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VIJAYANAGARA'S PLEDGE
291 on stone not only at Śravana Belgoļa but also at Kalleha, and "in all the bastis of the kingdom", by the Śrīvaişņavas themselves, at the royal bidding ; and
7. That, finally, to the generous Jaina merchant Busuvi sețți, who was instrumental in publishing a copy of the royal decree at Kalleha, both the Jainas and the Srivaişnavas jointly conferred the title of sangha-nāyaka (Champion of the Creeds).
History knows no more exemplary and equitable decision in religious dispute than the above which king Bukka Rāya gave to the Jainas in A.D. 1368. Bukka Rāya was a plain monarch, but the judgment which he gave was learned ; he was not committed to any religious creed, but by his equity he had saved a religion from persecution ; he was reckoned to be the Defender of the Hindu dharma, but he had now become Protector of the Jina faith ; he had given a decision in favour of a minority community ; but it was not by violating the fundamental rights of the larger sections of the Śrivaisnavas. The wisdom of the monarch is seen not only in the fact that he ordered the representatives of both the parties but of all sections of the people to assemble before him before he arrived at his decision. Further, the onus of appointing the bodyguard of twenty servants for the god at Śravaņa Belgoļa rested on the Srivaişņavas themselves, whose revered leader Tātayya of Tirumale was charged with a specific duty which he could perform only with the co-operation of the Bhavyas themselves ! Thus did the able monarch Bukka Rāya lay down a great principle for his successors to follow.
What was the political significance of this celebrated judgment ? In order to answer this we must recount the event of A.D. 1363 narrated above. The Taqatāla Pārsvadeva basti boundary dispute must have clearly shown to the Vija
