Kadamba Inscription

10th century Kadamba inscription written in Kannada, Sanskrit found in Goa.

Kadamba Dynasty (345-535 C.E.)

• Extent – The Kadamba dynasty was an ancient Indian dynasty that ruled over parts of South India, particularly the present-day Karnataka region, from the 4th to the 6th centuries CE.
• Founder – The Kadamba dynasty is believed to have been founded by Mayurasharma, who was originally a feudatory of the Pallavas, a prominent dynasty of South India.
• Capital – The early capital of the Kadamba dynasty was Banavasi, located in present-day Karnataka.
• Later, the capital was shifted to Vaijayanti (modern-day Banavasi).
• End – The Kadamba kingdom came to an end with Pulakeshin II’s capture of Banavasi during the reign of Ajavarman.

• Kadambas of Goa – They were the subordinates of Chalukyas of Kalyana.
• Chalukyan emperor Tailapa II appointed Kadamba Shasthadeva as mahamandaleshwara of Goa for his help in overthrowing the Rashtrakutas.
• Kadamba Shasthadeva conquered the city of Chandavara from the Shilaharas in 960 A.D and later, he conquered the port of Gopakapattana (present Goa).
• Gundayya, the son of Talara Nevayya, may have participated in this battle, and won the port at the cost of his life.
• His father may have erected a memorial stone with the inscription in the temple of Mahadev of Cacoda to commemorate the heroic fight of his son.

The Inscription

• The inscription was discovered in the Mahadeva temple at Cacoda in southern Goa.
• It is in the literary style of Talangre inscription of Jayasimha I of the same period.
• Message – Talara Nevayya’s son Gundayya having taken a vow to fulfil his father’s desire of capturing a gopura of the port of Goa, fought and died after fulfilling his father’s wish.
• The record is composed as a vocal statement on the death of his son from the mouth of a lamenting father.