South Indian Inscriptions

INTRODUCTION

the time of hiriya Siruparasa. The nirūpa contains several orders regarding gift of villages. The order further enjoins the office of the pārupatya, to execute all the directions pertaining to the temple, to made to Uttamanambi. This Uttamanambi had held hereditary rights of the office of sthānika of that temple. In recognition of his long services, he was honoured by the king with bracelet and gold necklace and his house was covered with golden pinnacle (Kalaśa). The lands thus donated as mānya were to be enjoyed by him, as it was in the days of Hiriya Dēvarāya-mahārāya and Vijayarāya- mahārāya.

       The relationship of Mallikārjuna and Dēvarāya needs to be reviewed in the light of the records available from Hiliyāṇa, Kanyāna, Hosāḷa and Nīlāvara. The first inscription (No. 129) dated in Śaka 1374 (1452 A.D.) refers to the rule of Immaḍi Dēvarāya-mahārāya from Vijayanagara and to the order issued by Immaḍi Mallikārjunadēvarāsya, while he was a governor of Bārakūru. We know that Mallikārjuna is also called Prauḍha Immaḍi Dēvarāja Mallikārjuna-mahārāya in an inscription from Basrūr in South Kanara District (See S.I.I., Vol. IX, pt. II, No. 460). The Kanyāna (No. 135) inscription of Śaka 1379 (1458 A.D.) mentions Prauḍha Dēvarāya-mahārāya as the ruler when Bhānappa-voḍeya was governing Bārakūru-rājya. It was on the occasion of his birthday (tamma-puṭṭida-varddhaṁti-puṁṇyakāladalu) that the grant of village was made as uṁbaḷi by the king. Also the Hosāḷa record (No. 138) dated 1459 A.D. refers to this king as Immaḍi Dēvarāya- mahārāya and records the gift of money to god Dāmōdaradēva when Mahāpradhāna Lakhanna was governing Bārakūru-rājya. It is possible in the light of the above inscriptions that Dēvarāya and Mallikārjuna are identical, since Mallikārjuna is known to have been the ruling king in Śaka 1374 (i.e., 1451 A.D.). But on the other hand, Dēvarāya II was the reigning king, and for the welfare and prosperity of whom, the gift of income from the village Hiliyāṇa situated in Kala-nāḍu was made under the orders Immaḍi Mallikārjunadēvarāya (No. 129). It could be possible that Dēvarāya II is nominally referred to as the king though by then already Mallikārjuna had ascended the throne. If this suggestion is not acceptable, the former must have been a de-facto ruler, while the latter was de-jure king.

       We know of Vīra Mallikārjunrāya as a ruler from his nelavīḍu Dōrasamudra. It states that Paṇḍaridēva-voḍeya, the governor of Bārakanyāpura, at the instance of mahāmaṇḍalēśvara Rāmachandra-daṇāyaka, took stern action by levying penals dues for the failure of payment of dues possibly connected to the temple fo Durgābhagvati by the Sixteen Jagattu and 300