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( SECTION IÍÍ)
MAHĀMEGHAVĀHANA DYNASTY
In line first of the Hāthigumphā Inscription, Khāravela has been styled as “mahāmeghavāhanena' and in another inscription, king Vakradeva, probably a successor of Khāravela, is referred to as mahāmeghavāhanas ya', which titles would denote that these rulers were the descendants of king Mahāmeghavāhana.
Etymologically speaking, Mahāmeghavāhana means Sa person whose vehicle is maņāmegha'—the great cloudlike State-elephant. The possession of a superb Stateelephant is one the tests for determining the status of a king overlord. The imperial style ‘Mahāmeghavāhana' adorning the names of Khāravela and Vakradeva goes to show that the State-elephant of the kings of the Royal family of Kalinga, of which they were the descendants, was known by the name of Mahāmegha-(like) the Great Cloud.3
Apart from denoting clouds, the word also denotes "elephants'. In the Kautilya Arthaśāstra,' the elephants of Kalinga, Anga, Prāchya and Karuśa are said to have been of the noblest breed. The Kurudhamma Jāta ka6 and also the Vessantara Jātakao bear testimony to the fact
1. Luder's List No. 1347. 2. OBI, p. 40.
3. The country of Kaliúga being a coastal region is subject to heavy rains. The annual rainfell being about 75 to 90 inches and hence, heavy dark clouds is a regular phenomena of the country.
4. II, 20, 20. 'Kalingaiga gajaḥ śreshthāh prachya cheti karušajāh'. 5. Fausboll, No. 276. 6. Ibid, No. 547.
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