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Satavahana Kings : Ruling in Odisha April-May - 2014 Odisha Review Satavahana Kings : Ruling in Odisha Akhil Kumar Sahoo According to Bana’s story, foundation of Kanva Kassapa Buddha, was murdered when he was dynasty was laid by king Vasudeva. But the theory returning home with money collected for building which propounded that the Kanvas were driven a chaitya for Kassapa Buddha. It is probable out by the Andhakas may be a misplaced point that the last king of the Kanva dynasty Susarma in history. Rather, they adopted the name of (28 BC) might have been killed by the Andhakas in a different time unknown to history; Andhakavana brigands while he was passing when out of their seven settlements named after through this forest track. And they might have as Kanas, or Konas, or Angles, some of them captured in this way the throne of Kosala giving were destroyed by severe floods either of the rise to the dynasty of the Andhakas. And we have Sarayu river, or of the Mahi, or Dhanua river, villages in the Balipatna Block of Puri district, and as their kingdom was found to have been also close to Nimapara in the name of Andhaka, established on the banks of these two rivers, thus, Andhakavindha, and Sarata to carry this point forcing them to change the name of their dynasty forward. after a heavy loss due to severe flood. Ramagrama Skanda Purana which is considered as a Tower from where relics of the Buddha was local Purana in Odisha, gives an account on washed away by a similar flood was a fact Andhaka daityas operating near Kasi, and the recorded in history. And the Andhaka kings were place under consideration is not far away from found to have raised their capital around the same the capital of Andhaka kings. Bahagabat place as the Ramagrama Tower. Mahapurana, in another account gives the lineage But there is another point which cannot of the Andhaka kings as kings of Ajodhya, i.e. in be rejected on Kanvas being displaced or Kosala. Perhaps, it is a story written much latter removed by the Andhakas also. There was a than the Skanda. But both the Puranas point to forest track in Kosala three leagues to the east of the same place in history. Sarala Dasa has written Sravasti which was called Andhakavindha, or about one “Andhaka Sarovara”, perhaps, it Andhakavana. The brigands were killing the would be in Kosala. persons passing through this forest track. Once, Satakarni, the third king of Andhaka King Paseandi of Kosala was saved from being dynasty in the second century BC, was called the murdered by the brigands while passing through king of the west in the Hathigumpha inscriptions this forest track by the early warnings of the of Kharavela. He was dethroned by Kharavela monks. Here Sarata, one pious follower of the as king of the Kalinga dynasty. Kharavela also 41 Odisha Review April - May - 2014 chased away the Bhojas and the Rashtrikas from “one eye”, and also “ perforated”. He is also their respective territories. called Aryadeva. From the names of so many When the Andhaka dynasty was villages having “kona” or “Kana”, attached to them, it seems, perhaps, Deva Bodhisattva was expanding its territorial ambition under its powerful king Simuka, in the last part of the third century staying in this wonderful place where village Chitra and Sagada are situated. It was also the BC, the king changed the name of the dynasty to place of Lumbini garden where the Buddha was Satavahana, the reason being unknown to born. And Ajodhya of the Ramayana is also history. identified with the same place, as A-yu-to or Their capital was at Dhanakakata, as present Atekuda is found nearby. (Beal, i.p.189 noted by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang in the &190n). th 7 century AD. Their ruling in eastern Malwa The most wonderful confirmation of the region has been confirmed by their coins. By the place as the seat of government of the Satavahana second century AD, the Saka dynasty of the kings is derived from the second capital of Kshaharatas of the east uprooted the Andhras Vidarbha, founded by Rukmi, the brother of from the south. Goutamiputra’s rise during AD Rukmini, who was the consort of Sri Krishna. 