Ramappa Temple Inscriptions

 Inscriptions carved on a square pillar of highly polished black basalt, standing in front of a square chhatri to the north-east of the temple 

Translation of inscription in the Great Temple, recording grant of Recherla Rudra in A. D. 1213.
(By Dr. L. D. Barnett, Litt. D.)

Obeisance to the blessed Rudresvara!

1. May that Ganadhisa protect you on whose cheek, besprinkled with rutting ichor, the line of bees appears distinctly like a streak of musk.
2. May the goddess Sarada, giver of boons, whose lotus-feet are adored by the troops of gods and demons, ever grant you joy.
3. May that god Siva, whose diadem is the moon, at whose pair of lotus-feet the mass of quivering rays from the sapphires in the crest of obeisant lords of the gods assumes the semblance of gadding bees, be for your prosperity.
4. May that lord Sripati, in sport (assuming the form of) a Boar, be for your happiness—he Avhose body, covered with all the waters of the ocean like drops of sweat and holding the earth fixed on the tip of his tusk, appears like the sky (studded) with many stars and having a cloud standing at the point of the crescent moon.
5. Victorious is the puissant blessed king Ganapati, in whose spirit dwells without abandoning his achalasthiti (dwelling on the mountains, or immovable condition).
6. When he takes the field, the thick dust arising from the, ground split open by the hoofs of his squadrons of horses, and advancing in front (of him) because of the wind moving forward in a favourable direction, appears like the Earth herself, who, constantly protected by that master of all policy, is furiously marching in the van in order to slay the monarchs his foes for his pleasure.
7. The people going about in the courts of his palaces have their limbs well cooled even in the season of intense heat by being bathed with drops of water streaming forth from the tips of the trunks of elephants ridden by kings who have come to do service to him.
8. The sacrificial Fire, delighted at obtaining most abundant obla-tions in the many sacrifices undertaken by the congregations of great Brahmans pleased by the magnificence displayed in the endless largesses bestowed by him, (but also) suffering much toil in carrying to the company of the gods the series of oblations, assuredly feels always joy mingled with pain.
9. I will tell of the famous and most noble hneage of the hero devoted to him, the blest General Rudra, the lord of Recherla.
10. There was a general named the blest Brahma, possessing many virtues, who protected the earth by the rampart of his majesty.
11. As soon as his musical instruments had pealed forth he swiftly flung open the doors of the city of Karichi like a curtain, and promptly brought about there the marriage of the Kakati monarch with the Fortune of heroes.
12. In his family was born the General named Kataya, conqueror of foes, enjoying brilliant fortunes, dear to good men.
13. The passionate bee of his spirit day after day freely and plainly haunted with joy Srikantha’s blessed lotus-feet, which are ruddily radiant from the lines of large jewels, massive and bright, that are strung on the tips of the crests of obeisant Brahman and all the other immortals.
14. His son was the General named Kama, brilliant in conduct, whose mind was pure in worship of the lotus-feet of the Lord of the world.
15. When he, the commander of the blest king Prola's army, renowned for valour, great of strength, smote in battle king Manthanya-Gunda, the other hostile monarchs instantly fled away in every direction, like the other lesser elephants when the chief elephant (of the herd) has been laid low by a lion.
16. Of him was born a son, the General Kataya, truthful of speech and adorned with unswerving valour praised by heroes.
17. He was an ocean (producing) a multitude of the gems of virtues, a unique kinsman to the good, a celestial tree in largesse, a destroyer of hostile factions, possessing renowned flawless intelligence, attaining the accomplishment of his desires, having the lauded form of Pa£upati, enjoying famous and end-less glory.
18. From him was born the blest General Rudra, conqueror of foes, as from the great mountain Rohana (is produced) the brilliant beryl.
19. The Lotus-dweller (Brahman) created firmness in Meru, which is without tenderness, beauty in the Mind-born (Kama), who is a rebel against lsa, profundity in (the ocean, which is) the source of visha (poison, or water), mobility in the thunderbolt, which is gross, and bounty in the celestial tree, which is beyond the reach of the needy ; being dissatisfied with these, he created-him, Kamambika’s son, who is a mine of virtues untouched by faults.
20. The heat of the majesty of this (Rudra), who is a sun (scattering) the darkness consisting of valiant hostile kings,—wonderful to relate !—certainly causes the multitude of (white) lotuses which are the bright faces of his foemen's mistresses to fade, yet plainly brings into flower the grove of (libif-) lotuses which are the eyes of celestial damsels whose hearts are possessed with joy at obtaining their lovers.
21. When the blest king Rudra, who was a thunderbolt upon the mountains that are hostile monarchs, and who drew to himself the hand of the bright Earth destined to be enjoyed by the Kakati Lord, had gone to heaven, the hostile princes whom he, renowned for valour, had conquered on the fields of battle sprang up together hastily in panic.
22. He forsooth cut off the head of a haughty feudatory, and set it up for public view, stuck on the top of a lofty flag-staff, in his lord’s city, that field for the harvest of universal prosperity, (as a scarecrow) to frighten the flocks of the wild beasts that are hostile monarchs.
23. Threatened by the pennons on the top of his army’s flag-staffs, king Nagati speedily took to flight.
24. Recherla Rudra, a hero loyal to his lord, right resolute of mind, when the Fortune of the Kakati Monarch through error had set her foot among many sharp thorns and for the moment the triple lore was disturbed, himself by the might of his arm forcibly crushed and removed those (thorns), and very firmly established that (Fortune) in security.
