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South
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PART-IV
ADDENDA
II. INSCRIPTIONS AT VIJYANAGARA
No.153.
ON A JAINA TEMPLE AT VIJAYANAGARA
Next
to No.152, this is the oldest dated inscription at
Vijayanagara, It is engraved on both sides of the north-west
entrance of ruined Jaina temple, which is situated to the
south-west of the temple No.35, on the Madras Survey Map.
A careless transcript and paraphrase in the Asiatic
Researches has been useful so far as it enables Mr. R.
Sewell to complete the pedigree of the first Vijayanagara
dynasty in his Lists of Anitiquities.
The
inscription is written in large and handsome characters,
which are, however, considerably obliterated in consequences
of the useful coating with chunnam. It records, in Sanskrit,
prose and verse, that in the Parabhava year, which
was current after the expiration of the Saka year 1348 (line
25), king Devaraja II. built a stone-temple (chaityalaya or
chaityagara) of the Arhat Parsvantha (1.5)or
Parsva-Jinesvara (1.27) in a street (vithi) of the
Pan-supari Bazar (Kramuka-paranapana, 1.4 or
Parna-pugiphalapana, 1.25) at his residence Vijayangara
(1.4) or vijayanagari (1.6), which belonged to the Karnata
country (11.4 and 6).
The
chief value of the inscription consists in the pedigree,
which it gives no less than three times, of the first
Vijayangara dynasty:-
1.Bukka
(11.1,9,24) of the race of Yadu (Yadu-kula, 1.8, or
yadavanvaya , 1.1)
2.His
son, Harihara (II.) (11,2,10,24) , maharaja (1.2).
3.His
son, Devaraja (I.) (11, 2 ,13,24), maharaja (1.2).
4.His
son, Vijaya (II.13,15,16,19,20,24) or Vira-Vijaya (1.2)
5.His
son, Devaraja (II.) (II, 15,18,19,20,22,24),
Abhinava-Devaraja (11.3f.), or Vira-Devaraja (1.16), maharaja
(1.4), rajadhiraja,
rajaparamesvara, etc. (11.3 and 23).
VIJAYANAGARA
INSCRIPTION OF DEVARAJA II
In
the subjoined genealogical table of the first or Yadava
dynasty of Vijayanagara, the names of the father and of the
elder brother of Bukka and those Saka dates, for which no
references are given in the foot-notes, are taken from
Mr.Fleetâs table of the same dynasty.
TABLE:-
Click
here to... Samgama
During
the reign of Devaraja II. thecity of Vijayanagara was
wvisited By âAbduâr-razzaq as an ambassador of Sultan
Shah Rukh of Samarkand, a son of the great Timur.
âAbduâr-razzaq informs us, that he stayed at
Bijanagar (Vijayanagara), the capital of Deo Rai (Devaraja
II.), from the close of Zuâl-hijja A.H. 846 = end
of April A.D. 1443 to the 12th Shaâbdin A.H.
847 = 5th December A.D. 1443. An English translation of
his own account of his journey is included in Elliot and
Dowsonâs History of India. Curiously the Thousand and one Nights, where it forms
part of the Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Pari Banu.
This is one of the twelve doubtful stories, the
originals of which are not found in the existing Arabic MSS.
of the Nights. The
late Professor Weil was of opinion, that they were probably
contained in the fourth, volume of the Paris MS., which was
lost after Gallandâs death; and two of the missing stories
have since been actually recovered by M.Zotenberg. In
âAbuâr-razzaqâs account of Vijayanagara, we possess
the dated original, from which part of the Story of
Prince Ahmad was taken.
In the absence of works of reference, I cannot say if
this fact,-which furnishes us with a terminus a quo for
the compilation of that story,-has been notices before.
According
to âAbuâr-razzaq, Devaraja II, issued the following
coins:-I. Gold: (1) vardha;(2)partab=½ Varaha;(3)fanam=
1/10 partab. II. Silver:tar=1/6 fanam. III.
Copper:Jital=1/3 tar. Pagodas or vardhas with the
legend , which on some copies is corrupted into , are
described by dr. Bidie, who also figures a pagoda of Bukka.
The name partab, which âAbduâr-razzaq
attributes to the half pagoda, is probably connected with
the surname Pratapa, which occurs before the namesof
Vijayanagara kings both on coins and in inscriptions.
