________________
240 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(VOL. XXVIII top of the Mahendragiri in the Ganjam District. Like his predecessors, Anantavarman Chodaganga is also called a paramamāhē svara (devout worshipper of Mahēsvara or Siva) in his earlier records, riz., the Korni and Vizagapatam plates of 1081-82 A.C. But the Korni plates of 1112-13 A.C. describe him both as a paramamāhèsvara and as a paramavaishnava (devout worshipper of Vishnu), while the Vizagapatam plates of 1118-19 A.C. omit the title paramamākēsvara altogether and represent Anantavarman Chodaganga as a devotee of Vishnu alone. It is very interesting to note that these later records refer to Anantavarman Chödaganga's oonquest of the Utkala country which muet have indicated the dominions of the Sõmavamšís including the Puri-Cuttak region. This event, which took place earlier than 1112-13 A.C., seems to have had something to do with the change of the king's religious faith from Saivism to Vaishṇavism. As will be seen below, one of the achievements of Anantavarman Chodaganga, as described in the introductory portion of later Ganga copper-piate charters, including the record under discussion, was the construction of the great temple of Purushottama-Jagannatha at Puri. In any case, the genealogy tracing Chödaganga's descent from Vishņu seems to be concocted after he had been initiated to the Vaishnava faith.
The inscription begins with the usual symbol for siddham and with the pranava written as O. Verse 1 is in adoration to the goddess of prosperity, while the following verse speaks of her husband, the god Vishnu. Verse 3 describes how the god Brahman sprang from the nevel of Vishạn, how the sage Atri was produced by Brahman (from his mind) and how the Moon was born from Atri's eyes. Verse 4 describes the greatness of the Moon, progenitor of the Chandravarháls, and voroos 5-6 with a prose passage refer to the glories of the Moon's descendants up to Kõlāhala who is said to have also been called Anantavarman. Verse 7 speaks of Gangavādi ; and Anantavarman (Kolahala) is said to have become the king of this land. It is further said that the descendants of this king became famous under the name of Ganga. Verse 8 says how Sarapura, the capital of KolhalaAnantavarman's kingdom, came to be known as Kölāhala (or more fully Kolabalapura) and how number of kings ruled there in succession. Verse 9 suggests that Kölāhala-Anantavarman had several (probably six) sons of whom the eldest Marasimha succeeded him, while the latter's younger brothers left the country with a view to conquering other territories. Verse 10 says how these wandering brothers, the fifth of whom was called Kämämmava, reached Kalinga and fought with the people of that country. Verse 11 speaks of the conquest of the Kalinga country apparently by the Gangānvaya indicating Kāmārnava. Verse 12 says that Kämārnava became & vam sa-kartri, the progenitor of a royal family and that his descendants became kings of renown. Verso 13 introduces Vajrahasta III (1038-68 A.C.) as sprung from the above Kämārnava (cf. tasmat in line 26), although the real relationship is no doubt that Vajrahasta was a descendant and not a son of this Kämärgava. As already indicated above, this part of the genealogy is based on that found in the later records of Anantavarman Chödaganga, although there is some modification and omission of details. The
1 See I.H.Q., Vol. XXII, pp. 300-07
According to the later records of Anantavarman Chodaganga, Kolbbala was succeeded by his son Virðohada. in wo lineage, after 81 kings had ruled at Koláhalspars, came Virasimha. This king had five BODA, vit., Kimir neva, Danarnava, Guņárnava, Marasimha, and Vajrahasta. We are told that Kamarpsva gave over the kingdon. to his paternal uncle and set out on digvijaya with his four brothers. He came to Mount Mahindra whoro ho worshipped Gökarnasvamin, through whose favour he received the bullorest and the insignia of sovereignty. He
non nuk possession of the Kalinga country after defeating Baliditya and ruled from Jantavura for 36 years. His b-othor Dinârnava succeeded him and ruled for 40 years, while the other brothers, Dis., Gunarpava, Máraiths and Vajrahasta, were assigned rospectively the Ambavadi vishaya, Bodi mandala and Kaptakavarttant. Dink data' successors were : his son Kämärgava (50 years), his son Raparpava (8 years), his son Vajrahasta (15 yonr), his younger brother Kimarpava (19 years), his son Gunárnays (27 years); his son Jitánkula (18 years), bia brother's Hon Kaligalankusa (12 years), his father's brother Gundams (7 years), his younger brother Kimirpers (25 years). worother Vinayaditya (3 years), his son Vajrahasia (35 years), his son Kimarpava (year), his brother Quoda (3 years), his step-brother Madhukamarpar (19 youra), his son Vajrahasta (1038-88 A.C.). Cf. this with the ne logy found in earlier records and quoted above. MGIPO-S1-DGA/52-29-4-63-450.
