inscriptions in the hassan district

INTRODUCTION. XXV
king came forth, the sea roared out with the sounds of great fish, sharks and
alligators, saying to the Pandya kings,—give up all, and live inpeace as his
servants. Ak. 82 of the same date says he was a wild-fire to the forest of
the Chakrakuta fort, thunder to the goose the pride of Kadava-Raya, Indra to
the mountain the pride of the Pandya champion, estabhsher of the Chola
kingdom. The Poysala country is described as having froni yojaa to
towns surrounded with gardens, tanks filled with lotus, and groves for travellers
to rest in. A very interesting account is given of a merchant from Kerala,
named Damodara-Setti, who was greatly honoured in the Poysala kingdom.
He was a native of Kolemuka to the west of which is the Pereru river, and
was an expert in the examination of goods and animals.
Soma-Deva is first met with in Ak. 123, dated 1237. He is said to have
uprooted Rajendra-Chdla in battle, but gave him protection when he claimed
refuge. But in this year he was engaged in a victorious expedition over
Kadava-Raya, and encamped at the koppa of Mangala. The inscription was
composed by Visvanatha whose accomplishments have been stated above, and
was engraved by the royal draughtsman (rdyasidradhdri). Ag. 12 describes
the king in 1248 as a lion to the elephant Kaliiiga, a wild-fire to. the forest
the Sevuna king, Agastya to the ocean Malava, uprooter of the Magara king­
dom, setter up of the Chola kingdom, a right hand in saving the Pandya-kula
On. 238 of the following year, says that from his elephants continually piercing
the clouds, they poured forth their floods and filled the Tambraparnni river;
while the numbers of pearls scattered in it from the temples of his enemies'
elephants were washed down to the ocean and filled it with astonishment.
His general Brahma forced the enemies, by destroying their groves, towns and
chhatras, to take refuge in Lulaya-Lakshmanagara, under the scanty shade
of trees the branches of which had been broken off by buffaloes Ak. 108 of
1255, says that the king, surrounded by Brahmans satisfied with the hiranya-
garbha, tula-purusha and many other great gifts, the destroyer of the Magara
and Kadava kingdoms, the saviour of the Chola and Pandya kingdoms, with
the rank of universal emperor (sdrwabhauma) was in the residence of Kannanur.
This has been identified (by Dr. Hultzsch) with a place near Srirangam, and
is also called in some inscriptions Vikramapura. We have here a farther
account of the Maleyala merchants from Kulamuka in Kerala previously
mentioned. The first to-be named is Kunje-Setti of Padiyur. When Ballala
was marching to attack Uchchangi, it appears that he did not approve of it,
and forced the army to retire by the discharge of his arrows as if it had been
rubbed out. The king was so struck with admiration at his bravery that he
sent for him and bound on him the crown of a subhata or good warrior. His
son-in-law was Arasiri Kondanambi, who had satras erected in Harihara, Setu,
Panduranga, and Varanasi, and made gifts in all the famous bathing places.
D