Part 48 - Bhima and Gokarna

Bhima and Gokarna. sons of Udaya probably ruled together. In A D. 1118 Vilambi, they gave lands in Tummata and Madigallu to Narasimha of Chutagoosh agrahara as recorded rin their Mamillapalle inscription. Another Mamillapalle inscription dated Saumya, of Kanduri Gokarnadeva C.M. gives his prasasti. Except the title, durvaravaradhiraja the other epithets are same as those of his predecessors A grant of land in Chandrakanti chintala Kuntasthalamu was made by a subordinate of the king. Gokarna’s record of Elesvaram dated C.V. 33 mentions him as mahamandalesvara Kanduri Gokarnadeva C.M. gives his usual prasasti and records grant of Peddakonduru to the deity. C.V. 33 corresponds to A.D. 11007-8 A record at Panugal dated C.V. 84 mentions Mela mbika and her three sons—Udayaditya, Bhima and Gokarna.

Bhima by his bad rule brought on himself the wrath of Rudradeva which spelt his ruin. The Hanumakonda inscription says that Bhima was the husband of his step mother, the slayer of his brother, while he was dining and by similar acts became the enemy of Rudradeva Rudra started with his armies advanced a short distance and took the city of Vardhamanagiri, Bhima accompanied by his mother, brothers an d wife fled to forests Rudra pursued him and cut down the forest. Probably Bhima was captured but pardoned by Rudra for the inscription says that Bhima and all other kings living between the province of Kanchi and Vindhya mountains were subject to Rudradeva Bhima is probably identical with mahamandalesvara Bhima figuring in Panugal epigraph mentioning Tallapadeva with his chalukya prasasti.

It is likely that the brother slain by Bhima was Unayaditya who was older than him and not Gokarna who ruled conjointly with Bhima and issued records.

From a record near the Siva temple at Panugal bearing the date A.D. 1280 and of the reign of Kumara Rudradeva are known Tondakshitisa and Chodabhimanarayana, sons of Bhimaraja by Mailambika and their queens. So Bhima identical with Bhima of the Kuchakapalle inscription (A.D. 1234) probably ruled till about A.D. 1250 and was succeeded by his sons Tonda and Chodabhimanarayana on the throne. In A.D. 1234 Kunduri Bhima granted Kuchakapalle to local Elesvara temple.