Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c21.s3.t6.6

v2.c21.s3.t6.6

Bukka I's famous minister was Mādhava, who was " renowned in the world for his good qualities ". This great man, who was " invested with authority for punishing the evil ", " with Brahman purity and Kashtra victorious power for protecting the earth from fear ", is highly praised in an epigraph dated A. D. 1368. He was " an astonishing expert in policy, like Bṛihaspati in exceeding wisdom ", " always composing poetry which gives new pleasure to the minds of all "; and because he " cleared and made plain the ruined path of the upanishads, which was overgrown and dangerous from the serpents the proud advocates of evil doctrines ", " was praised by the wise as the guru who established the path of the upanishads ". Although he had " accepted the government as far as the Western ocean ", yet " in order to have an oversight of that kingdom without trouble, on the advice of the Śiva guru Kāsivilāsa Kriyāśakti, he worshipped in the manner of the Saivāmnāya the god of gods embodied in his own favourite linga, Triyambakanātha, by means of daily special ceremonies and by a number of rites and practices. Then at a certain time (specified) in order to fulfil the great Śaiva vow which he had commenced with special rites a year before as directed in the Śiva sandhyā, desiring to make the donations required to complete that great vow", he secured permission from his lord Bukka Rāja, and bought the village of Muchchuṇḍi, in his own Eighteen-maṇḍala country "with the knowlege of the authorities of the maṇḍala". He gave it as well as two other hamlets situated in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, to learned Brahmans, renaming it "Vidyēśvarapura, after the eight Vidyēśvaras who were the objects of adoration of his vow."