Dr. Bain of Bangalore possesses a half pagoda with
the legend (sic)
and of the sake type as the corresponding pagoda. Two
quarter pagodas in my cabinet have on the obverse an
elephant which faces the left, and on the reverse the legend
***. No
fanam or silver coin with Devarajaâs name has been
hitherto discovered.
Copper coins of Devaraja are very common in the
South-Indian bazaars. They have on the obverse a bull or an elephant, and on
the reverse the legends ***, ***, *** , or ***
TRANSLATION
Let
there be prosperity ! (Verse 1.) May the religion of
the lord of three worlds, the religion of Jina, the
unfailing characteristic of which is the glorious and
extremely mysterious scepticism, be victorious !
(Line 1.).
The victorious and illustrious
prince Vira-Vijaya sprang from the brave prince Devaraja
(I.), who resembled the king of the gods and who was
descended in his turn from the glorious majharaja Harihara
(II), whose body was produced by the results of the good
deeds of the illustrious kind Bukka, who, just as the
full-moon from the ocean, (rose) from the illustrious
Yadava race (Yadavanvaya).
The virtuous maharaja
Abhinava Devaraja (i.e., the young Devearaja, or
Devaraja II, (who sprang) from this (Vira Vijaya),
just as a heap of large rubies from the Rohan mountain,
who made the throne
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of his empire firm by polity and valour,
and who was know by the surnames of rajadhiraha,
rajaparamesvara, etc., -in order that his fame and merit
might last as lons as the moon and the stars, -caused a
temple (chaityalaya) of stone to be built to the Arhat
Parsvanatha, -who rules over
the empire
of all knowledge,
and who well knew how to proclaim the doctrine of skepticism
(syadvada-vidya),-in
a street of the Pan-supari Bazar (Kramuka-parnapana)
at his (the kingâs) residence Vijayanagara, that
was situated in the midst of (the country called) Karnata-desa,
which was protected by his orders.
(verse
2). There was a country (desa), Karnata by name,
which was the abode of all wealth, and which equaled heaven,
the seat of the gods.
(Verse
3.) In this (country) there is a city, called
Vijayanagari, whose lovely places are as high as mountains,
and than which none among the cities is more important in
great power.
(Line
7). Through the mass of the rays, (which issue from)
its golden walls, and which are reflected in the water of
its moat, this (city) closely resembles the earth,
that is surrounded by the girdle of the ocean, which is
encircled by the luster of the submarine fire (badaba )
(Verse
4) The illustrious, brilliant and wise king Bukka,-who
is the ornament of the race of Yadu (yadu-kula) who
has reached the highest point of power and beauty, whose
appearance is as lovely as that of Rama, who has acquired
wealth by his good fortune, who has subdued (all)
quarters by his valour, (who crushes) the crowd or
rival kings, just as young elephant a group of lotuses, and
whose arrows split the heads of the kings of his enemies,
-shines on earth (and) watcher over it.
(Verse
5) Resplendent is his son, king Harihara (II), whose
strength is well-known, (who has proved) a splendid
helmsman in crossing the great ocean of poverty, who has
equaled the bearer of the axe
by his gifts of land and the son of the sun
by his gifts of gold, and who had deposited his fame in
pillars of victory (jayastambha), which he erected in
a uninterrupted line on the shore of the great ocean.
(Verse
6) From him sprang the most excellent and illustrious
lord Devaraja (I), the worship (nirajana) of whose
louts-feet was performed with a lamp, (that consisted of )
the precious stones, which were set in the glittering
diadems on the multitude of the heads of the excellent
kings of his enemies;
(who gladdened)the learned, just as the moon the
night-lotuses; who was a mine of well-know prowess; and who
was voluntarily chosen as husband by (Lakshmi) the
mistress of heroes.
(Verse
7) Victorious in this world is his son, the liberal
prince Vijaya, who is to be respected an account of his
pious deeds, who has put an end to the distress of beggars
by his gifts, who has crushed the armies of his foes, ad the
light of the courage of whose numerous enemies was
extinguished by the (mere) tough of the violent
wind, that was produced by his banners, which were raised (or:
by the comet, which rose) at the very moment of the
starting of his victorious expeditions.
