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No. 4.]
PORUMAMILLA TANK INSCRIPTION : SAKA 1291.
107
(V. 12) This king Samgama, having worshipped the gods Hari and Hara, obtained by their grace a son, king Harihara.
(V. 13) The supreme lords of the Middle Countryl (Madhya-dēša) extending from the eastern to the western ocean, viz. the celebrated (kings) of the Solar and Lunar races, were occupied in doing "foot-salutation to him.
(V. 14) From his causing hostile kings to tremble his uterine brother was (known) in the world (as) king Kampana. After him his younger brother Bukka, the crest-jewel among kings, the husband of Lakshmi, was the enjoyer of the Earth, who was perfectly constant (to him).
(V. 15) (Then) were born Mārapa and Muddapa, two brothers of king Bukka. And these five virtuous sons were incarnations of the Pandavas in the age of Kali.
(V. 16) Vāgudēva, who loves his worshippers and (who had acted) in former times (as) the messenger (and) the charioteer of the Pāņļavas, (having countless incarnations), became also the minister of these in the form of Anamta.
(V. 17) Through having Anantarāja for his minister king Bukka ruled over the whole surface of the earth and acquired the glory of Děvēmdra.
(V. 18) His city, Vijaya by name, (was situated on the bank of the Tumga-bhadra near (the temple of the blessed Viräpäksha (Śiva), well propitiated on account of steady adoration.
(V. 19) Formerly the number of the song of Sasabindu (was very great) in the world. That is but a story ! ) The countless bons of king Bukka were exalted through triumph.
(V. 20) Out of these song king Bukka had placed Bhāskara, exalted through the glory of independent sovereignty, in the eastern direction (of his empire).
(V. 21) And he ruling from the top of the sublime Udays-giri. the earth freed from the thorns (of enemies), though Bhāskura, (i.e. the San, is still) the delighter of the Earth and beloved of the Brāhmaṇas.
(V. 22) Making charities in various ways in keeping with the treatise of Hēmādri, he heard that the merit attaching to the gift of water was the greatest of all.
(V. 23) On the anthority of the Vedas : “ Verily all this is water!"7 And the Sruti says that : “ From water alone is produced Food; (and) Food is Brahman!"
(V. 24) There can be no doubt (that) Water alone is the seed of the world of movables and immovables. Why speak more P I shall describe the superiority of water (as follows) :
1 A. the early Vijayanagar kings had no claim to sovereignty in any part of India north of the Vindbya, Xadhyadēsa cannot have its usual significance, but most refer to the country lying between the sasters and the Western ocean, namely, the Dekkan plateau.
1 One must supply a verb like ksitavan in the first half of the verile.
• The construction of the first half of the verse is not quite clear to me. In Ch. 65 of the Drone-parvan of the Mahabharata, we are told that Sababindu had 10,000 wives, on each of whom he begat 1,000 sons. These, it is stated, he gave sway to the Brāhmaṇas in the Afvamēdha sacrifice which he performed. The countless son" of Buxka are bis meritorious acts like the sapta-ramtána mentioned in v. 9.
• This must refer to the fortification on the top of the Udaya-giri hill. Even now U. is an exceedingly strong
hill-fort
The pan on the words Kuvalaya (pight-lotas' and earth ') and doija (Brāhmaṇa and Moon') is vory common example of the Virõdhabhāsa.
• Namely, the Dāns-khanda. Hômadri was the minister of the two Yadava kings Mahidēvs (1260-71) and Ramachandra (1373-1310). See Bhandarkar, Early History of the Dekkan, pp. 88 f.
The phrase apo rá, etc. is a part of the mantra with which water is purified. Idugun is the word idam mit is pronounced by the Yajurvēdins in the recitation of Vedic texta.
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