FROM VIJAYANAGAR. 



31 



ELEVENTH INSCRIPTION, 



Written in the old Canarese Lcmguage. 



Adoration be unto Sambhu {Siva) who is the lord of Cailds, the chief pillar to 

 the foundation of the three worlds called " the three Nagaras," (heaven, earth, and the 

 lower world or Patdia), whose head is encircled with white Chdmaras, equalling the 

 splendour and magnificence of the full moon. 



The deity called VlGHNESWARA (GanesJi), the son of Sambhu was supposed to 

 have lost his head in battle. His mother Parvati alarmed at the report, induced her 

 husband to search after him. The body was discovered, but every endeavour to find the 

 head proved unsuccessful; Sambhu in his search happening to meet with the head of an 

 elephant placed it as a substitute on the shoulders of his son. Vighneswara is on this 

 account represented with the body of a man bearing the head and probosis of an elephant. 

 He was supposed to have been a proficient in all languages and sciences. He was dis- 

 tinguished by a symbol of the moon on his head. His body was painted over with a 

 composition of oil and red lead, which made him appear like the red clouds of the evening. 



He drank up the water of the tanks with his trunk and sprinkled it like a shower on 

 the earth. The dignity and splendour of his body equalled the brilliancy and radiance of 

 the red sky occasioned by the dust of the earth when stirred up by the hoofs of the cattle 

 returning from pasturage in the evening. He protected the good, and his disposition 

 was uniformly happy. He watched over Laxman Mantri, the minister of State, who 

 possessed every good and perfect gift, and who was accomplished in all the arts and 

 sciences. 



The dust of the feet of Laxmivaraguru, the priest of Laxman Mantri, has the 

 property of removing the sins of the multitude as the water of the Ganges, which springs 

 from the toe of the Almighty Vishnu in his habitation of Vaicanilia, and purifies the 

 sins of men. 



The minister, Laxman Mantri, was the lord of the earth, and the ruler of many 

 kings. He resembled VlSHNU, whose shape is revealed in the Vcdas, and who sprang 

 froMi the lower world (Pdldla) in the form of the boar Adivardham, whose tusk having 

 mount Mcru for a socket, sustained tlu; whole world. 



May llio bud of tlie loliis, which is in the hand of LAXMf, the wife of ViSHNU, 

 contaiuiiig boundless wealth, bo given to LaxmaN MaNTRI. The shape of that 



