subverter of those of the Cholas and the Pandyas thus fell at last on the ground and licked the dust, and the Devas showered celestial flowers from above on the victor. So much about the contents of the poem. HISTORICAL ALUE. Let us now proceed to examine critically the contents of the poem and show their great value for the construction of the history of the Vijayanagara kingdom for a short time after its foundation. Be it noted that the invocations at the commencement of the work are addressed to Ganesa, then to Parvati and Paramesvara and then to the guru Kriyasakti. Kriyasakti was a famous Saiva teacher and a Kulaguru of the kings of the first Vijayanagara dynasty. He was held in very high esteem and veneration by them, as is evident from the way in which he is referred to in the inscriptions of Harihara II, "विरूपाक्षः साक्षात् कुलपरमदैवं कुलगुरुः क्रियाशक्त्याचार्यः कलिकलभकण्ठीरवयशाः" “श्रीक्रियाशक्तिदेवदिव्यश्रीपादपद्माराधकः श्रीवीरहरिहरमहाराजु: "
Prominent among his di ciples stood the great Madhava Mantrin or Madhavamatya who has also deified him as an avatara of Siva, in a number of inscriptions. It is quite natural that, the authoress Gangadevi, the Queen of Kampana, should at the outset of her work, liken the kulaguru of her husband to god Siva and invoke his blessings for the success of her literary production. Madhava-Mantrio, the son of Chaunda-Bhatta of the Angirasa-gotra, was a minister of Bukka'I and Harihara II, and he appears to have done much for the consolidation of the Vijayanagara Empire. Himself a great warrier, he waged war with the Turusikas in the province hordering on the west- ern ocean and conquered them and vas made Governor of the province by Bukka I. He was also a renowned scholar,
