Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c22.s3.7

c22.s3.7

² One of the successors of Kumāra (II), son of Bālāditya, is according to the *Ārya-Mañjuśrī mūla-kalpa*, a prince styled *Ukārākhya*. That appellation may according to Jayaswal apply to Prakāśāditya, for Allan finds the letters *ru* or *u* on his coins. But the identification of a prince whose designation was *u*, (*Ukārākhya*), with Budha Gupta (Jayaswal, *An Imperial History of India*, 38), does not seem to be plausible. The passage in the *Ārya-Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa* suggests a name like Upagupta, Upendra. Though there is no direct epigraphic evidence for the name Upagupta, the existence of such a prince does not seem to be improbable in view of the fact that an Upaguptā is mentioned in Maukhari records as the mother of Īśānavarman [Asīrgaḍh (Fleet, *CII*, p. 220) and Nālandā (*Ep. Ind.*, xxi, p. 74) seals]. *Cf.* Bhānu Gupta and Bhānu Guptā, Harsha Gupta and Harsha Guptā, Mahāsena Gupta and Mahāsena Guptā. On the analogy of these cases it is possible that there was a prince named Upagupta, apparently the brother of Upaguptā. If this surmise be correct Upagupta may have to be placed in the same period as the mother of Īśānavarman, *i.e.*, in the first half of the sixth century A.D., sometime after Budha Gupta. If *u* is the initial of Upendra (Vishṇu or Kṛishṇa) and not of Upagupta, it may refer to Vishṇu Gupta or to Kṛishṇa Gupta, just as Somākhya has reference to the Gauḍa king Saśāṅka. The existence of a son of Kumāra Gupta II named Mahārājādhirāja Śrī Vishṇu Gupta has recently been disclosed by a fragmentary seal at Nālandā (*Ep. Ind.*, xxvi. 235; *I.H.Q.*, XIX. 19). It is difficult in the present state of our knowledge to say whether he was the immediate successor of his father, or had to wait till the death of his great uncle Budha Gupta. Those who place him and his father *after* Budha Gupta, have to dissociate Kumāra of the Bhitarī and Nālandā seals from the homonymous prince of Sārnāth. This is not improbable but must await future discoveries for confirmation.