INSCRIPTIONS. 



247 



The word Bhattu is, moreover, not a proper name ; it is the 

 general term for " bard," and corresponds in meaning to 

 the Sanskrit mdgadha. The bard or bhattu belongs to the 

 royal caste, in which he occupies a subordinate position, and 

 his office is to praise the deeds of his royal patron. 



Thus another name of the author of the Narasabhupaliyam 

 is Saradamurti, who is also called Bhattamurti. 



The Ramaraja, son-in-law of Krsnaraja, at whose court 

 Bhattamurti is said to have lived, is therefore, not as was 

 assumed up to now, the Ramaraja, the son of Yenkataraja 70 

 and son-in-law of Krsnaraja of Yijayanagaram, but is Rama- 

 raja, the son of Srlrangaraja and son-in-law of another 

 Krsnaraja. It is a peculiar coincidence that not only are 

 the names of the fathers-in-law of both Ramarajas the 

 same, but those of their brothers also agree, they being in 

 both cases Timma and Yenkata. Moreover the names of 

 the sons of the two Tirumalardjas are the same, as in both 

 cases we meet with a Srlranga and Yenkata. 70 These 

 resemblances have, no doubt, contributed to the confusion. 

 "We need not continue here our inquiry into the history of the 

 Narapatis, as it does not concern the immediate object we 

 had in view, in elucidating the events, alluded to in the 

 Raichore .inscription. On the other hand we cannot omit 

 mentioning the fact that the Hindu prince, Srlrangaraja, 

 who granted to the English negotiator, Mr. Francis Day, 

 the site on which now stands Madras, the capital of Southern 

 India, was the last Narapati, who reigned at Candragiri. He 

 was descended from Timma Raja, the second brother of 

 Rama Raja, who fell in the battle of Talikota. 



We thus see what an important link the Narapatis form 

 between ancient and modern Indian history. 



70 Dr. Burnell gives on page 55 in the second edition of his " Elements 

 of South Indian Palaeography " Virappa Nay ah as the name of the father 

 of Rama Raja and his two brothers. This is incorrect. 



