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JAINA MEN OF ACTION
139 south directed against the Kongudeśa which evidently had failed to pay the annual tribute. The same epigraph gives us further interesting details in regard to the expedition, and the reason which made the king entrust this lad with the great duty of completely subduing the Kongudeśa. "Among the titled Mārāyas (i.e., Mahārāyas or lords) who is there in the world like you ? Bring quickly the tribute from Kongu !" On the king thus ordering, the boy-general in half a pakșa put to flight Cengiri, burnt his city, plundered his territory, took an astonishing amount of tribute and brought it with a troop of lusty elephants.
But the conquest of Cengiri, which must have reverted to its independent state after the expedition led against it by General Ganga Rāja mentioned in a previous page, was only the prelude to the conquest of the Kongudeśa. The more experienced generals were doubtful about the boy-commander's ability. They said half in jest and half in admiration, “This boy will take Kongu—will he not ? He will bring in the troop of elephants with his golden smile—will he not ?” Their anxiety and fear was but natural. A confederacy of the Cola, Cera, Pandya and Pallava kings had been formed, and the Hoysala king had sent his boy-commander against them! But young Vişņu was equal to the great task. In half a month he completed an expedition of victory directed against the south. The hostile kings who had assembled on the seashore were routed, their troop of elephants brought to his ruler, Kongu subdued, and Rāyarājapura burnt. And in the region of the south, adorned by the Sahya mountains, General Bittimayya erected pillars of victory to commemorate the victories he had won for his royal master.
This "right hand man” to king Vişnuvardhana was, however, a devout Jaina. When his youth had matured, having gained experience of all public affairs, and having made many
