Indian Antiquary Vol 57

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 97

MAY, 1928
DEVA RAYA II
79
Raya gladly consented. The siege was renewed with greater vigour.. The Sultan grew desperate and, seizing a sword, rushed into the thick of the fight. Dockla Vasanta Nayaka ordered that none should meet the Sultan but himself, and seizing a sword went to fight with the Sultan. In the duel that followed the Sultan's sword broke in two, and Dodda Vasanta Nayaka gallantly threw down his sword also. Then the combatants wrestled with one another, till at last the Sultan was crushed and died vomiting blood.
Abdu'r-Razzak also testifics to the victory of the Vijayanagar foroes. "The king's Danaik, after ravaging the territory of Gulbarga, returned bringing some wretched people away with him as captives." This conquest of Gulbarga may be dated A.D. 1443. Evidently this victory increased the power of Lakkanna Dana Nayaka more than ever, and he was given the privilege of issuing coins in his own name, containing the letter lu on the reverse and kha ma na Danayakaru on the obverso.
To sum up, Lakkanna was not only a great administrator, but also it great conqueror. In the midst of his constant political activities, he found leisure to patronise art and religion by his own personal examplo. Not only was he a great author, but he was also a great Vira Saiva virakta. His devotion to his mister and to his religion stand forth clearly, marking him as a great historical figure.
Another great minister of Deva Raya was Châmarasa or Chamayamatya.17 He was also a devout Vira Saiva poet and scholar, who came into prominence at Court by the aid of Jakkanna Danda Natha. Jakkanna is mentioned in an inscription of Hari Hara Il as early as 1308. By the time of Deva Raya II he must have been rather old. The tradition goes that Jakkanna, after making Châmarasa the prime minister, abandoned politics for religion. This Châmarasa was evidently the patron of Siddanna Mantri, who in turn patronised the Telugu poet Jakkanna, who wrote Vikramarka Charitramu.
దేవరాయ మహారాయ ధీవి ధేయ | మంత్రినల్లభ చామనామాత్యదత్త | చామర ఛత్ర భూషాది సకలభాగ్య |
చిహ్నములనొప్పె జన్నయసిద్ధమంత్రి || Chamarasa had the titles Vira Saiva Sáródhara, Anya mattha Kuldhala etc. He was one of the hun. dred and one vira ktas who adorned the Court of Deva Raya. He was the author of the great Vira Gaiva work Prabhulingalilê, which was translated into Telugu and Tamil. He defeated in linguistic disputations both the Vaishnava Acharya Mukunda Peddi and the Smartha poet Kumâra Vyâsa.
Jakkanna was another notable minister. A staunch Vira Saiva devotee, he was the disciple of Mahalinga Dêva and Kumara Banka Nátha. Mahalinga Dêva wrote Êkôtlara šatasthala and Prabhudêvara satasthala jndna charitrd, the latter work evidently so called after the name of the Emperor. Both were composed at the request of Jakkaņņa, who had the title "Bhakti Bhandari". Jakkanna himself wrote his Nairondusthala evidently on tho model of the works of his Guru.
The Telugu author Jakkayya tells us that Siddha Mantri and his father Janna Mantri were ministers under Deva Raya II. As one Siddhappa Dannayaka is mentioned as ruling in Barakůru in Saka 1380 in the reign of Mallikarjuna, it is reasonable to suppose that his father was minister under Deva Raya II, while the son may have also been minister under Immadi Déva Raya Mallikarjuna. This tallies with the fact of Chamayâ mâtya giving the insignia of office to Siddha Mantri.
Guru Raya Mahậpradhâni, the patron of Chandra Kavi, was another minister. He was of Atrêyasagôtra and the son of Arasâmâtya. He had the titles Natana Bhoja Raja, Râye
15 1.A., 1891. 18 Praudha Devara Kavya-Karndtála Kavi Charite, vol. II, Adrihya Kavi. 17 Karnataka Kavi Charite, vol. II, Chámarasa.