Administration and Social Life under Vijayanagar c14.s2.53

c14.s2.53

Until the days of Tirumala and Śrī Raṅga “the Vijayanagara throne was still believed to be under the blessed guardianship of the wings of Virūpākṣa.”¹⁰¹ With the accession of Veṅkaṭa II there appears a change in the imperial policy. Under him, Śrī Veṅkaṭēśa of Tirupati takes the place of Śrī Virūpākṣa of Vijayanagar. His grants bear the signature of Śrī Veṅkaṭēśa. The initial invocation is also addressed to him, or to Rāma, or Viṣvaksena or Viṣṇu.¹⁰² The moon comes to be called the brother of Lakṣmī in preference to the earlier practice of being called “the great darkness dispelling light.”¹⁰³ Further, the grants of Veṅkaṭa are generally made in the presence of God Veṅkaṭēśa of Tirupati. Thus “the Vijayanagariyas drifted southwards from Vidyānagara to Penugoṇḍa first and thence later to Candragiri—from the feet of Virūpākṣa to the feet of Veṅkaṭēśa, and from Śaivism to Vaiṣṇavism.”¹⁰⁴ Tātācārya, the guru of Veṅkaṭa and a great Śrī-Vaiṣṇava teacher, commanded great influence at his court. Tirumala Śrīnivāsācārya, Kaṇḍāla Appalācārya and Tāḷḷapāka Tirumalācārya were a few other Śrī-Vaiṣṇava teachers that flourished during the time of Veṅkaṭa. Places like Tirupati and Ahōbalam were the more important Vaiṣṇava centres. The coins of Veṅkaṭa also show that he was a staunch Vaiṣṇava. His gold coin known as Veṅkaṭa pagoda has on the obverse Viṣṇu standing on an arch, while the reverse bears the nāgari legend, Śrī Veṅkaṭēśvarāya namaḥ (adoration to blessed Veṅkaṭēśa).¹⁰⁵