विक्रमादित्य [ vikramāditya ] [ vikramāditya ] m. " valour-sun " , N. of a celebrated Hindū king (of Ujjayinī and supposed founder of the ( Mālava- ) Vikrama era ( cf. [ saṃvat ] ) , which begins 58 B.C. ( but subtract 57-56 from an (expired) year of the Vikrama era to convert it into A.D. ) ; he is said to have driven out the Śakas and to have reigned over almost the whole of Northern India ; he is represented as a great patron of literature ; nine celebrated men are said to have flourished at his court ( see [ nava-ratna ] ) , and innumerable legends are related of him all teeming with exaggerations ; according to some he fell in a battle with his rival Śāli-vāhana , king of the south country or Deccan , and the legendary date given for his death is Kali-yuga 3044 ( which really is the epoch-year of the Vikrama era ) ; there are , however , other kings called Vikramâditya , and the name has been applied to king Bhoja and even to Śāli-vāhana) Lit. Inscr. Lit. Kathās. Lit. Vet.

  of a poet Lit. Cat. ( [ -kośa ] m. N. of a dictionary ; [ -caritra ] n. N. of a poem = [ vikrama-c ] ; [ -rāja ] m. N. of a king)