90-120 seems to have destroyed the rising power There we find Rukmini as the presiding deity of of the Sakas, Yavanas and the Pallavas, and the the Sri Mukha village near village Lambilo. This Kshaharatas. By the third century AD, and after Rukmini deity refers to the Rukmini Tirtha of the Vasisthiputra, the rule of this dynasty came to an Skanda where people worship the deity as abrupt end, who was identified as Satakrni, whom directed by the scriptures to beget a son, perhaps, Rudradamana twice routed but could not destroy. like the Buddha. Prachi Mahatmya, which is The Andhaka dominion was divided between its considered as an important local Purana in two branches into Satavhana and Chutu under Odisha, mentions about certain places like “Sri unknown circumstances. About the middle of the Sthalas”, though in a veiled manner. This “Sri third century AD, their territory was shared by Sthalas”, which is the other name for “Sri the Abhiras, Pallavas and Kadambas. Kshetras ", is not a single place, but it indicates a Nimapara is situated on the highway from number of places where the name of the place Bhubaneswar to Konarka in an east –south-east starts with “Sri”, and these places are linked to direction, and is about twenty miles from the our ancient history in a broad way. This Sri capital city. Near Nimapara, and before it, are Mukaha village near Nimapara is one of such villages in the name of Ekama-kona; Oli-kona; villages. Others are : Sri Koili, Sri Kanthapura, Pora-kona; Kusi-kona; and Konapura. And all Sri Bantapura, Sri Chandanapura, and Sri the villages seem to have encircled the Sana Sri Karapura etc. Mukaha village where the deity Rukmini is The word Petenika or Pitinika mentioned worshipped. The villages are tagged with the name in RE V & XIII, should not according to Dr. D R “kona”, or Angle, either at the end or at the Bhandarkar, and some other writers, be read as beginning of their names. Deva Bodhisattva who a separate name but an adjective qualifying was a disciple of Nagarjuna, flourished in the same Rishtika (RE V) and Bhoja (RE XIII). Their time. He is also called “Kana” deva, because attention was on certain passages in the Anguttara he gave one of his eyes to Maheswara, or because Nikaya (RC Chaudhury, ftn.3.p.311) where the he bore out the eye of Mahesvara. “Kana” means term Pettanika occurs in the sense of one who 42 April-May - 2014 Odisha Review enjoys property given by his father (RC It tells that the river Sarayu divided Ajodhya into Chaudhury, ftn.4.p.311). And Bhojakatakapura two parts, the region to east of it is called is found mentioned in Asoka’s RE as a place on “North”, and to west of it is called “South”. On the bank of the river Narbada (not Narmada of this basis, pilgrims’ account needs a recast. the South). Pitinikas are identified with the Paithanakas or natives of Bhojas. They are the According to Sten Konow, the Sai-wang ancestors of the Satavahana ruler of Paithap (R people were known as “Saka-murunda” (or C Chaudhury, Pol. Hist. of Anc. India, p.311). Sakaraukoi of Strabo). Murunda being the same And Bhojas are mentioned in Aitareya Brahman as Chinese “wang”, i.e. king, master, or lord. The as rulers of south (ftn.1). village U-wang near Sri Mukha village towards its west is significantly point to this point in history. The word “Petenika” is easily identified And Tu-hu-lo village which is not far away from with ‘Patanaikia’, a place that is situated on the this, strongly supports the fact of subjugation of highway from Bhubaneswar to Puri. The village Tahia by the “wang” people staying nearby. Saka Patnaikia is identified with the kingdom where people again were connected with the Sagadiane once the Bhojas were ruling, and the title region, and the village Sagada is very close to “Pattanaik” relates to the people historically belonging to this Bhoja country. This wonderful this. Of course, this sagada means “swarga”, and relationship again confirms the existence of the it is connected with the birth of the Buddha. Satavahana dynasty ruling in this part of Odisha Village Nagavasta, Oda Khanda, alone. Near Patnaikia village, and on the side of Lambilo, Tala-Andhia, U-hang, Sagada, the Puri Highway itself, stands the village Chitra and Naharakiri, and another deity Patacara, which represents the Pratisthanapur, Satabhauni are in a circular position around the or Paithap of the Bhoja country. Sri Mukha village. There are two villages in the Paithanakas as natives of the Bhojas, and name of Sri Mukha : namely, Sana Sri Mukha, ancestors of the Satavahanas, were ruling in and the Bada Sri Mukha. We have also a village Paithap, and according to Pali texts, their other in the name of Satukalia whose history will no name in history was Pratisthanapura, or the doubt help us better in our later discussions. Paithana of the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea All these villages immensely provide the (p.195). It was the birthplace of Raja Salivahana required facts which are necessary to build up who founded the Saka era in 78 AD. It was also the history of the Satavahan Kings ruling in Odisha, called Potali in the Buddhist literature which was not in Andhra.
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