Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c13.s4.3

v1.c13.s4.3

A dam had been breached in A.D. 1424, and the king's minister solved the question by bringing official pressure to bear on Chāma-nṛipāla, the commander of the forces, in the manner related in the following inscription: "The messengers of Nāgaṇṇa Daṇṇāyaka the Mahā-pradhāna of śri-Vira pratāpa Dēva Rāya Mahārāya, having brought intelligence that the Haridrā dam had been breached, on enquiring who would undertake the meritorious work of restoring it, looking upon Chāma-nṛipāla, the commander-in-chief of all the forces of the auspicious great king of kings (Dēva Rāya II) (the descent of Nāgaṇṇa Daṇṇāyaka stated)—(he said): 'The dam which by order of Dēva Rāya Mahārāya I built to the river Haridrā having breached, to restore by the assistance of merit the provision for the service and decorations of the god Harihara and the property acquired by the Brahman residents in that kshētra, except you there is no one else. That the fruit of the merit of building this dam will according to the Veda and the dharma śāstra be beyond calculation you are well aware. You therefore must repair his work of merit.' Hearing this order, and with submission undertaking the work, in the Śaka year 1346, (details of the date specified), Chāma-nṛipāla, with his own hands pouring water on behalf of the god Harihara and the Brahmans, and committing the work with pouring of water into the hands of Bukkarasa, sent him saying, 'Do you in my behalf build the dam and excavate the channel', and had it repaired".² The prospect of holding out the "fruit of merit" "beyond calculation" which was placed before Chāma-nṛipāla was only an apology to cover the real nature of the behest which Nāgaṇṇa Daṇṇāyaka, evidently with the object of pleasing the monarch, conveyed to the great commander.