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INTRODUCTION
59
śvara-purāņamu' by the famous Telugu poet Śrīnātha. The work which was dedicated to Bendapāņdi Annayamātya, the minister of the Reddi kings Vema and Virabhadra of Rajahmundry, is believed to have been
sed in about A. D. 1430. This poetical work is based on the Bhimakhanda of the Skandapurăņa, though the poet by his skill and mastery of the Telugu language has made it very interesting. A brief summary of the description of Draksārāma as given by Śrīnātha is reproduced below:
The city of Drāksärāma was surrounded by a wide and deep moat always full of water (like the sea ), within which were constructed fort walls of immense size, thickness and height. It had broad roads and was guarded by (the shrines of Bhadra and Pătāla-Bhairava, protected by the lords Subrahmanya and Vinayaka and by the Saptamātrkās. It was situated on the banks of the (river) Sapta-Godāvaram, most famous and holy of the tirthas of the south. It was full of shrines and temples. enshrining the deities, such as Bhairava, Sankara, Visņu and Vighnesvara and the different gates leading into the city were guarded by (the shrines of) goddesses Gogulamma on the west, Mandatalli on the north, Nūkāmbā on the east and Gattāmba on the west. The fields around the city were fed by the flood waters of the Sapta-Godāvaram and by the streams Tulyabhāgā, Godavari, Kaunteya and Kanvāpagā, and the town was everywhere adorned with lotus tanks and fine gardens. The boundaries of the region round about Bhimamandala ) were the ocean on the east, the rivers Tryambakatanūjä on the west, Tulyabhāgā on the north and VrddhaGautami on the south.
The holiness of the city is derived from the tradition that at that place Daksa's yajña was destroyed by Siva, who later on bestowed his forgiveness and favour (anugraha) on Daksa when he prayed for pardon. Hence the place acquired fame and holiness as the scene of both the nigraha and anugraha of god Siva, who took permanent abode at the place under the name of Bhimeśvara in a temple on the bank of the Saptagodāvaram. The temple and the tirtha attained further holiness equalling only that of Kasi owing to the fact that the sage Vyasa when rebuked by god Visveśvara of Kasi and asked to leave that holy place for an irrational act of his, was advised by goddess Bhavāni to seek solace at Draksärama where Siva was anugraha-dāyin. In accordance with the advice.
sage came to Draksärama accompanied by Agastya, whom he met on the way, and there attained holy bliss in the prayer and service of Bhimeśvara."
1 Printed at the British Model Press, Choolai, Madras 1929.
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