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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[Vol. XXIV.
epigraph. The early Kadamba kings Krishnavarman, his son Vishnuvarman, and Ravivarman also bore the title Dharma-mahārāja. Similarly the early Kadamba king Vijaya Siva-Mandhătrivarman is entitled Dharma-mahärājah. The title Dharma-Yuvamahärāja also occurs in some Pallava inscriptions. Dr. Fleet commenting upon the significance of the title Dharmamaharājādhiraja' says that it means 'a mahārājādhiraja by or in respect of religion' or by free translation a pious or righteous mahärājādhiraja'. Asöka is believed to have borne the surname or title Dharmarāja'. But the titles Dharma-mahārāja, Dharma-mahādhirāja or Dharma-mahā. ränadhirāja are not known to have been applied either to him or assumed by any other early king in North or South India besides those noted above. They are not known either to the Epics or the Puranas which deal with the most pious kings. These titles appear, in my opinion, to have been based upon or evolved from the earlier title Dhamma-mahāmata of the Asokan inscriptions." These officials, according to the monarch's own statement, were appointed by him for the first time and they were primarily officials in charge of morality'. It appears to me that the early Pallava, Ganga and Kadamba kings, having succeeded to the sovereignty of the territories over which Aboks might have appointed some of his dhamma-mahamätas (dharma-mahāmatras) assumed the titles dharma-mahärāja or.dharma-mahārājadhirāja as and when their political circumstances permitted. This explanation seems also to be borne out by the context in which the title occurs in the early Kadamba inscription of Siva-Mändbätsivarman in the form Vaijayantyam Dharmamahārājaḥ'; even before the family of the king is introduced. Just as in the Vijayanagara times Vassals or ministers who were originally entitled mahārāja' assumed the paramount title 'maharaya 'when they gained sovereignty, so too the successors of the Asokan Dharma-mahāmātras must have adopted the title Dharma-mahārāja or Dharma-mahārājādhirāja when they became independent kings but were willing or even proud to maintain the earlier traditions of their political power and associations with the great Mauryan emperor's time.
The grant was issued from Vijaya-Palatkațădhishthana, i.e., the victorious capital Palatkata. Palakkada-sthāna was the place of issue of the Uruvupalli plates of Simhavarman, the father of the present king. Whether we can definitely identify Palätkata with Palakkada as suggested by Krishna Sastriu and assumed also by Professor Dubreuil is doubtful, though the possibility of the identity is not altogether precluded. Prof. Dubreuil suggested once personally to me that Palakkada might be identical with the modern village of Peda-Palakaluru in the Guntur taluk. It is also possible that Paluküru in the Kandukur taluk of the Nellore District might be the ancient Palakkada or alternatively Palātkata. From the Postal Directory we see that in the vicinity of Kandukur town are villages of the name Pallava, Pallava-Balagopalapuram and Pallava Bhuvanagiriväri-khandrika. These names definitely point to the association of this tract with the Pallavas.
* Above, Vol. XII, p. 50, Text, 1. 4. • Ibid., Vol. VI, p. 18 and Vol. VIIT, Pp. 30 and 147. • Ibid., Vol. VI, p. 14. • Ind., Ant., Vol. V, p. 51; above, Vol. VI, p. 18, 1. n. 1. . Above, Vol. V, p. 163, f. n. 2. • Ibid., Vol. VIII, p. 167.
Hultasch, Inscriptions of Asoka, Gir. V; Kal. V, XII, etc. •B.. Tirumala I.
[There is not sutolerat svidence to support this view.-Ed.) 10 Ind. Ant., Vol. V, 51. 11 Madras Ep. Rep., 1994, p. 82, para. I. 13 Pallaras, table on p. 73.
