4 



TRAN^SLATION OF INSCRIPTIONS 



his belonging to an order of Gosains, instituted by Sankaracharya, 

 was directed by the goddess Bhuvaneswari to the discovery of a hidden 

 treasure with which he built the city of Vidyaiiagara, or city of Learning, 

 afterwards changed to Vijayanagara, or city of Victory. He reigned over 

 it himself, and left the sovereignty to a family of the Kimna or Kuruha, or 

 shepherd race. Another statement describes him as founding the city, and 

 installing as king, Bukka, a shepherd who had waited on him in his devo- 

 tions. A third account states, that it was founded by Bukka and HarIhara, 

 two fugitives from WaranJeiil, after that was captured by the Muhamme- 

 dans, who encountered the Sage in tlie forest, and were elevated by him to 

 the sovereignty of the city which he built for them : — and the fourth state- 

 ment, whilst it confirms the latter part of the history, makes Bukka and 

 Harihara officers of Ala-ud-din, who were detached after the conquest of 

 Warankul against the Selal Raja of Mysore. They were defeated and fled 

 into the woods where they met Vidyaranya, who furnished them with 

 money to raise a new force with which they gained a victory over the Belal 

 prince, and by the advice and with the aid of the hermit established 

 a new kingdom. These different traditions are so far consistent that they 

 attribute the foundation of the kingdom to the same individuals Bukka and 

 Harihara, with the aid of Vidyaranya, and there is no doubt that they 

 were the main instruments in the elevation of the principality, and proba- 

 bly concerned in the foundation of the capital city, although we know from 

 a less exceptionable source than tradition that the treasures of Vidyaranya, 

 the origin of Bukka and Harihara, and their being the institutors of the 

 kingdom, are embellishments originating in legendary fiction and popular 

 credulity. 



Vidyaranya or Madhava Acrarya is a well known personage in 

 Hindu literature. A number of laborious works, illustrative of the theolo- 

 gical philosophy of the Hindus, of their law and of grammar, are ascribed 

 to him ; and voluminous comments on the Vedas and Upanishads are 



