Epigraphia Indica Vol 03

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 50

No. 4.]
BITRAGUNTA GRANT OF SAMGAMA II.
kings, the lion to the troops of the furious elephants of the lords of elephants, horses and men." - Thas 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 Pasopati (Šiva), who is an ocean of compassion, appeared in the form of Srikanthanatha, inspiring (the king) with miraculous intelligence.
(V. 13.) While this venerable person was expounding the truths of Mahégvera (Siva), (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 ascetica (yati); wbile, 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 Samgama [ 11.], 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 agrahára. Therefore, O king, grant some village !"
(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 Paka. The town (pura) called Vikramasimha resembles its front-ornament. At a distance of three yojanas to the north of this lies the splendid village called Bittarakunta. This (village) the king gave away, in order to please (his) preceptor.
(V. 20.) In the saka year which was measured by the elephants (8), the mountains (7), and the suns (12),- (in figures) 1878,- in the (cyclic) year Durmukha, in the third month, on (the day of a combination of the moon and the sun,' at the anniversary (of his father's death ?),-the glorious king Samgama (IL.), who was anxions for the welfare of his elders, granted to thirty Brahmanas 6 who followed the conduct (prescribed in the Vedas, the village of Bitragunta, in order to procure immortality to his father.
(V. 21.) On this village), which was famed on earth by the other name of Bitragunta, (the king), who resembled a lord of ascetics, conferred the new name of Srikanthapura.
(V. 22.) As far as the land of Pusalapada, as far as the pond called Mallékunţa, as far as the neighbourhood of Papataputa, and as far as the canal from which salt is produced ;
(V. 23.) The boundaries of this excellent agrahdra in the eastern, southern, western and northern directions are thus successively declared.
Similar dirudan occur in many Vijayanagara inscriptions, eg. in the inscription of Harihara I., Ind. ant. Vol. X. p. 63.
* According to Beal's translation of the 81-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, Afvapati and Narapati. The first, tbird and fourth of these are referred to in our text and in a number of inscriptions of other dynasties and periode, piz, in inscriptions of the kings of Kannuj (Ind. Ant. Vol. XV. pp. 9-18), 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).
• 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 papil.
. se on a new-moon day. See the Amarakba, i. 4, verse 8 :- HTET HTET FÅ: #:.
Properly speaking, there were thirty shares, but only twenty-eight Brábmaņas, the second and third of whom received two shares each ; see verses 27 to 83.
• Lavanaprabhili may also be the proper name of the canal.