The origin of the Ananda götra

• The successors of the Brhatphalāyanas in the struggle for freedom and political ascendancy in Andhradesa were the Ananda kings of Kandarapura.

• The Ananda kings claimed descent from the götra of Ananda, identified as Ananda-maharṣi in the family inscriptions.

• An inscription at Nagarjunakonda on the ayaka-khambas at the Mahacaitya on Śrīparvata mentions Bhadanta Acarya Ananda, a great scholar belonging to the Pamnagāma monk fraternity.

• Acarya Ananda was a member of the Apara-Ananda-mahārgi mahāvinaseliyas sect, residing at Śrīparvata.

• The inscription reveals that the Mahacaitya was completed and consecrated under the supervision of Bhadanta Ananda, who was well-versed in the Digha and Majjhima Nikayas.

• Acarya Ananda was a leading figure in the Andhaka school of the Mahasanghikas in Andhradesa during the reign of the Iksvaku king Śrī Virapuruṣadatta.

• Ananda likely survived into the reign of Vasisthīputra Śrī Bahubala Śāntamūla and possibly even beyond the fall of the Iksvaku dynasty around 275 A.D..

• Ananda possibly also outlived the Brhatphalāyanas and continued to inspire the Ananda kings of Kandarapura, a petty feudatory family, to restore the prestige of the Iksvākus and avenge wrongs caused by the Pallavas.

• The timing of Ananda’s life and the rise of the first Kandara king aligns, making it plausible that Ananda inspired the Ananda family to regain sovereignty and honor their ancestral heritage.

• The first paramount sovereign of the Ananda family, who was a worshipper of Buddha, is described as meditating on the feet of Samyak Sambuddha and belonging to the götra of Ananda.

• This king likely ruled over territories once under the control of the Iksvākus.

• If this identification is correct, it is significant that a pious Buddhist monk, motivated by patriotism and loyalty to the Iksvākus, inspired the Ananda kings to revive the glory of Andhradesa.

Golangülas in Märkandeya Purapa

• The Markandeya Purana describes the ruling houses of Daksinäpatha, including the Golangulas, who flourished around the time of its compilation.

• Dr. Bimla Churn Law, who studied the peoples of Ancient India, could not definitively identify the Golangulas or their location.

• The Cezerla stone inscription of the Kandara king of the Ananda-gotra mentions that the emblem on the victorious banner of the Anandas was the golangula.

• The Mattepad plates of Dämödaravarman, the earliest record of the dynasty, refer to the family as originating from the götra of Ananda, but do not name the dynasty. This record is likely from the late third century or early fourth century.

• The family was not known by a specific appellation during its heyday, but it is possible that they were known to their neighbors and the Markandeya Purana compilers by the name Golangulas, derived from their royal banner emblem.

• If this theory is accepted, the Ananda kings of Kandarapura may be identified as the Gölängülas mentioned in the Purānas.

• Dr. Hultzsch refers to them as the “Kings of the family of Ananda“, which is the designation accepted for this study.

• The Anandas are also mentioned in the Markandeya Purana in the Kurma-vibhaga or Kurma-nivasa (Chap. 58), which lists the countries and peoples of Ancient India, arranged according to the Bharatavarsa, conceived as a tortoise lying on the water, facing east.

• In the Kurma-vibhaga, the Anandas and Marakas are located at the north-east foot of the tortoise, indicating they inhabited Andhradesa.

• While the Anandas rose to sovereignty and played a prominent role in history, the Marakas remained largely unknown to history.

• The Marakas likely had a glorious past, as evidenced by their social habits, customs, and the fact that they wear the yajñopavita (sacred thread) and observe Brahmanical practices.

• Today, the Marakas form a small backward community of fishermen and ferrymen living near the lower Godavari in the Eastern Andhra country.

• It is suggested that while the Marakas inhabited the lower region of the Godavari, the Anandas or Gölängūlas lived in the lower Krsna region, and both were likely powerful maritime races or tribes in ancient Andhradesa.