Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c17.s3.t2.70

v2.c17.s3.t2.70

But it is not to be supposed that the Vijayanagara age was not made up of people whose egotism directed them to grant lands, and compelled their subordinates to perform acts of charity, as a token of their filial love. In A. D. 1553, Liṅgaṇṇa Nāyaka, son of Chennarāya Oḍeyar of Dānavisa, set up the Virūpāksha-liṅga and erected a *satra* for five Brahmans, "in order that our mother and father and ourselves may obtain union with Śiva."⁵ Sometimes the nobles made no endeavour to hide their desire to give themselves the first preference in their prayers for eternal happiness. Dēvoḍeyar of Kōṭe, in about A. D. 1572, granted the village of Jagaṇakōṭe for the god Bayirava of Bayal-nāḍ, in order that there might be merit for himself, his son and grandsons.¹ Egotism could not go to a further extent than in the case of Perama Nāyaka, son of Mallappa Nāyaka of Arakere, who did not think it derogatory on his part to give rent-free land, in about A. D. 1577, for the offerings of the god Basavēśvara of Pañjanahaḷḷi, " in order that thereby merit might accrue to himself."² The deplorable tendency of compelling people to do works of merit for the sake of the nobles is best illustrated in a record dated A. D. 1612-13, which relates that, during the reign of Veṅkaṭapati Dēva, Veṅkaṭapati Nāyaingāru (whose descent is stated) sent for Rudrappa, the officer placed over the sīma of Kullūr, and addressed him thus: "You have restored the sluice of Anaṅtasāgaram tank which was in disrepair; you have constructed the eastern weir of Kaluvāyi tank and are keeping the tank in good order. Deeds of charity like topes, topes in tanks, wells, etc., are of meritorious services. So construct the eastern weir of Kollūr tank for the religious merit of my father Kōmera Timmanayāḍu." And poor Rudrappa forthwith built thirty-three stone-posts on the tank weir, side-walls on the two sides and a flight of steps in stone ³.