(V. 1.) Victorious is Bhava (i.e. ……. ) the ……. of …….. the destroyer of the demons Tripura; the soul of all being in whose heart the mindborn (Cupid) did not find ….. though a woman (I.e. Pârvati) forms one half of his body; whom the ascetion who have suppressed their passions and destroyed the multitude of darkness (of ignorance), contemplate and who is the cause of the gods that bring about the manifestation the destruction and maintenance of the universe.
(V. 2.) May the body of the Enemy of Andhaka (i.e. Śiva) grant you an eternal abode—the body of Siva which has sparkling serpents on it; bears on the forehead the slender streak of the Moon, which dispels darkness; renders the shining row of skulls brown by the lustre proceeding from his eyes; and wears the skin of a lion reddened on account of the brilliance of the jewels on the hood of serpents.
(V. 3.) The Mukhara princes, who have vanquished their foes and checked the course of evil, are the descendants of the hundred sous whom king Aśvapati got from Vaivasvata (Manu) and who were conspicuous on account of their excellences.
(V. 4.) Among them king Harivarman was first born for the welfare of the earth, who became known by the name of Jvâlâmukha (or, flame-faced), as he was honoured by the foes who were struck with terror when they saw his face red on account of the lustre of fire (i.e. anger) at the time of battle and as his splendour destroyed the wealth of the enemy and his fame pervaded the intervals of all the quarters;
(V. 5.) Whose name was worthy of fame and whose lovely excellent fame filled the worlds, while he remained, for the perpetuation of the moral laws in the world, on the path of virtue and discrimination like Manu.
(V. 6.) Like the Moon from the ocean king, Âdityavarman was born from him. Getting him, the Creator obtained, as it were, the full result of his laying down the regulations of right conduct for the four castes and stages of life.
(V. 7.) When fire was kindled during his sacrificial performances, the volume of smoke black like pitch darkness, rising on all sides and increased through the tossing and whirling produced by the wind in the sky, made the crowds of peacocks noisy, as they mistook it for a large cloud.
(V. 8.) For the obtainment of martial glory he caused the birth of Îśvaravarman, the king whose soul was pure and who invoked Indra in many a sacrifice. In the pursuit of virtue other kings in their efforts failed to equal him, whose pious conduct had uprooted the character of the Kali Age and who possessed the glory of Yayâti.
(V. 9.) Qualifying his high bravery with political wisdom, his friendship by honesty, his lofty ambition by his noble descent, his liberality by fit recipients, his might of wealth by modesty, his youth by self-restraint, his speech by truthfulness, his manner of life by the injunctions of the Śruti, and his high prosperity by humility, he never felt tired in the world, though it was immersed in the darkness of the Iron Age.
(V. 10.) At whose sacrifices, when the round of the quarters was overlaid with the smoke which arose from the fire kindled constantly in accordance with the canons and which was darkly blue like streaks of collyrium, the multitude of peacocks became noisy, their minds becoming maddened; for they thought that the rainy season, having a line of clouds bending low because of the weight of the fresh water, had set in.
(V. 11.) As the Sun (rises) from the top of the Udaya mountain, as Indra is born from the Creator, as the beauteous Kaustubha jewel, which excels the moon in splendour, came out of the Milk Ocean, the illustrious king Îśânavarman was born from him, the most firm abode of greatness, maintainer of stability amongst the beings, a resplendent moon in the sky of the circle of princes.
(V. 12.) By whom, as by the rising Sun, the world, which was sunk in the darkness of the Kali Age, where the paths of virtue were consequently obscured, was again set to work, he being a benefactor of the world, eclipsing the lustre of water-lilies in the form of the foes, illuminating the collection of lotus-like faces of his friends, and being possessed of abundant majestic splendour;
(V. 13.) Who, being victorious and having princes bending at his feet, occupied the throne after conquering the lord of the Ândhras, who bad thousands of threefold rutting elephants, after vanquishing in battle the Śûlikas, who had an army of countless galloping horses and after causing the Gauḍas, living on the seashore, in future to remain within their proper realm;
(V. 14.) The victorious one, whose watches can only be determined by means of the water clock, as if it were at night, the world being encompassed in darkness and bewildered as to the beginning, the middle or the end of the day on account of the dust which rises from the earth rent asunder by the agitation caused by the marches of his ocean-like armies on their expeditions, screens the lustre of the orbit of the sun, and pervades the quarters;
(V. 15.) By whom the earth was forcibly upheld like a broken boat, after fastening it on all sides by hundredfold virtues (or, strings), when it was sinking below the invisible ocean of the nether regions, being shaken by the storms of Kali;
(V. 16.) Whose foes on the sacrifice the battle-field gave up the ghost, when hit by (lit. having got) his arrows loosed from the bow fully bent by his arms, which were hardened owing to the growth of the wounds caused by the blows of the bowstring. When this king was ruling the earth, the three Vêdas were, so to speak, born afresh. Of him the illustrious Sûryavarman was born, who dispelled the darkness which originated in the advent of the Iron Age;
(V. 17.) Who, possessing youth that was dear to the entire world, like the new moon, being calm and devoted to the study of the Śâstras, attained the highest proficiency in fine arts; to whom Wealth, Famo, Learning and other [Muses] restored, as if in emulation. Loving women are in the world highly devoted to a beloved lover.
(V. 18.) So long virtuous conduct had to bow down before the full grown Kali, so long the arrows of Cupid were capable of troubling the bodies of the fair sex, and so long did the goddess of wealth give up taking refuge with others, whereby she had to fear sudden breakdowns, as the Creator did not bring forth his body, pleasing to mankind.
(V. 19.) Who dragged forth by means of his arm, which was surrounded by the lustre of his sparkling sword, the Riches of hostile lands, whose eyes trembled for fear of seizure of the breasts, forcibly pressed them to his bosom, as a lover (would press) his sweethearts whose mind je knew, and caused them mostly to give up the thought of going to other men.
(V. 20.) By him, who raised those who were submissive (or low), an old and dilapidates temple of the slayer of Andhaka (Śiva) was seen while hunting, and it was raised at this wish and made an ornament of the earth, resplendent like the moon and known by the name of Kshêmêśvara (the Lord of Bliss);
(V. 21.) When six hundred autumns had become increased by eleven, while the illustrious Îśânavarman, who had crushed his enemies, was the lord of the earth,
(V. 22.) That temple of the Trident-wielder (Śiva), shining like an empty cloud, was (re)constructed at the time when the clouds, having the lustre of the wild buffalo and having rain-bows stuck to their borders, stretch a canopy over the quarters, with shining and extensive lightnings, thundering deep, and when the winds blow on all sides, shaking the Nipa (Nauclea Cadamba) trees with their branches bent low on account of the multitude of new flowers.
(V. 23.) Raviśânti, the son of Kumâraśânti and resident of Garggarâkaṭa, composed the preceding [praśâsti] out of regard for the king.
It was engraved by Mihiravarman.