Kudepasiri

Kudepasiri (Devanagari:कुदेपसिरि) was a King of Kalinga and successor of Kharavela. The information about King Kudepasiri is available from a minor inscription cave no 9- Mancapurigumpha on Udayagiri hills situated near Bhubaneswar in Orissa.

II- Mancapuri cave inscription (Upper storey)-A

This inscription is incised on a raised bend between the 3rd and 4th doorways from the left and contains single line. The text in Devanagari script is as under:

ऐरस महाराजस कलिंगाधिपतिना महामेघवाहनस कुदेपसिरिनो लेणं

Translation - This is the cave of Aira Mahameghavahana Maharaja Kudepasiri, the overlord of Kalinga.

Note: Prof Banergy has deciphered the word "airas (ऐरस)" as "Kharasa". Kudepasiri seems to be the immediate successor of Kharavela.

III-Manchapuri cave inscription 'B' (Lower storey)

This inscription has been engraved on the right wall of Veranda, to the right of the entrance to the right-hand side chamber of the main wing, consisting of one line. The text in Devanagari script is as under:

कुमारो वडुखस लेणं

Translation - [This is] the cave of Prince Vaḍukha.

Note:- On palaeographic grounds Prof Banergy considers this inscription to be a little earlier than the inscription of king Kudepasiri.

Dr N K Sahu remarks:"It is not unlikely that the chief Queen, Vajiraghara referred in line-7 of Hathigumpha inscription, was the mother of Kudepasiri and that letter succeeded Kharavela as King of Kalinga".

According to Sadananda Agrawal, It is difficult to be sure of the relationship between Kharavela and Kudepasiri. No available record speaks anything more about Prince Badukha, he stands an obscure figure in history, but seems to be the son or brother of Kudepasiri.

References

* Sadananda Agrawal: Sri Kharavela, Published by Sri Digambar Jain Samaj, Cuttack, 2000.