1837.] Udayagiri and Khandgiri in Cuttack. 1085 



publication : but there can be little doubt of the main facts, — that the 

 caves were executed by a Buddhist raja of Kalinga (named Aira ?) who 

 at the age of 24, after having pursued his studies regularly for nine 

 years, wrested the government from some usurper — distributed largesses 

 bountifully — repaired the buildings — dug tanks, &c. The ambiguity 

 in what follows is partly due to the imperfection of the Pali dialect 

 which expresses the Sanskrit mR : vasah, '• led on by, enthralled,' — by 

 the same letters, n" as the word ^% varshe, * in the year.' — I have 

 interpreted it in the latter sense wherever I found a numerical accom- 

 paniment, — and in the former where by it only I could make sense. — 

 Each change of inclination is consistently followed by a description of 

 corresponding conduct, and we have throughout a most natural picture 

 of a prince's life, wavering between pleasure and learning, — between 

 the brahmanical and Buddhist faith, then doubtless the subject of con- 

 stant contention. The history embraces his alliance with the daughter 

 of a hill chieftain and perchance even his death, though this is very 

 unlikely. I have no time however to review the contents of the inscrip- 

 tion as it deserves, and must content myself with one or two remarks 

 on the identification of the prince. 



Tradition, Mr. Stirling tells us, ascribes the construction of the 

 nour or palace on Udayagiri to raja Lalat Indra Kesari, a favourer of 

 the Bauddha religion, who reigned about the year A. D. 617. 



The name of Aira has doubtless much affinity to Indra, and the 

 epithet mahdmeghavdhana " borne on the clouds," metaphorically ap- 

 plied, might support the hypothesis of their being synonymous ; but we 

 cannot imagine that the writing is of a period so modern as his reign. 

 There is, higher up in the same list of Orissa kings, the name of 

 Indra Deva about 340 A. D., — but even he is not sufficiently old: 

 and it is evident we have no real account as yet of the early rajas of 

 Kalinga. — The very name is lost sight of in the vansavalis and cherit- 

 ras of Or-desa or Utkala-desa consulted by Stirling, — nor am I aware 

 of any direct treatise on the subject. The country is only known by 

 Sanskrit authors from its frequent mention along with Anga and 

 Vanga*. But we have far more particular and frequent allusions 

 to it as an extensive and powerful kingdom in the Buddhist annals 

 of Ceylon. 



Kalinga, (or as it is called in M. Csoma's analysis of the Tibetan 

 authorities!, ' the country of the king of Kalinga,' — in curious accor- 



* In a broken inscription- slab just brought to my notice in the museum, by Mr. 

 Kittoe, the Kesari rajas are called Kalingddhipati. 

 f Asiatic Researches, XX. page 317, Notice of the death of Buddha. 

 6 Y 



