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Having visited Dahala (Bundlekhand) and Oudh, he performed his devotions at Somnath. His tour extended South to Rameswara, when he turned back and finally there Vikrama .gave him the place of Vidyapati in his Court at Kalyan. The .third and the fourth quarters of Hj£ nth century embrace in all ^probability the career of Bilhana. For,
(i) The two Kings Ananta and Kalasa referred to by Bilhana as having passed away before him did according to General Cunningham reign from 1028 to 1088 A. D.
{ii) The story as related in the Vikrama Charita concludes with a Chola war and is silent as regards the expedition of 1088 beyond the Narmada,
•(iii) Kalhanasays (Raj. VII, 936} that Bilhana lived to see Harsha, son of Kalasa on the throne.
(iv) Bilhana mentions Kama of Dahala as his patron, whose kingdom was destroyed by Somesvara I. The latter died about 1069. Bilhana's reference must therefore he dated earlier.
(v) Bilhana speaks of Bhoja of Dhar as a contemporary to whom he omitted to pay a visit.
The Vikramankadevacharita, a Mahakavyain 18 cantos,
describes the life of the poet's patron Vikrama. His other
•work the Chaurapanchasikz describes his company with a royal
princess Sasilekha whose tutor he was and with whom hfc had
a Gandharva intrigue. His drama Karnasundari will find a
place in a later, chapter.
As a poet Bilhana ranks high. The difficulty of transforming history into poetry did really mar his high poetic merits,