Epithets containing Elephants

Epithets of rulers and chiefs were bearing direct reference to elphants. We often find epithets of rulers with terms related to elephants for example dāya-gaja-keśarī, ari-gaja-keśarī, rāyagaja-keśarī, gaja-kacchapa and so on. The Khaṇḍavalli plates of the time of Kākati Pratāparudra bears a seal which has in relief the figures of boar, cow and a dagger in the middle of the sun and the crescent-moon at the top, and at the bottom the legend “Dāya-Gaja-Keśarī” in the thirteenth century’s telugu script. A word about the legend “Dāya-Gaja-Keśarī” found on the seal of the plates. This title is not met with on the seals or in the description of the rulers in the other copper plate grants of the dynasty. But evidences have been cited to show that titles like “ari-gaja-keśarī” and “Dāya-Gaja-Keśarī” were borne by Prola II and Gaṇapati. The title “Dāya-Gaja-Keśarī” could be traces in the Bekkallu inscription of the time of Rudradeva, dated Śaka 1097 and the Terāla inscription of the time of Kumāra (Pratāpa) Rudra, dated Śaka 1213. In the latter inscription, Pratāparudra is stated to have had this title as a lāñchana, i.e., title used by his predecessors^[1]. The discovery of the Khaṇḍavalli plates has added a new dimension to the problem. The seal of this copperplate is more interesting. It contains the legend “Dāya-Gaja-Keśarī’. This title was assumed by Pratāparudra. The earlier Kākatiya kings right from the time of Prola I had similar titles. From this P.V. Parabrhmasastry has rightly concluded that the titles “Dāya-Gaja-Keśarī’ and “Rāya-GajaKeśarī” refer to the Kākatiya kings^[2].

One earlier inscription Madakasira inscription of Diliparasa, Śaka 870 (CE 948-949) mentions another epithet taken by the ruler. The inscription records the death of Pannaya of Ballaha, in the battle of IpīỊi, in which he is said to have fought with great bravery against Gajāṅkuśa Coḷa^[3]. Scholars have suggested that Gajāṅkuśa Coḷa may have been the Cola king Parāntaka’s eldest son Rājāditya^[4] who bore the epithet of Gajāṅkuśa Cola. We may further conclude that names ending in “aṅkuśa” were popular in the family of the Coḍas of Reṇāṇḍu. On the basis of this, Gajāṅkuśa Coḷa may be said to have belonged to the same family^[5].