पृष्ठम्:रामचरितम् - सन्ध्याकरनन्दी.pdf/१७

RĀMACARITA. city was planted with many gardens, and many large tanks were excavated in it, and market places there contained merchandise from various quarters of the earth. The king himself excavated a tank as large as an ocean, with sides as high as chains of mountains on the seaside. An eastern potentate propitiated him with large clephants, chariots, and armour, for extending his protection to him. He conquered Utkala and restored it to the Nagavamsis; and so he ruled all the countries down to Kalinga. Mayana conquered Kamarüpa and other countries for the king. Rāmapāla tried to surround himself by men eminent in science and literature. His prime-minister was Bodhideva, the son of Yogadeva, the hereditary prime-minister of the Pala family. His war minister was Prajapati Nandi, the father of Sandhyakara Nandi, the author of the Rāmacarita, a Brāhmaṇa of Varendra distribution in Bengal. Sandhyakara had the rare advantage of the position of his father to know fully and minutely the military strength of the Pala empire. His book is, therefore, of a great value as a record of the contemporary history of the later Pālas. His chief medical officer was Bhadrešvara, both a physician and a poet. The grandfather of Bhadresvara, Devagana by name, was the court physician of that Govinda Candra, contemporary of Mahipala and Rajendra Coda, so well known in Bengali songs. Bhadresvara's son was Suresvara, the author of a Sanskrit dictionary of medical botany, who served under a king named Bhima Pala, the ruler of Padi, perhaps the same Bhima who wrested northern Bengal from the Palas for a time. His Council. 15 The Death of Ramapāla. Ramapāla lived at Rāmavatī, leaving the cares of his government to his son. The country prospered greatly, and he was never disturbed by wicked people. Rajyapāla governed the kingdom with wisdom and tact, which much pleased his father Ramapala. Just at this time, Mathana, his friend, died. When residing at Munger, the king heard of his death, distributed much wealth to Brāhmaṇas and entered the sacred river with a view to proceed to heaven. On his death, his enemies became very jubilant. But Kumārapāla, his son, put them down. General. Vaidyadeva-his successor's All except north Bengal revolted, but Vaidya Deva, his minister, with a strong navy restored peace to the whole empire; when Kumāra- pala was anxious to reward the merit of this useful minister, news was received that Tigmadeva, the king of Kamarupa, was meditating independence. He at once appointed Vaidya Deva the king of Kamrupa, and sent him with a strong army to dethrone Tigmadeva. Vaidya Deva easily overthrew the king and took his place.¹ Kumārapāla died shortly after. and Gopal III his son, too, after a short reign breathed his last. Madanapala, the second son of Gopala III. Rāmapāla, now became king; the short reigns of the 1 Epigraphia Indica, vol. ii, p. 347.