North Indian Inscriptions

KUNIYUR PLATES OF VENKATA II.

......(V. 21.) To his elder brother, the lord Râmarâja, whose deeds put to shame the celestial trees, were born Tirumalarâja and the famous Śrîraṅgarâya.

......(V. 22.) Of these two, Śrîraṅgarâya begat sons who possessed great modesty, were full of compassion, learned (and) famous.

......(V. 23.) Among these sons of king Śrîraṅgarâya, the glorius king Râmarâya, who was beyond the reach of the eloquence of the best poets, shone for a very long time, as the kaustubha among the gems produced from the sea.

......(V. 24.) Formerly, from the famous king Râmarâja, who resembled the holy Râmabhadra, were born,─ as the (five) celestial trees from the milk-ocean,─ five sons who were eager to gratify the desires of all scholars, who followed the path of policy, who were able to protect the world, (and) who possessed rising prosperity.

......(V. 25.) [All these] excelled Sugrîva in (the effectiveness of their) commands, were stubborn (only) in pleasing wise men, [were to be respected by the learned on account of (their) virtues, (and) had beautiful forms].

......(V. 26.) Among these kings of famous deeds, Śrîraṅgarâja, a moon on earth, was celebrated in the three worlds, as the pârijâta tree among the celestial trees.

......(V. 27.) The horses which are abandoned in battle by hostile kings who have taken to flight in great terror on hearing the loud roar of his drums, are wallowing (on the ground) through fatigue. Is it through fear of their (the king’s) being pursued that (these horses) are (thus) wiping away the foot-prints of (their) masters, which bear the (royal) marks of pitchers, parasols and flags, (and) which (now) adorn (only) the jungle ?

......(V. 28.) Through the great mercy of the lord of Śêshagiri,1 who was pleased with the great austerities of Śrîraṅgarâja, there were born to (him) two beautiful sons who were as happy as Indra.

......(V. 29.) Fond of protecting (their) subjects, (and) expert in slaying the cruel (khara) and the wicked (dûshaṇa), (these) two (princes), named Peda-Veṅkaṭêndra and the lord Pina-Veṅkaṭa, gave delight (to the world), as Râma and Lakshmaṇa (who slew the demons Khara and Dûshaṇa).

......(V. 30.) Of these two, the elder by years, prowess, liberality, profundity, firmness, scholarship and all other virtues (was) the glorious king Peda-Veṅkaṭêndra, in whose heart Hari (Vishṇu) takes up (his) abode (because he is afraid) that (his proper abode) the ocean might become land by the clouds of the dust of (his) army during his expeditions (in which he practises) the art of destroying hostile kings.

......(V. 31.) United with (his) queen Baṅgâramâmbâ, whose heavenly form is the abode of the kingdom of love, this king Veṅkaṭa shines like Śakra (Indra) with Śachî, (and) like Śauri (Vishṇu) with Ramâ (Lakshmî).

......(V. 32.) When this son king Śrîraṅgarâja,─ Veṅkaṭadêvarâya, the best of heroes,─ was anointed to the kingdom of Penugoṇḍa, then were also the learned anointed (i.e. abundantly presented) with gold.

......(V. 33.) Having been anointed according to the rule by his family preceptor, the famous Tâtayârya, the ornament of the learned, just as (Râma) the descendant of the race of Raghu himself by (Vasishṭha) the husband of Arundhatî, (and) having destroyed in an instant the Yavanas, (just as Râma) the demons,² he rules the earth victoriously.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

......¹ This is another name of Tirumalai, on which see page 238 above, note 1. The synonym Veṅkaṭaśaila occurs in verse 34 of the Kaḷḷakurśi grant.
......² For the word âśara in the sense of ‘ demon’ see Amarakôśa, i. 1, 62 :─