Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s3.t4: D. Sati in Vijayanagara

Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s3.t4

Language: English

D. Sati in Vijayanagara

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Karṇāṭaka and Tamil tradition, therefore, had sanctified the brutal custom long before Vijayanagara was founded. The instances enumerated above, which are not exhaustive, when taken in conjunction with the following relating to Vijayanagara enable us to deduce some conclusions as regards the occasion when women performed sahagamana and the communities which were addicted to this cruel rite. One of the earliest examples of sati in Vijayanagara times is that recorded in an epigraph dated A. D. 1354. In the reign of Hariyappa Oḍeyar, Mala Gauḍa went to svarga and his wife Chennakkā performed sahagamana and also went to svarga.³ In A. D. 1376 in the reign of Bukka Rāya, Āvali Chanda Gauḍa's son Bēchi Gauḍa went to svarga. His junior wife Muddi Gauṇḍi performed sahagamana and both obtained mukti.⁴ Nuṅka Gauḍa died in A.D. 1383 and his queen (arasi) Dēmāyi entered the fire⁵. In the reign Harihara II, in A.D. 1386, a mahāsati kallu, or stone commemorating a great sati, records the death of Bommakkā, wife of Malayandūr Bēḍabira who died fighting in a battle.⁶ On the death of the match-lockman Dēveya [The page is blank.]

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³ E. C., VIII, Sb. 104, p. 15.

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⁴ Ibid., Sb. 106, p. 16.

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⁵ E. C., XI, Dg. 117, p. 73.

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⁶ My. Arch. Report for 1923, p. 90.

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Sati memorial Stones.

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Nāyaka, who was, as we saw, bitten by a snake in A.D. 1388, his wife Muddana Kēti became a great sati and went to Vaikuṇṭha¹. Hiriya Gauḍa, in A. D. 1397, “in the presence of the god Kēśava, at the southern door of the Harihara temple, at ten gha. after sunset, went to svarga. His queen (arasi) Lakshumāyi entered the fire and went to the world of gods.”² The wife of Chokka Gauḍa went to svarga with her husband in A.D. 1391.³ Āvali Gōpa Gavuṇḍa’s workman (besemage) Baichi Nāyaka’s son Rāya went to svarga in A.D. 1393, on which his wife performed sahagamana.⁴ Būja Gauḍa, son of Bōḷa Gauḍa of Saṇḍa, the chief place of Nevalige-nāḍ in the Āraga Eighteen Kaṃpaṇa, died and his wife Tyāya (?) performed sahagamana⁵. A dependent of Nallā Chakravarti named Bommaṇṇa died in A.D. 1402, and his wife Nāgāyi died with him.⁶ About A.D. 1403 the Mande-Gāmuṇḍa Sōya’s son Vira-Nara (died), and Urivāna Bomma Nāyaka’s daughter Kāla Dēvi performed sahagamana.⁷ Nārappa Nāyaka, son of Bommeya Nāyaka of the Durgga boundary, died, as related elsewhere, in A.D. 1410, at his post; and his wife Bommakkā become a great sati.⁸ In the same year Masanakkā, wife of Birūr Bomma Gauḍa’s son Mādappa, performed sahagamana on the death of her husband.⁹ In the next year A.D. 1411 Ami Gauḍi went to svarga along with her husband Manavane Viṭharaka.¹⁰ The Lord of Ships, Maṅgaḷūr Nāga Gauḍa’s son Seṭṭi Gauḍa, who has already figured in these pages, died in A.D. 1412, and his wife, whose name is effaced, entered the fire.¹¹ On the death of Bulikhara of Sahāḍlaya pura, his three wives “gave arm and hand” (tōḷukayi), i.e., performed sahagamana, as related in an inscription dated A.D. 1417.¹ Rāma Gauḍa died in the same year under certain circumstances the nature of which cannot exactly be determined. The record, however, states that his wife Bomma Gauḍi, "uniting with Rāma Gauḍa, performed sahagamana, and Rāma Gauḍa and Bommaka took svarga by force."² Keḷadi Kariya Timme Gauḍa died in A.D. 1419, on which his wife Rāmakka became a mahā-sati.³ Kumbāra Mahābala Dēva's son Bommandira and his daughter-in-law Chandavve, "these two ascended svarga" in A.D. 1423⁴. Bayirava Gauḍa (son of Bira Gauḍa, the Mahāprabhu of Heggōḍe belonging to the Kuppe Twelve of the Eḍe-nāḍ Seventy) in A.D. 1424 together with his wife gained Vaikuṇṭha.⁵ A certain person, whose name is effaced in the record dated A.D. 1425, died, "on which Kāmāyi became a māstikal, (i.e, a mahā-sati) and by sahagamana gained svarga.⁶ Manavane Mādiga in A.D. 1429 went to svarga and his wife also went to svarga.⁷ An inscribed mahāsati-kallu, or as it is also known, a māstikal, dated A.D. 1430, found at Arunavahaḷḷi, Malavaḷḷi tāluka, states that a woman named Māla... bbe, wife of Prabha Gavuḍa, went to the world of gods.⁸ Kumbati Rāṇaya Nāyaka "ended his life" in A.D. 1432, and his wife Chauḍa Nāyaki performed sahagamana.⁹ Hunavaḷḷi Vidarikari Bomma Nāyaka died in A.D. 1437, and his wife Kāmeya Nāyakiti became a mahā-sati.¹⁰ An inscription of about A.D. 1442 relates that Amma Gauḍa of Haraūr "with his wife Bayirava Gauḍi, departed in company (i.e., died together)."¹¹ Bommarasa Gauḍa (the son of Maleyamma Gauḍa, the Master of the twelve villages belonging to Kuppe), died in A.D. 1445. "And his wife, a head-jewel of the young women in all the circle of the world, with great desire performed *sahagamana*, and they were united to the feet of Śiva."¹ Bhayirava Gauḍa, son of Rāma Gauḍa of Hārika, died in about A.D. 1445. His wife Bhayiri Gauḍi "united with him performed *sahagamana*."² In A.D. 1451 Heggōḍe Tamma Seṭṭi together with his wife Bomma Gauḍi, gained the world of gods³. Rāma Gauḍa, son of Śirūru Gauḍa, fell fighting during a siege in A.D. 1454, "on which together with his wife Chiya Gauḍi, they made *sahagamana*."⁴ Māravatūr Gaṇapa Gauḍa's son Bomma Gauḍa died in A.D. 1455, and his wife Bommi Gauḍi performed *sahagamana*.⁵