्यः ।
उल्लासयन्तु कुमुदं भूषणे पश्वणी स्फुटाः ॥ १७ ॥

iti yādavakīrtīndoḥ kalāḥ ṣoḍaśa sūktyaḥ |
ullāsayantu kumudaṃ bhūṣaṇe paśvaṇī sphuṭāḥ || 17 ||

17. As the sixteen digits of the the moon, displayed at full-moon time, cause the lotus to expand, so may these sixteen verses of the Yadava’s fame, composed by Bhusana, call forth the joy of the earth.

अतसीचंपकवर्णौ तुलसीकीर्तिसुरभीकृतस्वाङ्गौ ।
यदुनाथौ नाथौ नः कृतमपरैश्चित्तनाथ नरनाथैः ॥ १८ ॥

atasīcaṃpakavarṇau tulasīkīrtisurabhīkṛtasvāṅgau |
yadunāthau nāthau naḥ kṛtamaparaiścittanātha naranāthaiḥ || 18 ||

18. The two Yadu Lords who have the hue of the atasi and champaka flowers, and whosebodies are rendered fragrent by holy basil and by fame, they are our lords; no need have we of other divine and human lords.

Ravivarma Kulasekhara author of the drama Pradyumnabhyudaya^[2] is the famous king of Quilon who became the Emperor of Kerala and the overlord of the Pandyas and the Cholas. He was born in 1226-27 AD, as the son of king Jayasimha of Kerala and Umadevi, and belonged to the Yadava family of Quilon (Kolamba). He gained possession of the neighbouring kingdom of Venad from Vikrama Pandya, theyounger brother and coregent of Manavikrama Kulasekhara I, who had conqured, that district during the last quarter of the 13th C. Ravivarman defeated Vikrama Pandya in battle and married his daughter.

In this passage—raṇakarmasthitādharma, etc.—is partly obliterated. Still we may take it as referring to the king’s disapproval of foul practices in the battle field. In the second verse he is decribed as to have served as a supporter of dharma in the Kali age. This has been suggested by his cognomen Dharmamaharaja mentioned in the Trivandrum Chalai inscription and the Srimusnam label inscription. The contrast of the pratapa (prowess) of the king and the pratapa (heat) of the sun is nothing more than a poetic usage.

While comparing Ravi Varma with Krsna, Kavibhusana says that the king was attached to no other woman than his own wife. This would reveal that the king was a man of high morals. In the statement that Sangramadhira’s country was free from robbers we may find some amount of exaggeration. But, the saying would suggest the tolerably good state of judicial administration obtaining in the empire. Also, the statement campakadyutisarvasva coraste vigrahaḥsvayaṃ suggests Ravi Varma’s complexion. The remaining descriptions are too general, and not significant for history.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Epi -In-Vol. IV -P 149—Translated by Keilhorn -Ibid -Pp 151 -152

[2]:

Travancore Sanskrit Series VIII -1910 -TVM; Vide infra -P 249 ff