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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXX called Adi-Bhäñja, was born a heroio son' named Köttabhañja. In the next versc Raṇabhañja is introduced not, however, exactly as the son of Köttabhañja. It may be pointed out here that the verse in our record closely follows the language of the inscriptions of Ranabhañja's sons, while in Ranabhañja's own Jamdapir plate, as will be shown below, the verge in question describes Digbhañja, represented in that inscription as the father of Ranabañja. This omission of the name of Ranabhañja's father in his son's charters is compensated in one case by describing him as born in the family of Kottabhañja. Just as in the case of the sons of Raņabhañja in their records, the next verge of our plate introduces bri-Mahanmadāhavabha jadēva as the son of Ranabhañja, as a resident of Khichinga-kota and as a devotee of Hara (Siva). As will be seen from our discussion below, Mahanmadāhavabhastja 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 Ranabhañja 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 Ranabhañja 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 Mökuga, attached to the Phamsarā(?) vishya, made by the king in favour of one Kalasarma (probably Kālabarman), son of Pālaka. The grant was made in the name of Bhagavat Sankara-bhattāraka, i.e. the god Siva. The donor seems therefore to have been a Saiva.
The importance of the record under discussion lies in the fact that it reveals the name of a new king of the Adi-Bhañja dynasty of Khijjinga-Kötta. He is represented as the son of Ranabhañja ; but his name is given as Māhadābhanja in the legend on the seal and Mahanmadahavabhanja in the body of the epigraph. With the exception of only one record, the genuineness of which has been doubted, all the Bhanja grants begin with an account of the following'two persons:(1) Ganadanda Virabhadra, and (2) a hero oalled Kottabhañja born in his family. It seems that, while Virabhadra was a mythical personage, Kottabhañja was the real founder of the Adi-Bhañja dynasty of rulers. The earliest records of the family belong to the grandsons of this Köttabhanja. The Adipur plate (No. 1) records two grants, the first of them being that of Narendrabhasja who was the son of Vibhramatunga and grandson of Köttabhañja. The last few lines of the inscription record & second and apparently later grant made by Ranabhanja, another son of Vibhramatunga, in the year 293 (931). This seems to suggest that Narendrabhañja was an elder brother of Ranabhañja. Probably Narendrabhañja died without leaving any issue and was succeeded by his brother. The Adipur plate (No. 2)* also records one grant of Narendrabhañja and another of Ranabhañja. There is little doubt that this Ranabhanja is the same as the Adi-Bhañja king of that name who issued the Jamdapir (Bamanghati) plate (No. 1)' 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 Ranabhanja's father is given as Digbhañja. The son of Köttabhanja, who was the father of Narendrabhañja and Raņabhañja, was therefore called both Vibhramatunga and Digbhañja, the former (not ending with the word bhañja) being merely a biruda.
After Ranabhañja, the Adi-Bhañja throne passed to several of his sons who appear to have become kings one after another. The Ukhunda plate was issued in the fourth regnal year of Prithvibhañja, son of Ranabhanja. It is interesting to note that the name of Digbhañaj-Vibhramatunga is omitted in this record and that Raņabhañja is pertinently described as born in the family (tasy=ānvayê) of Kottabhañja. Three other sons of Ranabhañja were Rajabhanja who
1 In some records of the family, the word putrah belongs to the following verse and refers to Kottabhafija's son Digbhafija.
* Abovo, Vol. XXV, pp. 165 ff.
Ibid., pp. 169 ff. • Archaeological Survey of Mayurbhanj, Vol. I, pp. 141 ff. JMQ, Vol. XIII, pp. 427 ff.
