________________
265
No. 50]
RATNAGIRI PLATES OF SOMAVAMSI KARNA
told that Ramapala (c. 1077-1120 A.D.) favoured the vanquished king of Utkala, who belonged to the lineage of Bhava's ornament (i.e. the dynasty of the moon or the Sōma-vamsa), and rescued the world from the terror of Kalinga after having killed those robbers of that place,' most probably led by the Ganga king Anantavarman Chōḍaganga. Ramapala accomplished this towards the later part of his reign following the consolidation of his empire after his victory over the Kaivarta king Bhima, most probably about the beginning of the twelfth century. The commentary on verse 5 of the second Parichchheda supplies the name of this Utkalesa as Karņakesarin who was defeated by Jayasimha, the feudatory ruler of Dandabhukti under Rāmapāla.3
King Janamējaya, son of Udyōtakesarin, succeeded his father. In verse 13 he is stated to have threatened or surpassed the Naga king in bearing the weight of the earth. If this verse has any political significance, the Naga king must have been the Chhindaka-Naga Sōmēśvara I (c. 1069-1097 A.D.) of Bastar, who is known to have come into conflict with the king of Udra.*
Puranjaya, son of Janamejaya and grandson of Udyōtakesarin, is praised in the inscription in high-sounding words. We are told that even the kings of Gauda, Dahala, Kalinga and Vanga were afraid of his prowess. This is a vague eulogy. The contemporary ruler of Gauda was Ramapala and the contemporary Kalachuri king of Dahala most probably Yaśaḥkarna. The ruler of Kalinga was either Rājārāja I (1070-78 A.D.) or his son Chodaganga (1078-1147 A.D.). The king of Vaiga was no doubt the Yadava king Harivarman.
Karpadeva, brother of Purañjaya and another grandson of Udyōtakesarin, succeeded his brother. Like other members of his family, he was a devout' worshipper of the god Mahesvara. His viruda Mahasivagupta proves that the alternate assumption of the names Mahabhavagupta and Mahasivagupta was a regular feature in the dynasty. That the prasasti praises him only in vague terms shows that he was not a powerful ruler, though he was maintaining his independent existence in Utkala till his sixth regnal year, as his assumption of imperial titles like Paramabhaṭṭāraka Mahārājādhirāja and Trikalingadhipati and also the grant of land in Uttara-Tōsali testify.
Among the geographical names mentioned in the inscription, Kōnā and Brahmō-Aṭṭhāvisa are not readily identifiable. Uttara-Tōsali roughly corresponded to the modern Balasore District with parts of the Cuttack and Midnapur Districts. Yayatinagara, whence the order conveying the gift was issued, is modern Jajpur, the capital of Utkala under the later Sōmavamáis. Salonapura, evidently identical with Salōnapur-adhivasa in Uttara-Tōsali mentioned in the Nuelpur plates of the Bhauma king Subhakara, may be the modern Solampur (lat. 20° 52'; long. 86° 21′) on the bank of the Vaitaraņi, about 2 miles from Jajpur, a town in the Bhadrak Sub-Division of the Balasore District. The village has yielded a rich crop of Buddhist images of the Mahāyāna-Vajrayana pantheon, such as Lõkesvara, Jambhala and Vajrasattva.
1 Cf. Bhava-bhushana-santati-bhuvamanujagräha jitam-Utkala-tram yah jagad-avatisma samastam Kalingatas tan-nisacharan-nighnan.
This refers to the earlier invasion of Chōdaganga before his permanent conquest of Utkala. Cf. Simha iti Dandabhukti-bhūpatir-adbhuta-prabhāv-ākara-kamala-mukula-tulit-Otkalesa-Karnakesarisaridvallabha-Kumbhasambhavo Jayasimhab.
Above, Vol. X, p. 26.
It may be mentioned that about 3 miles from Ratnagiri there is a village called Anikōna which is reminiscent of Kōna. The village Brahmapur, 14 miles north-east of Ratnagiri, recalls the first part of the name BrahmōAṭṭhāvisa.
Above, Vol. XV, pp. 2 f.
