________________
332
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1898.
VIII. - An old woman, Sumukhasatti by name, comes and informs Kalabhâshiņi that the Siddha is a magician, and that he has brought her there to be offered up as a sacrifice to the deity, and shews her in corroboration thereof an inscription which sbe reads, and is satisfied with the veracity of all the old woman has said, and bursts forth into lamentations. Meanwhile, the Siddha returns, holds Kalabhashqi by her tresses, and is about to slay her, when the old woman'makes a vow on the deity, whereupon the Siddhu slays the old woman. The deity soon after this appears before them, and allows the Siddha to roam the heavens with Kalabhâahiņi. Sumakhâsatti then becomes a young woman and extols the deity.
IX. - Manistambhn and Kalabhâshini fall on a bed of flowers in a park. When the latter cries out, Manikandhara who has assumed the form of Nalakübara and has enjoyed Rambhå, at a distance, hears the cry, and comes and terrifies Manistambha. Meanwhile, Kalabhashini looses herself from the hold of the Siddha, assumes the form of Rambhâ, and approaches the false Nalakú bara to live with him. In the interim the real Rambha goes in search of him, and comes upon the scene, when both the real and the apparent Rambha quarrel with each other as Co-wives, and the latter is cursed and retires. Soon after the real Nalaka bara appears on the scene, curses the false one, and retires to heaven with Rambhâ. Maņistambha flies with his sword.
X. - Kalabhashini, Manikandhara and Manistambha come one by one to Sumukhåsatti at the temple already mentioned and narrate to each other their respective stories. Manikandhara then offers up Kalabhâsbiņi. She is cut to pieces, and the pieces become invisible. Sumukhasatti and Maạistambha go their own way. Manikandhare then retires to Srisaila, to breathe bis last, and a Malayala Brahmaņa, who comes there, takes possession of the necklace of the deceased and performs japa.
Such is the main story of this beautiful poem which contains many shorter stories as well all happily brought to a close in its fifth canto.
The last of the bards whom we have to deal with is Ramarajabhushana, sometimes styled Battumarti. No two critics, however, agree as to whether these two Dames belong to one and the same poet or are the names of two different poets. I shall endeavour in the following lives to present the reader with the case on either side and leave him to form his own judgment.
Râmarâjabhúshaạt was the poet who wrote the Vasucharitra. Some are of opinion that this name was an honorific title, conferred on him by the fact of his having played an important part at the court of Ramaraja, and that his real name was Battumurti. He was born at Battapalli. The village was given to the poet's ancestors, known as the Prabandbankas, by Krishnadevaraya, for their poetic excellence. Some identify the village with one near Pulivendla in the Cuddapah district, and others with one in the district of Bellary. The poet may have been born at the time of Krishnadevarâye, but it is highly improbable that he was one of the eight poets of his court. He really gained the title of Ramarajabhûshana for a few impromptu verses on Râmaraja, during the last days of his life. Râmarâja, as we have seen already, was the son-in-law of Krishṇaraya, and the regent who guided the helm of the state during the minority of Sadasivaraya from 1542 to 1564 A. D. We may say, therefore, that possibly the poet began to write about 1560 A. D. We learn that he addressed some commendatory verses to Råmarâja during his lifetime from the fact of Tirumalaraya, to whom the Vasucharitra is dedicated, referring to the same fact in addressing the poet in bis Vasucharitra. From the Nara pativijaya we learn that Råmarâja married Tirumalåmba, the daughter of Krishnaraya, and had by her Krishnaraja and Pedda Timmaraja.
After the demise of Râmaraja, the kingdom of Vijayanagara, which ought properly to have fallen to his son Krishparaja, as being the property of his maternal grandfather, was usurped by Tirumalaraya and Venkatapatirêya, the brothers of Râmaraya.
