Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c19.s3.1

v2.c19.s3.1

We may now look at the other side of the picture which presents the life of the Brahman amidst the orthodox surroundings of the *agrahāra*.³ The traditions which the Brahmans of Vijayanagara received from those of the earlier times were of learning and piety. Their duties and vocation, as is well known, were already fixed for them by the early canonists.⁴ The Brahmans of Karṇāṭaka seem to have lived, on the whole, a life which was in conformity with classical precepts.⁵ An inscription dated about A.D. 1142 sings the praise of the Brahmans of the Hariharapura *agrahāra*, also called Kellaṅgere, thus: "Possessed of the usual ascetic virtues (*yama-niyama svādhyāya-dhyāna-dhāraṇa-maunānuṣṭhāna-japa-samādhi-śila-guṇa-sampannarum*), devoted to the *ṣaṭ-karma* (*yajana-yājana-adhyāyana-adhyāpana-dāna-pratigraha-ṣaṭ-karma-niyatarum*), versed in the Rig, Yajus, Sāma and Atharvaṇa and their *ṣaḍ-aṅgas*, suns in dispersing the darkness the poverty of the company of panegyrists, restrained by *muñji*, *yajña* and *upavīta*, wearing golden earrings, having at their feet the foreheads of the three (castes of) Kshatriyas, Vaiśyas and Śūdras, of original ability, lights of the Bali-vaṁśa, oceans (of mercy) to those who come for refuge, were the Brahmans of Kellaṅgere......"¹