North Indian Inscriptions

BITRAGUNTA GRANT OF SAMGAMA II.

kings,¹ the lion to the troops of the furious elephants of the lords of elephants, horses and men.”²— Thus do crowds of bards loudly (and) continuously proclaim his surnames in this world.

......(V. 12.) In order to give instruction in philosophy to that ruler of the earth, who possessed to such a degree as stated before the art to please (the world by possessing) all virtues, (and) whose fame was boundless,— the blessed Paśupati (Śiva), who is an ocean of compassion, appeared in the form of Śrîkaṇṭhanâtha, inspiring (the king) with miraculous intelligence.

......(V. 13.) While this venerable person was expounding the truths of Mahêśvara (Śiva), (the conduct of the king was so righteous that) most of the ancient kings appeared to have been produced afresh on earth.

......(V. 14.) By the mere prostration at his feet, salvation (mukti) is in the reach of ascetics (yati) ; while, through austerities, nothing but exhaustion of the body is obtained.

.......(V. 15.) His glances are the keys for opening the panels of the door of the path to final emancipation (kaivalya) to those who desire bliss in the other (world).

......(V. 16.) Once, when (his) beloved disciple, king Saṁgama [II.], waited upon him, the preceptor commanded him (as follows), with a glance which was full of great love :—

......(V. 17.) “It pleases me to urge you to bestow some agrahâra. Therefore, O king, grant some village !”³

......(V. 18.) With folded hands (and) bent head, the lord of the rulers of the earth received this command of (his) preceptor.

......(V. 19.) On the shore of the Eastern ocean is a district (vishaya) of boundless greatness, called Pâka. The town (pura) called Vikramasiṁha resembles its front-ornament. At a distance of three yôjanas to the north of this lies the splendid village called Biṭṭarakuṇṭa. This (village) the king gave away, in order to please (his) preceptor.

......(V. 20.) In the Śaka year which measured by the elephants (8), the mountains (7), and the suns (12),— (in figures) 1278,— in the (cyclic) year Durmukha, in the third month, on (the day of) a combination of the moon and the sun,⁴ at the anniversary (of his father’s death ?),— the glorious king Saṁgama [II.], who was anxious for the welfare of his elders, granted to thirty Brâhmṇas⁵ who followed the conduct (prescribed) in the Vêdas, the village of Biṭraguṇṭa, in order to procure immortality to his father.

......(V. 21.) On this (village), which was famed on earth by the other name of Biṭraguṇṭa, (the king), who resembled a lord of ascetics, conferred the (new) name of Śrîkaṇṭhapura.

......(V. 22.) As far as the land of Pûsalapâḍa, as far as the pond called Mallêkuṇṭa, as far as the neighbourhood of Pâpaṭapuṭa, and as far as the canal from which salt is produced ;—⁶

......(V. 23.) The boundaries of this excellent agrahâra in the eastern, southern, western and northern directions are thus successively declared.
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......¹ Similar birudas occur in many Vijayanagara inscriptions, e.g. in the inscription of Harihara I., Ind. Ant. Vol. X. p. 63.
......² According to Beal’s translation of the Si-Yu-Ki, Vol. I. p. 13, the Southern, Western, Northern and Eastern parts of India are supposed to be ruled over by four mythical monarchs,— Gajapati, Chhattrapati, Aśvapati and Narapati. The first, third and fourth of these are referred to in our text and in a number of inscriptions of other dynasties and periods, viz. in inscriptions of the kings of Kanauj (Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. pp. 9-13), of the Kalachuri kings (ibid. Vol. XVII. pp. 225 and 227), of the Chandellas (ibid., p. 230), and in certain forged inscriptions (ibid. Vol. VIII. p. 91).
......³ The impolite manner in which the great man addresses the king, is intended as a specimen of the power which the preceptor possessed over his pupil.
......⁴ i.e. on a new-moon day. See the Amarakôśa, i. 4, verse 8 :—
......⁵ Properly speaking, there were thirty shares, but only twenty-eight Brâhmaṇas, the second and third of whom received two shares each ; see verses 27 to 33.
......⁶ Lavaṇaprabhûti may also be the proper name of the canal.