Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s1.21

v2.c18.s1.21

Of equal importance as the Seṭṭis or Cheṭṭis were the members of the trading and artisan class called the Vīra Pañchāḷas. Thus do they boast about their antiquity and greatness in a record dated A. D. 1372: ". . . all the Vīra Pañchāḷa (s), the originals of the Manu race, of incomparable character . . . delighting in Parabrahma, creators of the fourteen worlds . . . of unshaken joy, of daily pure and enlightened salvation, self-known and self-manifest; by their authority as the original men, making (?) in Tuṅgaḷa (or Tuṅgaḷale) of Beṇḍukaliyūr, hundreds and thousands of inquiries of all manner of seeds and plants; versed in weighing and comparing, in Vedas, science, logic, grammar, poetry, in pronouncing distinctly the palatals and labials, in training horses and elephants, and in holding the breath charged with perfume; passed masters in reading, writing, arithmetic, and the deception of (?) skilful people . . . perfumers of Sarasvati with rare jasmine; ornaments in the ears of Sarasvati; distinguished for cities; island forts, hill forts, forest forts . . . five foundations . . . domes, pinnacles, create and the sixteen signs of the original house, the sign of the sacrificial hall, the sign of the pit for consecrated fire, the sign of slopes, etc., according to standard rules, for these and all other signs; authorities for the creation of . . . mansions...adorners of Śrīparvata; deeply learned in all the science of language and the purāṇas to the utmost limits; fond of and merciful to war elephants.... accomplished as Rāmā; boon lords of Piṇḍōtipura"—such were the Vira Pañchāḷas of Terakaṇāmbi.¹