inscriptions in the hassan district

56 Belur Taluq.
made to the god Chenna-Kesava of Velapura, which is the great southern
Varanasi,— a gift of a white conch-shell ornamented with gold.
58
Date 1117 A. D.
Obeisance to Kesava and Siva. Usual account, in verse, of the rise of the
Yadu-kula and the Poysalas. Sala slew the tiger and became Poysala
(Omitting mere laudations) The Konkanigas, saying his sword will destroy
us all, scattered in every direction, when Vinayaditya set forth for war. The
sons of the hill kings, rubbing their heads, rose up, came and placed their
heads at his lotus-feet. His wife was Keleyabha. Their son was Ereganga.
Dhara, the chief city of the powerful Malava kings, which Bhdja by victory
over hostile kings had enlarged and made famous, he took as if the preliminary
sip (aposana) before feasting on the world of his enemies. So that the
smoke blinded the eyes of the regents at the points of the compass, caused the
white regent elephants to appear black, and filled the whole sky with a dense
cloud. Poysala burnt all Bhoja's principal fortresses. The dust raised by his
army, coming down on the hills, mingled with the clouds, and as he marched
on burning all he encountered, it was as if he were unfurling a banner of
smoke from Bhoja's destruction, such was the effect of Poysala's victorious
expedition, — what heroes were equal to him? The burning of Baleya-pattana
on the sea-shore by the flames of king Ereganga's anger, brought to mind
the appearance of the waves of the sea when consumed by Rama's fiery
arrow. His wife was Echala-Devi. They had three sons — Ballala, Vishnu
and Udayaditya.
With their swords beating down without mercy the pnde of Pandya, who
in his pride withstood them, the princes Vishnu and Ballala seized the wealth
of his kingdom; — were they ordinary men ? In Ddrasamudra they defeated the
army of Jagadeva, painted the goddess of Victory with the blood of his
elephants for vermilion, and captured his treasury together with the central
ornament of his necklace, — who could deny the valour of those princes?
Devoted to the worship of MaheSa, the goddess of Victory his wife, the earth,
the group of his dependents, relations by marriage, his equals, his fame throughout
the Brahmanda (pure as the milk in the cocoa-nut) his treasure, — the king
Ballala was praised in all the earth for his greatness.
Victorious is Vishnu-De'va, all the world at his feet, delighting in the
conversation of the clever and learned, fond in his heart of all dancing,
favourite of the goddess of Fortune. Ever engaged in business, devoted to
the worship of Purushdttama, — in government, in making gifts, in distributing
rewards, the king's hand was a wonder, his acts displaying both severity and
gentleness When he set out on an expedition of victory to the w#st, the