South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

called Ādi-Bhāñja, was born a heroic son^[1] named Kōṭṭabhañja, In the next verse Raṇabhañkja is introduced not, however, exactly as the son of Kāṭṭabhañja. It may be pointed out here that the verse in our record closely follows the language of the inscriptions of Raṇabhañja’s sons, while in Raṇabhañja’s own Jamdapir plate, as will be shown below, the verse in question describes Digbhañja, represented in that inscription as the father of Raṇabañja. This omission of the name of Raṇabhañka’s father in his son’s charters is compensated in one case by describing him as born in the family of Kōṭṭabhañja. Just as in the case of the sons of Raṇabhañja in their records, the next verse of our plate introduces śrī-Mahanmadāhavabhañjadēva as the son of Raṇabhañja, as a resident of Khichiṅga-kōṭṭa and as a devotee of Hara (Śiva). As will be seem from our discussion below, Mahanmadāhavabhañja may not be the correct form of the name of the issuer of the charter. It has to be noted that the two verses describing Digbhañja and his son Raṇabhañja in the latter’s own records are found to be used in the charters of his sons (including the present inscription), which omit Digbhañja altogether, to describe Raṇabhañja and his particular son who issued that charter. The prose portion (lines 16-20) that follows these verses records the grant of the village called Mōkuga, attached to the Phaṁsarā(?) vishya, made by the king in favour of one Kalasarma (probably Kālaśarman), son of Pālaka. The grant was made in the name of Bhagavat Śaṅkara-bhattāraka, i.e. the god Śiva. The donor seems therefore to have been a Śaiva.

The importance of the record under discussion lies in the fact that it reveals the name of a new king of the Ādi-Bhañja dynasty of Khijjiṅga-Kōṭṭa. He is represented as the son of Raṇabhañja ; but his name is given as Māhadābhañja in the legend on the seal and Mahanmadāhavabhañja in the body of the epigraph. With the exception of only one record, the genuineness of which has been doubted, all the Bhañja grants begin with an account of the following two persons :(1) Ganadaṇḍa Vīrabhadra, and (2) a hero called Kōṭṭabhañja born in his family. It seems that, while Vīrabhadra was a mythical personage, Kōttabhañja was the real founder of the Ādi-Bhañja dynasty of rulers. The earliest records of the family belong to the grandsons of this Kōṭṭabhañja. The Adipur plate (No. 1)^[2] records two grants, the first of them being that of Narēndrabhañja who was the son of Vibhramatuṅga and grandson of Kōṭṭabhañja. The last few lines of the inscription record a second and apparently later grant made by Raṇabhañja, another son of Vibhramatuṅga, in the year 293 (193 ?). This seems to suggest that Narēndrabhañka was an elder brother of Raṇabhañja. Probably Narēndrabhañja died without leaving any issue and was succeeded by his brother. The Adipur plate (No. 2)^[3] also records one grant of Narēndrabhañja and another of Raṇabhañja. There is little doubt that this Raṇabhañja is the same as the Ādi-Bhañja king of that name who issued the Jamdapir (Bamanghati) plate (No. 1)^[4] in the year 288 (probably 188). This is definitely indicated by the dates of his grants found in this record and in the Adipur plate (No. 1). In the Jamdapir inscription, the name of Raṇabhañja’s father is given as Digbhañja. The son of Kōṭṭabhañja, who was the father of Narēndrabhañja and Rāṇabhañja, was therefore called both Vibhramatuṅga and Digbhañja, the former (not ending with the word bhañja) being merely a biruda.

After Raṇabhañja the Ādi-Bhañja throne passed to several of his sons who appear to have become kings one after another. The Ukhunda plate^[5] was issued in the fourth regnal year of Pṛithvībhañja, son of Raṇabhañja. It is interesting to note that the name of Digbhañaj-Vibhramatuṅga is omitted in this record and that Raṇabhañja is pertinently described as born in the family (tasy=ānvayē) of Kōṭṭabhañja. Three other sons of Raṇabhañja were Rājabhañja who

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^[1] In some records of the family, the word putraḥ belongs to the following verse and refers to Kōṭṭabhañja’s son Digbhañja.
^[2] Above, Vol. XXV, pp. 155 ff.
^[3] Ibid., pp. 159 ff.
^[4] Archaeological Survey of Mayurbhanj, Vol. I, pp. 141 ff.
^[5] IHQ, Vol. XIII, pp. 427 ff.