Sanskrit

[Hauma Hamiddha]

kurvantu kIrtana shatAni raNA~ngaNeShu mathnantu vairinikaraM dhanam utsR^ijantu |
kAlAntare tad akhilaM prabalAndhakAra nR^ityopamaM kavijanair anibadhyamAnam ||

कुर्वन्तु कीर्तन शतानि रणाञ्गणेषु मथ्नन्तु वैरिनिकरं धनम् उत्सृजन्तु | कालान्तरे तद् अखिलं प्रबलान्धकार नृत्योपमं कविजनैर् अनिबध्यमानम् ||

They may perform hundreds of famous acts, on the battle-field they may churn the enemy masses, they may donate wealth, but with the passage of time all these deeds will be like a dance performed in overpowering darkness; unless they are praised limitless by the poet-folks.

This is from the Koni stone inscription from circa CE 1200. The author kAshala was the quintessence of the erudite kShatriya before the horror years of Indian history. He declares himself as being a warrior, poet, veterinary physician of elephants and philosopher. Ironically nothing is known of him but for this inscription- in a sense he was a poet immortalizing himself.

The meter here is an unusual meter of classical Sanskrit called the upagIti meter, which is typified by 27+27 syllabic pattern in the two half verses.

raNA~ngaNeShu=on the battle field; mathnantu= to churn; vairinikaraM=enemy masses. This is a common usage sanskrit accounts of battle, and is also encountered in tamil. It is good example of how a pan-Indian phraseology that spread to local languages in the classical period.

dhanam utsR^ijantu: This phrase may have a double meaning on purpose- 1) meaning those who become famous by donating wealth or 2) those who become famous by renouncing their wealth. utsR^ijati may be interpretted as renouncing wealth.