History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.s1.13

v1.c14.s1.13

Durlabhavardhana died in 637 A. D. having ruled for 36 years. He was succeeded by Durlabhaka or the younger Durlabha. As grandson of the old dynasty king Bālāditya, he assumed the name of Pratāpāditya. He is said to have reigned for 50 years which coming after a long reign is not quite probable. He was a most meritorious king and many stories of his justice and solicitude for the welfare of his people are related by Kalhaṇa. He established a Maṭha called Nona Maṭha for Brahmins of the Rohitaka country. When he built the temple of Tribhuvana Svāmi a shoemaker refused to give up his hut which stood in the way of the building. Durlabhaka declined to oust him by force whereon the tanner, moved by the king's high sense of justice, delivered up the land of his own free will. His queen Prakāśadevi built a Vihāra called Prakāśikā Vihāra, perhaps a Buddhist monastery. She was a Vaiśya lady and Vaiśyas have throughout Indian history usually shown a predilection for the religion of mercy and non-slaughter, that is to say Buddhism and Jainism as we shall see further on. The king's guru by name Mihiradatta (a Brahmin) built a temple to Śiva (Vishnu probably) by name Gambhira Svāmi. We mention these temples as typical of the practice of these kings, their queens and their ministers to build temples to their favourite deities. Thus the king enjoyed a long rule endeared to his people by his religiousness and justice.