The Padmaneri Grant of Venkatapati I

The Padmaneri grant had been issued by King Venkatapati I of the third dynasty of Vijayanagar^[1]. It consists of 159 Sanskrit verses written in Nagari characters. The Grant has been composition of Krshna kavi Kamakodi. On the day devadasi, in the bright fortnight of the month of Sravana in the year 1520 Saka expressed by the chronogram—vyomanetrakolamba indu. The grant was made at the instants of Krishnappa-Nayaka of Madura.

This record has two fold significance for Kerala history. Firstly it says that Visvanathnayaka of Madurai defeated the Tiruvati king, in addition to the Vanadaraya and Pandya rulers.

It is stated:—

prakhyātaśrīstiruvaṭi mahāpāṇḍyavāṇādarāyaprāgryānanyānapi raṇamukhe pārthivānāśu jitvā
tattatsīmāṃ nijabhujabalādāharan viśvanāthakṣoṇīpālo abhajata madhurārājyasāmrājya lakṣmīm ||

In addition to the statement that Visvanatha Nayaka defeated the Tiruvati king in battle. This inscription says that the donor of the grant captured the seven embloms of the Tiruvati. Also Krsnappa is given the title of ‘Lord of the southern ocean’.

The epigraph says:—

pratyaṅgamādibhūpānāṃ prakaṭīkurvataḥ prathāṃ śrīdakṣiṇasamudreśaprakhyātabirudonnataḥ
śrīmat pañcartiruvaṭi saptāṅga haraṇaujasaḥ varavīra mahīpāla vārākarasudhānidheḥ

This passages possess immense value for the history of Tiruvithamkur because, it becomes clear that Krishnappanayaka personally took part in some battle against the Tiruvati king. The statement that Krishnappa was the lord of the southern ocean implies that he was able to bring under his control the eastern dominious of the rulers of Travancore. However, it has to be conceded that the mere assumption of the boastful title of Dakshinasamudresa does not properly indicate that the claimant was actually the lord of the whole territory ending with the southern sea.

The inscription says that Krishnappa captured the 7 embloms of the five tiruvatis. The usage under reference is Pancar -Tiruvati. The fact that it is a mislection for Panca -Tiruvati has been proved by the Vellangudi place^[2] of the same king, and composed by the same poet. The idea of the five Tiruvadi’s is not as common in Travancore history as the five Pandyas in Pandya History. The only known mention of five Tiruvadis is to be found in the Ancutampuranpattu which celebrates the life of five princess named Sakalakala Marthanda Varma, Palakala Aditya Varma, Pararama Adityavarma, Vanci Adityavarma and Pararamar^[3]. It is likely that the Panca Tiruvati’s mentions in the Padmaneri and Vellangudi place are identical with the Ancutampuran’s of the Ancuthampuran pattu. Chronologically the date of the five Tampuran’s comes close to that of Krishnappa nayaka, because, according to a Suchindra inscription. Sakalakala Marthandavarma flourished in 716 M.E. (1541 AD)

Another piece of historical information springing from the Padmaneri Grant is that in Saka 1520, Padmaneri, a village in Venad:

śrīsamagre tiruvaṭirājye vāṇanāṭuke paccāttuppukkuke cāpi prakhyātiṃ samupaśritaṃ
śrīmattirumalāmbāyāḥ puramityaparābhidhaṃ padmanerītināmnāṃ grāmamārāmaśobhitam ||

from this we are to understand that by that time Travancore lost its sway over the region. It has to be noted that in 721 M.E. (1546 AD) Padmeneri was under the Travancore ruler, a fact proved by the Padmeneri inscription of Vira Udaya Martanda Varma^[4].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Pub. V.Natesa Iyer of Peshawar in the Epi. In Vol. XVI, PP 287 -298

[2]:

Epi-In -Vol. XVI, P 317

[3]:

Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur Vol. I P 285

[4]:

Administration reports No. 166 of 1930