25. Owing to the damaged state of the stone this verse is only partially intelligible; it refers to Rudra’s military exploits.
26. His sharp arrows on the battlefields, though piercing monarchs, to whose bodies no blood clings, shine with averted faces, owing forsooth to their intense shame because (they think): “We have in vain inflicted wounds upon these men, who at the mere sight of us have instantly gone to heaven.”
27. The crowd of parasols of enemy kings, having their poles split by him with his arrows, laid low, and covered with dust, appears on the field of battle like their halo of glory deprived of lustre.
28. Rival kings, fleeing from dread of him, in their desire to become equal to him walk forsooth manifestly at the same moment, owing to his might of arm, over vast katakas (slopes, or camps) of bhumibhrits (mountains, or monarchs), which are thickly set with broad Salas (sal trees, or ramparts), inaccessible to others, thronged with bands of most noisy ndgas (barbarians, or elephants), and which have flocks of vdfis (birds, or horses) grazing over them.*
29. His arrows, golden-tailed and keen of point, obedient to his unswerving valour, instantly in battle pierce the crowd of enemy monarchs and enter the earth, in order forsooth to say to’ the serpent who supports the world: “By overcoming wicked men this day we. have relieved the burden of the earth.”
30. In battle the dust that arises from the ground split open by the hoofs of his squadron of harnessed coursers, and which spreads abroad over the sky, being cut off at its root by the water, . consisting of the abundant rutting ichor of lordly elephants, appears like a curtain spread out for the marriage of the damsels of heaven with the valiant hostile kings slain by the blows of the sword swung in his pole-like arm.
31. Shattering great hosts of heroic foes, the sword-blade of (Rudra who is) burning with majesty plainly assumes the hue of smoke; and the masses of gore arising from enemies’ limbs wear the aspect of fire; and the bloodstained pearls falling from the temples of foemen’s elephants upon the earth have the semblance of coals.
32. A string of pearls, though very bright, is placed upon arandhra (crifice of the body, or weakness); Sakra’s elephant, though white of body, is foul with the oozing of rutting ichor; the swan, though white plainly delights in jada (water, or stupidity); the moon, though stainless of lustre, is a doshdkara (maker of night, or mine of faults): thus these things are not equal to his fame, which is faultlessly bright in character.
33. And this blest General Rudra, a man of skill, made a consecration of the god Rudresvara in the city of Orugallu.
34. And the sage son of Kamiimba then granted to this Siva, for the accomplishment of enjoyment of theatrical performances and bodily pleasure, the village named Nekkonda.
35. By him was built a city brilliantly shooting up lofty pinnacles, in which are delightful palaces, constant fortunes of every kind.
36. It is for ever a blest Dvaravati, an Ayodhya. together with Girivraja, and a blest Visala, and a Mathura manifestly, and a Bhogavati.
37. Here in one part (is heard) the sound of mighty roaring of towering lordly elephants, in another part the multitudinous clattering of the hard hoofs of squadrons of horses, in another the sportive clamour of warlike exercises carried on by troops of warriors, in another the mutual altercation of numerous libertines in gambling companies.
38. In another part the sound of damsels’ songs mingled with the tones of the lute and pipe, in another the declamation of verses accompanied by the sweetness of novel musical performances, in another the recitation, of the Four Vedas clearly rendered by congregations of Brahmans, in another the brilliance of goodly discourses by ardent students of the sciences.
39. As if on purpose to behold the splendour of this city, the betel-creepers quickly climb up to the top of the shoulders of the areca-palms in the parks all around.
40. He constructed a pond, which stands like an ocean that has come thither from fear of the Submarine Fire, and looks like a mirror for that city.
41. In this (pond) the banks, covered with rows of waves and underlined with foam all along the water-edge, suggest a resemblance to the ocean, being like in aspect to rows of shells of quivering lustre.
42. All the clouds certainly take up its water, not that of the ocean, for they everywhere carry sweet water,
43. All the stainless stars in the nights, entering its exceedingly pure waters in the form of reflected images (of themselves), ever freely perform in sooth the austerity of water-dwelling in order to be united with the full moon.
44. At this (pond), which is loved by troops of birds delighted at the swinging play of the lines of gently rising, abundant, sportive, quivering waves, the chcUaka-birds all around in the hot season drink the pure water drops dashed up by the fishes’ tails as they fall far away, imagining them to be rain.
45. In this exceedingly brilliant city this (Rudra), who was a terror to rival warriors, performed a consecration of Rudresvara which was extolled by great Brahmans.
46. On the top of the temple of this (god) shines distinctly a golden cupola, illumining the space of the sky, always having the brilliance of a vast sun’s orb standing on the lofty peak of the Eastern Mountain.
47. In the Saka year numbered as “earth, moon, worlds, arrows" [1135], (the cyclic year) Srimukha, in (the month of) Madhu, on the eighth day of the bright fortnight, a Sunday, and under the nakshatra Pushya, he, great of mind.
48. Granted respectfully to Rudresvara together with Gaurisa, Upparlapalli and Borlapalli for their enjoyment.

(Verses 49—52). (Four hortatory stanzas).

(Verses 53—54). The blest General Rudra, the sage, rejoicing granted to the god who is well established in the ever fortunate goodly town of Atukuru, to Katesvara and Kamesvara and Rudresvara, the excellent village of Nadikudi for their enjoyment.





Reference: Temples at Palampet by GHULAM YAZDANI