रामचरितम् /22
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There are other striking verses in the Râmacarita in which mention has
been made of the father of his patron king Häravarşa'. Here Haravarṣa is des-
cribed as the son of Vikramasila. Who this Vikramasila is, is again a formidable
question. Or is it a mere epithet? Be that as it may, the word Vikramasila
very forcibly reminds us of the famous Vikramasîla monastery of the Buddhists
which was founded by Dharmapâla. Is it then very impossible to identify
this Vikramasila with king Dharmapala the founder of the Vikramasila
monastery? On the contrary, this seems to be quite likely as it is confirmed
by the colophon of the Sragdhardstotratika³ noticed by late S. C.
Vidyabbaṣaṇa. Dharmapála had two sons in Tribhuvanapala and Devapāla.
In the Khalimpur Grant Tribhuvanapala is mentioned as Yuvaraja but in the
Monghyr Grant Devapala succeeds his father. In the second half of the 9th
century Devapâla attained great fame and popularity as a ruler.
Looking to the mass of evidence given above we have no other alterna-
tive than to identify Hâravarsa or Yuvarâja the patron king of Abhinanda
with Deva pála son of Dharmapála otherwise known as Vikramasila.
Another confirmatory evidence in support of the proposed identification
is obtained by comparing a statement in the Monghyr Grant of Devapâla
with another made by Abhinanda in his Ramacarita. In the Monghyr
Grant we find the following remarkable verse describing Devapàla :-
यः पूर्वे बलिना कृतः कृतयुगे येनागमद्भार्गवस्त्रेतायां प्रहतः प्रियप्रणायना कर्णेन यो द्वापरे ।
विच्छिन्नः कलिना शकद्विधि गते कालेन लोकान्तरं येन त्यागपथः स एव हिं पुनः विस्पष्टमुन्मीलितः ॥
Here Devapala is warmly praised for reviving the path of liberality
which was opened up by Bali in the Krtayuga and continued by Bhargava in
Treta, Karna in Dvãpara and Sakadviṭ Vikramaditya in the Kali age but was
obliterated after the death of the last named king.
The same idea is expressed in several stanzas in the Ramacarita
describing Haravarsa's liberality :-
1. न त्यागशक्तिमधिगच्छति कश्चिदर्थी नास्त्येव विक्रमगुणस्य समः सपत्नः ।
अर्था विशन्ति पथि यस्य धियश्च शास्त्रमेकः स विस्मयकरः परचक्रभीमः ॥ XXV.
1. किमिन्दुना चन्दनवारिणा वा किमब्जकन्दैरभिनन्दवत्सलः ।
विचिन्त्यतामान्तरतापशान्तये स केवलं विक्रमशीलनन्दनः । pp. 39, 63, 80.
पृथ्वी पतिर्जयति विक्रमशीलजन्मा p. 262.
2. See Smith op. cit. P. 414.
3. इति श्रीमद्विक्रमशील देव महाविहारीयराजगुरुपण्डितभिक्षुश्रीजिनरक्षितकृता बालार्क स्तुतिटीका
समाप्ता ॥
P. 519. History of Indian Logic
4. Vide Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXI, P. 258.
There are other striking verses in the Râmacarita in which mention has
been made of the father of his patron king Häravarşa'. Here Haravarṣa is des-
cribed as the son of Vikramasila. Who this Vikramasila is, is again a formidable
question. Or is it a mere epithet? Be that as it may, the word Vikramasila
very forcibly reminds us of the famous Vikramasîla monastery of the Buddhists
which was founded by Dharmapâla. Is it then very impossible to identify
this Vikramasila with king Dharmapala the founder of the Vikramasila
monastery? On the contrary, this seems to be quite likely as it is confirmed
by the colophon of the Sragdhardstotratika³ noticed by late S. C.
Vidyabbaṣaṇa. Dharmapála had two sons in Tribhuvanapala and Devapāla.
In the Khalimpur Grant Tribhuvanapala is mentioned as Yuvaraja but in the
Monghyr Grant Devapala succeeds his father. In the second half of the 9th
century Devapâla attained great fame and popularity as a ruler.
Looking to the mass of evidence given above we have no other alterna-
tive than to identify Hâravarsa or Yuvarâja the patron king of Abhinanda
with Deva pála son of Dharmapála otherwise known as Vikramasila.
Another confirmatory evidence in support of the proposed identification
is obtained by comparing a statement in the Monghyr Grant of Devapâla
with another made by Abhinanda in his Ramacarita. In the Monghyr
Grant we find the following remarkable verse describing Devapàla :-
यः पूर्वे बलिना कृतः कृतयुगे येनागमद्भार्गवस्त्रेतायां प्रहतः प्रियप्रणायना कर्णेन यो द्वापरे ।
विच्छिन्नः कलिना शकद्विधि गते कालेन लोकान्तरं येन त्यागपथः स एव हिं पुनः विस्पष्टमुन्मीलितः ॥
Here Devapala is warmly praised for reviving the path of liberality
which was opened up by Bali in the Krtayuga and continued by Bhargava in
Treta, Karna in Dvãpara and Sakadviṭ Vikramaditya in the Kali age but was
obliterated after the death of the last named king.
The same idea is expressed in several stanzas in the Ramacarita
describing Haravarsa's liberality :-
1. न त्यागशक्तिमधिगच्छति कश्चिदर्थी नास्त्येव विक्रमगुणस्य समः सपत्नः ।
अर्था विशन्ति पथि यस्य धियश्च शास्त्रमेकः स विस्मयकरः परचक्रभीमः ॥ XXV.
1. किमिन्दुना चन्दनवारिणा वा किमब्जकन्दैरभिनन्दवत्सलः ।
विचिन्त्यतामान्तरतापशान्तये स केवलं विक्रमशीलनन्दनः । pp. 39, 63, 80.
पृथ्वी पतिर्जयति विक्रमशीलजन्मा p. 262.
2. See Smith op. cit. P. 414.
3. इति श्रीमद्विक्रमशील देव महाविहारीयराजगुरुपण्डितभिक्षुश्रीजिनरक्षितकृता बालार्क स्तुतिटीका
समाप्ता ॥
P. 519. History of Indian Logic
4. Vide Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXI, P. 258.