Balijhari (Narasinghpur) Copper-plates of the Somavamsi ruler Udyotakesarin Mahabhavagupta
By Debala Mitra
Summary
The article examines two Somavamsi copper-plate charters from Ratnagiri and Balijhari in present-day Odisha. Previous editions of these plates were full of misreadings because the published impressions were indistinct. The author re-examines the Balijhari charter and provides a revised text. The charter, issued in the fourth regnal year of the Somavamsi king Udyotakesarin Mahabhavagupta, records a grant of the village Konctalanda in Sariva-khanda in Odra desa and the village Lovikarada to the Brahmin brothers Sankara and Balabhadra. The plates describe the villages and note their location near hills such as Sorap; some of the toponyms are still difficult to identify. The inscription consists of seventy-eight lines in Sanskrit spread over three plates, with genealogical, imprecatory and benedictory verses composed in verse. The scribe made numerous orthographic mistakes, including confusion of the sibilant letters and insertion or omission of nasal signs, which the article enumerates and corrects. The revised reading also clarifies the genealogy of the Somavamsi dynasty: Udyotakesarin’s sons Janamejaya and his two sons Puranjaya and Karna are listed, extending the genealogy known from earlier plates. The article compares the genealogical verses of the Balijhari charter with the Ratnagiri plates and notes that they are largely identical, but the new Ratnagiri plates extend the genealogy further down. The author discusses the distribution of the copper-plate charters and notes the difficulty in locating the original plates because they were sent for cleaning and never returned, leading to uncertainty about their current location. The revised text contributes to our understanding of the Somavamsi dynasty and the administrative geography of early medieval Odisha by providing more accurate readings of place-names, personal names and genealogical details. It corrects earlier errors and highlights the importance of careful epigraphic analysis.
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Conclusion
The article shows how careful re-examination of poorly reproduced copper‑plate charters can substantially improve our knowledge of early medieval dynasties. By providing a corrected reading of the Balijhari plates, it clarifies that King Udyotakesarin Mahabhavagupta granted villages in Sariva‑khanda to brahmins and extends the known genealogy by naming his sons Janamejaya, Puranjaya and Karna. The study highlights the scribal errors that marred earlier editions and stresses the need for epigraphists to consult original plates. It also underscores the value of such records for reconstructing the political geography of the Somavamsis.