Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s3.t3.6

v2.c18.s3.t3.6

The instance of the wife of a Śūdra, given in a record dated Śaka 979 (A. D. 1057) is more an example of self-immolation rather than sati.¹ But in the same year we have a remarkable case of sati in the Karṇāṭaka. It is that of Dēkabbe, the wife of the ruler of Navile-nāḍ, Echa of Pervvayal. The epigraph composed by the poet Malla, son of Āditya, tells us the following story about her: "To the virtuous (with all praise) the jewel of women, Ponnabbe, and to Raviga, was born Dēkabbe, who was given in marriage to Echa of Pervvayal, the ruler of Navile-nāḍ, of the Kuruvanda family...While, famous as a wrestler, a mill in grinding his enemies, he (i.e., Echa) was thus living happily, having thrown and in the crush killed his (i.e. ? Rājendra Choḷa's) kinsman, the king (i.e., Rājēndra Choḷa) had him taken off straight to Talekāḍ and put to death. On hearing the report that they had put to death the Vēḷa of the Kali age, brave and generous,—that beautiful one the light of Raviga's family went forth to the fire-pit to die.