Sri
Maharaja Vishakha Varman of the dynasty
had founded his empire, in kalinga region, with its headquarters
at Sripur, now known as
Batiasripua in Ganjam district. He had founded this kingdom, during later years of his life, and had ruled for close to one decade from 350 to 360 C.E..
Umavarman is the earliest known king of Pitri-bhakta dynasty. Epigraphic evidence suggests that he overthrew mathara king Anantashaktivarman
Umavarman was an ambitious ruler and had expanded his empire towards neighbouring territories like Svetaka region (Modern Chikiti.)
He established a new capital at sunagara.
Umavarman issued two copper plate grants donating lands to brahmanas i.e Baranga grant and Dhavala-peta grant.
The following rulers of this dynasty are well known:
1. Uma-varman
2. Vasushena-raja ( son of Umavarman
3. Nanda-prabhanjana-varman.
4. Chanda-varman
5. Vishakha-varman
Inscription number 8.
Pitri-bhagat Verman dynasty.
Temburu Plates of Umavarman -1, Year 40.
Provenance: Temburu Village, Patapatnam, Taluk, Sri kakulam
District, Andhra Pradesh.
Script: Brahmi of southern class of the 6th century AD.
Language: Sanskrit.
References: B.N. Shastri, Bharati (Telugu monthly), Vol.44,
Pt.12 (Dec. 1967) pp.13ff, G. S. Gai,
Ep. Ind,. XXXVII, pp.337-40.
First plate.
Footnote 1.
1. From the Facsimile in Ep.Ind XXXVII between pp.338 and 339.
2. The symbol of om has worn out.
3. Komarti and Bobbili plates of kalingadhipati Achandavarman,
are also issued from simhapura. D.C. Sircar classical Age, pp-212, is inclined to accept him as the son of Umavarman, of the present plate. Simhapur is modern Simhapurm, in Visakhapatnam district situated between Srikakulam and Narsamhaputa.
4. Punctuation mark is superluous.
Second plate second side.
Footnote 2.
1. In the Brihatproshtha grant of the same king. ( Ep.Ind,. XII, pp.4ff. Dantayavagu is called bhoga. Evidently, therefore, madamba, was the
Dravidian equivalent of bhoga, Both the terms occur together in sripuram plates of the Kalinga king, Anantavarman. (Ep.Ind,. XXIV, pp. 47ff, (Infra, IV, LL-14-15.)
खरपूरि मदम्ब विनिर्ग्गतं पत्तन भोग विनिर्ग्गतं च कृत्वा
indicating that the latter was a division
while मदम्ब was a sub division.
Third plate.
Footnote 3.
1. = आज्ञा-हर = दूतक: executor, the same as आज्ञाप्ति: elsewhere.
2. मातृवर is probably identical with Matrivara,
father of Disakshapatal adhikrita Rudradatta, who wrote the Bobbili plates of Achandavarman indicating
that Achandavarman, must have succeeded Umavarman.
Probably he was the latter’s son
3. Conclusion of the draft is indicated by this floral design between punctuation marks.
Footnote 4.
Three other grants of the same king in all of which he claims to indicate on the feet of is father (bappa or pitri)
have been found.
1. Dhavala-peta plates (year lost) (Ep.Ind,. XXXVI, pp.134, ii) Tekkali
plates (year 9) (Ep-Ind, XXVIII pp. 302, Supra, II, 7) and Venkataramayya (Ep.Ind. XXVIII, pp.302) considers the
Umavarman of Tekkali grant as another king, who succeeded Achandavarman, on the ground that he does not claim
the title Kalingadhipati, ignoring the fact that the same is the case with the Dhavalapeta plates. The southern
half of orissa and the northern half of Andhra Pradesh, comprised ancient Kalinga.
English Translation of the inscription.
Om Hail ! From the victorious (city of) Simhapura.
Devoted to the feet of (his) father, the illustrious Maharaja Umavarman, the lord of Kalinga, commands the householders gathered In Honarenga village.
We have granted this village after separating it, from the Dantayavagu division (madamba) and making it an
agrahara, a common with the agraharas in Kalinga and immunising it with the immunities of all taxes, and stipulated to endure as long as the sun, the moon and
the stars do, to the Brahmana Bhartrisarman of Vasishtha gotra and a student of the Taittiriya sakha for the increase of religious merit and fame of my son vasushenaraja, Therefore,
knowing thus, you should attend upon him according to proper traditional rules and should offer him the measurable commodities ( share in kind) and gold (i.e. cash) etc.
And he requests the future kings that while administering the land, having acquired it through one or the other of law (dharma), heredity and prowess, they should protect this initiated gift, the agrahara, considering it a sacred duty (sad- Dharma). And in this context, there are verses sung by Vyasa.
(Here follow three of the customary verses)
The messenger (was) Vasudeva. The year 40, the Vaisakha day 20. Written by Matrivara, son of Haridatta, the officer
incharge of state records.
Seal of Maharaja Umavarman.