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EPIGRAPHIC NOTES EPIGRAPHIC NOTES
D. C. SIRCAR, OOTACAMUND 1. Phërava Grant of Samantavarman
The above copper-plate inscription, dated in the Ganga year 185 (681-83 A. C.), has been edited by Dr. R. C. Majumdar. The Ganga king Samantavarman who issued the charter belonged to a branch line of the Ganga house, which ruled from a city variously called Svētaka, Sohēt aka, Svēta, Svētka and Sēta. Dr. Majumdar places the kingdom of the Gangas of Svētaka " in the northern part of the Ganjam District."
Another member of the same branch of the Ganga family was Rāņaka Jayavarman, known from one of his copper-plate charters, which was found somewhere in the northern part of the Ganjam District. This grant of Jayavarman is known to have been registered with a seal by a lady styled Trikalinga-mahādēvi. On this point Dr. Majumdar says, "It is significant that the grant of Ränaka Jayavarman was registered (lanchhita) by the Trikalinga-Mahādēvi. This shows that Trikalinga was included in the kingdom, and may even be taken to indicate that the kingdom was also sometimes known by that name. As I have suggested elsewhere,Trikalinga probably designates the hilly tracts, lying to the west of Kalinga and separating it from the Central Provinces." Dr. Majumdar seems to take Trikalingamahādēvi as & designation. To me, however, it appears to have been the personal name or a secondary name of one of the queens of Rāņaka Jayavarman, who was endowed by the king with an amount of administrative power. This seems to be suggested by some records of the Bhañjas of Khiñjalimandala, who originally ruled from Dhritipura and later from the city of Vañjulvaka in the northern part of the Ganjam District, as well as by some of the Svētaka Gangas themselves.
The Ghumsur plates of Nēttabhañja Kalyāņakalaba were lāñchhita or registered by the Vargulika Vächchhika. Two other charters of the same king' were similarly lāñchhita respectively by Mämmā and Jachchhikā, who appear to have been female officials of the Bhañja ruler. It is extremely interesting to note in this connection that two charters of another member of the same ruling family, called Vidyādharabhañja surnamed Amoghakalaba and Dharmakalasa, are said to have been lāñchhita by Trikalinga-mahādēvi together with the mantrin Bhatta-Kesavadēva and the Värgulika Chachika in one case and by the same Trikalinga-mahādēvi together with Tējadika and the mantrin Bhatta-Stambhadēva in the other. Since, however, these records come from the northern part of the Ganjam District, like those of the Gangas of Svētaka, Dr. Majumdar may be inclined to explain the mention of Trikalinga-mahādēvi in the above two records in the same way as he has done in connection with the inscription of Rāņaka Jayavarman. But some other inscriptions of the Bhañjas of Vañjulvaka seem clearly to go-against his suggestion.
The Chakradharpur plates of Nēțţabhañja Kalyāņakalasa are known to have been länchhita by Srijayamahādēvi or sri-Jayamahādēvi together with the Vārgulika Pundarika and the mantrin Bhatta-Bāpuka. There is hardly any doubt that Srijayamabādēvi or sri-Jayamahādēvi was the personal name of one of the queens of Nēţtabhanja Kalyāņakalasa, who was endowed with the
1 Above, Vol. XXVII, pp. 108 ff. and plate. * Ibid., p. 111, line 37; p. 112, line 13. * Ibid., Vol. XXIII, pp. 268-9. • Dacca University Studies, Vol. II, p. 19. 6 Above, Vol. XXVII, p. 111. • Bhandarkar's List, No. 1497. Vargulika may be Oriya Vaguli meaning the king's famoula-dhaka. * Ibid., Nos. 1498, 1499. . Ibid., Nog. 1500, 1501. Ibid., No. 1502.
