The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c30.57

v1.c30.57

5. None of these six wives gave a successor to Venkata. Naturally the first wife, Venkatamba, was the most assiduous in trying to secure the succession. Hence when she saw that there were no hopes of a legitimate heir, she managed to deceive the King by passing off on him a son, who was neither hers nor his. The story of this event is narrated in detail by Barradas: "A Brahman woman of the household of the Queen's father", says he, "knowing how strong was the Queen's desire to have a son, and seeing that God had not granted her one, told her that she herself was pregnant for a month; and she advised her to tell the King, and to publish it abroad, that she (the Queen) had been pregnant for a month, and to feign to be in that state, and said that after she (the Brahman woman) had been delivered she would secretly send the child to the palace by some confidant, upon which the Queen could announce that this boy was her own son. The advice seemed good to the Queen, and she pretended that she was pregnant; and no sooner was the Brahman woman delivered of a son than she sent it to the palace, and the news was spread abroad that Queen Bayama (Venkatamba) had brought forth a son. The King, knowing all this, yet for the love he bore the Queen, and so that the matter should not come to light, dissembled and made feasts, giving the name ‘Chica Raya’ to the boy, which is the name always given to the heir to the throne ” 1.