రామరాజీయము/ముందుమాట
PREFACE.
The poem entitled Ramarajiyamu, and known also as Narapativijayam, in honor of the brave Ramaraja, contains a genealogy of the Narapati princes who ultimately swayed the destinies of the Kiingdom of Vijayànagar. The Ramarajiyamu was composed at the beginning of the second half tot the 10th century by Surayya’s son Venkayya, the court-poet of Kodandaramaraja. This prince, better known as Ramaraja, and son-in-law of the famous king Krishnaraja, was like his father-in-law, a great patron of Telugu literature. I have elsewhere shown that there existed two Krishnarajas who had as their sons-in-law princes of the name of Ramaraja. [1]
The Ramarajiyamu was written previously to the battle of Talikóta, in which Kodandaramaraja was defeated and killed by the united armies of the Muhammedan Chiefs of Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadabad and Bedar. [2]
The narrative is continued nearly up to the period of this catastrophe, and leaves Ramaraja in the plenitude of his power occupying his throne with his sons round him.
As is usual with work of this kind, the book traces the descent of the Naraptis from Narayana through Chandra, the Moon, to the Bharatas, hennce to Nanda and from him to the Chalukyas and through Vijala of Kalyana to Kódandaramaraja, the hero of the poem.
The descent is triced as follows: -From Narayana, Brahman, Atri, Chandra, Budha, Pururavas, Ayu, Nahusa ofesorsolusaeuusno oesựreầưeuss zuț¢rgiequa,·efereuresepuwpęy reføreressuɔxeuusųɔ ețęuenwoooooppəā į.Jー----!--|-----!- J **țęueủqssxxi jo ‘={ęIự, ɛsuɔA'ețęıɛtúcus L.-wɛI-ul-uos “esựuụsuçu epusepọXI Ų}|J- 'eț¢ieAppvuuựy!·ețęıę3ưuuļusof grænặsua.A espreț cumas I. || –J || osự sụpeđgɔ 'eføreressuɔA'ețęuessitqɔɛĦuwapış'eț¢resațiimas L ețçJesusţuổxeuus qɔ'eswiese quod oppə.ł rețçreușx; \-|−]U|J|--|---- ‘bouersus reușxioosooA ous, vouestis reqięgnążeg eșueațiş veturnuvuusų5‘epuỢyłve)'waqśsıyı t. . . . . . ]|-----|-^ — || ()]|-- ' ! -L-._.---*) --- ] 1 |-|'esglæưųssux jo 'esựressessuɔA**țçıeselurus I«ưl-us-uos reț¢unuạg'esso seuruutj.* · U––––- ----|----––––––––L– → –––)- | **{#ie8ưelijus*æ{#iepuoy!'wțęłeưuusy. U#
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- Yayati, Puru, &c., descended the Bharatas, and the 83rd in descent from Arjuna was Nanda; his gth descendant was Chalukya, and from him was descended Vijala or Bijjala of Kalyana. His grandson was Vira Hemmaliraya; Hemmaliràya's son was Tàtapinna, Tàtapinna was succeeded by Sómadeva, Raghavadeva, Pinnasauri and Bukkaraja. This Bukkaraja had two sons Singarāja and Ramaraja the latter of whom was the father of Timmarája, Kondaràja and Srírangaràja. The se ons of the lastnamed prince were Kờnaràja, Timmarája, Ràmaràja or Aliramaràja, son-in law of Krishnaräja, Tirumalarája, Venkataraja or Venkatadriraja. Of these, the fourth son, Tirumalaràja, had four sons : Raghunàtharảja, Srìrangaraja, Ramaraja and Venkatarâja, The third of these, Ramaraja was the father of Tirumalaraja and Srirangachikkaräja, the son of the last being Ràmadévaràja. The fifth son of Srírangaràja, Venkataràja, had two sons Råmaràja and Rangaparaja or Srirangaraja, the latter of whom had in his turu two sons Venkatadrirja and Gõpälaraja. Rámaraja, the third son of Srirangaraja and the son-in-law of Krishnaraja, had also five sons: Krishnaraja, Peddatimmaràja, Kondarāja, Chimna timmaràija and Srirangaraja of whom Kondaraja had a son named Ramaraja, and Srirangaraja had two sons Pedda venkataraja and Chinnavenkataràja, the sons of the latter being Tirumalaràja, Venkataràja and Srírangaràja. Venkataràja had three: sons named Kódandaramaraja or briefly Râmaraja, Timmaraja and Venkatadrirâja, the eldest of whom Kodandaramaraja became the son-in-law of the famous Krishnaraja of Vijayanagar. This Kódandaramaraja, who appropriated the regal power had four sons: Peddavenkataràja, Clinnavenkataràja, Kòdandaràmaràja and Venkataraja, and Timmaraja the younger brother of Kódandarämarája had two sons: Srirangaräja and Chinnavenkataräja. Thi Kodandaramaraja the son-in-law of king Krishnaraja, fell, as has already been mentioned previously, in the battle of Taliköta, but Venkayya closes his Ramarajiyamu previously to this event.
The annals of the Narapati family contain thus many important and interesting accounts concerning the Telugu country, to some of which I have alluded in previous publications of mine.
The poem is written in classical Telugu, in a choice and superior style. It abounds, as is usual in works of this kind, in Alankaras and other rhetorical figures so highly esteemed by the people of this country,
The book is compiled from two MSS. in the Government Oriental MSS. Library, and I am greatly indebted to the learned Panndit M. R. Ry., Kokkonda Venkataratnam Pantulu Garu for thc valuable assistance he rendered me in the publication of it, and also to M. R. Ry. D. Raghavayya Pantulu Gäru, who kindly helped me in revising the proofsheets,
GUSTAV OPPERT.