Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c21.s3.t9.1

v2.c21.s3.t9.1

It is obvious that the Hindus and Jainas of Vijayanagara paid equal attention to the death ceremonies.³ The observations of Nuniz about the ceremonies among the Brahmans may be recalled in this connection. We have some more notices in inscriptions which are interesting. Saṅgama II made a grant of the village called Biṭruguṇṭa or Biṭṭarakuṇṭa to twenty-eight Brahmans on the anniversary of his father's death.⁴ One of the most prominent names among the royal *bhāṭs* is, as we have just remarked, that of Bācheyappa. "When that Bācheyappa, obtained supreme bliss (*i. e.*, died) his elder son Bukkaṇṇa, performing penance in (the presence of the god) Virūpāksha, sent his bones to Vāraṇāsi"¹. On Harihara Mahārāya II obtaining *nirvāṇa* "in the year Tāraṇa, in the rainy season, in the month Nabhasya (Bhādrapada), the tenth *tithi*, on Sunday (=31st August 1404) under the constellation Pitṛi (Magha)", his learned Minister Viṭhṭhaṇṇa Oḍeyar, who was governing the Āraga kingdom, granted the village called Muktahariharapura to certain Brahmans to commemorate the death of the king.²