South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

chiefs could not agree upon the selection of a successor. Kṛishṇarâya resolved to make use of this state of things, and to acquire for himself the kingdom. To accomplish his designs, he sent a wily and unscrupulous Brâhmaṇ to Kôṇḍavîḍu. This Brâhmaṇ was directed to set up and consecrate a new image in the temple of Gôpînâthasvâmin at the foot of the fort, and to invite the seventy-two chiefs to the celebration of these rites. They descended from their hill-fortress and were all seated in the great hall. From thence one by one the priest led them to the inner shrine to view the new image. As they stepped into the inner hall, and bowed at the threshold, two ruffians, who were concealed in the chamber, stepped forward, and before the victim had time to raise a cry, precipitated him into a deep well whose mouth it was impossible to discover amid the surrounding gloom. When all had thus found their death, Kṛishṇarâya had no difficulty in seizing the fort. In a Telugu chronicle extracted by Mr. Sewell^[1] the name of the wicked Brâhmaṇ is given as Râmayya Bhâskaruḍu. It is hardly necessary to point out that the story, as it stands, is incompatible with the historical facts. Whether it is purely fictitious or based on events which occurred at a different time, cannot be decided at present. At any rate it shows once more that local traditions and local chronicles, by themselves, have no historical value, even when they refer to events of comparatively modern times.^[2]

The date of the capture of Kôṇḍavîḍu is given several times, expressed in words, letters and figures.^[3] It took place on Saturday, the Harivâsara of the bright half of the month Âshâḍha in the Śaka year 1437. For Śaka-Saṁvat 1437 expired, this corresponds to Saturday, the 23rd June, A.D. 1515, when the twelfth tithi of the bright half of Âshâḍha ended 3 h. 24 m. after mean sunrise.^[4]

Vv. 16-19 give a short genealogy of the two ministers Appa and Gôpa. They were the sons of the minister Timma, who belonged to a family from Nâdiṇḍla^[5] and to the gôtra^[6] of Kauśika, and his wife Kṛishṇâmbâ or Kṛishṇamâmbâ who was the sister of Sâḷva-Timma, as appears from vv. 19 and 28, where Appa and Gôpa are called Sâḷva-Timma’s sister’s sons (bhâginêya). Later on, however, in v. 30 Gôpa is incidentally spoken of as his son-in-law (jâmâtṛi), and in v. 27 as his younger son-in-law (jâmâtary=avarê), which term, if used in its strict sense, would imply that both brothers were married to daughter of Sâḷva-Timma, their cousins. Of the following verses, vv. 20-23 are in praise of Nâdiṇḍla-Appa, vv. 24-28 are glorifying Nâdiṇḍla-Gôpa, and vv. 29-34 give a description of the latter’s pious gifts. With v. 35 the text returns to Nâdiṇḍla-Appa, the list of whose donations fills vv. 36-59. Of

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^[1] Sketch of the Dynasties of Southern India, p. 48.
^[2] Of course, this does not exclude that some of their statements may be correct. The account of the Telugu chronicle, for instance, is partly confirmed by the inscriptions and the Portuguese chronicle.
^[3] For details I refer to the translation.
^[4] My thanks for the calculation of this and the following dates are due to Prof. Kielhorn who has also favoured me with the following additional remarks regarding the term Harivâsara. According to Molesworth’s Marâṭhi Dictionary, Harivâsara is a term for the first quarter of the 12th lunar day, and a common term for the 12th lunar days of the light fortnight of the months Âshâḍha, Bhâdrapada, and Kârttika, upon which, respectively, occur the nakshatras Anurâdhâ, Śravaṇa, and Rêvatî. In according with the latter meaning we find e.g. in two Bombay Pañchâṅgas for Śaka 1789 and1814 Harivâsara written opposite to Âshâḍha-śukla-paksha 12, with, in either case, the Anurâdhâ-nakshatra, but not in a Bombay Pañchâṅga for Śaka 1812, where the nakshatra on Âshâḍha-śukla-paksha 12 was Viśâkhâ. That in the inscription also Harivâsara is used with the same meaning, is proved by the fact that on the day in question the moon was in the nakshatra Anurâdhâ by the equal-space system and according to Garga for 1 h. 58 m. after mean sunrise. With regard to the origin of the name, it may be pointed out here that the 12th tithi of the bright half of Âshâḍha was considered to be pre-eminently auspicious for the worship of Vishṇû. The Dharmasindhu says ‘Âshâḍha-śukla-dvâdaśyâṁ Vâmana-pûjanêna naramêdha-phalam.’ It is therefore also called Vaishṇava-tithi (Ind. Ant. Vol. XXVI. p. 333, No. 17) and described as mahâtithi (ibid. Vol. XIII. p. 131, Plate IV. A, l. 16). Harivâsara must not be confounded with Haridina which, according to Molesworth, is simply a term for the êkâdaśî or 11th day of the waxing or waning moon, and in this sense occurs e.g. in Inscriptions in the Mysore District, Part I. p. 63 (Harêr=dinê).
^[5] On Nâdiṇḍla, the modern Nâdeṇḍla, see below, p. 115 and note 4.
^[6] Here called anvaya.