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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1873.
The god was much pleased to hear this, and orties with her. The Raja was consequently so much dered Bimardi to erect a temple and fort, and enraged against him that he instantly ordered said to him-"When I was living with Wenkata his hands and feet to be cut off, and his maimed Saprumal on the hill of Dharmalingamalai, that body to be cast on the aforesaid hill from which god placed one foot on the Dharmalinga Hill Bimardi had his stones. Sarangadram did not and the other on the Tripati Hill, and went to take this undeserved cruelty to heart, but spent Tripati. In the place on which he placed his first all his solitary hours in devotion to his god. foot there lies immense wealth, of which you may Consequently his hands and feet were replaced, take as much as you can in the course of seven days and the hill was also benefited by his meritorious and seven nights." So saying the serpent return- sufferings, in that any extent of stones extracted ed to his hole. Bimardi awoke from his dream, from it was in no time replaced. and implicitly believing everything that he had | Now to return to the story of the fort and the heard and seen in his vision, the first thing he did temple. They were all completed within the was to place a line of labourers from the hole to fixed time. The sacred cars were also ready. the hill mentioned by Sambaśivam. Bimardi The first worship was held on the appointed day afterwards repaired to the summit of the hill, and the appointed hour. The god was named where he repeated what the god Sambaśivam had 'l Jalâganthå Isvarar, and fairs in the temple were uttered. All of a sudden, golden coins now flowed held every year, and the number of pilgrims and out, which Bimardi's men began to carry one worshippers constantly increased. after another. On this rews reaching the Meanwhile, Bimardi besought an interview Raja he summoned Bimardi into his presence. from his god, which was granted: he comBimardi informed him of all that had occurred. menced thus-"I am simply a shepherd and The Raja was so gratified to hear all this that he tiller; I have no capacity for administration. I rendered his best assistance in getting the aforesaid beseech thee therefore to appoint one who is fit jungle cleared for Bimardi. As the jungle was to conduct a raj and to keep all affairs in conbeing cleared, it so happened that a hare appearednection with the temple in a prosperous state, so and made a certain sort of round several times that I may have more time to spend in your and then disappeared. Bimardi was lost in as- devotion." To this the god answered—"There is tonishment. He implored his patron god to one Wenkatdevamahariar, the son of Pargonacquaint him with the meaning of what he saw. dama Pirawadardevamahariar, who maintains & He was informed in his dream that he should lay thousand Brahmans daily. He is a fit person the foundation of the fort as the hare had pointed for the râj; go and tell him to undertake the out. Bimardi lost no time in complying with management." A dispute was now raging bethis behest. The foundation was laid in the tween Wenkat and his brother as to the distribuSukla year 1190 of Salivahana's Sagartha-varsha. tion of certain villages between them. Vellur The month was Panguni, and the date 19th. The was also added to these villages. The two god further ruled that the whole structure should brothers agreed to proceed to the Melkatachalabe finished within nine years, and he be installed in pularaisna temple in the Maisur Zilla, and the year Isvara and on the 19th date of the month there to cast lots and abide by the result. of Panguni. Bimardi on laying the foundation Wenkat got Vellur. On leaving his father's earnestly expressed his desire to carry out all palace to repair to Vellor, he met with what was these commands. The stones required for the considered a very good omen, which was in the structures were sent by Bimardi from a bill form of a maid-servant who was preparing torch named Palikonda, which was 12 miles distant, and es in the palace. The result of his connection where Sriranganaigar used to sleep-pali meaning with her at this moment, which was justified and bed, and konda to take. The more stones were unavoidable in consequence of the coincidence, was extracted from this quarry the more inexhaustible that she gave birth to a son, who was, according to it proved. This mystery is explained by another the law of the times, proclaimed heir-apparent to story which may be told here. There was a Rája the raj. He was named Krishna Devamahariar. named Dharma Rája. He had a son who was noted Wenkat reigned three years and gained a name for unrivalled beauty. He had a step-mother who for uprightness: He granted Wanandurgam became hopelessly fond of him. She once called and Chitaldurgam, lying to the east of Velhim to her and tried by every means to make him lur, to his washerman and shoemaker, and made make love to her. Sarangadram hereupon left his other similar grants to his deserving subjects. stepmother in great disdain. With a view now to After this he abandoned all his possessions and ruin him, she told her husband Dharma Raja that business, and retired into a jungle where he led the this his son had attempted to take improper liber. life of a hermit. The Rayars or the descend.
