Coins and inscriptions of following rulers of the dynasty are found from
Chattisgarh, odisha region. Their territories included the areas around Bastar, Koraput, pushkari etc.
1. Varaha-raja
2. Arthapati-Bhattaraka
3. Bhavadatta-varman
4. Skanda-varman
Some gold coins suggest the existence of two other Nala rulers, Nandanaraja, and Stambha.
Skandavarman, the second son of Bhavadatta-varman, who was a great warrior, ascended the throne in the year 480 A.D. at pushkari.
He repulsed the vakatakas and, retrieved the lost territory of his ancestors and repopulated the city of Puskar. Skandavarman was a great Vaishnvite. He founded of a foot print (Padamala) of Vishnu and donated some holdings to chakradrone for the maintenance of the temple.
Skanda-varman enhanced the glory of his father Bhavadatta-Varman. During his reign, he pursued the worship of Lord Vishnu as well as Lord Shiva.
The stone, images and Inscriptions discovered from the ruins of the Podagadh clearly mentions that the illustrious king Skanda-Varman, the noble son of king Bhavadatta-Varman, who was the foremost scion of the glorious Nala family and repelled his enemies by his valor , on having reclaimed the lost royal prosperity ,which had fallen into other’s hands or was unsettled and having re-peopled the deserted (Sunya) town of Puskari, with the hope of obtaining religious merit for his father, other ancestors and mother and desiring welfare for himself.
With the death of Skanda Varman in the year 515 AD, the glorious chapter of Puskari domination come to an end, and the successor of Skanda Varman were vanquished by Chalukya Kirtivarman. The descendants of the Nala dynasty later established the Khidisingi mandala in modern ganjam region around 9th-10th century CE which eventually became the ancestors of the Soroda dynasty.
Inscription number 18.
Podagadh Stone-slab Inscription of Nala Skanda-varman. (Regnal) year 12.
Provenance: Podagadh or Poragarh on the northwestern frontier of the old Jeypore Agency, Koraput
district, orissa bordering on the Bastar
district.
Script: Brahmi of the Southern class, of 5th and 6th centuries AD. resembling the script of Mandasor epigraph of Kumaragupta of the Malava
year 493. (=436 A.D.) C.I.I, III, Pl.XI and
supra II. 3.
Language: Sanskrit.
Metres:
V.1: आर्या
VV.2-8 and 10-13: अनुष्टुभ
V.9: वंशस्थविल
References: Madras, Epigraphical Report, 1921-22, pp.95 &
Plate C.R. Krishnamacharlu, Ep.Ind., XXI, pp.153-57
Footnote
1. The record has been assigned, on palaeographic grounds, to the later half of the 5th century A.D.
2. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind., XXI, facing pp.156.
Footnote-2
Krishnamacharlu: – णान्यं संस्थिताम
He admits the possibility of the reading given above. This Bhavadatta
has been identified with the Nala Maharaja Bhavatta-varman of the Rithapur Plates. The western chalukya
king Kirtivarman 1, (567-97 A.D.) claims to have destroyed the Nalas. As the north-eastern neighbours of the western chalukyas, they must be
located in Berar and southern Madhya Pradesh including Bastar. The find-spots of this and the Rithapur
Plates fall within this region.
2. The editor’s amendation of the reading to सत्वोपभोज्यं is not called for सत्त्र is quite clear.
Krishmacharlu, too, has overlooked double t.
Footnote-3.
1. Editor: स्थितिर्भागवतेनैषा
2. Editor: कल्याणमालिना Krishnamacharlu:
कल्पिता मालिना
3. The first halves of the verses 12 and 13 are apparently lost at the end of lines 14 and 15 respectively.
English Translation of the inscription.
Success ! Hari conquered, conquers or will conquer”, this (type of statement) is not a praise of (His) qualities.
In fact, the Bhagavan (Hari) is Himself the conquest, the object of conquest and the conqueror(1).This foot-rest
(padamula) of Vishnu was made by the successful (kritina) king skanda-varman, the noble son of king Bhavadatta, who was the foremost Scion of the glorious Nala family
and) who had destroyed his enemies by his valour- on having pulled up the disorganised, disintegrated and fallen royal prosperity and having repeopled the deserted (town of) Pushkari, raising the hopes of his father, mother and other ancestors for earning religious merit and desiring welfare
for himself (vv.2-4) And or His worship here (i.e. in this temple) he donated with libation of akher water and with
abundant gifts a holding (pura) for the supreme. Being (Purusha) to last as long as the moon the sun and the
stars (with the revenues) to be enjoyed on the occasions of long Sacrifices by the Brahmanas and the ascetics in
particular and by the poor and the orphans and from everywhere. It is not to be entered by troops, free
for ever from taxes, to the son of Sri chakradrona for appropriate enjoyment. (vv.5-7) And this religious settlement
was composed and engraved on the Yonder Pillar. Whosoever
causes harm to this settlement, shall incur great sin (v.8).
whosoever transgresses the king’s settlement, that low-born (person) shall drink up (.e attract to himself) the sins
of the king. and he who follows the noble path of the king, shall obtain the protection of Vasudeva for a long time. (v.9). This pillar was caused to be planted by the king, personally,
on the sacred twenty seventh day in the excellent month of Madhava (= Vaisakha) in the twelfth year (of his reign) (v.10).
The token of affection in this manner (.e these verses)
were composed by the hereditory (maulin) general Bhagavata,
of modest intellect with the desire to please (his) lord
(v.11).
and it is written by
Janturadasa, the son of chaul (v. 12). And it was engraved?
by visvarupa the son of Aja, who is devoid of qualities and therefore seeks them (v. 13)
सत्र = Sacrifices of long duration.
Footnote-1
1. Krishnamacharlu translates pada-mula into ‘foot-print’
(or sanctuary)
2. Sanskritpura generally stands for a town or a ‘city’, But in certain inscriptions it appears to designate
tax-free lands owned by temples or Brahmanas. These are referred to in Kannarese inscriptions as Brahmapuri
or Brahmapura. See Ep.Carn. VI, Kadur Nos.10,125, XI, Chitaldurg No. 12, Ep.Ind, III pp.47, V. pp. 18,22, 150
VI, pp-202, Text line 23.