North Indian Inscriptions

KUNIYUR PLATES OF VENKATA II.

who was the support of scholars (or of gods), (and) who destroyed the inward pleasure of (his) enemies (or of bees).¹

......(V. 52.) To him was born a chief of Nâyakas, Viśvapa, a moon to the darkness (which were) hostile kings. To him was born the brave (and) glorious lord Muddukṛishṇa, who resembled (the mountain) Mêru in firmness.

......(V. 53.) He had two sons, the lord Mudduvîra and prince Tirumala, who were the receptacles of the continuous stream of the deep compassion of (the goddess) Mînâkshî and (the god) Sundarêśa,² who were resplendent with their fame which spread from the Kailâsa mountain to (Râma’s) bridge, and whose respected command (resembled) an ornament of splendid jewels in the diadems of kings.

......(V. 54.) Then, having been eagerly anointed to the sovereignty over the whole kingdom by many chiefs of ministers, (and) having obtained the whole surface of the earth through the great compassion of (the god) Sundarêśa, prince Tirumala shines (like) an Indra on earth.

......(Vv. 55-59.) Sanctioning the request of this glorious prince Tirumala,─ the strength of whose arm was hard to be resisted by the enemies, who was a Sutrâman (Indra) on earth in happiness, who was a kalpa tree on earth in liberality, whose enemies ascended high mountains as soon as he ascended (his) mighty elephant, who surpassed the enemy of the ocean (i.e. the submarine fire) in attacking a town for conquest, who spent the time in gifts of brides, food, gold and land, (and) whose beauty surpassed that of Jayanta, the Moon, and Cupid,— the glorious king Vîra-Veṅkaṭapatimahârâya joyfully made (the above) grant with libations of water (poured) over gold.³ (The names of) the Brâhmaṇas, deeply versed in the Vêdas, who received shares of this (grant), are written (here) :—

..........................(Vv. 60-118.) List of donees.

......¹ The letters ra and la or ḷa are interchangeable in such alaṁkâras ; see the commentary on Subandhu’s Vâsavadattâ, verse 1 :— .
......² These are the names of the god at the Madhurâ temple and of his consort.
......³ The Hindû Śâstras consider a charity inefficient, if not accompanied by a dakshiṇâ ; see the Bhagavadgîtâ, xvii. 13, and the Chaṇḍakauśika. Gold is invariably chosen for this purpose ; for at every gift the following anushṭubh verse is recited :—

Accordingly, during the performance of the sixteen great dânas, people who can afford it, keep a piece of gold generally a fanam, in their hand, pour water over it into the donee’s hand, and then offer the piece as dakshiṇâ. In the case of poor people, a silver or copper coin takes the place of the gold piece.
......⁴ [This erroneous form is developed from the expression Harita-sagôtra, ‘a member of the gôtra of the Haritas.’ Similar cases of popular etymology are sura, sapatna, Pramôdûta and Pramâḍîcha (South-Indian-Inscriptions, Vol. I. p. 109, note 2), and gurava (ibid. Vol. II. p. 251, note 3).— E. H.]