History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v1.c22.51

v1.c22.51

Our materials for the construction of the history of the Somavamśis of Kośala comes suddenly to an end with the Kudopali plates of Mahābhavagupta II. The only other record in which Mahābhavagupta II Bhīmratha is mentioned is the Sonpur plates of a certain Kumārādhirāja Someśvara. These plates were discovered in the State of Sonpur in 1908. According to Mr. B. C. Mazumdar, who edited the inscription on these plates, the entire shape was tampered with at some unknown date. The writing on the first two plates is on one side but that on the next two plates is on both sides and the inscription is not complete even on the second side of the fourth plate. The first two plates are practically of the same size but the fourth is much smaller. The mention of Mahābhavagupta II Bhīmaratha is to be found on the first plate. From this we learn that Uddyota-keśarī-raja-deva was the successor of Mahābhavagupta, who is given full imperial titles and is called the ornament on the forehead of the Lunar race and Tri-Kaliṅgādhipati. Uddyota-keśarī gave the kingdom of Kośala to one Abhimanyu. When the rule of Abhimanyu had come to an end (Atīta-rājye) then Kumārādhirāja became the master of Paśchima-Laṅkā. Someśvara also belonged to the Lunar race and the titles given to him are Parama-māheśvara-Parama-Bhaṭṭāraka-Kumārādhirāja-Parameśvara. The term Kumārādhirāja is extremely significant and reminds one of the Paramara title “Mahākumāra” borne by Lakshmīvarman, brother of Jayavarman, his son Harīśchandra and the latter’s son Udayavarman.¹ The use of the phrase Atīta-rājye shows that the rule of Abhimanyu had come to a violent end in Kośala. We may compare similar terms in the Bodh-Gaya inscriptions of Aśokachalla in connection with Lakshmaṇasena of Bengal¹ and Govindapāla of Magadha.² Upon the sudden termination of the rule of Abhimanyu in Kośala he was succeeded by Someśvara of the Lunar race. It is therefore certain that sometime after the 13th year of his reign Mahābhavagupta II Bhīmaratha was succeeded by Uddyota-keśarī. Now this Uddyota-keśarī is known from another inscription, now missing, which was discovered at Bhuvaneśvara. The summary compiled by Kielhorn shows that this Uddyota-Keśarī was the son of Caṇḍīhara and grandson of Abhimanyu, who was the brother's son of Janamejaya, *i. e.*, Mahābhavagupta I. According to this record Mahābhavagupta I was succeeded by his son, Dīrgharavas, and the latter by his son, Apavāra. This statement fits with our knowledge of the Somavamśī kings Mahābhavagupta I Janamejaya, his son Mahāśivagupta Yayāti and the latter's son Mahābhavagupta II Bhīmaratha. The Bhuvaneśvara inscription states that Apavāra died childless and was succeeded by Vichitravīrya, another son of Janamejaya, The latter's son was Abhimanyu. Therefore, this Abhimanyu cannot be the same as that who received the kingdom of Kośala from Uddyota-keśarī, the successor of Mahābhavagupta II Bhīmaratha; but it is absolutely impossible to identify the Uddyota-keśarī of the Bhuvaneśvara inscription with Uddyota-keśarī, the successor of Mahābhavagupta II Bhīmaratha, because the former was the grandson of Abhimanyu.³