(Verse
8) Just as Jayanta from (Indra) the conqueror of
(the demon) Jambha, and just as the full-moon from
the ocean, there was born in this world from that prince
Vijaya the passionless and illustrious king Devaraja (II.).,
whose sword was engaged in destroying numbers of lives,
-just as the king of serpents is engaged in swallowing
masses of
wind,-
of rival kings, who met (him) in mighty battles,
which were fought with excessive fury.
(Verse
9) Resplendent is the lord of the earth, the illustrious
Vira-Devaraja (II.), whose body was produced by the power of
the austerities of prince Vijaya; who removed the great
distress of the crow of his prostrated enemies (by
pardoning them); and whose enemiesâ great fortitude,
as a mass of clouds, - was scattered by the (mere)
touch of the violent wind, that was produced by (the
flapping of ) the ears, - which resembled
winnowing-baskets- of the troop of his elephants, who were
longing for battles, that raged with fierce fury.
(Verse
10) (Ever) rising is this lord Devaraja (II.) the eyes
of the wives of the crowd of whose rival kings are filled
with showers of tears, - as if it were by the dense smoke of
the fire of (his) prowess, - by the dust, (which
rises from) the earth, that is split by the hoofs of his
steeds, which are terrible in their attack; and who, just as
the sun (dispels) darkness,(subdues) the
excessive anger,- which is indefatigable I bold challenges,-
of many brave and daring warriors of the opposite party.
(Verse
11.) In consequence of the rising of the sun, which is
called the prowess of the illustrious lord Devaraja (II.),
the son of king Vijaya, there spreads its splendour over the
whole world the white lotus-flower of his fame, in which the
points of the compass are the petals, the golden mountain (Meru)
the seed-vessel,
the elephants of the quarters the
bees, and the oceans so many drops of honey.
(Verse
12.)Since the famous and illustrious lord Devaraja(II.),
the son of Vijaya, is making gifts, the praise of Karna has
ceased; Dadhichi and others are worthy of
blame; even the clouds (megha) have turned useless (mogha);
nobody thinks of the thinking-jewel (chintamani); the
kalpa-trees appear very small (alpha); and the
heavenly cow (naichiki) confesses her inferiority (nichata).
(Verse
13.) This excellent prince Devaraja (II.) (who
resembles) the tree of heaven (by his liberality) to
Brahmanas, is sporting with his queens, (viz) the
river of (his) fame, the earth and the goddess of
speech. Verily, he resembles Sauri (Vishnu), but has
not to beg for his revenue (bali), (while Vishnu in
his dwarf-incarnation begged land from Bali); he
resembles the moon, but is spotless; he resembles Sakra (Indra),
but does not destroy families (gotra), (while Indra split
the mountains:-gotra);
and he resembles the sun, but never transgresses the right
course, (while the sun daily changes his course in the
sky).
(Verse
14.) His form is al lovely as that of Cupid, and he
overcomes the great pride of women. His own surnames(birudu)
are rajadhiraja, rajaparamesvara,etc.
(Verse
15.)In power, he resembles king Bukka, in liberality-the
lord Harihara (II.), in prowess-the illustrious lord
Devaraja (I.), and in wisdom-king Vijaya.
!Verse
16 to 20.) This
illustrious lord Devaraja (II.) who was famed both for
wisdom and modesty, caused to be built in a street of the
above-mentioned city,in
the Pan-supari Bazar (Parna-pugiphalapana), when the
Saka year measured by the (cyclic) year Parabhava,
on Karttiki (i.e., on the day of the full-moon in
the month of Karttika), in order to propagate (his)
merit and fame , a temple (chaityyagara) of
stone, which gives delight to the good, which is a bridge
for (his) whole merit, and which shall last as long
as the earth, the sun and the moon, to the blessed Parsva,
the lord of Jinas, who has maimed the arrogant bombast of
evil-speakers by establishing the doctrine of skepticism (syadvada-mata),
who is celebrated as a lion to the herd of extremely
furious elephants:- the eighteen sins (dosha), who is
a sun, (which gladdens) the good, like lotuses, who
is to be praised by Indra and all other lords of the gods,
who is the beloved husband of the goddess of salvation, and
who is an ocean of mercy.
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