Indian Antiquary Vol 55

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 89

APRIL, 1926 ]
KANNADA POETS
77
Note by H. Krishna Sastri. “But the inscription nowhere mentions the Chola Udaya. dit ya, por is there any reference to this Udayaditya being a poet. Again, the Cholas were of Solar, not Lunar, descent. The Udayaditya praised in the inscription is of Lunar race (Somanvayajanita), and his father is styled 'Kaliganga 'and. Gangavanipala.')
The authors of Lives of Kannada Poets are of opinion that the Chola Udayaditya cannot have been independent, but must have been the feudatory of some paramount ruler. But if we bear in mind the words of the prasasti, viz.
"Svastyanekasa marasanghattasaõjata-vijayalakshmisamalingita-višalavakshasthalam kshatriyapavitra bhuvanatrinetra naudumbarabharanam Pandyagajakesari kulukadepuravaradhisvaram ashtamah åsiddhi siddhavaţadevadivyasripada padmaradhaka parabalasadhakanâmådisamasta prasashtisahitam śrîmanmahamandalesvaram Trailokya.
malla bhuja bala viranarayana pratapa kumaranudayaditya.' and if we remember also the fact that he is styled 'Udayaditya Mahârâja,' that one of his epithets is Trailokyamalla,' and lastly the fact that he gives nowhere in the inscription the name of any paramount lord, it is a reasonable inference that the princes of Udayaditya's line were originally feudatories of the Chalukyas of Kalyan, but subsequently became independent rulers of Pennapari-nadu.
On the decline of the Chola power, several of the representatives of this dynasty became Bubordinate to the Chalukyas. But as the might of the Chalukyas, in its turn, gradually waned, several of their feudatories became independent. The Chôļa Udayaditya was probably one of those who thus asserted their independence.
14. Lakshmidhara and Madhurá. A.D. 1410. In a mandap near the temple of Krishna, half-way between Kamalapur and Hampe, is an inscription (Madras Epigraphical Collection for 1889, No. 38), which records that on Thursday in Phálgun, Virodhi Samvat, Saka 1332, Lakshmidhara, prime minister of Deva Raya I of Vijayanagar ) installed the god Mahagananátha (Siva) with full festal ceremonial in a cave on the south side of Malya hill, which stands in the eastern portion of Pampakshetra.
In the final portion of the inscription it is stated that Madhura, the Ornament of Eminent Poets, wrote these auspicious tidings for the glorification of the minister Lakshmidhara, 80 long as Sun and Moon shall endure. It is our task to discuss the personality of Lakshmidhara, who was responsible for the inscription, and of Madhura who composed it.
It is stated in Lives of Kannada Poets that one Madhura was the author of several works, including Dharmanathana Purana and Gummatáshtaka. "He was a Jain of Vaji family of the Bharadvaja gotra ; his father was Vishnu, his mother Nagambika. He was under the patronage and protection of Muddarlandeshvar, minister of Harihara Raya, son of Bukka Raya. As he is styled Crest jewel of the Court of Bhunatha,' he must have been Harihara's court-poet." We are also told in the above-mentioned work that Madhura bore the following titles (birudas), "Darling of the Fine Arts," "Glory of Royal Poets," " Honey of Song," "Melodious," "Spring of Master Poets," "Ocean of Knowledge." etc.
The inscription mentioned above informs us that Lakshmidhara, minister of Deva Raya, gave to Madhura, Jewel of Eminent Poets, a goodly piece of land, elephants, horses, Jewels, eto., and most affectionately supported him.
Readers may ask what connexion, if any, there is between the Madhura mentioned in the Lives of Kannada Poets, who was the protégé of Muddadandeshvar, Harihara's Minister, and the Madhura of the inscription, who was the protégé of Lakshmidhara, minister of Deva Ratha.
At the end of the inscription Madhura devotes a stanza to describing himself in certain phrases. and terms. Similarly the Madhura of the Lives of Kannada Poets describes the graces and attractions of his own poetry in a stanza, which is quoted in that work. A comparison of these two stanzas shows that, with the single exception of the fourth line, they are word for word identical.