South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

TRANSLATION.

(Verse 1.) The god (Vishṇu), (who is) the recipient of the abundant dalliance of the goddess Kamalâ (Lakshmî),─ in order to protect those whose only refuse are his divine lotus-feet on the whole surface of the earth where men were oppressed by the suffering produced by the Kali (age), (and) where the rise of knowledge had ceased,^[3]─ took birth (in the person of) a great saint (mahâtîrtha) named the holy Purushôttama, a pious ascetic (and) a leader of the wise.^[4]

(V. 2.) The commentary (bhâshya)^[5] pronounced by this sage is, indeed, worthy of being repeated by crowed of chiefs of saints (tîrthika), (and) a goad on every frontal globe of the furious elephants─ proud disputants.^[6]

(V. 3.) From the pair of lotus-feet of this (Purushôttama), which is worthy to be worshipped by crowds of sages, was produced^[7] the ascetic Ânandatîrtha, who caused the rising of the moon of wisdom,^[8] (and) whose hand was adorned with a staff^[9] held (in it), (and who was therefore) able to lead on the easily distinguishable path^[10] the cows of Vyâsa,^[11] which had been enticed on the wrong path by ignorant men.^[12]

(V. 4.) The charming speech proceeding from his mouth (and) consisting of words arranged in a charming manner resorts to the lotus-foot of (Vishṇu) the lord of Kamalâ, which destroys the fear of rebirth of (its) devotees.

(V. 5.) The speech of the holy preceptor (Bhagavatpâdâchârya) Ânandatîrtha (leads) indeed (already) in this life to the attainment of the pair of lotus-feet of Hari (Vishṇu).

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^[1] The rest of the inscription after is engraved very faintly. The letters can however be read from the back of the estampage.
^[2] Read º.
^[3] The reason assigned in this verse for the avatâra of Vishṇu agrees with what Kṛishṇa says in the Bhagavadgîtâ, chapter iv. verse 7 f. :─
^[4] The word sumati, ‘ the wise,’ seems to have been a standing designation of the followers of the Dvaita doctrine, just as bhavya is applied to the Jainas ; for the Râghavêndrasvâmimaṭha at Nañjangûḍ, one of the three chief Maṭhas of the Mâdhvas, is otherwise called Sumatîndramaṭha.
^[5] The commentary referred to may be assumed to have been one on the Brahmasûtras, the ten important Upanishads and the Bhagavadgîtâ─ collectively known by the name Prasthânatraya ; see Dr. Bhandarkar’s Report on the Search for Sanskrit Manuscript for 1882-83, p. 18.
^[6] The ‘ proud disputants ’ are the followers of the Advaita system of Śaṁkarâchârya.
^[7] I.e. ‘ his pupil was.’
^[8] Kaḷâkala may be taken in the sense of kalâdhara. The rising moon assists the cows which are mentioned afterwards in finding their way, and the wisdom is required for the explanation of the Vyâsasûtras.
^[9] The staff is one of the attributes of an ascetic ; but the cowherd’s stick is also implied here.
^[10] Or, ‘ on the path where the distinction (bhêda) (between Jîvâtman and Paramâtman) is quite clear,’ i.e. the
^[11] Or. ‘ the words of Vyâsa,’ i.e. the Vyâsasûtras, on which the Advaita, Viśishṭâdvaita and Dvaita systems are based.
^[12] These negligent cowherds are the followers of Śaṁkarâchârya