Page:Kings of Kashmira Vol 1 (Rajatarangini of Kalhana).djvu/11

2 KINGS 01? RiSHMfllA. The elaborate original records were epitomized by Suvrata, in order that they might ber^memberod with, ease, and so the original waB Hst. The style of Suvrata is tough and obscure. * Though Kshesandra had the powers of a poet, yet through his carelessness, his history of kings has become faulty. I have seen eleven old works on the history of kings, ar-d also the book of Nilamuni, and have corrected many errors by examining gift-deeds of ancient kings. Twelve thousand works of the history of kings were compiled by the great ascetic Hel£r&ja. No mention is made of fifty-two kings on account of their irreligion. Four of these, Gouanda, &c, are named by Nilamuni ; Padmamihira following Heliraja gives an acoount of eight kings, descendants of Ashoka from Lava ; and Shrichohhavillaka speaks of ^ five only. He writes, " from Ashoka to Abhimanyu five kings have been named out of fifty-two." These fifty-two kings, whose histories have not been written because of their evil works, were contemporaneous with the Kauravas and the Kaunteyas of the "Kali Tuga.- Thoy reigned with might, rode elephants, attained great prosperi- ty, asd in their houses were ladies, hidden from view like moon-light iu the open day; yet these great men are not now knovru or remembered, as if they had never been born, simply because poets did not favor