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No. 55)
INSCRIPTION FROM BANTVALA
301
Anupallavi : The foot of the lord, the Preceptor, which has created the world, is without beginning, middle or end. It is beyond nāda and śruti. It is to be seen and understood through sādhana.
Charanas : The mortals made of the three gunas (viz., sattva, rajas and tamas) contemplate the foot of the Preceptor which is free from these constant attributes. Countless great saints contemplate the foot of the Preceptor in their hearts. All the living world as represented by the celestial, human, teptilian, aerial and animal beings as well as the movable and immovable (i.e., animate and inanimate) are but the light (reflected] from the dust on the Preceptor's foot. The. noble Vatapura is the abode of the Preceptor.
The name of the composer of the song occurs in line 7 as Srivasa kțishna. Enquiries reveal that the donor was a pious man who was an ardent lover of poetry and music. It may be surmised that he himself composed the song. The text, however, refers to the composer as hailing from Sirivala which we are unable to identify.
TEXT
1 Om [1] Räga kāpi ashtatāļa (varasa] [*) Guruviind-adhika daivavilla sad-guru vinah. 2 mukti doregombud-illa i pallavi || Adi-madhy-anta-rabitavu | jagad-adi3 nirmita gurunāthana padavu | näd-ādi-frutig-agocharavu | bhalba)lu sādhisi ti4 lidu-no(nő)diro guru-padavu | Guņa[tri]ti(ti)y-âtma mūrtiyaru nitya-guna-virahi6 ta guru-pāda-dhyāniparu gananey=illada yogi[svara]ru | hriday-āmgañadali guru-pa6 da-dhyāniparu | Sa(Su)ra-nar-õraga-khaga-mrigavu char-achara jagat guru-pada-ront
tēja7 [sa]vu | Vara-Vațapura guru-yiravu | Sirivalada Sri(Sri)vāsakrishnana sald-gu]öruvu ||
yama-niya8 m-adya-ashtāmga-yoga-sampannar-āda Komkaņa-dēsi(si)ya Gauda-Sārasvata Brāhmana
(jñā)9 tists)ya' guru-parāmparyaKäsi-mata(tha)da Suyatimdratirtha Sripădamgaļevara kara-Ica10 mala-samjāta Srimad Bhuvanēndra-tirtha Sripādamgaļavaru asht-amga-yoga ba11 ladim sahaj-anamda samādhiyam padedu sthita-prajñar=āgi prārabdh-anusára bhoga12 vam tirisi adya Śalivāhana Saka varusha 1808 nē Vyaya samo rada Mārgi(rga)
birsha su13 kla pratipade Bhrigu-vāra māsma)dhyānna(hna) abhija(ji)n-muhūrttakke iha
prakra(ksi)t-anusāra dēhavam tore14 du atm-ānamda chidābhā nāma aikya nirupādhika punarāvartti-rahita sāśvi(sva)ta māksh
änamdava15 min-aidid-ā ériguruvarar-āmghriya (ē]kāmta bhakt-ānubhaktar-ādha(da)vara pāda-kamala.
rēņugaļimda
1 From impressions. • The reading is doubtful and the meaning not clear. . The reading is doubtful.
Could the reading be jā° in the sense of caste ! * Read püramparya. The akshara san is the abbreviated form of samratara the last letter (ra) of which, however, is also inscribed.