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No. 21] MACHUPALLE INSCRIPTION OF THE TIME OF SOMIDEVA-MAHARAJA
(i.e., Mulki-valanāḍu) obtained from Sōmidēva-Mahārāja who bore the epithets Mahamandalesvara, Trailokyamalla, Bhujabala-viranarayana and Nissankapratāpa, the village of Masaruppalli, situated near the southern gateway of Srisailam (i.e., Siddhavaṭṭam) and that Gangaya Sahaniyār in his turn made over the village as a gift (pritidānam) to Kālaḍi Vasudeva Nayaka of the Bhargava gōtra who hailed from Malaimanḍalam (i.e., Malabar). This Nayaka, again in his turn, granted a part of the village as Brahmapuri to a Brahmana, Perumal, son of Siddhamaraśar of the Pūtimasha gōtra. Of the remaining lands in the village, he gifted away one share to the temple of Siddhavatamudaiya-Nayanar for the expenses of offerings and worship at the time of the morning service (tiruppalli-eluchchi) of the deity. The rest of the lands was endowed to a Malaiyanimatha in the village for offering of alms to the ekadandi-sanyasins and for feeding MalaiyanaBrahmanas living in the matha and engaged in religious penance. The inscription ends with the usual imprecation against the destroyers of the charity and contains a final benediction that the religious faith, Mähesvaram might grow and spread.
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It will be seen that the inscription is of interest in several respects. In the first place it is to be noted that the language and script of the record is Tamil and this is important in view of the fact that the region where it is found and the chiefs mentioned therein are associated with the Telugu country. Attention will be drawn to the significance of this in the sequel. Historically, the record is of interest in the mention made in it of Mahamaṇḍalēsvara Sōmidēva-Mahārāja who, to judge from the string of birudas attached to his name, seems to be a local chief of some importance ruling over the region around Siddhavaṭṭam. As to his identity it may be observed that the birudas held by him are identical with those adopted by a line of chiefs who were further distinguished by the additional epithets of Kalukaḍa-puravaradhisvara (i.e., the lord of the best of cities, Kalukada) and Siddhavaṭadevara-divya-sri-pādārādhaka. Some members of this family are known from inscriptions in and around Siddhavaṭṭam itself. One of them was Rayadēva-Mahārāja who bore the epithets; Mahamandalesvara, Karkadapuravaradhiśvara, Trailōkyamalla, Bhujabala-vīranārāyaṇa, Pandyagajakesari, Audumbarabharana, Nissankapratāpa and Siddhwatadevaradivya-śri-pādārādhaka. One of his inscriptions found at Rayachoți,1 Cuddapah District, is dated Šaka 1155, Nandana, Ashadha su. 11 (i.e., A. D. 1232, June 30, Wednesday) and states that one Padavala Bammayan consecrated the image of Janardana-Perumal at Andapur in Kil-Mārāyapāḍi and that the chief Rāyadēva-Mahārāja granted to the deity the village of Rayanārāyaṇaputtēri as tiruvidaiyāṭṭam. The script and language of this record is Tamil like the present Machupalle inscription. The second record of this chief is found at Joti near Siddhavaṭṭam and it is dated Saka 1169, Plavanga, Jyeshtha su. 13, Vadḍavāra (ie., A. D. 1247, May 18, Saturday). Although the record starts with the prasasti of Rayadeva-Mahārāja whose birudas, as found in the Rayachōṭi inscription, are also detailed here, the date quoted is referred to the reign of Rakkasa-Gangarasa. The inscription says that one Chenti Rāmināyaka, the servant (nija-bhritya) of Rayadeva-Mahārāja made a number of benefactions on the date specified during the reign of his overlord RakkasaGangarasa. The wording of the record leaves it doubtful as to whether Rakkasa-Gangarasa is to be taken as identical with Rayadeva-Mahārāja which seems very likely since the donor Rāminayaka describes them both as his overlords. If, however, he is considered a different person nothing is known regarding the family to which he belonged. Attention may here be drawn to the mention of Rakkasa-Ganga in a contemporary Telugu literary work, the NirvachanottaraRāmāyaṇamu of Tikkana Sōmayajin from which we learn that Rakkasa-Ganga was defeated in
1 No. 446 of 1911 of the Mad. Ep. Coll.
2 No. 563 of 1915 of the Mad. Ep. Coll.
A fragmentary record mentioning a certain Rakkasa-Ganga as ruling the earth 'is found at Sivadi, Punganur taluk, Chittoor Dt.(No. 235 of 1931-2 of the Mad. Ep. Coll.) For want of sufficient data it is not possible to connect him with Rakkasa Ganga of Siddhavattam.
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